BioBuilder turns 13 on November 1st and we’re ready to celebrate!
The first 12 years have flown by, probably because each year has been full of new challenges, opportunities, successes, and a lot of good times!
Let’s take a stroll down memory lane with brief stops at important milestones along the way. And keep going to the end where you’ll learn about ways you can help make our 13th year the best yet!
Drumroll….The BioBuilder Educational Foundation was established in 2011 as a 501c3 with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). That year the founder, Dr. Natalie Kuldell, and her small team began to develop and publish curricula online, and also began training educators through professional development workshops held at MIT.
BioBuilderClub was launched in 2014 with teams meeting at MIT. Since then, it has grown to be BioBuilder’s most popular program!
2015
BioBuilder collaborated with Boston’s Museum of Science to create the “Building with Biology” activities and kits. The activities work as conversation starters to help diverse public audiences engage with synthetic biology. The digital kits are available for download and include six hands-on and two forum activities.
Also that year, the textbook “BioBuilder: Synthetic Biology in the Lab” was published by O’Reilly Media in English, and later in Japanese (2018) and Russian (2019). The textbook, cowritten by Dr. Natalie Kuldell and several colleagues, includes modular, hands-on lessons written for secondary and post-secondary classrooms and laboratories. The book is also a nice introduction to synthetic biology for science and engineering enthusiasts.
2016
BioBuilder launches its workforce training initiative for under-served high school students, in partnership with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The program expanded to run in both Boston and Worcester the following spring. Here’s a blast from the past photo and press release about the launch of this life-changing program.
Fast forward to the impact of this program: here’s a podcast link this month from one of our 2023 Apprentices!
BioBuilder was the catalyst for me to excel and do well academically.”
And here’s a photo of the Fall 2024 Apprentices, who are participating in the MLSC Pathmaker program with us. Can’t wait to see what they’ll do next!
2017
BioBuilder opened its first dedicated teaching space inside LabCentral’s entrepreneurial community in Cambridge, MA.
BioBuilder also teamed up with Carolina Biological Supply Company as the exclusive global distributor of BioBuilder Lab Kits.
2019
BioBuilder partnered with the Eastman Foundation to implement BioBuilder in rural school districts in eastern Tennessee.
2020
Enter pandemic. (Elevator music plays softly in the background as…) BioBuilder continued supporting students and teachers via virtual meetings and other remote work tools. Yes, this was a milestone for everyone.
This was also the year when the BioBuilder blog – Devices, Parts, and Systems – first hit the internet. Yay!
2021
The BioBuilder Learning Lab @Ginkgo opened inside the Ginkgo Bioworks headquarters in Boston’s Innovation District. The Learning Lab @Ginkgo is a fully equipped teaching space that provides a welcoming environment for hands-on engagement with BioBuilder programs. It is also used for teacher workshops, BioBuilder events, and workshops for Ginkgo Bioworks non-science professionals.
2022
BioBuilder designed a credit-bearing program for high school students in the Worcester, MA, Public Schools. The program is specifically designed to prepare students for biomanufacturing careers.
2024
BioBuilder launched their newest program – BioTechBuilder. This is a skills-oriented curriculum aligned with BCSI microcredentials to train high school students to enter the biotech industry after graduation. Students also have the opportunity to test for industry-recognized microcredentials upon program completion.
Whew! That’s a lot of milestones to take in. But there’s more – like all the things that happened in-between the milestones, such as:
- A growing number of teachers taking part in BioBuilder’s professional development workshops
- Launch of the Summer Research, High School Apprenticeship Challenge, and Idea Accelerator programs
- The BioBuilder podcast Life-Changing Science
- Career Conversations video interviews
…and more!
Of course, these and all of BioBuilder’s efforts are aimed at one thing: helping students learn and fall in love with synthetic biology in a way that prepares them for rewarding careers in biotechnology. Here are some astounding numbers that demonstrate how this has worked out over BioBuilder’s first 12 years:
- Since 2011, BioBuilder’s project-based curriculum has prepared more than 65,000 students for college and careers in biotechnology.
- BioBuilder curricula are being used in 49 U.S. states and 66 countries
- 560 teachers have been trained to teach BioBuilder
- BioBuilderClub has had 2,886 high school students from 27 U.S. states and six countries, who formed 283 teams and developed real-world synthetic biology projects, with the mentorship of 196 biotech professionals, resulting in the publishing of 77 peer-reviewed articles.
- 214 students from 56 schools have completed summer biotech internships
So, you may be thinking, “how can you do get any better in your teen years?” We’re glad you asked!
Year 13 and Beyond
One of BioBuilder’s top goals moving forward is to replicate the workforce pipeline they fostered in the rural Appalachian area of East Tennessee. And by replicate, they mean in regions throughout the U.S. The not-so-secret weapon that BioBuilder is using to accomplish this feat is BioTechBuilder, the new program designed specifically for bioscience workforce development for high school students.
BioTechBuilder is a skills-based curriculum that can be implemented in any school district and taught by any teacher. It was developed with the input of teachers, school districts, and biotech industry professionals. Students who complete the program have the opportunity to test for industry-recognized microcredentials. Their proven knowledge and skills will help them directly begin biotech careers upon graduation from high school.
The benefits of using BioTechBuilder to support regional biotech hubs are manifold:
- Students are able to enter the workforce in meaningful, well-paid jobs with or without a college degree.
- Biotech companies get the highly-skilled new employees they need.
- The nation’s bioeconomy continues to grow and regional economies are strengthened.
How You Can Help
There are numerous ways you can help BioBuilder successfully navigate her teen years. One way is to spread the word about BioBuilder:
- Share our monthly blog posts via email and social media channels.
- Follow BioBuilder on social media and share our posts with your networks.
- Facebook: @BioBuilderFoundation
- YouTube: @BioBuilder
- LinkedIn: @BioBuilder Educational Foundation
Keep in mind that while BioBuilder’s efforts focus on supporting students, the long view includes benefits for schools, communities, states, and regions. So go ahead and share BioBuilder info with your:
- Government officials and representatives on the local, state, and national levels
- School districts, community colleges, and other education organizations
- Chamber of commerce
- Local bioscience company
Grassroots promotion can be a powerful way to get the ball rolling!
Another way you can support BioBuilder is through its year-end campaign that begins on November 1st. Not only can you give a donation yourself, but sharing as described above will help bring new supporters to BioBuilder!
Device Dude
Recognition can be a strong affirmation and encouragement. That’s why we like to share the recognition we get from organizations locally and nationwide. Here are two recent recognitions BioBuilder has received.
Educators Pick Best of STEM Awards 2024
BioTechBuilder won the 2024 Educators Pick Best of STEM award as the Champion for Career and Technical Education (CTE). As one of the preliminary judges noted, “BioTechBuilder has truly set a new standard in biotechnology education with its hands-on curriculum focused on skill-building, perfectly aligned with the needs of the biotech industry.”
In its reporting of the awards, the National Education Association noted how BioTechBuilder “enables students to explore the applications of biotechnology in solving contemporary challenges, from healthcare to agriculture.” That’s what we’re talking about!
BostINNO Fire Award
Each year, the BostInno Fire Awards recognize 50 companies, organizations, or individuals who have had a major impact on the Boston ecosystem. BostInno focuses particularly on innovation in tech and startups, VC and finance, higher education, and city life.
This year, BioBuilder is being honored in the Ecosystem Supporter category (because as they say, “There would be no Boston startup ecosystem without these community leaders.”). We are thrilled to be recognized by BostInno, and we are committed to continuing to support our Boston-area students and biotech industry!
