Georgia Bio and Brex Partner to Enhance Member Benefits
Exciting news for Georgia Bio members! The Georgia Bio Brex program, established through our partnership with BIO, has been expanded to provide even greater benefits for your organization. On top of the existing corporate credit card with its industry-specific rewards, members can now access savings on business accounts, spend management software, and travel management solutions.
Upgrade Your Financial Toolkit Learn more and upgrade at bio.org/save/brex
Enhanced Benefits at a Glance
- High-Yield Business Accounts: Enjoy industry-leading yields, effortless wire transfers, and global ACH capabilities with your Brex business account. Brex partner banks offer a competitive 4.92% APY with same-day liquidity, all FDIC-insured up to $6 million. Additionally, you can make free bill payments, international ACH transfers, issue checks, and send wires. Brex accounts can even accommodate up to 240 unique account numbers.
- Scalable Spend Management:
Brex’s advanced spend management system empowers you to manage your company’s spending and close the books in real-time. Features include:
- Budgets with automated enforcement of spending policies
- Streamlined employee reimbursements with advanced approval workflows
- Customizable approval processes to automate in-policy spending approvals
- Global reimbursements in local currencies and accounts
- Automatic receipt generation, eliminating the need for manual receipt collection and expense reports
- Integration with thousands of tools to streamline workflows
- Comprehensive Travel & Expense Management:
Simplify travel and group event management with a unified solution encompassing travel booking, event coordination, expense tracking, corporate cards, and reimbursements. Brex’s travel and expense features include:
- Consolidated booking for flights, hotels, and car rentals
- Integrated travel policy enforcement
- Access to a vast, unbiased global travel inventory
- Pre-negotiated discounts
- Tools to achieve 100% travel program adoption within your organization
Georgia Bio’s commitment to empowering its members is stronger than ever. With the enhanced Brex program, you can streamline financial processes, gain real-time insights into spending, and optimize travel management, all while earning industry-leading returns on your business accounts.
The Science & Community Impacts Mapping Project (SCIMaP) shows how proposed federal funding cuts lead to reduced economic activity and job losses nationwide.
Georgia Life Sciences Selects Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy Student as the 2025 Georgia BioGENEius Winner Sandy Springs & Rockmart Teens Take Top Honors in Statewide Science Competition Atlanta, GA (April 4, 2025) – Georgia Life Sciences today named Bhavya Alapati , a junior at Fulton County Schools Innovation Academy, as the winner of the 2025 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge, the premier competition for high school students that recognizes outstanding research and innovation in the biotechnology field. Eleven students from across Georgia competed for this year’s title and cash prize. Bhavya’s project investigated a novel method of identifying strokes using a device she created called SpectroStroke, a small-scale spectrophotometer, to detect homocysteine, an amino acid product that is associated with stroke. Bhavya identified the ability of homocysteine to be detected using Ellman’s reagent, which reacts with the free sulfhydryl group on the molecule to produce a yellow color. Bhavya created a wearable patch that contains the Ellman’s reagent. Then, she designed the SpectroStroke to be able to detect the color change when the patch is exposed to elevated levels of homocysteine. Bhavya’s SpectroStroke can detect normal levels of homocysteine up to extremely high levels seen in those experiencing a stroke. The ability to detect a stroke earlier would reduce damage and long-term effects of the condition. A future iteration of the SpectroStroke would include real-time monitoring capabilities to help track changing homocysteine levels. "Supporting and celebrating outstanding research and innovation in biotechnology is vital for the future of science and medicine. The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge not only encourages the brightest young minds to explore their potential but also nurtures the next generation of leaders who will drive groundbreaking advancements in biotechnology,” said Georgia Life Sciences President and CEO Maria Thacker-Goethe. “By recognizing and empowering these students, we are helping to shape a future where innovation thrives and the possibilities for improving lives are endless. Well done, Bhavya!” Georgia Life Sciences also congratulates the Georgia BioGENEius runner-up, Shelby Kendrick , who is a senior at Paulding County High School in Dallas, GA. Shelby’s research investigated the ability of Aspergillus terreus, a fungus found in soil, to degrade pre-treated polypropylene plastic (PP). This fungus has been discovered to produce high concentrations of degrading enzymes and raises the moisture level of its substrate. Shelby isolated the fungus from soil samples and confirmed the species using PCR amplification and DNA barcoding. Samples of polypropylene were pre-treated with 75% ethanol and UV exposure, then placed in a liquid culture of A. terreus in Minimal Salt Medium (MSM) media, and the culture was incubated for 23 days. At the end of the trial period, PP samples were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy. These samples showed changes in their surface layer, indicating evidence of biodegradation. Polypropylene plastic is found in household items such as plastic cups and is a known problem in the environment due to its inability to degrade. Shelby’s future research on the use of A. terreus for biodegradation includes optimizing degradation conditions and assessing methods of application in the environment. Judging the 2025 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge were Ralph L. Cordell, CDC, and Alex Harvey, ViaMune. Cash prizes were awarded to Bhavya and Shelby. # # # About Georgia Life Sciences Georgia Life Sciences, founded in 1989, is a non-profit, membership-based organization that promotes the interests and growth of the life sciences industry. It is the state’s largest and most influential life sciences advocacy and business leadership organization working to improve access to innovative discoveries that have lifesaving impact. The association connects business, academia, government, and other allied entities involved in the application of life sciences products to fuel growth and collaboration through policy development, community programs, national industry initiatives, and a portfolio of educational and networking events. Learn more at galifesciences.org.
Georgia Life Sciences Association Statement on the Release of the NSCEB Final Report and Action Plan
Emerging biotechnology is key for U.S. to remain dominant and secure future economic growth in a new era of global competition
