MiraCosta College

We are currently developing a Biofuels Production Technician Certificate: This certificate provides a foundation in, and practical application of, the technologies employed by biotechnology companies engaged in the production of microalgal biomass for biofuels and other applications. Through a combination of applied lecture and hands-on laboratory instruction, students acquire the confidence, competence, and compliance for technical work in the emerging new field of algal bio-products. Bioprocess technologies encompass the fundamentals of biomass production, harvest technologies, and downstream processing. Students learn to grow a variety of algal strains using lab-scale photobioreactors, operation of model production and downstream processing equipment, and other skills to produce laboratory quantities of biofuels, protein meals for animal feeds, and chemical extracts for human nutritional supplements. This certificate is designed for students seeking entry into the rapidly growing biofuels industry as a biomass production or laboratory technician.

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