2024-10-14T11:04:30-07:00 2023-12-31 990 2023-01-01 460738285 BALTIMORE UNDERGROUND SCIENCE SPACE Inc BALT 4434528498 101 North Haven Street Suite 105 Baltimore MD 212241635 Thomas Burkett PhD president 4434528498 2024-04-30 1 2023 2024-10-15 13:58:12Z Thomas Burkett 14 Howard Avenue Catonsville MD 21228 121272 0 X bugssonline.org X 2012 MD To foster a community of citizen-scientists, who can explore biotechnology in a safe, constructive and socially-responsible manner. BUGSS is a community laboratory that promotes education and understanding of biotechnology, doing so by offering courses, informational talks, community projects, workshops, student science-fair assistance and an open laboratory, where individuals can conduct biotechnology experiments. At BUGSS, we believe that biotechnology and synthetic biology are the fabrication technology of the future, and a key component of a sustainable economy in the mid-Atlantic region. BUGSS offers entrepreneurs access to low-cost laboratory space for early-stage, proof-of-concept and developmental experiments. 7 7 3 80 0 0 43746 94860 12391 20003 0 0 31099 6409 87236 121272 0 0 0 0 2002 2943 0 0 0 123057 127170 125059 130113 -37823 -8841 61799 51314 5502 3857 56297 47457 X See page 1, Part I, Summary, 1. 0 1 35536 0 49785 Youth Courses and School Programs: BUGSS continued providing courses for students from kindergarten through middle school. Included were nine courses at BUGSS delivered directly to the public, courses organized specifically for homeschool students, and courses organized for other nonprofit partners including a five-week summer, middle-school program for Merit Health Leadership Academy and two four-week middle-school camps for STEMcx and Latino Educational Advancement Fund. In addition, we continued working with Carnegie Institute of Washington and Project Bioeyes to deliver a one-week Microbes In The Classroom course to students at Baltimore middle schools. 26962 0 24639 iGEM: In 2023, BUGSS again mentored a team competing in the international Genetically Engineered Machines competition (iGEM), the East Coast Bio Crew team. The team met at BUGSS throughout the spring and summer to design and carry out a project to combat pollution of our waterways by agricultural runoff, which situation leads to harmful algal blooms. In addition, students interviewed experts, investigated how the project could be developed and implemented in the real world, learned about the social and ethical implications of the project and whether it was feasible, taught the public about issues related to the project and, more broadly, about diverse scientists, and produced video and oral presentations. The 2023 team included 33 high school students and nine mentors, who were professional scientists, postbaccalaureate and graduate students. As a culmination of their work, team members attended the 2023 iGEM Jamboree either virtually or by traveling to Paris, where they presented their work to judges, met other teams and earned a gold medal for their accomplishments. 7633 0 37697 Community and Individual Member Projects: Central to BUGSS' mission is providing lab space to individuals and groups within our community, who wish to conduct experiments of their own design. Individuals pay membership fees to BUGSS, which fees enable them to access the BUGSS lab facilities and equipment, as well as a small number of disposable reagents. In this way, we dramatically reduce startup costs for those interested in pursuing high-risk, non-traditional, multi-disciplinary and early-stage projects. In 2023, BUGSS supported three group projects for our members: Open Insulin, Barcoding The Harbor and Chromoproteins. Open Insulin seeks to address issues of health equity by developing open-source methods of insulin production. Barcoding The Harbor is a collaboration with institutions such as the National Aquarium, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, and Ocean Research Project to systematically characterize the biota of Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay, and Chromoproteins genetically engineers new pigments into yeast and bacterial cells, which can then be used for new bio-art projects. These group projects facilitate easy entry for new members into sophisticated science projects without requiring extensive prior training. In addition to our community projects, we had individual members who pursued projects at BUGSS. These included genetic engineering of plant species for which few genetic tools currently exist, analysis of bacteria living in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and engineering of systems to respond to DNA damage in cancer cells. Three additional, early-stage, biotechnology companies continued to operate within our space and further develop their businesses. 1120 0 2349 Adult Courses and Seminars: BUGSS teaches courses to the general public to increase people's understanding of science and laboratory skills. Courses explored aspects of modern biotechnology, bioinformatics, genetics and molecular biology, and included a Molecular Biology Boot Camp, Modern Techniques For DNA Cloning, agar art workshop and six Lab Skills Nights short courses. BUGSS also offered seminars on topics including The Current State Of Climate Change, Structural Color, and Epidemiology. Collectively, our courses and seminars impacted 289 people in 2023. 