GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Inside Ferris State Universitys newly renovated molecular diagnostics lab, students are learning the skills that administrators say will make them a perfect fit for clinical laboratories in West Michigan and beyond.

Located on the campus of Grand Rapids Community College, students at the lab are learning the techniques needed to use molecular technology to screen patients before organ transplants, detect genetic disorders and infectious diseases, and determine therapy for genetic disorders.

Its administrators hope that Ferris students will master the techniques and fill a demand expressed by hospitals and medical employers around the country for clinical laboratory workers, trained in the burgeoning field of molecular medicine, Ferris said.

Weve heard from people within the field that their labs are looking for students with this certification and who have an education in molecular diagnostics, said Jonathan Karnes, the programs coordinator. Theres a need in the job market for students with this type of degree.

On Wednesday, Nov. 28, students enrolled in Ferris molecular program were preparing for an experiment in which they would examine their own DNA to find out whether they had they had a certain type of gene known as the Alu gene.

Unlike other types of clinical laboratory testing, molecular diagnostics goes beyond the cellular level, and instead checks for ailments on the molecular level, looking for clues in areas such as DNA, Karnes said.

Adam Placer, a senior at Ferris, compared it to solving a puzzle.

I like to trouble shoot, Placer said, and I like to solve problems, and ultimately I like to help people, which is why were here. Related: Ferris State University looks to better serve Latino students Ferris lab, located in GRCCs Applied Technology Center, was completed shortly before fall semester. The university spent $1.4 million to renovate the 3,200-square-foot space and buy equipment. Ferris molecular diagnostics program was created in fall 2011, and its first six students are expected to graduate this spring.

The first three years of the program take place at Ferris main campus in Big Rapids. Students take their fourth year at Ferris new lab in Grand Rapids.

Karnes said the university decided to expand in Grand Rapids because it wanted students to be near the citys Medical Mile. The hope is that students will network and build relationships with medical employers, possibly leading to job offers upon graduation.

See original here:

Ferris State's new Grand Rapids laboratory aims to fill skills gap in Michigan's medical industry