Making the Master of Science in Medical Biotechnology Program known
Making the Master of Science in Medical Biotechnology Program known
The Master of Science in Medical Biotechnology Program (MBT) brings students from around the world to Northern Illinois.
Dennis Mafigu, whose entering his second year in the program, is the first MBT student from Zimbabwe.
“It’s one of the best biotechnology programs in the United States,” Mafigu says. “Biotechnology is also a pathway to coming up with vaccines. The program also allows me to gain experience in the program.”
Eight students joining UICOMR’s MBT Program for Fall 2026 started classes on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. The students came to Rockford from Palestine, India, Mexico, Taiwan and the United States.
“The MBT Program gives students the opportunity to learn modern or real-world laboratory techniques and skills, with practical implementation in the research world,” says Mohammad Fazle Alam, PhD, a research scientist in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. “Through hands-on training, students are ready for careers in various fields such as biotechnology, biomedical research and the pharmaceutical industry, and they can pursue further research as graduate students.”
The students recently participated in orientation, which helps them prepare for the program, which focuses on pharmaceuticals, vaccines and devices for the medical industry. The MBT Program currently has roughly 35 enrolled students.
“Training in the United States has given me more academia and research opportunities because of the bigger biotechnology industry,” Mafigu says.
Mafigu says this is first time in the United States, and says everyone in the MBT Program has been polite and friendly. He’s working under the guidance of Dr. Alam.
“You don’t have to schedule a meeting; you can just walk into their offices,” he says. “They also picked us up at the airport, and they’ve created a friendly environment. It’s been outstanding in that sense.”
Blake Soszko is also entering his second year in the MBT Program. A native of Minooka, Ill., he got his undergrad degree from Aurora University in biology, but says he was unsure where, or how, he’d take the next step. A lot of his mentors and advisors pointed him to the MBT Program.
“I did an undergraduate research project that was medical related and when I was doing it, I realized I liked the work, and when I was introduced to the program, I really liked the hands-on technical experience that you get from working in the labs,” he says.
He’s also working under the guidance of Dr. Alam. He’s learned various techniques, like cell culture, hydrogel formulation and characterization and tissue culture work while working in the 3D Bioprinting Laboratory.
Alam says students can gain experience in various laboratory settings, develop problem-solving skills and receive practical training in modern biotechnology techniques (depending on the lab where they conducted their research). They also learn experimental design, data analysis, critical thinking, scientific communication and teamwork.
“Learning how to use these machines and learning their applications is really fun and interesting,” Soszko says.
The 3D Bioprinting Laboratory allows researchers to develop three-dimensional organ-like structures using living cells and hydrogels that can be used for studies in which using actual organs would be difficult.
“We can print tissue structures to mimic what the environment would be like in a human for disease modeling,” he says. “The machine connects to biology and because it’s having 3-D printing aspect, you have to understand how to model something and adjust the pressure and robot speed. You also have to understand the machine and the material you’re working with.”
Soszko says the MBT Program is more than lab work. It also encompasses research and patient care, two things he cares about the most.
“This program allows me to build my skills in those areas,” Soszko says. “It made a lot of sense for me, especially because I enjoy the lab work.”