MEDICAL
Thermo Fisher Scientific | April 21, 2022
Thermo Fisher Scientific today celebrated the opening of its new single-use technology manufacturing site in Ogden, Utah. The state-of-the-art facility creates additional capacity to produce the high-quality technology and materials needed for the development of new vaccines and breakthrough therapies. The $44 million facility is part of Thermo Fisher’s $650 million multi-year investment, announced last year, to help ensure flexible, scalable and reliable bioprocessing production capacity exists for critical materials used in developing new and existing biologics and vaccines, including for COVID-19.
The Ogden site is a 55,000-square-foot facility that will manufacture highly customizable bioprocess container (BPC) systems. These BPCs are used for the delivery, processing, separation, storage and transportation of critical liquids and readily integrate into systems across all steps in the production of life-saving biologics, vaccines and cell and gene therapies.
The Ogden facility further strengthens our global manufacturing network, which has been growing to meet increasing demand for single-use consumables and critical raw materials, This new facility expands our presence in Utah and locating here gives us the ability to work closely with our Logan site, providing access to a talented workforce that is ideal for manufacturing the highly complex and customized solutions we provide our customers.”
Mitch Kennedy, president, single-use technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific.
The Ogden site has hired more than 300 employees and has the potential to employ up to 450 people across safety, quality, manufacturing, HR, engineering and warehousing. Thermo Fisher currently employs more than 2,000 colleagues across the state of Utah, establishing a critical hub for bioprocessing.
Thermo Fisher’s new facility in Ogden is not only an investment in Utah’s bio-tech infrastructure, but also an investment in the thriving communities of our state, Utah is a high-tech hub for businesses seeking an educated, dedicated workforce within communities and an economy that is thriving. I welcome Thermo Fisher’s investment in Utah and congratulate them on this next step on the cutting edge of biotechnology.”
Senator Mike Lee.
An integral part of Utah’s biotech community, Thermo Fisher has had a positive impact on Utah’s economy, providing several thousand jobs to Utahns around the state, They also have played a critical role in our country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by helping pharmaceutical companies produce therapeutics and vaccines. I look forward to joining the opening of their new manufacturing site in Ogden, which shows how our state continues to be a place where companies can grow and thrive.”
Senator Mitt Romney.
We’re pleased to welcome a new Thermo Fisher Scientific facility to Ogden, This facility, along with campuses in Logan and South Jordan, will bring more than 400 new jobs and expand the company’s employee base to 2,000 statewide. We are grateful to have Thermo Fisher Scientific as part of Utah’s growing biotech economy."
Governor Spencer Cox.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue of approximately $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD.
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INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
Element Biosciences, Inc. | March 01, 2022
Element Biosciences, Inc., developer of a new and disruptive DNA sequencing platform, announced a partnership with 10x Genomics, a life sciences leader focused on mastering biology to advance human health, that demonstrates the seamless integration of the Element AVITI™ System and 10x Genomics’ single cell technologies.
10x Genomics’ Chromium Single Cell and Visium Spatial platforms enable researchers to examine biology at true resolution, combining hardware, chemistry, and software to give single cell and spatial views of biology at a scale and efficiency that is unprecedented. The combination of the AVITI System’s performance, cost, and flexibility with 10x Genomics’ leading single cell assays provides customers more access and choice for their biological research.
“We are excited about the partnership we’ve established with 10x Genomics and our new status as a validated CPP member. As one of the most exciting new areas in NGS, we believe this will help bring 10x Genomics’ and Element Biosciences’ customers together for our combined performance and cost advantages in single cell and spatial analysis.”
Shawn Levy, Senior Vice President of Applications and Scientific Affairs, Element Biosciences
“At 10x Genomics, part of our commitment to supporting our customers with single cell and spatial analysis is ensuring they have access to advanced sequencing solutions through rigorous validation,” said Brad Crutchfield, Chief Commercial Officer, 10x Genomics. “We are excited to certify Element through our Compatible Partner Program and provide our customers with more ways to adopt single cell and spatial analysis to enhance their research and fuel scientific discoveries.”
About 10x Genomics
10x Genomics is a life science technology company building products to interrogate, understand and master biology to advance human health. The company's integrated solutions include instruments, consumables and software for analyzing biological systems at a resolution and scale that matches the complexity of biology. 10x Genomics products have been adopted by researchers around the world including in all of the top 100 global research institutions as ranked by Nature in 2020 based on publications and all of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies by 2020 research and development spend, and have been cited in over 3,300 research papers on discoveries ranging from oncology to immunology and neuroscience. The company's patent portfolio comprises more than 1,300 issued patents and patent applications.
About Element Biosciences, Inc.
Element Biosciences is a multi-disciplinary life science company currently focused on developing disruptive DNA sequencing technology for research and diagnostic markets. Through innovating every fundamental element of a sequencing system, Element will empower customers with affordable high-quality data and an improved user experience, which in turn will accelerate scientific discoveries and broaden the use of genomic medicine.
