Firm launches biotech entrepreneurship program

FORT MYERS — Scientists from Algenol Biofuels will teach an honors class at Florida Gulf Coast University, the company announced.

Algenol will offer the biotech entrepreneurship course at the university beginning in the fall, the company says in a statement. Algenol has been developing a pilot refinery in south Lee County that produces ethanol from algae and it seeks land in Florida to build a full-scale facility.

“High-impact educational experiences, ones that break the artificial barriers between coursework and the real world, have proven to be one of the most effective ways of teaching today's college students,” says Sean Kelly, director of FGCU's honors program, in a statement.

Algenol has been hiring FGCU students as interns for three years. “We feel strongly about our alliance with the university and this course will give participating students a broad overview of the industry and the logistics of taking a concept from inception to commercialization,” Algenol CEO Paul Woods says in a statement announcing the program.