Life Science Tech Trends Supplement

When it comes to training staff—in academic or industrial settings—groups use a wide variety of tactics, including organized training programs and computerized tools.

Cepheid's GeneXpert requires only a few hours of hands-on demonstration for researchers to run PCR. (Source: Cepheid)

Twenty-five years ago, Kary Mullis developed the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This technology quickly changed molecular biology. Today, though, that once-complicated process can be performed by almost anyone working in a lab. In fact, PCR has turned into a routinely-used tool, and represents just one example of the speed at which biological technology evolves. The question is: How can everyone keep up? In November 2007, Martin Akel & Associates (Chester, N.J.) conducted a survey of life science researchers, "Trends in Adopting Life Science Technology" for Drug Discovery & Development and Bioscience Technology magazines. Nearly 30% of the respondents listed "training our staff" as a current challenge. Likewise, almost 30% noted difficulty in "integrating new technologies into our research." The lab managers and technicians from industry and academia who replied to this survey recognized the crucial need to stay on top of new developments in technology. Nearly three-quarters of them rated new technology as "very significant" or "significant" in its role in helping them overcome research challenges.

Despite the general agreement on the value of staying current, it's not always so easy to do.

Advancing Academics and Industry
"Keeping staff trained on new techniques is one of our areas of focus," says John Aitchison, PhD, associate director of the non-profit Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) (Seattle, Wash.). "We try to live our scientific lives on the edges of technology." Primarily, this institute focuses on four core areas of technology: genomics, proteomics, imaging, and computation. Someone is in charge of each core technology. "Their responsibilities include collaboration and development and implementation of technologies," says Aitchison. "They scour the earth for new technologies." ISB scientists also develop new technologies in-house.

New staff members at ISB get a basic introduction to the Institute's available technologies. Then, a variety of forms of ongoing assistance remains available for all ISB scientists. This includes weekly discussion groups on technologies and tools. "Descriptions of research in progress let people see how those tools and technologies can be used," says Aitchison. In addition, a staff member interacts with a supervisor to determine which technologies and tools will be needed for projects. "It's really investigator driven," says Aitchison.

The Institute for Systems Biology offers diverse training programs for a broad range of tools, including nanotechnologies. (Source: Institute for Systems Biology)

ISB also produces an internal newsletter. "This lets folks know when we acquire new technologies," says Aitchison, "and it also lets them know who to contact for more information." Moreover, ISB runs an internal Wiki, which includes information about tools and even protocols.

In Vedbaek, Denmark, Exiqon also runs programs to keep its staff technically in tune for their work. This company focuses on the use of microRNA to stratify risk and treatment selection for cancer patients. Søren Møller, PhD, chief scientific officer and vice president of R&D at Exiqon, says, "We put new staff through a company introduction program where they are introduced to Exiqon processes, safety, etcetera." He adds that new employees come in with many advanced capabilities. "In our R&D team," he says, "we hire specialists with avery defined skill set. Therefore, I would say that new employees are very well trained in scientific disciplines."

Despite the fast changes in technology, Exiqon executives see this as a benefit, not a challenge. "Technology changes are a competitive parameter for us," says Møller. "We will invest in keeping our employees up to date." He adds, "In relevant areas, we are at the forefront of technology."

Training the Trainers
At Southern Research Institute (Birmingham, Ala.), a not-for-profit contract research organization, scientists often develop new techniques for customers or to use at the institute itself. "It is in our disposition to teach and train," says Robert McClure, vice president, human resources and administration services. "By nature, scientists are very inquisitive, and have a willingness to share what they know. So they tend to seek out opportunities to learn new things."

Of course, Southern Research also helps new staff members get up to speed on available technologies. As McClure points out, though, Southern Research doesn't call it training. "We view it more as personal and/or career development—making an investment in an employee that we hope will benefit Southern Research and our clients," he says. Part of this development involves mentoring new staff. "There is also a certain amount of more-formal training to ensure that we are meeting industry practices, and that certifications will be obtained and maintained, in addition to continuous and ongoing training in environmental health and safety practices," says McClure.

In part, Southern Research lets current scientists keep themselves trained. "Scientists do a fine job of looking for the latest and most-current techniques, and usually look to things like seminars, reading scientific publications, and taking advantage of vendor training whenever possible," says McClure. Nonetheless, Southern Research also provides ongoing resources. "Within the past several years," says McClure, "we have brought in training programs that help our scientists become better business people and project managers. There is a business of science now, and we're finding that the better prepared our scientists are in understanding that business, the better it is for our organization."

