Industry Practicum Project
88% of surveyed industry professionals say professional skills are important to job placement, making our Industry Practicum Project important to the success of MMB graduates as enter the workforce.
Each semester, students work with a different segment of the biosciences markets. Students rotate between large biopharma & medical device companies, small companies, and large industrial & agricultural biotechnology companies.
Industry
Partnership
Nearly 50 industry companies have worked with us since the program began in 2003.
Different Areas
of Industry
Students get exposure to a variety of different sectors within the biotech industry.
Develop Professional Skills
Students work in teams to foster communication, problem-solving and other important skills.
Industry Partnerships
The MMB Program students, faculty, and staff extend our warmest thanks to the companies and mentors who provide relevant, real-world projects and mentoring to the MMB students every semester.
Companies sponsoring practicum projects for the 2023 Fall semester are listed below, along with the mentor and project title where permissible.
| Company | Project | Mentor (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Alura | Innovative commercial deployment pathway | N/A |
| Novonesis | Building Sustainable Food Systems through Biosolutions | Ahmad Haghzadeh |
| Novonesis | Current Industry Perspectives on the Use of Probiotics and Supplemental Enzymes in Animal Agriculture – A Market Survey | Dr. Steve Lerner |
| Seqirus | A review of Flu Vaccine Manufacturing Process- Now and Beyond | Lou Fabri |
| W.L. Gore & Associates | Out-of-Kind / Speculative Competitor Analysis | Ed Cully |
It’s not just our students that benefit from the MMB industry practicum project. Through these projects, MMB students have generated valuable insights and recommendations that have positively impacted partnering companies’ operations.
How it Works
Over the course of three semesters, MMB students complete three practicum projects. Students spend the first few weeks of each semester learning about topics related to the biotechnology industry, attending seminars led by industry guest speakers, and practicing their oral and written communication skills.
For the rest of the semester, MMB students work in teams of 4-5 students to complete practicum projects developed by partnering companies in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area. Industry-partner companies and student teams change each semester to increase exposure to different companies and foster versatility in teamwork. By pairing our industry practicum projects with a series of professional skill development modules, MMB students gain practical, industry-related experience, develop necessary professional skills, meet valuable contacts, and explore career paths.
