Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

BioMADE, a national institute with a mission of helping secure America’s future through bioindustrial manufacturing innovation, education, and collaboration, has awarded East Tennessee State University (ETSU) $1.3 million in project funding. The grant total exceeds $3.3 million when including costs shared by ETSU and its partners.

The ETSU-led initiative is one of nine leading-edge projects that will advance Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain resiliency and sustainability goals, re-shore manufacturing jobs to the U.S., and enhance the domestic bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem. They cover the spectrum from producing natural rubber for a variety of military and commercial applications to converting waste into novel bioplastics and equipping the next generation of the bioindustrial manufacturing workforce with the skills they need to be successful.

ETSU’s funding is for a project titled “Completing the Bioindustrial Pipeline: A Multidisciplinary Workforce Development Institute for Biological and Bioprocess Engineering for the Appalachian Highlands.” As described on the BioMADE website, the focus is on the development of a set of bioprocess engineering, bioindustrial automation, and synthetic biology curriculum modules. The result is that traditional and non-traditional high school and college students will be equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in the bioindustrial manufacturing industry.

Building on the work of the BioBuilder Foundation, the ETSU Research Corporation and the Niswonger Foundation, ETSU will help build a pipeline program training high school students and giving them the tools to jump into the workforce in as little as two years.  In the longer term, ETSU is creating a degree program to foster innovation and expansion, as well as give options to those interested in changing jobs.

In fall 2022, the ETSU Research Corporation hosted “Growing the Future: Symposium on Innovation and Education for the Bioeconomy.” The event attracted officials from across the nation, including representatives from the DoD.“Ultimately, this groundbreaking program will result in the creation of a versatile and adaptable workforce,” said Pamela Mims, a Professor and Associate Dean of Research and Grants in the Clemmer College of Education and Human Development who helped the university secure a different BioMADE funding last year and serves as the co-investigator on this new project. “Our students will be equipped with bioindustrial skills vital to driving the growth of the bioeconomy.” 

To learn more, read the ETSU news release at this link. 

 

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