1120 0 2349 71251 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 7 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 MD X Lisa Scheifele executive director 4434528498 101 North Haven Street Suite 105 Baltimore MD 212241635 Joel Tyson director 4.5 0 X 1047 0 0 Thomas Burkett president 2 0 X X 0 0 0 Linda Saffer secretary 1 0 X X 0 0 0 Michael Johnson treasurer 1 0 X X 0 0 0 Anne Hamburger director 0.5 0 X 0 0 0 Nina Rajpurohit director 0.5 0 X 0 0 0 Lisa Scheifele executive director 15.5 0 X X 0 0 0 1047 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27595 0 0 0 67265 0 94860 Youth Courses and School Programs 900099 49785 49785 0 0 Community and Individual Member Projects 900099 37697 37697 0 0 iGEM 900099 25032 25032 0 0 Adult Courses and Seminars 900099 2349 2349 0 0 less entries on lines 1a-1f above 900099 -94860 -94860 0 0 0 0 0 0 20003 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 non-programmatic revenue 900099 6409 6409 0 0 0 0 0 0 6409 121272 26412 0 0 X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2610 1714 896 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 333 333 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1276 0 1276 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 781 0 781 0 98 0 98 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 37896 0 37896 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2138 0 2138 0 2010 0 2010 0 supplies 41169 41169 0 0 stipends 17400 17400 0 0 registrations 8750 8750 0 0 professional fees 1885 1885 0 0 13767 0 13767 0 130113 71251 58862 0 34931 27534 0 0 0 0 2450 990 0 0 0 0 0 0 197 142 1031 1596 28145 7093 23190 21052 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 61799 51314 502 1357 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5000 2500 0 0 0 0 0 5502 3857 X 56297 47457 0 0 56297 47457 61799 51314 X -8841 0 0 0 0 1 X 1 X 0 1 0 X 26825 51827 180282 43746 94860 397540 29801 9931 1831 43696 10433 95692 0 0 17026 0 0 17026 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 56626 61758 199139 87442 105293 510258 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 510258 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4503 50 2967 -206 15979 23293 61129 61808 202106 87236 121272 533551 0.95634 0.9777 0 0 X Schedule A, Part III, Line 12 Other Income comprises iGEM-related receipts ($12,341), member projects-related receipts ($3,632) and non-programmatic receipts ($6). RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1970 74 1896 0 26175 7019 19156 0 0 0 0 21052 Thomas Burkett president cash needs X 5000 2500 0 1 0 2500 Form 990, Header, Line D U.S. taxpayers, including not-for-profit entities, wishing to perpetuate their de minimis safe-harbor election from year to year, are required to append such election, annually and every tax year, to the rear of the filed return, whether a tax return or an information return. Such attachment, however, is not feasible with electronic filing. In lieu thereof, such election is made here, on Schedule O, having the same force as if appended to the rear. Section 1.263(A)-1(F) De Minimis Safe-Harbor Election: Taxpayer Name: Baltimore Under Ground Science Space, Inc.; Taxpayer Address: 101 North Haven Street, Suite 105, Baltimore, MD 21224-1635; Taxpayer FEIN: 46-0738285. Form 990, Part III, Line 3 In 2023, BUGSS expanded its youth courses and school programs to now include summer camps. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b Initially, a draft of the completed Form 990 and supporting schedules is reviewed by the entity's officers and its finance committee. Thereafter, the draft is reviewed by all remaining members of the Board of Directors. All parties review the data, have an opportunity to offer refinements to narrative language as well as the overall presentation, and provide approval. Copies of the Form 990 package, as it is then to be filed with IRS, are provided to the full Board of Directors. The complete product, with supporting schedules, is then electronically submitted to IRS. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c Semi-annually, members of management and members of the Board of Directors are required to review and sign a conflict-of-interest form, which form discloses any such issue. Forms are reviewed to ensure compliance and any areas of concern are thoroughly discussed and remedied at the time, and throughout the year. Board members having a conflict of interest are required to recuse themselves from voting on matters for which they have a conflict. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 In contemplation of any new hirings, management consults industry pay scales and similar nonprofits for as-needed guidance, documenting such information and decision-making in contemporaneous minutes of Board of Directors meetings. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 The organization maintains copies of its governing documents, conflict-of-interest policy (and other policies) and financial statements, which are available for inspection during regular business hours at the organization's office. The organization complies with all requests, written or oral, for copies of these documents. Form 990, Part IX, Line 24e Costs totaling $13,767. Form 990, Part XI, Line 9 Rounding.