Bioproduct-engineering group nominated for ‘Ideas on Stage’

We are proud to share that the Bioproduct-engineering research group of ENTEG has been nominated for ‘ Ideas on Stage ’, the new edition of the elections for the best internship sponsor. Learning companies and MBO students were able to register initiatives that deserve to be put in the spotlight. The nomination for Bioproduct-engineering was made by Noorderpoort Laboratory and Process Technology Groningen .

MBO internships at Bioproduct engineering
Bioproduct Engineering is a research unit of the Faculty of Science and Engineering of the University of Groningen. The research done in the Bioproduct Engineering unit focuses on the biocatalysis of carbohydrates, in particular on enzymes acting on starch/glycogen and hemicellulose/xylan. Bioproduct Engineering each year welcomes 3-5 students from Noorderpoort who will work on their own individual project that usually is part of a bigger research project. Tasks that students do consists of, for example, culturing microalgae and extracting glycogen from it, or culturing E. coli and extracting and characterizing specific enzymes. The optimization of new and existing analysis methods also can be an internship project.
During the Corona pandemic the unit managed to still welcome MBO interns. The interns spend alternating weeks in the laboratory and at home working out results and preparing new experiments. Through online meetings with the internship supervisor the results and the design of follow-up experiments are discussed.

Ideas on Stage
For the approximate 500,000 MBO students in the Netherlands, practical learning is an unmissable part of their educational programme. Many recognized training companies collaborate with MBO schools to create work placements and apprenticeships for these students. To underline the importance of this, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science set up elections for best apprenticeship sponsor, implemented by the Foundation for Cooperation on Vocational Education, Training and Labour Market (Samenwerkings-organisatie Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven; SBB). Since 2009, the best practical training center is selected for an annual prize. This year, Ideas on Stage will receive attention on SBB social media with quotes and film clips starting from mid-April. From 18 May onwards, SBB will publish the full reports of the innovative internships and apprenticeships that made it to the stage.