Tag Archives: BioBuilder Educational Foundation

The BioBuilder Educational Foundation Initiates Plan to Train Bioeconomy Workforce

NEWTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- The BioBuilder Educational Foundation, Inc. ("BioBuilder"), which has a decade of empowering teachers and schools to bring synthetic biology education to school districts in 47 states, today announced its launch of a strategic planning process designed to grow the bioeconomy workforce at scale in urban, rural, and tribal communities.

This effort represents an expansion of the work BioBuilder has accomplished to date in Eastern Tennessee. BioBuilder spent several years partnering with secondary schools and East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Last year, the University produced a Synthetic Biology Task Force Report that recommended a roadmap to raise awareness of career opportunities available via synthetic biology and the bioeconomy, and to create programs at the University to teach students and ready them for those jobs.

BioBuilder's next phase, in which it will build on the learning from Eastern Tennessee, is to develop a plan to grow the bioeconomy workforce across the USA, while still considering local contexts. The work will be made possible by support from Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative of Eric and Wendy Schmidt that bets early on exceptional people making the world better.

Dr. Natalie Kuldell, founder and Executive Director of BioBuilder, shared, "BioBuilder is committed to inspiring students to learn and love life science, on a path to bright futures, successful careers, and a better world. We're thankful for Schmidt Futures support of our next steps, as we address the bioeconomy's shortage of trained technical talent."

Schmidt Futures is a philanthropic initiative founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt that bets early on exceptional people making the world better. Through work with partners like BioBuilder, Schmidt Futures aims to bring talented people together in networks to prove out their ideas and solve hard problems in science and society.

Dr. Mary Maxon, Executive Director of the Schmidt Futures BioFutures Pprogram, remarked that "BioBuilder's accessible curriculum has made a substantial impact on secondary and post-secondary life-science education. We look forward to the plan they develop for scaling their early successes and expanding the geographic diversity of biotechnology opportunities."

For more information about The BioBuilder Education Foundation, please contact [info@biobuilder.org] or visit https://biobuilder.org.

About BioBuilder:

Created by an award-winning team from MIT, BioBuilder empowers teachers and schools to better serve students and employers by elevating the skills that students are taught. Founded in 2011, BioBuilder has grown to partner with schools in almost every state and around the world. BioBuilder builds confidence in teachers to learn and apply the synthetic biology curricula, and provides laboratory kits and an openly accessible textbook that enable experiential learning.

BioBuilder also works directly with district and community leaders to identify potential roadblocks to narrow the gap between science innovation and science education - at least for biology - across the U.S., and better match the skill of our nation's workforce to the needs of the synthetic biology industry. Learn more by visiting https://biobuilder.org/.

About Schmidt Futures:

Schmidt Futures bets early on exceptional people making the world better. Founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, Schmidt Futures is a philanthropic initiative that brings talented people together in networks to prove out their ideas and solve hard problems in science and society. To learn more about our method and the diverse types of capital and tools that we deploy, visit: https://www.schmidtfutures.com

The BioBuilder Educational Foundation, Inc. ("BioBuilder"), which has a decade of empowering teachers and schools to bring synthetic biology education to school districts in 47 states, today announced its launch of a strategic planning process designed to grow the bioeconomy workforce at scale in urban, rural, and tribal communities.

Related link: https://biobuilder.org/

BioBuilder and K2 Scientific Bring Synthetic Biology Programs and Laboratory Equipment to High-Need High Schools Around the Country

BOSTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- As a world-recognized program that trains the next generation of innovators and skilled workers in synthetic biology, the BioBuilder Educational Foundation announced new work with K2 Scientific to make high quality tools and equipment for life science research widely accessible. BioBuilder has partnered with K2 Scientific, who will donate industry-grade refrigeration units to four high-need high schools participating in the BioBuilderClub this academic year.

Consistent refrigeration of laboratory reagents is essential for a wide variety of biotechnology experiments and applications. Without precise temperature control and storage, materials and supplies for life science research degrade. Yet many high school educators, especially those in under-resourced school districts, rely on limited and unreliable cold-storage units. Many teachers forgo hands-on laboratory experiments without the appropriate cold storage equipment.

Recognizing that many high schools face financial constraints that limit classroom opportunities in the field of synthetic biology, BioBuilder annually runs the BioBuilderClub program. Since its inception in 2015, more than 1850 students from demographically and geographically diverse schools in 24 states and 7 countries have participated in a total of 202 BioBuilderClubs at low or no cost to the schools themselves. The BioBuilderClub supports real and meaningful student research, enabling high school students to take their ideas from concept to prototype to publication.

On November 9, 2022, staff and leadership from K2 Scientific and BioBuilder identified the first of four BioBuilderClubs to receive a freezer this academic year. The first recipient is the BioBuilderClub team from the Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School (MCNDHS), a public school in New York City that serves students in grades 10-12.