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RESEARCH
Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research | January 14, 2022
The Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research announces a newly funded five-year cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology headed by the Co-Directors of IBBR, Dr. David J. Weber (PI) and Dr. John Marino This award provides more than $3.3 million each year to support groundbreaking research, including technology and standards development that will impact vaccine and therapeutic discovery and development, and to improve access to life-saving treatments for addressing other crucial health challenges.
IBBR is a joint research enterprise of the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland, Baltimore and NIST. Research born out of this new cooperative agreement will be applied to accelerating the development and manufacturing of new pharmaceutical and vaccine approaches including cell and gene therapies and mRNA vaccines. This type of bioscience and bioengineering research will enable robust and rapid responses to pandemics and help remove obstacles to care and treatment related to rare childhood diseases and complex cancers.
"Trusting in and funding research makes it possible to find solutions to address major health and scientific challenges, and to prepare for the unknown. UMB has invested heavily in operational support and high-end instruments for IBBR in support of the NIST relationship. I am very pleased to see that the long-standing NIST collaboration will continue."
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore
As part of the new agreement, NIST provided state-of-the-art equipment for the "IBBR Commons"—a highly sophisticated research space shared with researchers throughout Maryland and the nation. For example, NIST recently partnered with Maryland to establish the Maryland Center for Advanced Molecular Analysis (M-CAMA) that established new cryo-electron (cryoEM) instruments and facilities to be used by NIST and researchers in Maryland for the timely development of new therapies and vaccines.
"IBBR has long provided the critical link necessary to bring together researchers across disciplines to address major health challenges and help strengthen the state's economic base in bioscience and biotechnology," said Darryll J. Pines, Ph.D., President of the University of Maryland, College Park. "I am so pleased this collaboration between NIST and the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park remains strong, and I look forward to seeing the innovations it will lead to in the future."
IBBR was established by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents in 2010, building on and integrating previous partnerships between the University of Maryland and NIST that date back to 1984. The institute connects dozens of experts from interrelated fields of study with the common goal of accomplishing world-class interdisciplinary research that can lead to real-world advances like drug discovery, more effective vaccines, and disease prevention and treatment.
"Achieving truly groundbreaking results in fields like bioscience and biotechnology requires a wide array of resources, perspectives and expertise—from pharmaceutical and biotech companies to academic and government institutions, to foundations and NGOs," said Jennifer King Rice, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Provost of the University of Maryland, College Park. "What makes IBBR so unique and impactful is its ability to stand in the center of this circle of voices as the catalyst for collaborative and impactful work."
"Having this important cooperative agreement with NIST enables us to develop and share the most sophisticated and advanced instrumentation for use in the discovery, development and manufacturing of safe and effective new medicines to treat human disease—including, most recently, for COVID19," said E. Albert Reece, MD, Ph.D., MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
About IBBR
IBBR is a joint research enterprise of the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. IBBR brings together critical elements necessary to inspire transformative discoveries in the field of bioscience and biotechnology and provides innovative solutions to major scientific and engineering challenges important to society. IBBR researchers seek to advance the fields of biomedical research, therapeutic development, biomedical manufacturing, and state-of-the-art measurement technologies, to support accelerated delivery of safe and effective medicines to the public. IBBR is financially supported in part by the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State, an initiative designed to achieve innovation and impact through collaboration.
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INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
Chimeron Bio | January 25, 2022
Chimeron Bio, a biotechnology company pioneering a novel class of self-amplifying RNA-vaccines and therapeutics announced its plan to expand operations in the Philadelphia area and move to The Curtis, a landmark site in Center City Philadelphia under BioLabs, the leading developer and operator of life science co-working spaces in the U.S. and internationally.
The move stems from Chimeron’s need for an expanded footprint to accommodate its growing R&D team and operations. The Curtis, a historical landmark has been reimagined to host first-class wet labs and is quickly becoming a hub for top-tier life science organizations in the Philadelphia area. Chimeron Bio’s move to The Curtis will solidify their position as emerging leaders in biotechnology as the company works to advance its pipeline to the clinic.
“We are pleased to be joining BioLabs Philadelphia, a facility that offers unwavering support for success and growth. We expect this new facility to drive our next phase of growth by enabling our growing team to conduct cutting-edge research as we work to bring high-impact accessible RNA medicines to patients. At this new site, we look forward to continuing our trajectory of attracting premier talent and becoming a major player in Philly’s growing life science ecosystem,”
Dr. Jolly Mazumdar, PhD, MBA, co-founder and CEO of Chimeron Bio
About Chimeron Bio
Chimeron Bio is a biotechnology company focused developing a pipeline of self-amplifying RNA medicines, both therapeutics and vaccines, designed on its proprietary ChaESAR™ delivery technology platform.
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