Health Science and Medical Technology

The San Mateo Biotechnology Career Pathway develops science literacy by immersing students in real-life applications. The program is an innovative, high-level science program that introduces high school students to the latest developments in the field of biotechnology.  Each semester of the series fuses academic and technical training to prepare students to work in the biotechnology industry or a research institution.

The focus of Biotech 1 is on mastery of basic standard laboratory operating procedures, record-keeping, sterile-technique, cell culture, DNA and protein isolation, and electrophoresis and professionalism.  

Biotech 2, 3 and 4 are advanced “focus” classes where students learn assay development, recombinant DNA technology, plant cloning, bacterial transformation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme- linked  immunosorbant assay (ELISA), DNA synthesis and sequencing, and advanced diagnostic techniques.

Through projects, job shadows, internships and independent laboratory research projects, students are prepared for higher- level academics in biotechnology and careers in biotech research and manufacturing. The San Mateo High School biotechnology pathway runs a summer internship program, open to students from any school in the district, in which students gain experience working in biotechnology companies or research institution.

Biotechnology Pathway

• Biotechnology 1
• Biotechnology 2
• Biotechnology Internship
• Biotechnology Independent Research

The above courses are offered at Aragon, Mills and San Mateo High Schools. 

Community College Partner: Skyline College

Click on the image below for more information on this pathway.