The Phyloinformatics Lab Facilitates a Sarstedt Manufacturing Plant Tour
Connecting Students with Industry: The Phyloinformatics Lab Facilitates a Sarstedt Manufacturing Plant Tour
One of the core commitments of the Phyloinformatics Lab at the CIPHER Research Center is to bridge the gap between academic training in bioinformatics and genomics and the practical demands of industry. This February, our lab played a central facilitative role in organizing a manufacturing plant tour at Sarstedt, a leading international manufacturer of laboratory consumables and equipment, at their Charlotte-area facility.
We thank the support from Dr. Adam Reitzel (Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, Department of Biological Sciences) and Dr. Margaret Kocherga (Director of Outreach and Partnerships, Klein College of Science), as well as Sarstedt representative Corinne Thompson.
How Our Lab Contributed
Our lab contributed to this effort from the earliest stages. We proactively checked in on the organization of the event, developed and distributed the student sign-up Google Form, advocated for a merit- and career-stage-based selection process, and broadcast the opportunity broadly across multiple programs. Crucially, with dozens of student sign-ups received before the RSVP deadline, our outreach efforts demonstrably amplified student interest and participation.
Students from Biology, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical programs submitted applications, reflecting the cross-disciplinary appeal of the opportunity. We advocated specifically for prioritizing Master’s-level students, consistent with Sarstedt’s expressed interest in candidates for internship and workforce pipelines.
What the Tour Entails
The tour itself is set to take students through Sarstedt’s manufacturing and molding floors, include a meeting with the local CEO and senior staff, and conclude with a Q&A lunch — a rare and substantive industry immersion for students at a company whose products are ubiquitous in life science research laboratories worldwide.
A Catalytic Connection to Curriculum
Beyond the immediate logistics, our lab helped connect this initiative with Dr. Sharon Bullock, a faculty representative identified to attend as a liaison whose participation is expected to feed directly into course revisions for Biology, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical curricula at UNC Charlotte. This connection between industry exposure and curricular development is precisely the kind of catalytic effect that justifies investing in these partnerships.
Looking Ahead
The Phyloinformatics Lab remains committed to creating and amplifying opportunities that give UNC Charlotte students — particularly those in graduate and advanced undergraduate programs — direct access to industry partners, internship pipelines, and professional networks. We look forward to reporting on the outcomes of the tour and to continuing to build the bridge between the CIPHER Research Center and the broader Charlotte-area life sciences sector.
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