Graduate Cell and Gene Therapy Course Attracts Professionals from Pharmaceutical Industry

In 2018, Dicciani Endowed Associate Professor Dr. Jacob Elmer in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering introduced a Cellular Engineering course for undergraduates. Developed in response to increased demand from industry, the course quickly became a student favorite. In fall 2020, that course was offered again, along with a new graduate version: ChE 8591-- Cell and Gene Therapy. With 30 students, it too has proven to be a popular choice, particularly among those working in the pharmaceutical field.

“We have students from Merck, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and more,” says Dr. Elmer. Those students who are not currently working in the industry find themselves to be more desirable hires if they have experience in cellular engineering or gene therapy. In fact, even at the undergraduate level, students are quickly hired if they have some knowledge in these areas.

After an introduction to putting a new gene into a cell, the course covers genetics—what a gene is, how cells decide when to express some genes and not others, and how DNA is transcribed to RNA and translated into protein. Following this deep dive, the second part of the course is dedicated to tools and techniques—how to deliver a gene to a cell, how to ensure that it will express, and how to culture cells. The last module presents as a general survey of the different ways in which cells have been engineered, from using algae to create biofuels and growing genetically modified crops, to stem cell/tissue engineering for artificial organs and using T cells to kill cancer cells (CAR-T therapy). As one of Dr. Elmer’s areas of expertise and research, CAR-T therapy is a major focus of the course. In 2016, he won a National Science Foundation grant to develop new technologies and techniques that streamline the production of genetically engineered T cells to treat leukemia patients.

Dr. Elmer’s Cell and Gene Therapy course and his spring semester course in Protein Engineering are complemented by the research taking place in NovaCell, the College’s Center for Cellular Engineering. Directed by Dr. William Kelly, professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, NovaCell’s mission is to lead efforts to improve cell and gene therapy products, and the bioprocesses used to make them.