Leaders at the Institute for Systems Biology use a variety of techniques—from discussion groups to an internal newsletter—to train staff members on novel technologies and advances in mass spectrometry. (Source: Institute for Systems Biology)

Recently, Southern Research started an internal review of its training programs. "Are there ways we can do it better?" McClure asks. "Are we providing all that we need to provide? Are our employees taking advantage of all the types of training available to them?" As this endeavor shows, training programs must stay as advanced as the techniques that they teach.

As Southern Research evaluates its training program, some areas emerge as more needy than others. "Probably the most-challenging area for us in terms of training is in the area of infectious-disease and emerging-pathogens research," says McClure. "As each new public-health threat emerges, we have to ramp up and train thoroughly so we can respond to our clients' requests to do work in these areas."
Apparently, Southern Research's approach is working. "Other companies and facilities that do work in high-containment labs come to us looking for advice on lab operations and training of personnel," says McClure. Southern Research is even planning to start a new consulting business for laboratories that conform to Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3), which allows research on dangerous agents that can be contracted through inhalation, including anthrax and West Nile virus.

Keeping Customers Content
The "Trends" survey also asked how respondents select vendors. More than one-third of the respondents pointed to "training on products/equipment/systems" and "ease of systems use" as "extremely important" in which vendors they select. Consequently, vendors, like Cepheid (Sunnyvale, Calif.), often aim for simplicity in new technologies.

For example, says David Persing, MD, PhD, executive vice president and chief medical and technology officer, "Training of lab techs, even for those without prior PCR experience, takes only a few hours of hands-on demo work on the GeneXpert." Previous PCR technologies often required days of training, even when the users had very high-level experience. Such simplified training clearly makes it easier for companies to stay on top of technology. In addition, says Persing, "Ease of use translates into an extraordinarily low customer-complaint rate."  Overall, the simplified operation of instruments reduces the number of trainers that Cepheid must employ, and the company also needs fewer customer-service staff because of lower numbers of complaints and questions.

Persing has watched molecular diagnostics grow increasingly user-friendly. In the 1990s, when "the field was in its infancy," as Persing says, he worked on molecular diagnostics at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). "What took 4,000 square feet, 15 staff, and several days to do in 1995, I can now do in about an hour within a little plastic cartridge." This alone leads to much less training. "The fluidics in the cartridge do all the work," says Persing, "and they do it more precisely and more rapidly than can be done by pipette-wielding human beings."

A More-Accurate Present & Future
In the end, customers just want products that work, and work as easily as possible. According to Kevin Keras, business unit manager, integrated systems at Caliper Life Sciences (Hopkinton, Mass.), "The actual users of our products tend to be more interested in carrying out their assays and less interested in all the in's and out's of a particular product. For example, once a liquid-handler or plate-mover robot is programmed, customers just want them to run with as little interaction as possible." If things go wrong, the customer also wants the instrument to say what happened. "They need easy-to-understand error messaging," says Keras, "and the ability to quickly get the system back on line."

Caliper's Zephyr SPE is an application-specific workstation that focuses on high-throughput, solid-phase extraction. It includes a graphical user interface that guides a researcher through operation of the unit and requires no liquid-handling knowledge. (Source: Caliper Life Sciences)

Making automated systems that run more easily and perform more intelligently—helping users know what happened if something went wrong—makes it easier on the companies that buy these products. "Clearly if you do not need to be an automation expert, you can train operators to conduct assays much faster," says Keras. "If a piece of equipment or software requires a high level of operational knowledge, it will take longer to bring users up to speed and could impact lab efficiency as new operators are introduced to the system."

To keep things simple for customers, Caliper relies largely on its software. "We try to create tools that enable the development of run-time interfaces that are tailored around a specific kit or application," Keras explains. In all cases, training starts before a scientist even takes a job. That puts some of the responsibility on academic institutions. In fact, some academic groups aim specifically at preparing young scientists for careers in biotechnology or pharmaceuticals. The North Carolina Community College System, for example, runs BioNetwork, which describes itself as "a statewide initiative that connects community colleges across North Carolina, providing specialized training, curricula, and equipment to develop a world-class workforce for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and life sciences industries."

Despite revolutionary advances like PCR and the absolute requirement that scientists stay aware of the latest techniques, new tools alone should not be the focus. "We try to let biology drive the development and implementation of technologies," says Aitchison at ISB. "In general, tools and technologies can open opportunities, but many times people don't see those opportunities until they are placed in the context of their own biological problem." In the end, a new tool is only useful when it also unravels new biology.

About the Author
May is a publishing consultant for science and technology based in Minnesota.

This article was published in the Life Science Tech Trends supplement of Drug Discovery & Development and Bioscience Technology magazines: May, 2008, pp. 4-8.