The Amgen Bioprocessing Center (ABC) is the scientific and engineering infrastructure that KGI established in 2004 with a generous donation from the Amgen Foundation to bring together resources, people, and infrastructure with the sole purpose of educating scientists and engineers to manage complex biological process scale-up. Today, our reputation as a world-class teaching and training center extends across and beyond the U.S.
The ABC serves the community and biopharmaceutical industries by offering a full spectrum of training programs, which is designed for high-potential individuals to bridge the gap between traditional undergraduate programs in life sciences and engineering and the skills required for a successful career in biopharmaceutical and biomanufacturing industries. Students will gain these skills via interactions with industry experts, practical hands-on laboratory courses, professional trainings, internships, individual and team projects, independent and industry-led research projects, and traditional seminars and lectures.
The Three Foci of the ABC
1. Student Education
Our goal is to educate the students with the knowledge and skills required for a successful career in the biopharmaceutical industry. Our programs provide the opportunity for an individual to develop real life skills that most people do not have access to. Here are some of the different pathways and programs that we offer for KGI students to enter.
- Master of Engineering in Biopharmaceutical Processing (MEng)
The MEng program is an intensive two-year curriculum housed within the Amgen Bioprocessing Center. The program is designed for high-potential individuals to bridge the gap between traditional undergraduate programs in life sciences and engineering and the skills required for a successful career in biopharmaceutical industries. - Master of Business and Science (MBS) - Bioprocessing Concentration
Students in the Bioprocessing concentration of the MBS program will obtain a thorough understanding of industrial processes from early-stage development through large-scale manufacture. Career options for graduates in this field include bioprocess engineering, process development, manufacturing operations, quality assurance/compliance, regulatory affairs, environmental remediation, food technology, development and manufacture of gene therapy vectors and vaccines, development and production of renewable biofuels, and new enterprise development. - Master of Science in Biopharmaceutical Research and Development
Students who enter KGI's MEng program may transfer into the Master of Science in Biopharmaceutical Research and Development program after their first year. The goal of the program is to help individuals develop the research skills necessary for a career in bioprocessing research and development. - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Applied Life Sciences
Within KGI's PhD program, there is an option for those interested in bioprocessing to enter the Corporate Awards Student Training (CAST) program. The CAST PhD platform is based on a radically different business model. Instead of focusing on university inventions, academic researchers at KGI’s Amgen Bioprocessing Center focus on industry inventions and new technologies by seeking industry partners who have specific challenges commercializing their discoveries and technologies. KGI’s streamlined and IP-friendly process facilitates rapid and very effective project management to allow academics to focus on addressing technical challenges associated with commercializing industry inventions.
The CAST PhD program is designed to fill the gap between conventional academic research and industry research by providing each successful candidate with an unparalleled opportunity of “real-life” research experience and transferable skills that are essential for a successful career. Each student is supervised jointly by at least two supervisors: a KGI faculty member and an industry liaison. The technical contents and scope of each project are worked out carefully and patiently over several months to ensure that students receive in-depth intellectual and authentic experiences in research, while simultaneously working on questions with answers that matter to the company partner and the community.
- Bioprocessing Summer Undergraduate Internship Training and Education (BSUITE)
The BSUITE program provides an opportunity for participants to obtain valuable laboratory experience through team projects based on bioprocessing for the production of monoclonal antibodies and enzymes, vaccines as well as cell and gene therapy. The program is designed for undergraduate juniors or graduates with majors in biology, chemistry, biotechnology, bioengineering, chemical engineering, or related disciplines who are looking to build a strong foundation for a future career in the manufacturing of biologic products.
The time and energy devoted to these programs have yielded to some of the most successful alumni around the country. Click on the map to view more.
2. Research
Our state-of-the-art facilities are designed to have world applications for the students and researchers.
The extensive ABC laboratories have the capabilities for:
- Mammalian Cell Culture
- Microbial Fermentation
- Food/Beverage Fermentation
- Stem Cell Research
Learn more about the lab capabilities, along with forms and frequently asked questions, by clicking here.
3. Industry Collaboration
The work of the ABC is highly industry focused and guided by a distinguished team of Amgen Bioprocessing Center Advisory Board (ABCAB) members. Over 90 percent of the ABC’s research is collaborative with industry, providing a superb and unmatched platform for our students to interact with and learn from industry leaders.
Corporate Education
KGI offers Advanced Professional Development (APD) technical courses for bioindustry professionals. The courses are delivered by experts and train scientists and engineers working on real-life biologics process scale up.
Exclusive Events with Our Partners
TMP Presentation Day
The Team Master's Project (TMP) is a degree requirement and capstone activity for students in the MBS program. Members of TMP teams also include students in KGI's other degree programs, including MEng. The Presentation Day is a day where students present their public summaries to their company liaisons, KGI faculty, and invited guests.
TDP Day
The Team Master's Project (TMP) is a degree requirement and capstone activity for students in the MBS program. Members of TMP teams also include students in KGI's other degree programs, including MEng. The Presentation Day is a day where students present their public summaries to their company liaisons, KGI faculty, and invited guests.
ABCAB Meeting and Conference
Each fall, KGI hosts the annual ABCAB meeting along with a conference. Invited guests, faculty, and students showcase their projects and research.
Access ABCAB portal