Biology Proseminar, Biol 200A

Business of Biotechnology

Biot 201b

Spring 2017

Dr. Neil Simister, Biology Department

Tuesday, Thursday, 3.30-4.50 PM, in Shapiro Science Center GL14

Biotechnology includes many ways of using living organisms to provide products or services. In current usage, the term biotechnology usually refers to industries based upon recombinant DNA methods. These industries are diverse but most are in the areas of medicine, agriculture, and manufacturing. Business of Biotechnology gives an overview of these industry sectors and introduces their research and development models, regulation, financing and marketing.

Learning goals: Students who successfully complete Biot 201 Business of Biotechnology will be able to identify major sectors of the biotechnology industry and give examples of their marketed products. They will be able to recognize similarities and differences in the research and development timelines and regulatory processes of these sectors. They will be able to distinguish between different ways in which companies are financed and to describe the typical stages of financing of a company as is develops from start-up toward acquisition or IPO.

Prequirement: Biot 200a Biotechnology Proseminar, or instructor's permission.

Text: Building Biotechnology, 3rd edn., Yali Friedman, Logos Press 2008 (Not current edition).

Attendance is required.To get the most value from the course, students need to do a lot of work outside of class. I expect students to spend a minimum of 9 hours per week on readings and other information-gathering, and working on the individual and team assignments.

Office hours: Monday 1-2 PM and Wednesday 11 AM - noon in Bassine 203, ext. 64952,.

Electronic resources: the web site at contains class information, links and assignments. You can access the site with your UNET name and password.

Grading will be based on participation in discussion and activities in class and on the individual and team assignments (20% for attendance and participation;80% for assignments).

Learning/other disabilities: If you have a documented disability on record at Brandeis, please talk to me early about any special needs you have, or any reasonable accommodation you require. I am hearing-impaired; when you speak to me, you may need to talk more loudly than usual. You may notice that I look at your lips for clues to what you are saying.

Academic integrity: Students should be familiar with and must uphold Brandeis policies on academic honesty These include the requirement that all work submitted for credit must be the student's own except where the contributions of others are properly cited or where teamwork is explicitly allowed. Take care to use quote marks and cite direct quotes, and to cite sources of ideas and substantial paraphrasing. Work is checked for plagiarism including translation from other languages.

Biot 201b Business of Biotechnology, Spring 2017

Syllabus might change to accommodate the guest speakers' schedules.

Business of Biotechnologypage 1Dr. Neil Simister