Southwestern University receives $461,340 grant for Texas Life-Sciences Collaboration Center

Southwestern University receives $461,340 grant for Texas Life-Sciences Collaboration Center

By Community Impact Newspaper Staff Wednesday, 08 April 2009

U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-District 31, announced a $461,340 federal grant to Southwestern University from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services April 8. The grant will be used to fund the purchase of laboratory equipment for the Texas Life-Sciences Collaboration Center in Georgetown. The center is a partnership between SU, the City of Georgetown and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce.

With this grant, TLCC will be able to equip a full-service biotech wet lab, tissue culture labs and nanotech clean room for use by researchers at its membership companies.

SU faculty members and students will also hve access to the equipment, and the grant will enable SU students to intern at the TLCC.

Russ Peterman, executive director of the TLCC, said the federal grant is part of TLCC's strategic plan to move from local public-sector funding to funding from private investors and federal grants.

Peterman also announced the addition of TLCC's sixth partner, Molecular Templates. The pharmacutical company is the first of its kind to participate in TLCC, and specializes in developing new types of therapy for cancer.

"We didn't expect to deal with pharmacuticals... but we have discovered that having [those types of companies here] will create a cluster of businesses that we are interested in," Peterman said. "We are looking for more pharmacutical and bioagro, which looks at new crops and how biotech can influence agriculture."