STEM Teachers Across Georgia Given Chance to Bring Labs to Life

Georgia BioEd Institute Announces Renewed Funding to Support Life Science Education

Georgia BioEd Institute announced renewed funding today that supports STEM education in school systems across Georgia that will provide teachers with the training and equipment they need to better prepare students for the Georgia workforce.

For the second year, Georgia BioEd has been given funding for the Rural Teacher Training Initiative (RTTI) to provide training on laboratory experiences for teachers in rural areas. To further enrich STEM classes, the Georgia BioEd Institute works with local industries to support the Equipment Depot, which is a ground-breaking program that provides donated lab supplies to enhance STEM education in Georgia’s classrooms. The Equipment Depot, the only one of its kind on the East Coast, has recently expanded to provide even more STEM support to Georgia’s teachers. In its first year, these programs provided training to 72 teachers from 23 schools across the state, impacted 11,500 students, and accepted close to $200,000 in industry equipment donations for classrooms.

With almost 2500 square feet, the Equipment Depot is large enough to accept and store more donated equipment and easily allow educators to reserve and pick up equipment to utilize in their classrooms. In addition, RTTI will continue to help strengthen Georgia’s life science workforce pipeline through proven teacher trainings and equipment support. In fact, during this challenging time, Georgia BioEd has also been able to offer virtual alternatives for labs to ensure students still get the best quality education during the pandemic.

“The life science industry is $21 billion and growing in the state of Georgia,” says Maria Thacker-Goethe, CEO of Georgia Bio. “If we want to be a leader in life sciences then we need to start in our schools, and this means we need to equip our teachers with the right tools to successfully teach STEM. Our goal is to our expand our community of STEM educators and strengthen our industry.”

Lack of equipment is one of the top reasons stated by teachers as a barrier to perform more STEM labs with their students in Georgia schools. The Equipment Depot solves this challenge by collecting lightly used, last generation, and surplus equipment, supplies, and consumables from industry. The Georgia BioEd Institute gets them into the schools for use in STEM labs. A bonus is that these donations also help the environment, keeping thousands of pounds of equipment out of landfills. In the last 12 months, the Equipment Depot has processed almost 4,000 pounds of donations.

“A signature aspect of our training is that we provide equipment to all participants, not just for the training, but also to use in the classroom to implement lessons with students,” said Georgia BioEd Institute Director, Kristin Boscan. “After all, it’s the students who are our future workforce. We need to get the skills, concepts, and inspiration to  them. This funding is a win for STEM education.”

Continued funding from the Department of Education to the program partner, the Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers (GYSTC), will advance the RTTI program. Georgia BioEd expresses our gratitude to the following state legislative leadership for helping to make this valuable initiative real to the benefit of all Georgians: Governor Brian Kemp, Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, House Appropriations Chairman Terry England, Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, House Appropriations Education Subcommittee Chairman Robert Dickey, Senate Appropriations Education Subcommittee Chairman Ellis Black, Senate Agriculture Chairman John Wilkinson, and House Ethics Chairman Randy Nix. We want to especially thank the late Jack Hill, former Senate Appropriations Chairman.

To learn more about Georgia BioEd Institute, RTTI, tour the Equipment Depot, and where to donate, please visit  https://gabio.org/georgia-bioed/. All are invited to attend the  virtual Grand Opening of the Equipment Depot , Wednesday, September 16th, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Study Maps Economic Fallout of NIH Cuts in Georgia

By Maria Thacker Goethe • April 18, 2025
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

By Sheran Brown • April 10, 2025
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

By Maria Thacker Goethe • April 9, 2025
Emerging biotechnology is key for U.S. to remain dominant and secure future economic growth in a new era of global competition
MORE POSTS