INTRODUCTION
Missouri has an active and growing life sciences community, encompassing world-class research institutions; strong plant, animal, and medical sciences companies; a fertile technology transfer, incubator and start-up environment; and an active venture capital initiative that provides a full spectrum of capital availability.
Our
international connections, Midwest work ethic, infrastructure, and history of
research success all deliver momentum for biotech business.
- We are part of the world’s most fertile cropland, which generates 75 percent of American farm productions.
- Quality agriculture industry (Missouri ranks second nationally in the number of farms (105,000) and ranks in the top ten for production of every major crop and livestock category.)
- Missouri ranks No. 2 in plant genomics funding from the National Sciences Foundation; No. 5 in total life science funding
- There were 1,034 Life Science businesses in 2006
- There were 31,295 Life Science jobs in 2006
- There were 8,730 science and engineering doctorate holders in Missouri’s workforce in 2003.
- Total research and development performed in Missouri in 2002 totaled over $2.4 billion dollars.
- The top five sectors in the Life Sciences Industry, which account for 76.9% of jobs, include: Physical, engineering and biological research; Pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing; Pesticide and other agriculture chemical manufacturing; Medical Laboratories; and Surgical and medical instrument manufacturing
- The National Institute of Health awarded Missouri more than $467 million through 1,221 grants in 2006.
- As of March 2007, the National Institute of Health has awarded more than $143 million dollars through 373 grants to Missouri organizations
LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
Animal Health and Nutrition
Missouri’s animal health sector is expanding from a strong existing asset base. Brakke Consulting, Inc., an experienced management consulting firm serving the worldwide animal health industry, performed an in-depth study of Missouri's animal health industry and identified the following strengths
- $638 million of relevant research by Missouri life sciences companies
- 20,000 specialized employees (private sector only)
- 10 research universities, institutions & hospitals employing 3,500+
- $550 million of life sciences research in public state research institutions
Globally, Kansas City's Animal Health
Corridor is Missouri's strongest Animal Health and Nutrition
base with:
- Nearly one-third (32%) of the $15.2 billion global animal health industry is represented in Kansas City
- 120+ companies serving the animal health and nutrition industry
- 37 U.S. or global HQ
- Four of the 10 largest global animal health companies: Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Fort Dodge Animal Health and Intervet
- 13,000 employees in animal health-related industry
- Six prominent animal health trade associations serving a total of 43,000+ members
- Recent recruitment of U.S. Animal Health Association to Kansas City
- Two major animal health publishers producing over 30 trade publications, reaching more than 510,000 animal health executives and veterinarians
Plant Science and Technology
From
the lab to the crop fields of America's "Grain Belt," Missouri's
unique assets make it the obvious
leader in the plant sciences. With its full continuum of
research and product development assets in the plant sciences, Missouri is
leading the innovation in value-added crops that enhance human health and
nutrition.
Missouri is home to outstanding public and non-profit private research
institutions like:
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center focuses on enhancing plants to feed the hungry, improve human health, and preserve and renew our environment.
- University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources prepares the next generation of geneticists, economists, journalists, veterinarians, educators, policy makers, farmers and physicians through scientific discovery.
- Missouri Botanical Gardens has nearly 50 Ph.D. botanists and conducts the most productive and geographically widespread botanical research program in the world.
- National Center for Soybean Biotechnology discovers innovative molecular approaches that improve soybeans.
- Center of Excellence for Plant Biologics at Northwest Missouri State University is a unique industry/university partnership helping incubate new and growing companies while also providing space for academic research.
Missouri is home to leading private corporations in the plant sciences:
- Monsanto - a world pioneer in plant biotechnology and genomics
- Bunge North America - a leading developer and supplier of high-quality agricultural commodities and specialized food and feed ingredients to the global marketplace
- Solae - a joint venture of DuPont and Bunge Limited that develops great tasting, nutritious soy-foods and ingredients for the global marketplace
- Divergence - a world leader in the application of genomics to parasitic and infectious disease in agriculture
- Chlorogen - uses patented chloroplast technology to manufacture plant-made drugs and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of human disease
Missouri is a hub to leading agricultural associations like:
- National Corn Growers Association - which advocates for its members in areas such as ethanol and co-products, biotechnology, research and business development, farm and rural development, and trade and transportation
- American Soybean Association - which represents U.S. soybean farmers through policy advocacy and international market development
Pharmaceutical and Human Health
Missouri is home to world-class institutions in pharmaceutical and human health research and product development. These include:
Hospitals that are essential research institutions include:
- Barnes Jewish Hospital - Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis
- St. Louis Children's Hospital - Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis
- Children's Mercy Hospital - Kansas City
- St. Luke's Hospital - Kansas City
Biopharmaceutical development companies include:
Pfizer Global Research and Development
- Centocor Biologics
- Kereos
- Orion Genomics
MAJOR COMPANIES
St. Louis, MO
Pfizer
is the world’s largest research-based drug manufacturer and has one of its six
global R&D centers in St. Louis, Missouri. Pfizer scientists collaborate
with researchers at Washington University School of Medicine.
