Biotechnology, a promising new industry now hotly pursued by economic
developers across the country, is making inroads in Tennessee.
 
Business Facilities magazine has ranked Tennessee the 18th best state to
locate a biotechnology business. The national publication is read by some
50,000 business decision makers here and abroad.
 
Biotechnology firms in the Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley, many of
which are based upon original research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL), are active and showing great promise.  Local companies involved in
biotech include Atom Sciences, Molecular Pathology Laboratory Network,
NanoTek, Atmospheric Glow Technologies, Protein Discovery, Apocom Genomics,
Siemens Molecular Imaging (formerly CTI) and a multi-million dollar joint
venture by DuPont Tate & Lyle to build a BioProducts fabric plant in Loudon
County. When operational, the plant will be one of the largest biotech
production facilities in North America. The University of Tennessee is also
involved in biotech research.
 
Economic developers strive for industry "clusters" -- synergistic groups of
companies in certain fields. Clusters help attract and keep top talent, and
promote an interchange of ideas and resources. The Innovation Valley already
has an example of cooperation between three local biotechs. Atom Sciences
and Molecular Pathology have joined forces on a federal grant to develop a
quicker and more precise test for tuberculosis. Atmospheric Glow is
providing access to bio-safety facilities that enable the project to move
forward.
 
Tom Whittaker, Atom Sciences CEO, said that the Business Facilities ranking
"means that we are better positioned than most states to achieve growth." He
said the 18th spot "is especially impressive when you realize that at least
40 states have specifically targeted biosciences for development."
 
There are other signs that biotechs and supporting industries are expanding
in the Innovation Valley. Siemens Molecular has just moved to larger
quarters in downtown Knoxville. Blount County-based NanoTek, which is
working with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and ORNL on an instrument
that increases the speed and efficiency of drug production, recently won two
Department of Energy small business grants.
 
Atmospheric Glow recently received a prestigious R&D Magazine "100 Award"
for its PlasmaGen APR 510-S, a device which releases DNA from all types of
microorganisms. The award is presented annually for the world's 100 most
promising new technologies. Past winning technologies have included the fax
machine, the automated teller machine, the halogen bulb and HDTV.
 
In a further indication that biotech has come to the Innovation Valley, the
Tennessee Biotechnology Association will hold its annual meeting on
September 22-23 in Oak Ridge. Agenda items include the TVA-sponsored
inventory of Tennessee's life science assets, various University of
Tennessee biotech initiatives and an overview of the DuPont Tate & Lyle
project.