Zydney to direct the new Penn State Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology
9/27/2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences are delighted to announce that Andrew Zydney, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, will be Director of the new Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology (CoEIB). Professor Zydney’s qualifications and vision for the CoEIB are truly exceptional and we are fortunate to have someone with his level of accomplishment, experience, and capability serving in this position.
This new Center is supported by a generous gift from CSL Behring, which simultaneously provided funds to modernize equipment in the Huck Shared Fermentation Facility. Building directly on Penn State’s existing programs in industrial biotechnology, the CoEIB stimulates, funds, and promotes interdisciplinary research and educational initiatives, while working to ensure that these efforts complement each other and effectively address the needs of students and the biopharmaceutical industry. Dr. James Marden, Director of Operations, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and Professor of Biology said, “The Center will play an important role supporting new research activities in industrial biotechnology and providing opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience working with pilot-scale bioprocessing equipment in the renovated fermentation facility. This effort will be focused on solving industry-relevant research problems, often in direct collaboration with biotechnology companies.”
Professor Zydney will work with a faculty advisory committee and an external industrial advisory board. “Our plan is to increase the pipeline of well-trained graduates ready to enter the field of industrial biotechnology while also accelerating professional development of present industry employees via workshops and distance learning,” stated Zydney.
To learn more about the shared technology facilities supported by the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, visit www.huck.psu.edu/content/instrumentation-facilities
The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences are dedicated to strengthening research in the life sciences, preparing students for successful careers, and encouraging new perspectives across disciplinary boundaries. We establish and support interdisciplinary: Research institutes and centers, degree programs and professional training, shared technology facilities, collaboration through co-funding of faculty and graduate students, as well as, workshops and seminars to hear and discuss the latest thinking in a wide variety of fields.
Gifts to Penn State from alumni, friends, parents and organizations are essential to the success of the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve the public good. To fulfill that mission for a new era of rapid change and global connections, the University has begun A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence, a fast-paced campaign focused on the three key imperatives of a public university. Support from private and publically traded companies will keep the door to higher education open and enable students to graduate on time and on track to success; create transformative experiences on Penn State campuses and around the globe that tap the full potential of Penn Staters to make a difference; and impact the world through discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship. To learn more, please visit www.greaterpennstate.psu.edu
Share this story:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jane Horetsky
jeh94@engr.psu.edu
Andrew Zydney
