AI Decision Making in Biotech

Week 1: Biotechnology Foundations + Research Methods

1. Day 01: Introduction to Biotechnology Case Studies – Reading Research Papers and Patents
2. Day 02: Core Biotechnology Domains – Pharmaceutical, Agricultural, Industrial, and Medical Biotechnology
3. Day 03: Case Study Analysis Tools – SWOT, PESTEL, and Value Chain Analysis in Biotechnology
4. Day 04: Case Study 1: Insulin Production – From Animal-Derived Insulin to Recombinant DNA Technology
5. Day 05: Technology Behind Insulin Production – Recombinant DNA, E. coli Expression Systems, and Fermentation

Week 2: Medical Biotechnology Case Studies

1. Day 06: Regulatory Perspectives – FDA Approval Processes and Biosafety Considerations
2. Day 07: Hands-on: Prepare a One-Page Case Summary and Timeline of Insulin Development
3. Day 08: Case Study 2: mRNA Vaccines – COVID-19, BioNTech, and Moderna
4. Day 09: Technology Behind mRNA Vaccines – mRNA Platforms, Lipid Nanoparticles, and Cold-Chain Requirements
5. Day 10: Case Study 3: Monoclonal Antibodies – Herceptin and Humira

Week 3: Advanced Medical Biotechnology + Gene Editing

1. Day 11: Technology Behind Monoclonal Antibodies – Hybridoma Technology, Phage Display, and CHO Cells
2. Day 12: Case Study 4: CRISPR Therapeutics – Sickle Cell Disease and Regulatory Milestones
3. Day 13: Gene Editing Technology and Ethics – CRISPR, Off-Target Effects, and Germline Editing Debate
4. Day 14: Hands-on: Compare Drug Development Timelines, Costs, and Technologies
5. Day 15: Case Study 5: Bt Cotton in India – Adoption, Yield Impact, and Controversies

Week 4: Agricultural + Industrial Biotechnology Case Studies

1. Day 16: Technology Behind Bt Cotton – Bt Genes, Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation, and Biosafety Testing
2. Day 17: Case Study 6: Golden Rice – Vitamin A Enhancement, GMO Debate, and Humanitarian Applications
3. Day 18: Case Study 7: Industrial Enzymes – Detergents, Biofuels, and Amylase Production
4. Day 19: Industrial Biotechnology Techniques – Directed Evolution and Fermentation Scale-Up
5. Day 20: Case Study 8: Bioplastics – PLA Production from Corn and NatureWorks Business Model

Week 5: Biotechnology Business Models + Industry Analysis

1. Day 21: Hands-on: Prepare a GMO Debate – Advantages, Limitations, and Evidence-Based Arguments
2. Day 22: Case Study 9: 23andMe – Direct-to-Consumer Genomics and Data Privacy Issues
3. Day 23: Case Study 10: Illumina – Next-Generation Sequencing and Market Strategy
4. Day 24: Case Study 11: Ginkgo Bioworks – Synthetic Biology and Platform-Based Business Models
5. Day 25: Case Study 12: Theranos – Scientific Failures, Ethical Issues, and Lessons for Biotechnology

Week 6: Intellectual Property + Funding + Capstone

1. Day 26: Intellectual Property and Patents in Biotechnology – CRISPR Patent Disputes
2. Day 27: Biotechnology Funding Models – Venture Capital, Research Grants, and IPOs
3. Day 28: Capstone Project: Select a Biotechnology Case and Prepare a Five-Slide Analysis Covering Problem, Technology, Business, and Impact
4. Day 29: Peer Review, Feedback, and Improvement of Case Studies
5. Day 30: Final Case Study Presentation and Discussion of Five Emerging Biotechnology Trends