Centuries before biotechnology had a name, humans were already practicing it – breeding animals for resilience, fermenting foods and treating pain with plants. Today, that same spirit of discovery thrives at the Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Reno, where faculty and student researchers in the Biotechnology Program are advancing science to solve real-world challenges in medicine, health and agriculture.
The University approved its biotechnology curriculum in the late 1990s and welcomed its first students in 2001. Since then, more than 300 graduates have gone on to careers at companies such as Bristol Myers-Squibb, Genentech and Novonesis; as well as at startups, nonprofits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NASA and academia.
Alumni of the Biotechnology Program have become environmental health and safety specialists, quality assurance professionals, forensic scientists, lab technicians, medical doctors, patent lawyers, professors and researchers. Omar Akbari, a member of the program’s third cohort, has founded two biotechnology companies focused on reducing vector-borne illnesses such as malaria, Zika, yellow fever and dengue. He is now a professor at the University of California, San Diego, where he works on developing methods to control mosquito populations and prevent disease transmission.
The Biotechnology Program is housed in the University’s Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources. Soon after its inception, the program began hosting a Biotechnology Symposium, which has since grown to a major event attracting not only students, alumni and faculty, but also program supporters and industry recruiters and leaders. This year, on May 2, the University held its 20th Biotechnology Symposium on campus at the Center for Molecular Medicine, marking a major milestone celebrating the program’s success.
Program built on innovation and industry collaboration
The Biotechnology Program was founded on a vision to prepare students for the rapidly evolving biosciences industry. Recognizing a need for advanced training that extended beyond the bachelor’s degree but stopped short of a full Ph.D., the founders created a five-year accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s track focused on hands-on industry experience. The program is now nationally recognized for its rigorous academics, hands-on training and strong connections to research and industry. It has remained a driving force for innovation in nutrition, health care, food security and natural resource conservation for more than 20 years.
The bachelor's degree program was co-founded by Ardythe McCracken, an emeritus professor and a Fulbright Senior Scholar in molecular and cellular biology. McCracken joined the Department of Biology in 1987 and helped develop courses in cell and molecular biology for undergraduate and graduate students. Other founding faculty include Lee Weber, professor emeritus in the Department of Biology; Cynthia Mastick, an associate professor in the Department of Biology; David Shintani, vice provost of undergraduate education; and Christie Howard, emeritus professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.
“Our accelerated program was one of the firsts of its kind in the country at the time,” said Karla Hernández, a graduate of the program who now serves as its director and a teaching assistant professor. “There was some initial hesitation because it was such a new approach, but it eventually became a model for other institutions looking to launch similar programs.”
Over the last 24 years, the program has received support from industry experts, including Mick Hitchcock, a biopharmaceutical senior executive and researcher for whom the University’s Mick Hitchcock, Ph.D., Nevada Proteomics Center is named. Hitchcock has contributed his time and expertise, in addition to funding the program has received from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Hamilton Robotics, Charles River Laboratories, Sierra Sciences and Genentech. This funding has played a critical role in sustaining the program’s growth, and continued support remains essential to its future success.
Inspiring high school students to pursue biotechnology fields
The Biotechnology Program is one of the most active at the University in reaching out to high school students across Nevada, promoting STEM careers and offering early exposure to research opportunities.
Eli Mann, now a first-year student in the program, first attended the Biotechnology Symposium in 2024 as a high school senior at West Career and Technical Academy in the Clark County School District. He was accompanied by his teacher Andrea Jydstrup-McKinney, a 2009 graduate of the University’s five-year accelerated biotechnology bachelor’s-to-master’s track. Jydstrup-McKinney also helped establish the Biotechnology Program at the Academy. At the time, Mann, a gardening enthusiast, presented a poster on an experiment exploring whether purified green fluorescent protein could bind to stem cells in a seed and continue fluorescing after germination.
Since then, Mann has shifted his focus to entomology (the study of insects). He is now conducting research in the Rückert Lab on a specific protein in mosquitoes to better understand how the insects carry and transmit viruses such as Zika, dengue and West Nile, with the goal of interrupting transmission and reducing the global burden of mosquito-borne diseases.
