The Central New York Biotechnology Research Center is hosting a major symposium this month featuring a tour of the new CNY BRC bio-incubator which is set to open later this year at 841 East Fayette Street.  When it opens, the facility – just two blocks from Upstate Medical University’s largest research facility as well as the SyracuseCoE – will also be a new stop along the Connective Corridor, linking University Hill faculty, researchers, students and entrepreneurs with a district that is emerging as a new downtown R&D cluster.

The upcoming biotechnology symposium, May 21-22 at the OnCenter Complex in Syracuse, features two days of presentations, exhibitions and student poster sessions.  Speakers include experts from Brookhaven National Laboratory, British Petroleum, Corning, The New York Academy of Sciences and other scientists and industry experts.  The opening plenary session features Dr. Cornelius Murphy, SUNY ESF president and Dr. Steven Goodman, vice president for research at SUNY Upstate Medical University.  A workshop on “Keys to Entrepreneurship and Innovation” is being co-chaired by Cynthia Dowd Greene, associate vice president for industry relations, SUNY Upstate Medical University and Linda Dickerson Hartsock, director, community engagement and economic development, Syracuse University.  Other special topic areas include bioenergy, nanotechnology, bioremediation, biomaterials, biopharmaceuticals, ag-biotech and stem cells/tissue engineering.

Registration for the event is still open.

The biotech symposium is intended to bring together industry leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs to focus on leading-edge technologies.  The CNY BRC is intended to be a state-of-the art incubator to nurture and accelerate the launch of new companies in these sectors.  Its setting, within the Connective Corridor, is ideal:  There are 25,000 students enrolled at institutions within a five block radius of the new facility.

 

The CNY BRC is a partnership between two founding institutions – SUNY Upstate Medical University and SUNY ESF – and will feature specialized laboratory and development space for early stage companies.  The 40,000-square-foot building will accommodate 18 independent laboratory-office modules that will house more than 100 scientists, technicians and entrepreneurs and a full complement of business support services.  The main physical feature of the CNY BRC is modern lab space designed by the S/L/A/M Collaborative architectural firm.  Each laboratory module includes:

• Benches and casework for the module
• Fume hood and biosafety cabinet
• Telephone jacks and handsets
• Data connections
• Manual keypad entrance lock with key override
• Fixed lighting
• Building heating, air conditioning and ventilation system
• 120-volt single phase electrical outlets
• House compressed air and vacuum
• Hot/cold potable water
• Sinks
• Purified water
• Natural gas for laboratory instruments

The facility also features common areas and meeting space to foster collaboration.

It will also offer assistance to help companies through the technology commercialization process – including business acceleration services and connections to subject matter experts.

The CNY BRC is currently seeking an executive director to lead the center, and has engaged a national recruitment firm to assist.  The role of the executive director will be to orchestrate a suite of services for client companies, and serve as a mentor for entrepreneurs.  The executive director will help companies become “investment-ready” and provide critical connections to venture capital and angel investor groups to help clients achieve critical early-stage milestones.   Information about the position can be found here.

For entrepreneurs or companies interested in space in the center, a comprehensive client company profile and on-line application is available here.

Based in a region with a robust innovation ecosystem, the CNY BRC clearly has the potential to become a globally recognized nexus for accelerating biological and medical products to market.