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.

UGA & Manus Among Awardees in $214M BioMADE Investment

April 30, 2026
BioMADE Announces $21.4 Million Invested in 14 Projects to Develop the U.S. Bioindustrial Manufacturing Industry and Advance National Security Priorities

Nutrivert announces first close on $6 million Series A-2 funding round

April 17, 2026
April 17, 2026 - Nutrivert Inc., a developer of non-antibiotic replacements for antibiotic growth promoters in livestock, today announced it has completed the first close, raising $2.375 million, of its Series A-2 funding round of $6 million. The round was led by global animal health investor Arrow Ventures with participation from other investors. The funding will be used to further develop Nutrivert’s manufacturing, human food safety and target animal safety and efficacy packages for the company’s lead product Nutrivert LDPP. Nutrivert LDPP is a proprietary, novel, orally available, lipidated synthetic enantiomeric desmuramyl analog of muramyl dipeptide, the smallest conserved immunoactive component of bacterial peptidoglycan. LDPP has no antibacterial effect but has consistently promoted growth and improved feed efficiency in pig studies. LDPP binds to the mammalian NOD2 receptor and is the only NOD2 ligand reported to inhibit the inflammatory signal NF-κB. In pilot studies, LDPP rescued 70kg pigs from an otherwise lethal dose of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and abrogated influenza disease symptoms in piglets. The Company intends to develop LDPP for all major livestock species worldwide. Patents have been granted in most major markets. The global antibiotic growth promoter market is worth an estimated $5.8 billion. Approximately 73% of all antibiotics are fed to livestock. The market is believed to be the world’s largest drug market by volume, with ~100,000 tons of active pharmaceutical ingredient administered annually. FDA’s latest data, for 2024, show a 13% rise in U.S. livestock antibiotic use since 2017. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that livestock antibiotics are mostly given to speed animal growth. Regulators and non-governmental organizations have called for reduction of antibiotic use in livestock, citing concerns that the global, intensive use of antibiotics, often at subtherapeutic doses, selects for antimicrobial resistance: bacteria that are “immune” to antibiotics and that therefore pose a threat to public health. Spillovers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from livestock to humans have been documented. “Nutrivert LDPP has consistently improved feed efficiency in pigs without antibiotics,” said Bernhard Kaltenboeck, CSO. “We are excited to have the support of Arrow Ventures and our other investors in bringing a new tool that will help producers reduce production costs and reduce selection pressure for antimicrobial resistance.” About Nutrivert LDPP: LDPP is an investigational compound currently undergoing clinical evaluation. It has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or any other global regulatory authority for any indication. The safety and efficacy of LDPP have not been established. Any mention of potential use is based on preliminary data and does not guarantee future regulatory clearance or commercial availability.

USDOL Approves National Biomanufacturing Technician Standards

April 16, 2026
[Seattle, WA] April 15, 2026 – Apprenti, the leading national intermediary for Registered Apprenticeship (RA), is proud to announce the formal approval and filing of the National Biomanufacturing Technician Standards with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Crafted under the strategic guidance of the Apprenti Life Science Advisory Board—which includes leaders from Pfizer, Merck, Thermo Fisher, and Biogen—these standards were developed in close partnership with the Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) and InnovATEBIO as part of a high-impact NIIMBL project. This approval represents a foundational shift for the industry, moving away from a fragmented, state-by-state approach to a scalable, consistent model for developing biomanufacturing professionals at sites across all 50 states. The national standards provide a “plug-and-play” framework that ensures a technician trained in Massachusetts or North Carolina meets the same rigorous, industry-vetted benchmarks as one in Ohio or Missouri. The foundational development of these national standards was informed by existing Life Science RA programs from organizations across the country, including: MassBioEd, Oregon Life Sciences, National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM), BioSTL, Wistar Institute, North Carolina Life Sciences Apprenticeship Consortium (NCLSAC) and others. A National Engine for Talent: The filing of these standards is a cornerstone of NIIMBL’s efforts to strengthen domestic biomanufacturing capabilities and develop the workforce of the future. Beyond the standards themselves, the project is delivering a suite of resources and tools—including a comprehensive Employer Toolkit and specialized screening rubrics—that state-based organizations and employers can leverage to implement RA programming for their most in-demand roles. “These national standards set the stage for a sustainable, skills-first pipeline that mirrors the rigor of the industry’s most complex manufacturing processes,” said Daniel Weagle, Director of Life Science Business Development at Apprenti. “By providing a unified approach, we are empowering national employers to scale their workforce development efforts strategically and accessibly.” The Value Proposition of Registered Apprenticeship For Life Science employers, the Registered Apprenticeship model offers a compelling business case rooted in cost-effectiveness and long-term stability: High Retention: RA programs boast exceptional retention rates—historically as high as 89% to 90%—as apprentices are trained within a company’s specific culture and protocols from day one. Cost Efficiency: Research indicates that for every dollar spent on apprenticeship, employers see an average return of $1.47 in increased productivity and reduced recruitment costs. Inclusive Innovation: The model expands access to untapped talent pools, including non-degreed individuals and career-switchers, ensuring the biomanufacturing workforce reflects the demographics of the communities it serves. As the global biopharmaceutical market is projected to exceed $570 billion by 2032 , this partnership between Apprenti, NIIMBL, and industry leaders ensures that the U.S. workforce is not just prepared for the future of manufacturing, but is actively driving it. This project was developed with an award from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) and financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (70NANB21H086). About Apprenti: Apprenti is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a U.S. Department of Labor recognized Intermediary. Apprenti designs and delivers scalable Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs in high-demand industries. By adapting the proven apprenticeship model, Apprenti helps employers meet workforce needs while training the next generation of skilled professionals. Apprenti’s programs are industry-recognized, federally approved, and supports employers across the country. Since launching in 2015, Apprenti has partnered with employers, government agencies, and education providers to create new apprenticeship pathways. About NIIMBL The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) is a public-private partnership whose mission is to accelerate biopharmaceutical innovation, support the development of industry standards, and educate a world-leading workforce. Media Contact: Dan Maiese, Communications Manager, dmaiese@niimbl.org , 302-831-3824 About the Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) The Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) is a national nonprofit coalition of state, regional and national life science associations and institutes who are working together to build a competitive, and future-ready life sciences workforce. Originally founded in 2012 as the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI), LSWC connects industry, academia, and government partners through data-driven insights, best practice sharing, and collaborative programs. Learn more at www.LifeSciencesWorkforce.org About InnovATEBIO InnovATEBIO is a National Center for Biotechnology Education, working to advance the education of highly skilled technicians for the nation’s biotechnology workforce. Toward this goal, InnovATEBIO provides leadership in biotechnology technician education, including support for development and sharing of best practices and emerging technologies in biotechnology workforce development. Read LSWC's full announcement here.
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