How can we become bio-entrepreneurs?
Although the biotech industry is science-based, the risks of product and technology development, legal issues, and market pressures make the landscape full of uncertainty. Lectures and textbooks fall short of delivering true insight about the process and challenges of bringing ideas to real-world products. This second semester freshman seminar course is designed to develop an appreciation of how biotech companies achieve their goals by engaging students through interactions with experienced executives and entrepreneurs, whose shared knowledge and stories add depth and context to the learning process. This 1 credit seminar course introduces students to the basics of innovation and entrepreneurship as a framework for marketable discoveries, builds an appreciation of how biotech companies start, obtain funding, and navigate intellectual property, provides an overview of career options in biotech, and insight on the hiring process. Pre-requisite: Students need to have completed Bio2010: The Science of Biotechnology for enrollment in this course and be currently enrolled in Bio2960: Principles of Biology I. Limited to 20 students. Spring semester; 1.0 Units; Instructor: Joseph Jez, Spencer T. Olin Professor, Department of Biology.
* This course engages freshman in discussions about current biological research. It is optional and does not replace requirements for the Biology major or for pre-health careers. See the Handbook for Biology Majors for details of Biology major requirements.