Centennial College's Biotechnology program nationally-accredited, which demonstrates to employers that it has offered graduates a high standard of learning. Some specific courses include: Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Recombinant DNA Technology and more.

1. The Biotechnology Program You Need to Launch Your
Career Takes Two Years To Complete
Those who graduate from Biotechnology college programs must be
prepared to work in a number of areas. That’s because their main job
of assuring quality control can be applied to all areas of food,
pharmaceutical and cosmetic manufacturing. More specifically, bench
technicians (as these professionals are known in the field), should
have the know-how to: prepare microbiological media and reagents,
and culture pathogenic microbes; prepare specimens for staining;
isolating, enumerating and identifying microorganisms from many
types of samples (water, soil, air, body, food, pharmaceutical and
cosmetic products); design and perform microbiology experiments;
handle materials and instruments such as pH and BOD meters, Gas
Chromatographs, spectrophotometers (regular/IR/UV), HPLC’s, and
more.
It takes students two years at Centennial College’s Biotechnology
program to learn the skills they need to carry out the above tasks. It
is worth noting that eight up-to-date laboratories and modern wireless
lecture facilities housed at Centennial’s most technologically advanced
campus assist students in their studies as theory is combined with
ongoing laboratory work. Additionally, qualified faculty and staff
member provide individual attention in laboratories while encouraging
teamwork skills.
While all 23 classes are vital to students’ post-graduate success, here
is a closer look at five of the program’s most essential courses.
Recombinant DNA Technology: A combination of theory and practical
application, this class first covers the theoretical and applied aspects
of basic biotechnology techniques for the study of DNA and proteins.
Students then apply theory and practical skills to perform standard
molecular biology techniques for the isolation, manipulation and
analysis of DNA as well as the expression and purification of protein.
Microbiology Techniques: Students acquire the skills and knowledge
necessary to work in a microbiology lab by learning to perform safe,
up-to-date methods to identify microorganisms. This hands-on lab
course allows student to grow microorganisms and identify them using
microscopes, staining and biochemical procedures.
Food Microbiology: Emphasis in this course is on quality control of raw

2. materials and finished products, microbial metabolism, established
food and drug regulations and guidelines. Theory of good
manufacturing practice for food manufacturers, and hazard analysis
and critical control point programs field assignments and applications
assist students in applying the theory.
Pharmaceutical Microbiology: Students learn concepts of quality
control and assurance as they apply to the pharmaceutical industry,
based on current government regulations. They get to perform
laboratory procedures while practicing safe, aseptic laboratory
technique.
Microbiology Projects: With the first Microbiology Project course,
students learn to locate, collect and interpret scientific information for
the purpose of designing laboratory procedures. Meanwhile, in the
second Microbiology Project, students choose a project topic, gather
information through literature search, select a protocol and perform a
microbiology experiment over the course of six weeks. Students
submit several written reports as well as a final project thesis upon
conclusion of the laboratory component.
Biotechnology technician applicants are asked to have completed an
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19
years of age or older. Also required is completion of compulsory
English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and Math 11M or
U or 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent.