The InnovATEBIO Big Ideas Hackathon

Would you like to work with colleagues across the United States to develop ideas for tackling challenges in biotechnology education?

This is your chance to do it.

InnovATEBIO is hosting a three day virtual hackathon Mon, June 29th - Weds, Jul 1st, 2026 and we would love to have you participate.

Timeline:

1. April - June 8th - Read through the project descriptions and apply to participate. 
    
2. Early June - We will send out acceptances, confirm your ability to participate, and assign applicants to teams.
    
3. June 8th -12th - We will set up Slack accounts, send Slack invitations to all confirmed participants, and send out the Zoom link for the orientation. .
    
4. June 15th - Pre-hackathon orientation, 12 pm noon, Eastern time.  
    
5. June 26th - Send the Zoom link for the Hackathon to all confirmed participants.
    
6. June 29th - July 1st The InnovATEBIO Big Ideas Hackathon takes place.
    
7. Afterwards - we will present results at HI TEC

Event Description:
The biotechnology industry is changing rapidly as the use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and automation are expanding.  As a community, we need to identify how these new tools will impact the role of biotechnicians in the workforce and learn how our teaching practices will need to change. 

At the same time, we have long-standing problems that need to be addressed.  The infrastructure that provides us with clean water is aging along with the people who maintain it. Many of our students struggle with quantitative concepts like proportions and dimensional analysis.  Our programs will need to look for new sources of funding. And we must continue to explore strategies that facilitate knowledge sharing and build connections between biotech educators and our larger communities. 

We have six teams ready to tackle these challenges. 

1. Artificial intelligence and data analysis – Aron Kamajaya
2. Automation, and biomanufacturing – Margaret Bryans
3. Biotechnology and water – Sheela Vemu
4. Lab math online – Drew Guinness
5. Funding your program – Lori Kelman
6. Strategies for building and maintaining community – Karen Leung
    

Project descriptions:

1. AI and data analysis (Data) – Aron Kamajaya
   This team will explore the use of AI in analyzing large quantities of data captured from laboratory equipment and making predictions based on that information. The use of large language models (LLMs), AI agents, digital twins, and digital shadows in biotechnology will be explored. This team will ask – what do technicians need to know about AI and data analysis?
    
2. Automation, and biomanufacturing (Robots) – Margaret Bryans
   This team will look at the use of automation and robotics in biomanufacturing and address the question of how we advise biotechnology programs on how to incorporate the associated knowledge, skills, and abilities. Some of the topics the team will address are delta V training, troubleshooting skills, and the ability to incorporate basic engineering concepts into courses. This team will investigate the question of what do technicians need to know about automation?
    
3. Biotechnology and water (Water) – Sheela Vemu
   Water treatment systems exist throughout the US but there are only a few programs that prepare students to work in these settings. New technologies such as wastewater analysis, and the challenges of aging infrastructure are impacting technician training.  Graduates from at least seven InnovATEBIO programs have found positions in water treatment plants suggesting that this is a useful pathway for programs to address. This group will explore how biotech programs might include or offer water technologies and / or wastewater analysis as additional components to their programs.
    
4. Lab math online (Math) – Drew Guinness
   Quantitative skills are a key component of the technician workforce. Analytic understanding is becoming more important in the era of machine learning-driven approaches. No one wants poor math preparation to hold aspiring technicians back from their goals. This project seeks to generate a solutions-driven repository or toolkit of basic lab math and technical understanding tools for a future-ready bio workforce.
    
5. Funding your program (Funding) – Lori Kelman
   Biotechnology programs always need money.  This team will focus on identifying sources of funding (grants from NIIMBL, donations from companies, state funding) and developing a guide for getting started in one or more of these areas.
    
6. Strategies for building and maintaining community (Community) – Karen Leung
   This group will focus on strategies to "strengthen community, networking, resource sharing, and expertise" for our broad biotech community college community. This will include looking into models already leveraged by InnovATEBIO - LinkedIn, the new InnovATEBIO mentor network, hubs - as well as examining what other ATE Centers are doing.