Alfred Lwin, the MCNDHS BioBuilderClub lead teacher, said, "Our refrigerator is 20 years old, and sometimes we have difficulties using its freezer for cold storage. Thanks to the generous donation of a lab grade refrigerator by K2 Scientific, we will be able to use cold storage for our BioBuilder and other biotechnology labs."

Dee Jetton, COO from K2 Scientific, shared, "We could not be prouder to support this program. I am always so excited to see the great things the BioBuilder Program and its participants are accomplishing. We are thrilled to contribute to BioBuilder programs around the country. K2 Scientific is committed to equity and inclusion, so bringing medical and laboratory grade equipment to high-need schools is a perfect mission fit. It's nice for our team to learn about students' aha moments and accomplishments resulting from K2's support of young scientists in the field."

Founder and Executive Director of BioBuilder, Dr. Natalie Kuldell noted, "Our BioBuilderClubs are often the first - and sometimes the only - time high school students can engage in authentic research before they launch into college or careers. By making that research experience more accessible and more meaningful, we can effectively engage the next generation of scientific innovators and productively prepare our future citizens."

About BioBuilder:

Created by an award-winning team from MIT, BioBuilder empowers teachers and schools to better serve students and employers by elevating the skills that students are taught. Founded in 2011, BioBuilder has grown to partner with schools in almost every state and around the world. BioBuilder builds confidence in teachers to learn and apply the synthetic biology curricula, and provides laboratory kits and an openly accessible textbook that enable experiential learning.

BioBuilder also works directly with district and community leaders to identify potential roadblocks to narrow the gap between science innovation and science education - at least for biology - across the U.S., and better match the skill of our nation's workforce to the needs of the synthetic biology industry. Learn more by visiting https://biobuilder.org/.

About K2 Scientific:

K2 Scientific provides high-performance, medical, cold storage solutions at value prices, offering an extensive line serving US Life Science corporations and North and South American distributors. All K2 orders ship from the North Carolina basecamp. For more information, visit https://k2sci.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram @K2_Scientific

As a world-recognized program that trains the next generation of innovators and skilled workers in synthetic biology, the BioBuilder Educational Foundation announced new work with K2 Scientific to make high quality tools and equipment for life science research widely accessible. BioBuilder has partnered with K2 Scientific, who will donate industry-grade refrigeration units to four high-need high schools participating in the BioBuilderClub this academic year.

Related link: https://biobuilder.org/

BioBuilder funded to expand student opportunity in rural and urban areas through its collaborative after school program

BOSTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- Thanks to a two-year grant recently awarded by BioMADE, the BioBuilder Educational Foundation will expand a program that has supported thousands of high school inventors over the last decade. BioBuilder is leading the project, "Launching High School Bioengineers on their Paths to College and Careers," with funding that will bring the authentic tools and approaches for engineering biology to BioBuilderClub students nationwide in collaboration with East Tennessee State University, Ars Biotechnica, and Daicel Arbor Biosciences.

Support from BioMADE will enable these organizations to provide teams of young innovators new opportunities to design, build and test their biodesigns, and submit their research for publication as peer-reviewed manuscripts in BioTreks (Ars Biotechnica). Industry-standard biomanufacturing reagents and mentorship from professional scientists will be provided by Daicel Arbor, while East Tennessee State University will expand the geographic and demographic reach of the BioBuilderClub and spearhead a rigorous evaluation of its impact.

Thomas Tubon, Chief Workforce Development Officer for BioMADE said, "With the bioeconomy expected to contribute over a million jobs in this field by 2030, and the growing desire to connect local feedstocks to nearby manufacturing capabilities, a program like this is essential as it can raise awareness and provide opportunities to students, regardless of geography or demography."

Founder and Executive Director of BioBuilder, Dr. Natalie Kuldell shared that, "We are thrilled to be building momentum in non-traditional STEM hubs. By simultaneously training students and celebrating their achievements, this work will draw students into the exciting and creative sides of science and engineering. It will also increase awareness among community stakeholders, including parents of participating students, high school teachers, college admissions officers, and relevant local businesses."

These goals are fully aligned with the recently signed Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy that establishes the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative. The National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative will create jobs, leverage biotechnology to build more resilient supply chains, improve health outcomes, and lower prices for Americans by expanding biomanufacturing capacity, creating market pathways for bio-based products, training a diverse workforce, and fostering innovation.

About BioBuilder:

Created by an award-winning team from MIT, BioBuilder empowers teachers and schools to better serve students and employers by elevating the skills that students are taught. Founded in 2011, BioBuilder has grown to partner with schools in almost every state and around the world. BioBuilder builds confidence in teachers to learn and apply the synthetic biology curricula, and provides laboratory kits and an openly accessible textbook that enable experiential learning.

BioBuilder also works directly with district and community leaders to identify potential roadblocks to narrow the gap between science innovation and science education -- at least for biology - across the U.S., and better match the skill of our nation's workforce to the needs of the synthetic biology industry. Learn more by visiting https://biobuilder.org/.

