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 Biotechnology Institute News DigestSeptember/October 2008 In This Issue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Registration Open for Building Biotech Bridges Conference The Biotechnology Institute will be holding "Building Biotech Bridges," a conference that highlights how the biotechnology and education communities are working together around the country to address local science education and workforce development needs. Panel presentations and interactive discussion will highlight best practices and case studies of successful biotechnology education projects from around the country. The conference, to be held at the San Diego Omni Hotel on October 29, will be a professional development and networking opportunity for company human resources and community relations professionals who are developing or enhancing a local biotechnology education program. Education leaders who attend will learn what the biotechnology industry values in an education partner. The conference is being co-hosted by the BIOCOM Institute. For more information and to register, visit http://www.biotechinstitute.org/programs/bridges ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Looking for Biotechnology's Future Women Leaders The Biotechnology Institute is now accepting applications for "BioNOW" (Biotechnology Network of Women,) a leadership training program for women biotechnology professionals. The Biotechnology Institute is partnering with biopharmaceutical company Nektar Therapeutics to deliver the rogram. BioNOW, which will be held December 4-5 at Nektar's headquarters in San Carlos, CA, will allow participants to develop skills that can lead to executive level industry positions as research scientists, business managers, HR officials, and other types of senior management roles. The program is available to any woman who is currently employed in a biotechnology or biopharmaceutical company and is interested in professional development training to pursue career pathways to executive management. Selected applicants will receive up to $400 dollars in reimbursement for travel costs. The application deadline is October 31, 2008. For more information and an application, visit http://www.biotechinstitute.org/programs/BioNow.html. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Biotechnology Education Study Underway The Biotechnology Institute, BIO, and Battelle are collaborating on a groundbreaking study of biotechnology education in all 50 states, which will culminate in a definitive state-by-state Bio-Education Report. The purpose of the study is to raise awareness of bioscience education needs and how well states are measuring up to the bioscience education challenge. The first report will be released at the May 2009 BIO International Convention in Atlanta, GA. The education report will be updated every two years, alternating with the BIO state-by-state industry report, to show trends in state activities and performance in bioscience education and workforce development. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Teaching Controversial Science Topics in the Classroom The Biotechnology Institute continues to provide teachers with the tools they need to address complex life science topics in the classroom. The Institute's latest initiative, a series of forums on teaching stem cell science in schools, is part of a partnership with the National Academy of Sciences Teacher Advisory Council. The second of four meetings, titled the Boston Stem Cell Science Education Symposium, will be held November 11 at the Broad and Whitehead Institute's in Boston. It will bring together teacher-leaders, leading stem cell research scientists, policymakers, and science journalists to discuss stem cell research, its underlying scientific foundations and realistic promise, ethical and societal considerations, and approaches to teaching it to students. At the conclusion of the series the Institute will produce and distribute lessons that will be directly applicable to teaching about stem cell research in the classroom. The Invitrogen Foundation is the sponsor of the Boston symposium. Invitrogen Corporation is a longtime supporter of the Institute and is co-sponsor of the Institute's Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator Award. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BioGENEius Applications Now Being Accepted Applications are now being accepted for the prestigious sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge, the annual competition for high school students that recognizes outstanding research in biotechnology. Students in the U.S. should visit the BioGENEius website to find out how to submit their research for state judging. U.S. applicants selected as state finalists are eligible to receive a $400 travel award and an invitation to compete in a spring 2009 sanofi-aventis Regional BioGENEius Challenge event. Two finalists from each of the six U.S. regions will receive an all-expense paid trip to compete at the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge in Atlanta, GA, which will be held May 18-19, 2009. The application deadline is January 23, 2009. For more information, visit http://www.biotechinstitute.org/programs/biogeneius_challenge.html. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reaching Out to Teachers in the Bay Area Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and the Biotechnology Institute will hold a two-day professional development program for biotechnology teachers from the San Francisco area. The program, to be held November 6-7 at Bayer's headquarters in Berkeley, Ca, and at the Bayer Youth Science Lab at Rosa Park Elementary School, will provide 20 East Bay area educators with the tools to incorporate low-cost, hands-on labs into their classes, connect them with like-minded educators, and provide them with the skills needed to become leaders and advocates for biotechnology education in their schools and communities. This is the second part of a two-pronged program that will inspire students from less advantaged communities to consider careers in science and technology. The first part of the partnership established the "Bayer Minority Fellows Program," a mentoring program held in April at Bayer's headquarters that paired Bayer scientists and executives with minority graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in life sciences disciplines. The teacher-leader program and the Bayer Minority Fellows program are local versions of the Institute's national Minority Fellows Program and National Biotechnology Teacher-Leader Program and are a model for others to replicate around the country. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Biotechnology Curriculum Guide The Institute is making available a new curriculum guide for high school and community college educators who want to develop a biotechnology course. The 53-page guide was written by Gerald A. Moss, a former biotechnology executive turned high school teacher who started and taught a biotechnology course for five years. The manual provides details about curriculum, resources (texts, labs, Internet) used, and equipment required. It is designed to provide teachers a foundation upon which they can build and customize their own course curriculum. Cost of the guide is $25 plus shipping and handling. For more information visit http://www.biotechinstitute.org/resources/MossBiotechGuide.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Format for News Digest We hope you enjoy the new format for the News Digest, the e-newsletter of the Biotechnology Institute. The new format makes the ND easier to navigate and more useful for readers. Let us know what you think and feel free to pass the ND on to your colleagues. |
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