“Graduate Training Program in Biotechnology” led by SDRC affiliated member Dr. Jennifer Cochran (NIGMS) is a valuable training mechanism supported by 3 SDRC-affiliated investigators. Over the past seven years, this grant has funded 2 trainees working on biotechnology related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes. A notable feature of this program is the academic-industrial interactions fostered through industrial internships, biotechnology symposia and the inclusion of industrial mentors. Trainees emerge with skills in the areas of synthetic biology, pharmaceutical discovery and new technologies; hence, they are well positioned to advance the diabetes field. The SDRC-related impact of this training grant is exemplified by the P&F awarded to Dr. Cochran (to be carried out by her graduate trainee) entitled “Engineering agonists of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor with novel pharmacological properties for the study and therapeutic control of diabetes.”