$65M biotech institute expands
DATELINE: HUNTSVILLE
The $65 million HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville has opened a new wing to house firms involved in research activities.
Gov. Bob Riley joined several hundred people Friday for the opening of the Associates Wing of the new institute that will house 12 biotechnology firms.
These firms will work on cutting-edge tools for researchers, unique databases and massive gene libraries. They will work on drug delivery systems, battle cystic fibrosis and study what genes allow an animal to survive at the mouth of an active volcano or in frozen soil.
About 200 employees will move in soon. Another 100 or so researchers will move into the institute's nonprofit research side next year.
Institute leaders said that by putting researchers in close proximity with the biotech firms, ideas may be spawned and medicines or technologies to tackle disease brought to market more quickly.
"The founders really believe that the free enterprise system joined with academic research with an educational outreach program is the best way to get things from the lab to the patient than anything that's been put together before," said Jim Hudson, president and one of the founders of the institute, located in Cummings Research Park.
-- AP