Georgia Life Sciences Educator Connection (formerly Georgia BioEd Institute) March Newsletter
Hi all,
We hope that you are having a wonderful spring semester. As part of the rebrand to Georgia Life Sciences, we have updated our email and website domains. This email was also sent from our old system with Constant Contact, so please pardon our progress if you received this twice. Please add this address (Megan's new email) to your safe senders or contacts list. Megan has noticed that her emails may be going to spam, so please do a search if you are expecting an email from her.
We are busy supporting teachers who are implementing new labs this semester and preparing for the summer. We have several updates below.
Read below for more on the following:
Biotech Infusion Update
BioGENEius Application Now Open
Equipment Depot Updates
Upcoming Workshops: Save the Date
Biotech Teacher Planning Day survey
Genes in Space: Competition Now Open!
GLS On the Road
Biotech Infusion Update
One More Workshop
We have completed the workshops in Macon and Canton. In Canton, teachers heard from industry and academic speakers including our Biotech Ambassador Melissa Rowe, who shared her experiences on grant-writing and finding free supplies. Teachers also completed three labs about protein expression, PCR, and ELISA and made a plan for incorporating one lab from Biotech Infusion into their curriculum.
Biotech Infusion in Thomasville has been rescheduled for March 14th and 15th. If you missed the Canton and Macon workshops and would like to attend next month's event, email Megan ASAP. We can cover your school’s Friday substitute expense and you will receive a $150 stipend to offset your travel costs.
Stay tuned for more information about next year's Biotech Infusion cohort.
BioGENEius 2025 Application Now Open!
Deadline March 28th at midnight
BioGENEius is the premier competition for high school students that recognizes outstanding research and innovation in the biotechnology field. If you have a student who has completed an independent biotech research project this year, they are eligible to apply.
This year's competition will take place on Friday, April 4th, 2025 during the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair at the Classic Center in Athens.
The application is now open and is due by March 28th at midnight. Registration will be confirmed on Monday, March 31st.
Sanan Khairabadi, pictured above, is the 2024 Georgia BioGENEius winner. Sanan’s project investigated the potential of enzymes found in Pseudomonas bacteria to degrade low density polyethylene (LDPE). Sanan and several other state winners were invited to compete during the BioFuture Conference this past October. We are so proud of Sanan!
Come "shop" at the Equipment Depot! We have received several large donations in the past month, including several types of consumables (PCR plates, microtubes and pillow bags) and boxes upon boxes of healthcare supplies.
You are also welcome to schedule a shopping trip for yourself or your team using this calendly link.
Can't make it to the Equipment Depot in Tucker? Contact Megan to discuss your options.
The Equipment Depot is a warehouse full of donated STEM equipment that is FREE for Georgia science and CTAE teachers. We are constantly receiving donations so stay up-to-date on new items in the Equipment Depot by following us on Instagram and LinkedIn. For more information about the Equipment Depot and its impact on the community, visit our website here.
Upcoming Workshops: Save the Date
Spring and Summer Opportunities
Save the Date for the following upcoming opportunities:
• April 24th: CMaT Experience at Georgia Tech: This one-day workshop will give an overview of Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT), which is a multi-university group focused on lowering the cost of personalized therapeutics. The day will consist of an overview provided by key faculty members, hands-on laboratory activities and lab tours.
• Frugal Science Academy: synthetic biology teacher training with opportunities for students to accompany- June 9th-13th for Level 1 (perfect for RTTI/BTTI alumni) ; July 7-11 for Level 2 (best for biotechnology teachers)
• June 23-27 Level 2 BTTI: We are putting together a week-long workshop that will be geared towards any teacher who has completed RTTI/BTTI Level 1 and is looking to incorporate more biotechnology into their classrooms, and the biotech pathway teachers. We will build in break-out planning time for collaboration within subjects.
More information and registration links for each of these opportunities will be available in the next newsletter.
We will host a teacher planning day for biotechnology pathway teachers this summer at the Equipment Depot. There will be a Zoom link available for those who can’t make it in person.
Below is a survey to determine potential optimal dates for the first half of summer. Please fill out the survey if you are interested in participating.
Genes in Space is a free competition for students in grades 7-12. Students propose a DNA or protein-related problem related to visiting or living in space. The winning project is developed into an experiment with the help of a research team, an astronaut is trained on how to complete the experiment, and then the experiment is launched to the International Space Station!
