The life sciences is a vibrant, diverse, and exciting field. With high demand for new talent in this growing industry, a unique training program has launched in partnership with industry and academic leaders to equip those interested in a life sciences career with skills necessary to get started.
Northeastern University and Bridgewater State University have been awarded a grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) to develop a PathmakerBio training program, a collaborative program led in conjunction with BioConnects New England and in partnership with ElevateBio, a Waltham-based cell and gene therapy company. Bringing leaders in academia and the biotech industry together, PathmakerBio will provide hands-on training to increase access for more people to pursue careers in the region’s high-demand life sciences industry.
Part of MLSC’s investment to expand training programs that address critical skills and talent supply gaps facing the state’s life science industry, PathmakerBio emphasizes job training that creates opportunities for underserved individuals. A science background is not required to be eligible for this program and training will be held at several locations to make the opportunity more accessible. While the Fall/Winter 2024 cohort at Northeastern University’s Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory in Burlington has been filled, space is available for the Late Winter/Early Spring 2025 training program at Bridgewater State University and the Late Spring/Early Summer 2025 cohort at Northeastern University in Boston.
PathmakerBio focuses on protein therapeutic and cell/gene therapy manufacturing. These classes of medicines require specialized, high-quality manufacturing capabilities and expertise. Using immune cells or genetic material, such as DNA or RNA, these complex medicines are designed to address the underlying causes of diseases.
“There are many skills that are transferable to the lab environment with proper training,” explained Jared Auclair, co-lead of BioConnects New England (BCNE), a multi-state coalition that aims to connect hubs throughout New England to support existing and establish new biomanufacturing infrastructure as a pathway to increase employment, as well as interim dean of Northeastern’s College of Professional Studies. “Our goal is to open the door to these opportunities by giving critical hands-on skill-based education that is developed in partnership with industry to build the bridge between available talent and job opportunities.”
Key highlights of this collaborative program include:
- 8-week program with three cohorts of 22 students each over one year, for a total of 66 trainees.
- Focus on recruiting from underrepresented communities to create new career pathways in biotech.
- Industry-aligned curriculum covering critical skills like cGMP, aseptic technique, upstream/downstream processing, and analytical testing.
- Available stipends to provide additional support for transportation, childcare, and other needs that can be barriers to pursuing educational opportunities.
- Training locations in Burlington in the Fall 2024, Bridgewater and Boston/Roxbury in the first half of 2025 to increase accessibility.
Those interested in learning more and applying to the program can sign up for more information at: https://pathmakerbio.sites.
About BioConnects New England
BioConnects New England is a multi-state coalition dedicated to creating a robust and inclusive biomanufacturing cluster in the regions of Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island. This coalition connects hubs throughout New England to support existing—and establish new—biomanufacturing infrastructure as a pathway to increase employment and educational opportunities for underserved regions and populations that have been historically excluded from the biotechnology industry, one of the fastest-growing sectors in New England with national importance.
Created through a Phase 1 Finalist grant through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge in 2021, BioConnects New England has grown to include nine coalition members – The Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory at Northeastern University, The Roux Institute at Northeastern University in Portland, Maine, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, The I-195 Design and Innovation District in Providence, Rhode Island, Rhode Island Commerce, The University of Rhode Island, and Focus Maine – and over 40 partners across the northeast
For more information about BioConnects New England, please email team@bioconnectsne.com or visit https://bioconnectsne.