"Whether you want to be a doctor or a researcher, what matters most is choosing a career that makes a difference," Mann said. " I find biotechnology especially fascinating because researchers work behind the scenes to create the medicines doctors rely on and develop solutions that help eradicate diseases around the world.”
When asked how he would describe biotechnology to high school students, Mann said, “It is about studying organisms at a microscopic level – things like DNA, genetic material, and proteins. It is very human focused, because we are often looking for ways to improve lives through nutrition or treat diseases. For example, a biotechnologist or biochemist might help create a vaccine to limit or eliminate the spread of a virus.”
Jydstrup-McKinney returned to the symposium this year with two of her current students.
“I'm really excited that my program has built this partnership with Dr. Hernández and the University’s Biotechnology Program,” she said. “It is a win-win. My students have a clear path to continue building on the skills they started in high school, and the University gets high-quality students ready to jump into research faster than most first-year college students.”
Teachers and students from Proctor R. Hug High School in the Washoe County School District also participated in the symposium. The Biotechnology Program has a longstanding partnership with Proctor R. Hug High School aimed at strengthening STEM education and inspiring future scientists. In 2023, the program hosted a weeklong biotechnology lab at the school, led by Patricia Santos, an assistant professor in the University’s Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Science, and Ana Herrera, a biology teacher at the high school. The lab gave students hands-on experience with CRISPR, the innovative genome-editing research technique, and other molecular biology techniques, highlighting the program’s commitment to expanding access to real-world science in the classroom.
High School Summer Internship Program provides direct faculty mentorship
The Biotechnology Program has also expanded its STEM outreach efforts to include a summer internship program for high school students. The program was launched last year after high school students from Reno who attended the 2024 Biotechnology Symposium expressed interest in a biotechnology immersion opportunity.
“Rather than just placing them in labs, we developed a structured program, matching them with faculty from different departments in the College,” said Hernández, who is coordinating the internship program.
During the internships, the interns shadow and interact with research professors and college students, observing and asking questions. This year’s program will run July 7 to Aug. 8.
The Biotechnology Program’s success is due in part to strong departmental support. One of its key champions is Justin Legleiter, chair of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, who has worked closely with Hernández and faculty to expand outreach efforts and strengthen the symposium’s impact.
“The Biotechnology Program exemplifies what we strive for in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology – rigorous academics, real-world research and strong industry partnerships that prepare students to solve complex challenges,” Legleiter said. “Events such as the symposium do not just highlight student talent, they accelerate it. Whether students go on to tackle neurodegenerative diseases, improve food systems or develop new diagnostics, they leave here with the tools and mindset to make a meaningful impact.”
Program celebrated at 20th Annual Biotechnology Symposium
Sponsored by the Hamilton Company, a leading manufacturer of precision liquid handling and measuring devices, the symposium began with a networking lunch and research posters presented by high school and undergraduate students. Welcome remarks followed from Bill Payne, dean of the College, and Jeffrey Thompson, executive vice president and provost. Mastick then gave a brief history of the Biotechnology Program, after whichaster’s students presented research talks featuring projects in plant, animal and human health sciences. The presentations represented all four departments in the College.
Highlights included a rapid 20-minute diagnostic test for infectious diseases, similar to a pregnancy test, from the Kozel Lab and mentorship from Amanda Burnham-Marusich, a former research scientist at the Biotechnology Program and currently CEO of DxDiscovery, a biotechnology research and development firm. Other presentations included research on diet impacts on diabetes and cardiovascular disease from the Ferguson Lab, tick-borne diseases from the Gulia-Nuss Lab, and cancer and ocular research in collaboration with the School of Medicine. Plant research highlighted genomics and development of disease resistance in cactus species from the Cushman Lab, drought-tolerant and more nutritious grain varieties from the Yerka Lab, and eradication of plant pathogens affecting carrots and potatoes from the Santos Lab.
During the opening session, Carlos Cardillo, director of the Nevada Center for Applied Research, announced the launch of the Biotech Research Industry-Student Experience, or RISE, a new partnership among the center, the Biotechnology Program and industry leaders. The initiative aims to expand student and internship opportunities while supporting private sector innovation.
The event culminated in a keynote address by Graça Almeida-Porada, a former researcher and director of the Biotechnology Program, followed by a networking hour.
For more information on the Biotechnology Program or summer internship program, contact Hernández at karlah@unr.edu.
