TechConnect

Just got this email from the Chamber of Commerce.  Looks like a good event

Join us for TechConnect:
a special event for the Frederick County BioTech Community!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12
8:15 to 9:45 a.m.

Presented by the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce
8420-B Gas House Pike, Frederick
Our office is located at the intersection of Gas House Pike & Monocacy Blvd.,
across from Clustered Spires Golf Course.

8:15 a.m.
Enjoy coffee, pastries, and networking with other area BioTech professionals.

8:30 a.m.
An update and Q&A with panelists from Fort Detrick, SAIC-Frederick, Life Technologies, and BNBI.
Featuring presentations by the following Chamber Board Members & Trustees:

COL Judith Robinson
Commander; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Detrick

David Bufter
Chief Administrative Officer, Treasurer,
and Corporate Vice President of Administration; SAIC-Frederick, Inc.

Dr. Uplaksh Kumar
Director of Operations and Site Leader; Life Technologies, Frederick

Dr. J. Patrick Fitch
Laboratory Director for the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC)
and President of Battelle National Biodefense Institute, LLC (BNBI)

We’re extending an invitation to more than 50 companies, and space will be limited. To register, please call 301.662.4164 x1 or email info@frederickchamber.org before August 5.

Slow day in the news

Seems like I’ve started every recent post out with an apology for not being more diligent in maintaining this site.  A slow day on my contract work at MedImmune gives me the chance to push some of my hidden agenda forward.

I missed out on an opportunity a couple weeks ago to tell all about Kempbio taking the Best New Incubator Company award.  I share common lab space with Chris and Kempbio, so I am well aware of how good business has been for them.  There was a good feature article in the Gazette and in

Tom Fedor/The Gazette

the Baltimore Citybizlist.

There’s even a mention in “la Tribune” about a recent licensing deal Kempbio made for a transfection reagent:

Polyplus Transfection cède un contrat de licence

La biotech spécialisée dans les vecteurs chimiques de transfert de gènes accorde l’utilisation de son savoir-faire à l’américain Kempbio, basé à Frederick (Maryland). Ce contrat participera à la hausse de 20 % du chiffre d’affaires (2,6 millions d’euros) prévue chez Polyplus en 2010. La start-up strasbourgeoise (27 salariés), qui a réalisé trois levées de fonds depuis 2002, continue d’investir l’essentiel de ses ressources en R&D.

On my home front, things are really starting to take off with the LavaAmp project.  Rob Carlson, one of the shareholders with Biodesic LLC, is in DC this week for Meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues he mentions on his blog Synthesis.  He just published a book through Harvard Press called Biology is Technology that’s getting us quite a lot of attention.  I just got my copy last week and haven’t read it, yet.  The reviews are pretty impressive, overall.

Meanwhile, Joseph Jackson, the CEO of LavaAmp, is organizing the Open Science Summit in Berkeley July 29th-31st.  He also had a nice feature article published in Xconomy (San Francisco) called “The Open Science Shift“.

While were on the topic, Guido (the other shareholder) is off in Colorado going through training at the Unreasonable Institute.  I can’t embed the flash in WordPress, but you can watch his pitch HERE. In a couple weeks, he’ll be off the Oxford to give his TEDTalk, as he was made a TEDGlobal Fellow.

Through all of this, I just arrange the BioBeers events.  Speaking of which, I hope to have the next one at the new Riverside Research Park in August (date to be determined).  That video on their home screen is awe inspiring.  I wish it was embedable.  maybe I’ll try to grab a copy.  I hope to get in there to get more information about the NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative (ATPI). Here’s a link to the PDF describing the program.  It’s up to you, Biotech companies in Frederick, to win some of these contracts!  Stay tuned….