Five states make the finalist list for national biolab
animal health care company that develops animal vaccines.
North Carolina
North Carolina offers many advantages, too. Business magazines and reports have ranked the state as one of the most attractive places to start and operate a business. It is also among the top states for agriculture and biotechnology, and its cities routinely fall among the top 10 places in the United States to live.
Dr. Ken Tindall, who is senior vice president for science and business development for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, says the state more than meets the four criteria DHS set as requirement for eligibility for applying for the lab: research capabilities, existing infrastructure, work force development, and community support. North Carolina has three highly ranked schools with Duke University, University of North Carolina, and Wake Forest University. Combined, they bring in $1.5 billion worth of federally funded research.
The state also is known for its science and technology corridor, including the Research Triangle Park, home to 136 bio-related companies. The research triangle also holds Environmental Protection Agency and USDA offices and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Texas
Among the top reasons for a biodefense facility to come to San Antonio is the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. The institute is the only privately operated research lab in the country that is required to meet the country’s highest security standards. These are the same standards that the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility will have to meet.
According to the Texas Research and Technology Foundation’s proposal, the research center studies emerging infectious diseases and counter-bioterrorism. The facility also is home to one of eight federally designated primate research centers and has more than 6,000 animals. The proposal also points to resources in the University of Texas Health Science Center, the University of Texas at San Antonio and the military activities at Fort Sam Houston.
Mississippi
Melissa Medley, with the Mississippi Development Authority, said it is the state’s policy not to discuss economic development projects during the competitive stage. Still, according to a press release issued from Mississippi governor Haley Barbour’s office, the state is working with Battelle Memorial Institute, a company that develops and commercializes technology and manages laboratories. The Mississippi Development Authority’s Web site also noted that food processing and defense and homeland security are two industries the state is hoping to target. The Web site pointed to the defense company Northrop Gumman as the largest employer in the state. Mississippi is also home to Sanderson Farms, a major poultry processing company. Mississippi State University also includes the Food Science Institute and the Food and Fiber Center.
We do not discount the fact that Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), is the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and that the Madison County site is in his district.
DHS expects to choose a site by October 2008. First, each site must go through a lengthy environmental impact study.