About BioMADE:

Launched in 2021, BioMADE is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. By supporting the development of biomanufacturing technologies, BioMADE and its network of 150+ members across 29 states are strengthening American competitiveness, creating a more resilient supply chain, and helping the U.S. becoming more self-sufficient. Learn more about BioMADE by visiting https://www.biomade.org/.

About ETSU:

East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is the fourth largest university in the state with nearby off-campus centers. It hosts the James H. Quillen College of Medicine, often ranked as one of the top schools in the United States for rural medicine and primary care education; the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, and the recently formed College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences. Learn more about ETSU at https://www.etsu.edu/.

About Ars Biotechnica:

Ars Biotechnica is a public nonprofit corporation with the goal of teaching high school students and teachers about synthetic biology. They publish BioTreks, the first international synthetic biology journal to be authored and reviewed by high school students. The journal is intended to give participating students the valuable experiences of writing and evaluating scientific papers, while offering them opportunities to share their own synthetic biology ideas, techniques, and results in a professionally edited, online publication. Learn more by visiting https://biotreks.org/.

About Daicel Arbor Biosciences:

Daicel Arbor Biosciences, a subsidiary of Chiral Technologies, Inc. (part of Daicel Corporation), is a biotech company that is specialized in targeted Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), in situ hybridization probe design, and cell-free protein expression. Their products and services have been utilized in broad applications in genomics, cytogenetics, and synthetic biology. They have served customers in plant, animal, human, bacteria, and virus areas for more than fifteen years. Learn more by visiting https://arborbiosci.com/.

Thanks to a two-year grant recently awarded by BioMADE, the BioBuilder Educational Foundation will expand a program that has supported thousands of high school inventors over the last decade. BioBuilder is leading the project, "Launching High School Bioengineers on their Paths to College and Careers," with funding that will bring the authentic tools and approaches for engineering biology to BioBuilderClub students nationwide in collaboration with East Tennessee State University, Ars Biotechnica, and Daicel Arbor Biosciences.

Related link: https://biobuilder.org/

Training the Biomanufacturing Workforce: BioBuilder Leads Regional Partnership with Federal Funding Awarded through BioMADE

BOSTON, Mass. /ScoopCloud/ -- The BioBuilder Educational Foundation announced that they are to lead the "Regional Partnerships for Training the Biomanufacturing Workforce in Worcester, MA" project. The project was funded through BioMADE, the Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem, which is aimed at accelerating bioindustrial manufacturing knowledge, capabilities, and workforce in the U.S.

BioBuilder is working with Worcester Public Schools (WPS)to offer a credit-bearing after-school program for high school students to prepare them for biomanufacturing careers. In 2021, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education approved an Innovation Pathway for Life Science for Worcester Public Schools. It is through this Innovation Pathway that the Regional Partnership will address the talent pipeline.

BioBuilder's Founder and Executive Director said, "By adapting our proven educational content to address workforce needs, we can help Worcester's talented high school students be career-ready. BioMADE funding will also help us build student relationships to local industry and our post-secondary educational partners."

Partner organizations include Worcester Public Schools (WPS), Quinsigamond Community College (QCC), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and Twist Bioscience. QCC and WPI will help align the new training program to existing college certificate and credentialing programs. Twist will provide input to ensure that the training program content meets industry's technical and hiring needs. Twist will further help expand the training model being developed in Worcester to serve as a template for nationwide implementation.

"This project will create industry-informed training for the workforce of the future, and brings together a diverse group of partners in Worcester's growing biomanufacuturing industry," said Thomas Tubon, Chief Workforce Development Officer for BioMADE. "The outcomes of this project will aid in advancing bioindustrial manufacturing across the U.S."

Announcement from BioMADE: https://www.biomade.org/announcing-16-projects-to-accelerate-bioindustrial-manufacturing-in-the-u-s/.

About BioMADE

BioMADE is one of nine Department of Defense-sponsored Manufacturing Innovation Institutes. Through funding, action, and engagement, BioMADE supports the development of biomanufacturing technologies to strengthen American competitiveness; create a more robust, resilient, and bio-based supply chain; and help the U.S. become more self-sufficient. BioMADE is also building a diverse and globally competitive STEM workforce by partnering with K-12 schools, community colleges, universities, and professional development organizations to ensure the workforce is prepared and ready to fill new jobs.

Learn more: https://www.biomade.org/.

About BioBuilder Educational Foundation

Created by an award-winning team at MIT, BioBuilder offers new ways to teach, learn, and explore cutting-edge science and engineering. BioBuilder provides students the chance to integrate biology and engineering through practical, hands-on lessons, club activities, and school-to-work experiences. Teachers learn new methods of teaching that engage and inspire the young scientists in their classrooms.

Learn more: https://biobuilder.org/.

The BioBuilder Educational Foundation announced that they are to lead the "Regional Partnerships for Training the Biomanufacturing Workforce in Worcester, MA" project. The project was funded through BioMADE, the Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem, which is aimed at accelerating bioindustrial manufacturing knowledge, capabilities, and workforce in the U.S.

Related link: https://biobuilder.org/