Supply Chain
BABEC, CA
Supply Chain Hub
Students Manufacturing for Students
We help biotechnology educators integrate biomanufacturing supply chain concepts into their programs. We are a centralized resource for curriculum materials, tools, and professional development to implement and sustain projects to produce lab supplies for high school partners or other customers. We create a bridge from classroom learning to industry practice, providing students with operational skills needed for success in the biotech industry. Our work-based learning experiences are comparable to an industry internship, providing relevant technical and professional skills that students can include on their resumes and communicate in job interviews.
Who we are
BABEC, Biotech and Bioscience Education Community, is a non-profit organization that provides bioscience resources to high school and community college teachers. For over 25 years, we have administered one of the largest curriculum and kit sharing programs in the country–serving 347 schools, 5,085 teachers and 450,000 students. Our supply chain project, BIOSCOPE, provides community college students with skills-based job training through the production of low-cost educational reagents and kits. The core principle of supply chain is quality, with emphasis on good manufacturing principles and quality control. Through supply chain participation, students learn teamwork, interpersonal and business communication, critical thinking, and work-place discipline skills.
The CA Bioscience Workforce Development Hub, hosted by MiraCosta College in San Diego County, supports 40 community college bioscience programs and high school pathways across California. Our mission is to create accessible, innovative education pathways from K-12 to associate and bachelor’s degrees–ensuring that students gain cutting-edge, industry-relevant skills in biotechnology, biomanufacturing, medical laboratory technology, and food safety.
Working closely with faculty, industry partners, and workforce organizations, the Hub drives curriculum development, promotes programs, facilitates student outreach, and provides professional development for educators. It also secures funding for work-based learning and collaborates nationally with InnovATEBIO to advance bioscience workforce training.
What we can do for you
- Help implement a supply chain project tailored to your program needs.
- Provide curriculum materials, templates and tools like SOPs, batch records, and quality systems.
- Ensure students are trained in relevant technical and operational competencies — including inventory management, documentation, quality assurance, and logistics.
- Provide professional development to help faculty teach skills that reflect real-world biomanufacturing environments.
- Provide grant-writing assistance to secure funding and ensure long-term success.
- Partner high school and community college instructors to create awareness of college programs and pathways to biotech jobs.
Hub Host:
BABEC, San Francisco, California
Terri Quenzer, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Bioscience Workforce Development Hub CA Community Colleges Hosted at MiraCosta College
Current programs
Skyline College
Skyline was an initial participant in the BioSCOPE project when it was first funded by the CA community college chancellor’s office. Skyline next received an NSF grant to further develop BioSCOPE. The grant scored several successful “take-aways” despite implementation during Covid. At-home kits enabled students to do science during the pandemic. Student supply chain managers tracked inventory, trained and supervised other student workers, and assisted faculty to implement the project in a course or club.
Collaborator:
Ohlone College
As one of the original colleges involved in the first round of the grant funded by the CA community college chancellor’s office, Ohlone College contributes to the manufacturing of lab kits and other instructional resources that support hands-on science education in high schools. Through this collaboration, Ohlone College students develop hands-on skills in biomanufacturing, quality assurance, and supply chain management. Their participation strengthens their technical expertise and equips them for entry-level roles in the biotechnology field.
Collaborator:
Other Collaborators:
Cerritos College Biotech
Michelle Stieber
Santos Rojas
Biotechnology at Citrus College
Eleanor Tsark
Kathy Harker
Compton College Biomanufacturing
Katherine Marsh
El Camino College Biotech
Eduardo Ayala
Galileo Academy of Science & Technology
Anja Schwanes