Biotechnology Certificate Program
Our program prepares students for careers as entry-level technicians in biotechnology and life sciences laboratories. Over a 6-month program, divided into two semesters and coupled with a 12-week paid industry co-op, students learn the cutting-edge technical skills, instrumentation, and career skills required to work as entry-level lab technicians.
Each semester follows a thoughtfully designed workflow that incorporates practice of authentic industrial methods, preparing students for work in the thriving biosciences economy. In addition to hands-on technical laboratory training, students are mentored by industry professionals and learn valuable career skills including communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and time management.
All tuition and fees are waived for students in the program. Stipends may be available for eligible students, and each enrollee receives a laptop, which is gifted to graduates upon successful completion of the program.
Gloucester Biotechnology Academy welcomes applications from individuals with a wide range of educational backgrounds. As part of our mission to expand access to careers in biotechnology for individuals who have not yet had the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree, beginning with the January 2027 cohort, the Academy’s admissions priority is applicants who have not earned a Bachelor’s degree. Applicants who currently hold a Bachelor’s degree are welcome to apply, but will be considered only if space is available after priority applicants have been admitted.
GMGI is a SNAP Path to Work provider. For a link to the USDA’s nondiscrimination statement, click here.
Thank you to the Commonwealth Corporation for its support of the Academy
Program Details
- Coursework: molecular biology, cell culture, biomanufacturing
- Small class size fosters one-on-one coaching
- Age range: 18 – 30 years old
- Full-time program: 8:30a to 2:30p, Monday – Friday
Career Skills
- Teach essential life and workplace competencies for professional success
- Foster critical thinking skills and use of scientific rhetoric
- Support students in preparing co-op and job applications
- Develop effective written and oral communication
- Build a professional network through guest lectures
- Provide exposure to laboratory operations and scale through field trips
Co-ops
- Gain full-time, paid experience through immersive three- or six-month industry placements
- Contribute to cutting-edge science at prestigious biotech companies
- Receive mentorship from professional scientists
- Develop new laboratory skills and train on state-of-the-art instrumentation
- Network and build connections with industry leaders
Curriculum Overview
Semester 1: DNA Techniques and Genetic Engineering
Introduces standard laboratory practices and instrumentation in a molecular biology workflow where students will:
- Develop skills including lab safety, follow detailed protocols, and maintain a written lab notebook
- Practice fundamental techniques such as weighing, pipetting, and preparation of solutions
- Extract, amplify, and analyze DNA using PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, and UV fluorimetry (2 weeks)
- Identify DNA species using sequence and restriction data including BLAST and DNA mapping software (1 week)
- Edit DNA with restriction/ligation and Golden Gate cloning, learn principles of CRISPR in a bacterial model (3 weeks)
- Prepare sterile media and practice microbiological techniques including transformation of foreign DNA into bacteria to create transgenic organisms (2 weeks)
Semester 2: Proteins, Genetic Engineering, and Biomanufacturing
Students will expand their laboratory skills by working on larger-scale protein and mammalian cell culture workflows, allowing them to:
- Express recombinant proteins in bacteria at research and manufacturing scales including operation and optimization of fermenters (4 weeks)
- Culture adherent mammalian cells in a sterile environment, transfect foreign DNA and observe location of expressed markers with fluorescent microscopy (half time over 4 weeks)
- Express recombinant antibodies in mammalian suspension cells up to bioreactor scale (half time over 3 weeks)
- Purify proteins at research and manufacturing scales using column chromatography on industry-standard UNICORN systems (half time over 4 weeks)
- Assess the quantity and purity of proteins using standard analytical techniques such as HPLC, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, ELISA, BCA, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and other common techniques (half time over 3 weeks)
Program Outcomes
Over the course of the program’s history, 80% of students have graduated and 90% of those graduates have gone on to full-time employment or enrolled in college to study science. The mean starting salary of our graduates over the last two years is $55,000.
Our alumni have been hired by some of the most prestigious companies on the North Shore, Cambridge, and Boston, including:
Gloucester Biotechnology Academy has established agreements with Salem State University, North Shore Community College, Northern Essex Community College, Northeastern University, and Roxbury Community College to award credits to graduates of our program who are accepted into these institutions to pursue a degree in science.
Program Gallery
