UF dedicates biotechnology manufacturing facility in Alachua park

November 22, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida’s Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology (CERHB) has a new home in Progress Corporate Park in Alachua. The university dedicated a 46,000-square-foot educational and manufacturing facility Nov. 15.

CERHB was established in 2003 to stimulate promising research and facilitate commercialization of technologies that will provide treatments and cures for human diseases, as well as to create new companies and high-wage jobs in Florida.

“The CERHB is working to develop a biotechnology cluster in Florida by stimulating new company formation and existing company expansion, and by attracting outside companies to the region,” said center Director Richard Snyder.

The launch of CERHB activities required construction of a sophisticated Food and Drug Administration-compliant manufacturing facility, as well as education and research facilities. Using a $10 million state grant and additional funds from the university, the center purchased two buildings at the research park and began renovation.

The Education and Research building was completed in late 2004, and the manufacturing facility was completed in October 2006. These facilities support two primary CERHB initiatives: the expansion of clinical biopharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and implementation of training programs.

The rapid clinical testing and development of new treatments, known as biologics, is facilitated by having access to federally approved manufacturing facilities. These services can be cost-prohibitive for academic researchers and start-up companies but are necessary to bring drugs to market. Providing biologics manufacturing capacity in Florida that ensures access and reasonable prices for university researchers and biotechnology companies in the Southeast greatly enhances drug and industry development in the region. The new CERHB drug development facility, Florida Biologix™, offers a wide range of biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing services to the biotechnology industry and to biomedical research institutions. Products made in this facility are suitable for human clinical trails.

As Florida’s biotechnology industry adds a manufacturing component to its already strong research and development strengths, the need for a skilled work force will grow. The CERHB has formed strategic partnerships with corporations, state and local government agencies, and educational institutions to train faculty and deliver curricula to attract and educate high school and college students, as well as provide existing work force training for entry and mid-level careers in the biotechnology industry. The CERHB Biotechnology Education Center has been constructed with classrooms, conference areas, a clean-room simulator and wet labs outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment.

“The CERHB Education Center provides a unique capability for a realistic training environment and, ultimately, employment for university students and industry professionals,” Snyder said. “The students trained in our programs will be excellent candidates for hire into jobs within our growing regional biotechnology and agritechnology sectors that will manufacture drugs, devices, diagnostics, and natural products for human use.”

Employers play a major role in curriculum development to ensure students are trained in suitable courses. The education center serves a central role in providing opportunities for hands-on experience.

“This is an essential component of the training program and will produce graduates with not only theoretical knowledge, but also actual experience in manufacturing, laboratory techniques, regulatory affairs, and quality systems,” Snyder said.