Turning Science Into Success
Showing a commitment to "advanced agriculture," specifically in
the field of nutrigenomics, Governor Ernie Fletcher and Economic Development
Cabinet Secretary Gene Strong recently announced the award of a $1 million
grant to Alltech to assist in building its Center for Animal Nutrigenomics
and Applied Animal Nutrition.
Alltech, a global animal health company based in Nicholasville,
will build the center at its world headquarters on the Nicholasville campus as
part of its existing 10,000 square foot research facility. The grant is
expected to create 40 new jobs in research and development over the next five
years.
"The field of nutrigenomics, or the effect of diet on health,
is one of the most exciting in science today," explains Dr. Karl Dawson,
Alltech's director for worldwide research. "Feeding the gene is the way
forward. It will keep American agriculture and livestock production at
the forefront, and this research is being done in Kentucky."
The grant, designed to advance the development of Kentucky's
biotechnology sector, was approved by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance
Authority (KEDFA) and will be awarded through the Cabinet for Economic
Development's Department of Commercialization and Innovation.
"The state of Kentucky and Alltech have formed a strong
alliance over the years to create jobs for Kentuckians and to produce products
for use by farmers and animal producers around the globe," said Secretary
Strong. "Kentucky is pleased to partner with Alltech on an initiative
that will give a significant boost to Kentucky's biotechnology industry."
"Alltech, though present in 85 countries around the world, is a
Kentucky company," states President and Founder Dr. Pearse Lyons. "We
were founded in Kentucky, our corporate headquarters are in Kentucky, and with
this grant, some of our most exciting research will take place in
Kentucky. With nutrigenomics, we have already been able to put in place
six provisional patents which should be converted into complete patents within
the next two months."
Alltech's Center for Animal Nutrigenomics and Applied
Animal Nutrition is expected to be the first of its kind in the world.
The field of nutrigenomics began to take off in 2003 when the Human Genome
Project completed its mapping of the human gene.
The grant announcement follows on the heels of Kentucky's
participation at the 14th Annual BIO 2006 International Convention, held in
Chicago, April 9-12. BIO 2006 is the world's largest biotechnology
industry event attended by more than 18,000 biotech executives, investors,
journalists, policymakers and scientists from more than 60 nations.
Kentucky's activities at BIO 2006 were in support of the
recommendations by the Kentucky Bioscience and Life Science Consortium
announced last year by Governor Fletcher. The governor, a strong supporter of
Kentucky's biotech industry, also participated in this year's event, hosting a
Kentucky reception for biotech companies and organizations from around the
world.
"Our vision of Kentucky as a high-tech leader is becoming a
reality," said Governor Fletcher. "Bold new entrepreneurs and established
global leaders are succeeding in their chosen areas of biotechnology and are
doing so in Kentucky."
A total of 11 Kentucky biotechnology companies, the University
of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Western Kentucky University - as well
as several local economic development organizations - joined the Kentucky
Cabinet for Economic Development to showcase the commonwealth's extensive
capabilities and opportunities in bioscience and life science.
The Cabinet also invited seven startup biotech firms from
Kentucky to attend BIO 2006 to help represent the commonwealth's wide range of
biotech research and development activities. These seven new companies and four
biotech giants - Amgen, Alltech, Martek Biosciences and Genus/PIC - helped
staff the state's tradeshow booth to spread the word about the benefits of
doing business in Kentucky.
The seven startup companies represented at the Kentucky
Pavilion:
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Neuronetrix has developed a technology using advanced micro-electronics integrated into a patient-friendly headset that can potentially help diagnose neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and depression, before irreversible damage has occurred.
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RhinoCyte
has developed a method of isolating human adult stem cells from a patient's own nasal passageways for use in treating spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson' and other nerve disorders. The company has successfully demonstrated the technology in restoring function to the legs of laboratory rats that had spinal cord injuries.
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Potentia Pharmaceuticals
is focused on developing novel therapeutics to remove undesired blood vessels from the diseased macula of patients having age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the industrialized world.
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OrthoData Technologies
improves orthopedic care through its proprietary sensor implanted during spinal surgery so that surgeons can accurately diagnose fusion during the healing process.
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Allylix is focused on developing terpenes, a class of natural chemicals found in plants. These natural chemicals are of significant interest to food, agriculture and pharmaceutical markets as a result of their use as fragrances, flavors, agricultural products and new medicines.
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Novera Pharmaceuticals conducts research to determine the optimal formulation and delivery schedule for effectively accelerating the healing rates of all types of wounds by helping the human body synthesize increased amounts of specific proteins.
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ParaTechs seeks to identify genes from insect parasites and pathogens that can be utilized for insect control and development of natural products.
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