Category Archives: MassBioEd
Golf Classic 2013 Registration Now Open!
Registration is now open! Click here to register.
MassBio and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) are pleased to announce that we will host our 19th Annual Golf Classic on September 6th, 2013, and we will return to the award-winning Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, MA. Play 18 holes on a beautiful course – then add food, drinks, networking, and fun – all for an excellent cause!
The annual MassBioEd Golf Classic supports the Foundation’s activities in science and biotechnology education in Massachusetts through school programs, workforce training, and lifelong learning. Despite the challenging economy, MassBioEd’s programs continue to grow and reach more schools and students.
Through corporate support, MassBioEd has been able to provide:
- 185 high schools with over $3 million in equipment, supplies, and consumables to conduct cutting-edge biotechnology labs.
- 600 educators with professional development training.
- A new website that serves as a resource for STEM education stake-holders across the country.
Sponsorship opportunities are available!
Not only is the Golf Classic a fun way to support biotechnology education, but this well-attended industry event also offers a great opportunity for maximum visibility. There are a variety of event sponsorship options to choose from-from breakfast, to water bottles, to hole sponsorship, to giveaways and more! Click here to learn more.
For more information, visit our website.
BIO Buzz: Two Massachusetts Students to Compete in 2013 BioGENEius Science Fair!
Congratulations to our two BioGENEius Challenge contestants, Adrian Haber and Rahi Punjabi!
The BioGENEius Challenges are national and international competitions for high school students that recognize excellence in original research in biotechnology. The Challenges, organized by the Biotechnology Institute, are prestigious science competitions with significant cash prizes awarded to the winners.
Selected winners of BioGENEius Challenges compete and present their research posters and oral presentations in front of a panel of biotech judges at the 2013 BIO International Convention. The students are evaluated on their scientific merit and creative ability, project execution, and poster/oral presentation.
Meet the Massachusetts Contestants:
Adrian Haber, is a tenth grade student of Boston Latin School. Haber’s biochemistry-based project is titled “Testing the Effectiveness of Liposomal Nanoparticle Delivery of Oxybutynin to Reduce Bladder Spasms.” Through a novel method of using isolated pig bladders, the project tests the effectiveness of using liposomal nanoparticles to direct the delivery of medications for the treatment of overactive bladder and reduce side effects. With more than 39 million adults in the U.S. suffering from overactive bladder, Haber’s project addresses a significant problem. He concluded that when oxybutynin is contained in liposomal nanoparticles it can diffuse into bladder tissue to reduce bladder spasms.
Rahi Punjabi, is an eleventh grade students studying at Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough. Punjabi is a BioGENEius Challenge veteran, having represented Massachusetts in the 2012 Challenge with a project exploring the antibiotic potential of garlic. This year, Punjabi entered another biology-based project called “Engineering a Novel Fusion Protein Therapy for Meningococcal Infection.” The study looks at Neisseria meningitidis, a major and deadly cause of meningitis and sepsis worldwide. Punjabi concluded that fusion proteins show potential as a therapy for meningococcal infection.
Cambridge Science Festival 2013!
The Cambridge Science Festival is gearing up to kick off this Friday, April 12th and is jam packed with events every day through April 21st!
The Cambridge Science Festival, the first of its kind in the United States, is a celebration showcasing the leading edge in science, technology, engineering and math. A multifaceted, multicultural event every spring, the Cambridge Science Festival makes science accessible, interactive and fun!
The festival is a fun & valuable experience for all ages! The full calendar is online, but here are some of the signature events:
Thursday, April 18, 5:00pm-8:00pm throughout Kendall Square, Cambridge
Presented by Momenta Pharmaceuticals – Cost: Free, 21+ cash bars
A pub crawl like you’ve never seen! Join us for a series of one-hour stops in local restaurants, bars, and other businesses showcasing the fun, funky, and curious geekery in science and engineering in our community!
Saturday, April 13, 12:00pm-4:00pm, Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
You’ve been to the Franklin Park Zoo and the Roger Williams Zoo, but have you ever visited a Robot Zoo? Come check out amazing robotics technology and activities!
MassBioEd Foundation Launches NEW MassBioEd.org
MassBio is proud to support our sister organization, the MassBioEd Foundation. We work closely with MassBioEd to develop the life sciences workforce of the future to keep our life sciences cluster strong and growing. We are excited to share a post from MassBioEd today that highlights their dynamic new website, www.massbioed.org which just launched last month.
The Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization committed to supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education with a focus in biotechnology in Massachusetts through school programs, workforce training, and lifelong learning.
To help fulfill our mission to inspire students to pursue STEM and develop the current workforce we are excited to announce the launch of our new website, www.massbioed.org. The website is a comprehensive resource for educators, students, postdocs, and industry professionals.
Website highlights include:
Postdoc Resources: The Massachusetts postdoctoral community is a vital resource for the life sciences sector. To support this community, MassBioEd Foundation helps postdoctoral fellows explore career paths and opportunities in the life sciences through networking events, the Industry Exploration Program and the Futures in Life Sciences Program.
Corporate Involvement Opportunities: MassBioEd strives to engage with the life sciences industry to enrich student experiences and ignite a passion for STEM! YOU can make a difference in the lives of students and inspire the future biotechnology workforce by participating in one of our programs! Support our Job Shadow Day, Site Visits , or volunteer to Be a Speaker. (MassBioEd is currently seeking scientist volunteers to participate in a “speed-dating” career exploration event for postdocs on April 29 – learn more here.)
Corporate Professional Development Programs: Read the rest of this entry
MassBio Annual Meeting 2013 Highlights
Nearly 400 biotechnology industry leaders gathered last week at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, right in the heart of the state’s biotech cluster, to participate in MassBio’s 2013 Annual Meeting.
The meeting took place across two days, and included discussions on healthcare reimbursement, what’s next in oncology research, the future of biosimilars and research resources sharing.
“These conversations go to the very heart of what we do and how we as an industry will operate into the future,” said Robert K. Coughlin. “We must understand our role in a shifting economic and regulatory environment and attempt to answer these big, complicated questions. Our only way forward is to address them together.”
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg spoke Friday and addressed industry concerns on time to approval, the threat of sequestration and other budget cuts, and recent successes in the industry-FDA collaboration:
“I am committed to working with all of you—and many others—on the broad-based national strategy to advance biomedical product innovation that I believe is so very much needed at this critical time. I think I can say that at FDA we are striving to do our part. Success will require regulatory flexibility, advancing regulatory science, and true collaboration among health professionals, industry, government, academia, and our global health partners.”