St. Louis, MO
Chlorogen
is a world leader in chloroplast transformation technology, which creates up to
1,000 times more plant protein, which could increase therapeutic drug
availability and reduce costs.
St. Louis, MO
Monsanto
is the world’s premier agricultural life sciences company and continues to
develop Missouri’s growth with collaborations and new start-ups, such as soil
erosion specialists, Innovium.
St. Louis, MO
This
firm manufactures and markets healthcare products in the areas of respiratory
care, imaging, and analgesic pharmaceuticals. In 2005, Mallinckrodt investments
developments included a 65,000-square-foot pharmaceutical research and
development lab and the purchase of cyclotrons, signifying its long-term
commitment to nuclear medicine.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica
St. Joseph, MO
This
company acts as a center of competence in biological research, development, and
manufacturing for the worldwide animal health business. The company recently
added a state-of-the-art biological manufacturing facility, a research and
development complex, and new centralized warehousing facilities on its campus
at its St. Joseph headquarters.
St. Louis, MO
Sigma-Aldrich
develops, manufactures and distributes biochemicals, organic chemicals,
chromatography products and diagnostic reagents. Sigma-Aldrich researchers won
the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry and the firm recently doubled its R&D
expenditure.
St. Louis, MO
This
firm helps pharmaceutical companies and research facilities around the world
successfully accelerate the identification and optimization of new compounds
that have the potential to become drug products. Headquartered in St.
Louis, the company serves more than 1,000 customers spanning over 46 countries.
KEY FACILITIES AND RESOURCES
Incubators
Missouri has several incubator facilities located throughout the state. Soon additional space will be available in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, Springfield, and Kirksville, more than doubling incubator resources currently available to Missouri businesses.
Center of
Research Technology and Entrepreneurial Exchange (CORTEX)
St. Louis, MO
CORTEX
is a life science district located on several hundred acres in the city of St.
Louis. Anchor institutions include: Washington University in St. Louis, Saint
Louis University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and
the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Center for Emerging Technologies
St. Louis, MO
This
center specializes in biotechnology, biomedical engineering, advanced materials
and technology start-ups. The center has helped start 17 companies and has
recently completed an $8 million expansion. It was named one of the top 10
incubators in the country by the National Business Incubator Association in
2003; it was No.1 in average revenue growth.
Nidus Center
for Scientific Enterprise
St. Louis, MO
The
Nidus Center focuses on entrepreneurial clients refining and preparing new
technologies for market with a focus on plant science innovation. The center is
expected to generate more than $1.5 billion for the regional economy over the
next 15 years.
Life
Science Business Incubator at Monsanto Place
Columbia, MO
The
University of Missouri-Columbia will soon open a 52,000-square-foot facility to
provide labs and office space for 10 to 14 companies utilizing research from
the campus.
Jordan
Valley Innovation Center - Bio-technology Research and Manufacturing Facility
Springfield, MO
The State of Missouri has proposed investing $5 million, as part of a $14 million investment, for construction of a new Bio-technology Research and Manufacturing Facility (incubator) to complement the Advanced Devices Research and Development Laboratory Building currently under construction.
Innovation Centers
Missouri’s nine state-supported Innovation Centers provide a range of management and technical assistance during the early stages of development for new technology-based business ventures.
Missouri Enterprise Center in Rolla
Center for Emerging Technology in St. Louis
Missouri Innovation Center in Columbia
Missouri Research Corporation in Cape Girardeau
Joseph Newman Business and Technology Innovation Center in Joplin
KC SourceLink in Kansas City
Jordan Valley Innovation Center in Springfield
Missouri Rural Enterprise and Innovation Center in Kirksville
Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development in Warrensburg
Research Parks
There are five Research Parks located around Missouri:
Missouri Research Park in St. Charles County
The University of Missouri Technology Park at Fort Leonard Wood
The Center of Research, Technology, and Entrepreneurial Exchange (CORTEX) in St. Louis
The Midwest Research Institute (MRI), headquartered in Kansas City, recently established a 160-acre research farm near Butler, Missouri
Discovery Ridge on the campus of University of Missouri in Columbia
Currently under development in the St. Louis region is the Bio-Research and Development Growth Park adjacent to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Research Funding
Continued
funding to support Missouri’s Life Science Industry positions the state as a national
leader in Life Sciences:
Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative (LCDI)
This initiative was signed into law in 2007 to provide Missouri’s colleges and universities with $335 million in total funding for facility and infrastructure improvements. LCDI is a statewide plan to enhance the Missouri higher education system’s position as a national leader in scientific research and education. New research labs, teaching facilities, business incubators, and a plant science research center will be constructed. Funds provided by the initiative will be augmented by more than $230 million in federal and local matching money, resulting in a total investment of approximately $550 million, one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive higher education building programs. In addition to these funds targeted toward research and education, $15 million was earmarked to the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC) for various programs designed to improve commercialization of Missouri technologies. MTC will utilize these funds to work with the state’s research institutions, industry, technology commercialization service providers, and capital investors to maximize the opportunities created by Missouri research. Selected programs created by LCDI are the
High-Tech Small Business Incentive Program (allocated $1.25M)
MTC Entrepreneur Pipeline Program/Plant and Ag Biotech Seed Capital Co-Investment Fund (allocated $3M)
Intellectual Property Management Fund (allocated $1.1M)
In
2007, Missouri’s General Assembly approved the $13.4 million funding of the Missouri Life Sciences Research
Trust Fund to enhance research capacity and transform research into
commercial life science technology.
