101 Workshop: Biotechnology and Biosecurity
Join the Center for Security Studies and the Masters in Biotechnology Program for a 101 Workshop on the basics of biotechnology and its intersection with security! This workshop will foster a better understanding of biotechnology fundamentals and various applications and implications for biosafety and biosecurity.
Students will be introduced to the complexity of living systems at the organismal and ecosystem levels and will learn about essential biotechnological techniques, ranging from traditional genetic engineering and cloning to modern techniques such as synthetic biology and gene editing using (CRISPR/Cas9). Through various applications of these techniques and focusing on industry drivers, students will learn how biotechnology can improve human health and environmental sustainability across different fields.
Attendees will get the chance to see lab demonstrations and work on case studies geared towards real world applications for maintaining biosecurity in research laboratories, healthcare facilities, and agriculture!
RSVP here to secure your spot for this incredible opportunity situated at the nexus of biotechnology and security!
About the Speakers
Ivica Labuda, PhD
Professor and Program Director
Ivica Labuda, PhD, is a Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, and Director of the Biotechnology Program.
Dr. Ivica Labuda’s graduate studies and post-doctoral work were conducted at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia, at the University of Graz, Austria, and at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Her biotechnology research continued at global companies including Kraft, Roche/Givaudan, DuPont/Danisco/Cultor, and Pepsi-Cola, where she established, expanded, and managed biotechnology groups with research programs focused on diagnostics, taste receptors, flavor ingredients, antioxidants, and antimicrobials. Dr. Labuda’s research results were published in numerous scientific journals and books and put into practice based on her international patents. Dr. Labuda founded two companies, Biokeys for Flavors, LLC and NovaKera, LLC.
For the past 21 years Dr. Labuda has enjoyed introducing students to the field of biotechnology, first as an Adjunct Professor and now as Director for the past three years. The well-being and personal and academic growth of students is central to her teaching philosophy. She considers all of the faculty, students, and staff of the program to be part of her beloved biotech family.
Kyle DiVito, PhD
Assistant Professor and Associate Director
Dr. DiVito joined the Department as faculty in November 2018. Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. DiVito was a Staff Scientist at the FDA. In 2014 Dr. DiVito was the recipient of a post-doctoral fellowship from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and completed his fellowship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, D.C.. While at NRL, Dr. DiVito characterized synthetic blood vessels fabricated using microfluidics and received the Jerome Karle Fellowship for Young Investigators. Dr. DiVito’s interests span tissue engineering and organ-on-chip technology, as well as traditional cancer research. Dr. DiVito completed his Ph.D. at Georgetown in 2013, and received a B.S. from the University of Connecticut in 2002.