UNC hopes to get biotechnology deal

The UNC system is seeking a partnership with the Pentagon to create military products through biotechnology - an initiative that could bring improvements to the technology sector of the state and provide jobs.

System President Molly Broad was instrumental in bringing the idea to the table, said Robert Helms, director of strategic initiatives at the Research Triangle Institute.

Along with the school system, RTI, large defense contractors and businesses are likely to join in.

This plan is expected to boost the economy, bringing more jobs to North Carolina, which is already ranked third in the United States for biotechnology.

"This initiative provides another service to buy products from the state," Helms said. "It creates jobs and companies from this area. It is an economic initiative."

In September, organizers from the Research Triangle met with high ranking members in the Pentagon to discuss the project.

According to a report from the meeting, North Carolina has already contributed $64.5 million to biotech workforce training.

The state has spent a total of $151 million on the biotechnology industry to date.

Helms said the initiative will benefit the consumer and the private sectors in the state. Potential products range from pharmaceuticals and vaccines to biodiesels and electronics.

UNC-system schools will mainly be involved in the research needed to create these products.

And UNC-Chapel Hill especially will gain from the project, said Mark Crowell, UNC-CH's associate vice chancellor for technology development.

"Since we have a majority of the biotechnology resources in the system, we would have a lot to benefit," he said.

The cost of the initiative could range from an additional $50 million to $150 million, depending on whether the project includes drug research, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported.

Russ Lea, UNC-system vice president for research, called this an economic initiative that will benefit both the state and the military.

"There is no question that what we're working on has a dual use: technology for the civilian sector and also for the military," he said.

Crowell noted that the system and the state will profit at every level, from conducting basic research to creating the finished product.

"There is a lot of work in between to make biotechnology safe and useful," he said.

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.