Laboratory / Manufacturing Technician

Where do you attend college?
Santa Fe College, FL.  I am planning to major in Clinical Lab Science.

What degree/certificate(s) do you hold?
I completed the BACE (Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam).  The BACE is an industry-recognized exam designed to assess core skills and knowledge sets identified by industry, and aligned with the performance standards in many biotechnology programs.

What do you do for your job?
My duties at work is to keep inventory of all the things that have to get ready to send to our clientele, as well as to prepare bacterial petri-plate cultures for shipping. In regard to lab duties; I'm in charge of helping set up labs for field-trip activities, keeping the lab space tidy, making sure the machinery in the lab is working properly, preparing bacterial culture stocks, and helping with whatever is asked of me. I also work in a computer station, helping with the creation of SOP's and work instructions, helping with keeping up our database of information that deals with a product our company offers and also with any extra help I can provide.

What are some techniques you commonly use?
Inoculate and maintain bacterial cultures, prepare solutions and media, use micropipettes, spectrophotometers, water baths, database work 

What advice would you give someone who is interested in a biotech career?
Obtain the BACE credential. The studying I had to do in preparation for the exam, all the things I learned, and the experience I had in class before the exam, really prepared me, not only for the BACE itself, but for my college education and my current job, this, as I have a great grasp whenever science is concerned in a subject, and, it gave me the basics of many of the day-to-day things I have to do as a Lab/Manufacturing Technician, like how to use various instruments; such as water baths, micropipettes, autoclaves, spectrophotometers and the like. Not only that, also on various lab techniques; such as inoculating bacteria, keeping bacterial cultures, making solutions, and much more. To have the BACE certification as proof that I'm able to do all these things, and to have these experiences under my belt, gave me tools that give me an advantage in order to be competent in the both, college education and on my job.

What is the best thing about your job?
There are two best things at my current work. One of them being able to put in practice all of the things I was certified on, the other being the wonderful people I have the opportunity to work with.