CIRM Approves $50M in Facilities Grants for 17 Institutions
The governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine on June 5 approved grants totaling more than $50 million to finance construction of shared research laboratories at 17 academic and non-profit institutions. The facilities are scheduled to be completed within six months to two years of the grant awards.
For a list of the winners, click here.
The grants will fund dedicated laboratory space for scientific research on human embryonic stem cells — particularly those that fall outside US guidelines that prohibit research in federally funded labs on such cells isolated after August 2001.
CIRM’s grants will support the development of core laboratories to be used by multiple investigators that may be shared by multiple institutions. The funding covers the design and renovation of laboratory space, equipment for the new research facilities, and operating expenses for three years. Shared laboratory grants require applicants to match at least 20 percent of the total cost for renovation and equipment.
Six of the recipient institutions will receive additional funds to provide training courses for scientists and technical staff in the growth and maintenance of human embryonic stem cells.
CIRM received 22 applications for the grants; nine requested funding for training courses. To date, CIRM has surpassed the $200 million mark in funding for embryonic stem cell research, with another $222 million in major facility grants to be considered early next year.
Quintiles Transnational to Build $15M Facility at Scotland’s Alba Campus
Quintiles Transnational will build a nearly $15 million facility on the Alba Campus in Livingston, Scotland, that will serve as the new home for the company’s product development business, including its Quintiles Laboratories and NovaQuest units, Scottish Development International announced on June 6. Quintiles Transnational, the world’s largest life sciences contract research organisation, will create an additional 150 jobs in Scotland over the next four years as a result.
The new facility will initially be 104,000 square feet, of which 80,000 square feet would be dedicated to laboratories. The company has the option to increase the facility by an additional 30 percent should future growth warrant it.
"Our lab business is expanding – globally and in Europe – because of our proximity to clinical trial sites and our tight quality control. This new facility will enhance our level of customer service throughout the UK and Europe,” said Graham Murray, general manager of Quintiles Laboratories Europe, in a press release announcing the project.
Quintiles Transnational will receive a Regional Selective Assistance Grant of $2.49 million tied to meeting job creation and project expense targets.
deltaDOT, ITL Win £465K from South East England Development Agency
The biotech company deltaDOT and Integrated Technologies Limited have been awarded a £468,000 ($921,398) grant from the South East England Development Agency for the commercial development of a new technology for drug discovery and biopharmaceuticals.
ITL and deltaDOT will use this new funding to develop Osprey, a new drug discovery tool designed to let researchers cut the time it takes to weed out drug candidates that are unsuitable for the therapy or treatment being designed.
Founded in 2000, deltaDOT is a spin-off company of Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London. ITL is an engineering company that designs and manufactures medical, diagnostic, and analytical instruments under contract for third parties.
Tech Council Honors Virginia BioTechnology Research Park
The Virginia BioTechnology Research Park has been awarded the Greater Richmond Technology Council's Chairman's Award during its annual awards gala. The Chairman's Award is presented annually to an individual or organization that has made a significant impact on the growth of technology in the Richmond region and/or the advancement of Greater Richmond as a center for technology innovation.
The BioTech Park officially opened in December 1995 with the completion of the Virginia BioTechnology Center. Since opening, 63 companies have started in the park's incubator facility; 19 from Virginia Commonwealth University and 44 from elsewhere. In 11 years, the Park's incubator program, the Virginia Biosciences Development Center, has successfully graduated 31 companies, three of which are now publicly traded, and has helped to raise more than $155 million in federal and equity funding for tenants.
NYBA Opens Office at University at Albany Center for Functional Genomics
The New York Biotechnology Association has opened an office in the Center for Functional Genomics at the University at Albany’s East Campus. The new office, announced June 6, expands the trade association’s statewide presence beyond NYBA’s current offices in New York City and Stony Brook.
The office will serve as a local contact point for NYBA’s public policy initiatives, a center of outreach for NYBA throughout central New York State, and a base for helping the association develop the Capital Region’s biotechnology community.
The East Campus is home to more than a dozen biotech companies, including AMRI (formerly Albany Molecular Research) and Cytopia.
NYBA’s membership comprises over 250 bioscience companies, research institutions, and professional service providers.