Pictured above from left to right are MicE graduate students Noriko Masuda (UW Madison), Jeff Flynn (St. John's), Chris Flynn (St. Thomas), Erik Reynolds (Univ. of Wyoming), and Edward LaBelle (UM).

Demand for Energy Alternatives Fuels Growth in MicE Program

Since the inception of the BioTechnology Institute (BTI) over 20 years ago, the Master's Degree in Microbial Engineering (MicE) has been a significant part of its graduate studies program. The focus of both the MicE program and the Institute is cross-training students in the biological sciences and engineering. Now, with the increasing need to engineer biologically renewable sources of energy, the program and its graduates are in demand.

"The MicE program is doing something to build up the midwest biotechnology workforce," explained associate BTI director Ken Valentas, "and it's also doing something to build up students' marketability."

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