 |
For further information, contact the MBL Communications Office at (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at comm@mbl.edu
For Immediate Release: June 17, 2008
MBL Contact: Pamela Clapp Hinkle, Marine Biological Laboratory, 508.289.7423, pclapp@mbl.edu
RTDC Contact: Mary Moynihan, M2Friend Biocommunications, 802.951.9600, mary@m2friend.com
MBL and RTDC Receive $10M Funding Authorization in Massachusetts Life Sciences Stimulus Legislation
Funds will help support infrastructure improvements and creation of new center for regenerative biology and medicine at MBL; boost RTDC’s efforts to promote technology transfer and create new companies
MBL, WOODS HOLE, MA, June 17, 2008—The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and the Regional Technology Development Corp. (RTDC) of Cape Cod today announced how they plan to apply the $10 million funding authorization included in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts life sciences investment bill. The funds will be used for infrastructure improvements at the MBL to expand capabilities in research and education. Together with funding from federal research grants and private philanthropy, and in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, the funds will help establish a center for regenerative biology and medicine at MBL’s Woods Hole campus. In collaboration with the RTDC, a portion of the funds will also be used to help promote technology transfer and the creation of new companies based on new life sciences technologies. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the 10-year, $1 billion life sciences industry stimulus legislation into law on June 16, 2008.
“We are very pleased to be included in the Massachusetts life sciences bill and extremely grateful to Senate President Therese Murray, Senator Robert O’Leary, and the entire Cape Cod delegation for supporting infrastructure improvement at the MBL and the establishment of this important center for regenerative biology and medicine here in Woods Hole,” said MBL Director and CEO Gary Borisy, Ph.D. “By coordinating our efforts with the Regional Technology Development Corporation, we hope to ensure that opportunities for the translation of promising discoveries into procedures that benefit society are not missed.”
“The RTDC’s goal is to stimulate commercialization of emerging technologies while creating full-time, year-round jobs that diversify the local economy,” said Robert A. Curtis, Pharm.D., Chief Executive Officer of the RTDC. “We look forward to collaborating with the MBL to establish this new center and to shepherding innovation from the MBL and related institutions to accelerate the formation and growth of new bioenterprises on the Cape.”
Regenerative biology is the study of the fundamental mechanisms by which organisms regenerate tissues naturally. Regenerative medicine is the application of this knowledge to repair or restore aging or damaged tissues or organs. Marine organisms like those traditionally used by MBL scientists hold great promise as research models for this emerging field—for example, starfish regenerate entire limbs even in their adult life.
About MBL (WWW.MBL.EDU)
The MBL: Leadership in Biological Research and Education The MBL (Marine Biological Laboratory) is dedicated to discovery and to improving the human condition through creative research and advanced training in the biological, biomedical, and environmental sciences. The MBL is an independent, non-profit institution founded in 1888 in the village of Woods Hole, MA.
About RTDC (www.regionaltechcorp.org)
The Regional Technology Development Corporation (RTDC) of Cape Cod is a not-for-profit “virtual incubator” established to diversify and expand the employment base on Cape Cod. RTDC facilitates the formation of new technology-based companies, supports regional entrepreneurs and existing enterprises in building sustainable-growth companies, and assists companies interested in relocating to the Cape Cod region. The RTDC’s primary technology focus areas include marine sciences, environmental sciences, life sciences, alternative energy, and aquaculture. The RTDC is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the John Adams Innovation Institute.
|