In conjunction with Missouri’s universities and industry, $10.5 million
was awarded for research grants and $2.6 million for commercialization
grants.
RESEARCH – ADVANCING THE INDUSTRY
The Stowers Institute for Medical Research
This institute aspires to be one of the most innovative biomedical research organizations in the world. The Institute conducts basic research on genes and proteins that control fundamental processes in living cells to unlock the mysteries of disease and find the keys to their causes, treatment, and prevention. The Institute accommodates 24 independent research programs and more than 420 people, including more than100 postdoctoral research associates and graduate students.
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
The Danforth Plant Science Center is a $146 million facility researching biofortification of foods and feeds, crop drought tolerance, genetic mechanisms to control pests and pathogens, and the development of plants as biorenewable resources.
The
Botanical Garden operates the world’s most active research program in tropical
botany, with an herbarium of more than 5.5 million specimens; adding an average
of 124,000 new specimens a year.
Researchers at Missouri’s Universities are working in conjunction with many Life Science Companies:
WU is the Midwest’s top school: its medical school ranks No.2 in the nation (U.S. News & World Report). A new $300 million initiative, Bio Med 21, will speed laboratory advances to medical treatments in a $150 million, 250,000-sq.-ft. research center on campus.
University of Missouri-Columbia (MU)
MU opened its $60 million Life Sciences Center in 2004. The 134,000-sq.-ft. facility is divided into eight core research areas focused on basic and applied food and environment research, especially crop performance and bioremediation, disease prevention and treatment. Researchers from MU’s Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Institute have developed three FDA-approved cancer drugs.
University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)
UMKC is completing a new Health Sciences building on the Hospital Hill campus. This facility is the future home of the Schools of Pharmacy and Nursing. In addition, UMKC’s Bloch School is stepping up its support of entrepreneurship through the creation of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. As part of the Institute, the new Enterprise Development Laboratory provides an infrastructure that expedites the transfer and commercialization of new technologies.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL)
UMSL is one of the leading universities in the nation for tropical ecology, drawing students from 24 countries.
MU International Institute for Nano and Molecular Medicine
MU will house scientists studying radiology, hematology and oncology.
MU has the largest university-operated research reactor in the United States.
Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Institute (RSI)
RSI was formed to promulgate basic and applied research that advances a broad interdisciplinary research program in molecular imaging and targeted radiotherapy; to develop curricular innovations to enhance and broaden the educational and training opportunities for students and fellows; and to provide unique expertise to work collaboratively with MU departments and units with interests of incorporating radiopharmaceutical sciences-related research in their ongoing or future endeavors.
Research Animal Diagnostic Laboratory (RADIL)
RADIL provides state-of-the-art diagnostics for research animals, conducts research in laboratory animal infectious diseases, and trains laboratory animal veterinarians and research scientists.
SLU is constructing a multi-disciplinary research center designed to conduct basic and clinical research of new vaccines and biologics. The Center for Vaccine Development is a $67 million research building which is part of an $80.5 million project that also includes renovation of existing laboratory space.
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
The $15 million, 4,500-square-foot Dybedal Center for Biosciences Research houses a 7,300-square-foot adult academic clinical research center.
Missouri State University – Center for Grapevine Biotechnology
Mountain Grove’s Center for Grapevine Biotechnology was created to explore genetic resources and to identify health-promoting compounds in diverse grapevine species for securing the profitability and sustainability of the grape and wine industry and for improving human health.
Center for Applied Science and Engineering (CASE)
CASE,
at Missouri State University, is committed to the development and support of
advanced biotechnology industries in Missouri. Target areas of interest
include: medical instruments and materials, bio-processing techniques and
equipment, agribusiness research and development, and chem/bio sensors and
systems.
ASSOCIATIONS – SUPPORTING THE
INDUSTRY
The Missouri Biotechnology
Association
This organization is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to
development and growth of the Missouri biotechnology and biomedical industry.
By supporting basic research in the life sciences, development of a highly
educated work force, and providing a friendly environment for attracting and
founding new business, the Missouri Biotechnology Association intends to make a
significant impact on Missouri’s economic development.