Yes, germ is in the scrabble dictionary

Germ Definition

noun

A microorganism, especially a pathogen.

Biology A small mass of protoplasm or cells from which a new organism or one of its parts may develop.

Something that may serve as the basis of further growth or development: the germ of a project.

The earliest form of an organism; a seed, bud, or spore.

A small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of its parts.