New Orleans BioInnovation Center

09/02/2026

Breaking Innovation News: NOBIC 2025 BioChallenge winner JuneBrain Inc. bets on Louisiana bringing her eye and brain scanning tech to clinics across the state.

Congratulations to Samantha Scott, PhD and the JuneBrain team.

Following a pitch win in New Orleans, founder Samantha Scott is testing the AI retinal imaging tech to expand care access while pursuing FDA clearance.

08/27/2026

We are excited to sponsor Nucleate New Orleans panel "Beyond the Bench: Careers Driving Brain Health Innovation.

Grace Williams, PhD of Ochsner Health , will be joining as a panelist. Grace bridges research and industry every day and she's also serving as a semi-finalist judge for NOBIC's BioChallenge, the flagship competition helping the next generation of Neurotech founders turning research into real ventures.

Brain health is one of the field's biggest open frontiers and the people building careers at that intersection are the ones who'll move it forward. Join us for the conversation!

📅 Thursday, September 10, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 New Orleans BioInnovation Center, 1441 Canal St.

RSVP: https://luma.com/9kqquzl6

08/24/2026

🎉 Congratulations to NOBIC tenant and client Chandler Monk, PhD of Cleaved Diagnostics, on being listed in Technical.ly ReaLIST innovators list.
Cleaved has developed a rapid pointofcare test for Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV), one of the most common infections in infants that can lead to serious complications when not detected early. Chandler and her team are making newborn screenings easier and more accessible to low resource communities.

Check out the list and all the incredible Louisiana innovators who made it!
https://technical.ly/workforce/reallist-innovators-2026-louisiana/

08/17/2026

Meet out 2026 Summer BioFellows cohort. These students are united by a passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and advancing life sciences.

Throughout the summer, fellows contributed to projects that support startups, strengthen Louisiana's life sciences ecosystem, and accelerate the commercialization of groundbreaking technologies. They also played a huge role in outreach for BioChallenge 2026.

Thank you for supporting NOBIC Stella, Josh, Brendan, Tyler, Eli and Haley! We can't wait to see what you accomplish next! 👏

08/12/2026

Congratulations to our tenant, client, and New Orleans BioFund portfolio company Beken Bio on the announcement of their Phase II SBIR grant. The highly competitive grant is one of roughly 80 Phase II awards the National Science Foundation (NSF) makes annually nationwide and accelerates development of Beken Bio’s novel ovarian cancer liquid biopsy test.

“This award represents an inflection point for Beken Bio,” said Chris Millan, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO. “Over the past several years we’ve built the scientific foundation for our ovarian cancer detection platform. Phase II funding allows us to put that technology to the test in real patients across Louisiana, work toward reimbursement and commercialization, and begin expanding our platform to a second indication in lung cancer. It’s an exciting step toward building a company that can fundamentally change how cancers are detected.”

Read full press announcement: https://lnkd.in/e8ZaCKBV

Congratulations to Chris and the entire Beken team!

08/06/2026

🚀 Kick of 2026–2027 Nucleate New Orleans season at NOBIC with Beyond the Bench: Careers Driving Brain Health Innovation on September 10th!

Join Nucleate + NOBIC for an evening of networking and conversation exploring the many career paths shaping the future of brain health and biotechnology.

Whether you're interested in research, entrepreneurship, venture capital, commercialization, or industry, this event is a chance to connect with professionals who are translating scientific discoveries into real-world impact.

📅 Thursday, September 10
🕕 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 New Orleans BioInnovation Center

Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP and reserve your spot using the link:
https://luma.com/9kqquzl6

07/31/2026

You have until 11:59 pm tomorrow night 8/1 to Apply to BioChallenge 2026. What are you waiting for? 100k on the line! Let's Go! Link to application in bio!!

07/28/2026

Tonight, we’re celebrating .nola graduation and recognizing one of our outstanding BioFellows as she takes another step toward an exciting future.

A rising senior at Edna Karr High School, Roneka plans to attend LSU to study nursing with the goal of building a career in anesthesia. She joined the New Orleans BioInnovation Center eager to explore how biotechnology impacts our everyday lives while gaining hands-on experience in the industry.

Through our BioFellows program, she’s focused on strengthening her communication, teamwork, and critical-thinking skills as she builds a strong foundation for her future.

We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see where your journey takes you. Congratulations, Roneka! 💙🧬

07/27/2026

Matching grant opportunity from our partners at the Downtown Development District of New Orleans for property owners/tenants!

DDD has announced a Ground Floor Tenant Build-Out Matching Grant Program designed to reduce barriers to development, activate and revitalize commercial areas, and support small business stability and growth in downtown. The program will provide a matching grant of 50% of eligible project costs, up to a $20,000!

A property owner or business tenant is eligible to apply for a Ground Floor Tenant Build-Out Matching Grant if the purpose of the grant is to complete interior or exterior improvements necessary to support active commercial or retail occupancy.

📅 Deadline to apply October 15th! Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gAXFDtUR

07/22/2026

On this , we are reminded of something our BioChallenge Committee member Phyllis Ferrell said- "At the end of the day, human brains are our most important assets."

Today we celebrate visionaries, researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and innovators working to bring better brain health outcomes to patients around the world.