Biotech Expenditures Top $200 Million in KC

In the last three years, expenditures from grants and contracts in Kansas City's life sciences industry topped $200 million. The figure represents the largest total ever in Kansas City over a three-year period. In addition, about $1.5 billion (that's with a "b") has recently been targeted for construction of research facilities in the area.

Atlanta May Get Biotech Campus

Education, economic development and political leaders in Atlanta are moving forward with plans to develop a biotechnology campus in the central business district. The plans for the campus have just begun, but speculation has it that the facility might be built near Grady Memorial Hospital. A task force has been formed and they are already looking at abandoned buildings and land near the hospital, which is located in the center of downtown Atlanta. Recently the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce has wrapped up its research needed to create a biosciences development fund to assist startups in the biotech field.

Voters Approve Bioscience District in Temple, Tex.

On November 4, Temple, Tex. voters approved the creation of the Temple Health and Bioscience Economic Development District. The District, which will encompass the entire city limits, was approved by 60 percent of the voters. The new District will be eligible to receive Federal, State or private grants as well as monetary gifts and collaboration with other organizations. In addition, the District will identify and recruit Biotech and Life Science related businesses to locate operations in Temple.

Biotech Firm Relocates to San Antonio

Xenotope Diagnostics, a biotech concern formerly based in San Francisco, has relocated to San Antonio. The company is involved in medical diagnostics and has developed a test for a non-viral sexually transmitted disease called trichomonas. A spokesperson for the company cited San Antonio's University of Texas Health Science Center as a primary reason for relocating to the Alamo City.

Drug Maker Announces $40 Million Plant in Greensboro, N.C.

Atlanta-based Kinetic Biosystems announced in the fall it would build a $40 manufacturing facility and hire up to 500 workers in Greensboro if local and state officials in North Carolina can assist the company with a financing plan. The planned facility would be a pilot plant for the development of clinical-trial quantities of drugs that use monoclonal antibodies.

Wake Forest University Sets Up Nano Center

The Center for Nanotechnology, a division of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest University's physics department, is now operating with 15 skilled scientist. The center is expected to draw new technology industries to the Triad region. The formation of the Nanotech center happened quickly. This past summer, officials with Wake Forest offered $1 million to professor David Carroll and 14 of his fellow scientists at the Lab for Nanotechnology at Clemson University. Carroll and the other scientists at Clemson agreed to the offer.

Martek Expands

Maryland-based Martek Biosciences is expanding the former FermPro Manufacturing facility in Kingstree, S.C. The company will make products from micro algae and specializes in making oil blends used in infant formula.