The state of biotechnology: industry boosters say efforts to establish the sector across North Carolina won't dilute its impact.

• Position: BIOTECHNOLOGY ROUND TABLE

The Triangle forged North Carolina's reputation as a biotechnology power, and other regions capitalize on it. That's not only desirable, it's necessary, according to the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, a nonprofit that promotes the sector and lobbies on its behalf. BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA recently asked the center's leaders to discuss the sector's statewide thrust. Participating were Norris Tolson, president and CEO; Steven Burke, senior vice president of corporate affairs and acting president of the North Carolina Biofuels Center; Steven Casey, vice president of statewide operations; and the directors of the center's five regional offices: John Chaffee, Eastern office, Greenville; Randall Johnson, Southeastern, Wilmington; Gwyn Riddick, Piedmont Triad, Greensboro; Marjorie Benbow, Charlotte; and Cheryl McMurry, Western, Asheville. Arthur O. Murray, BNC managing editor for special projects, moderated the panel, which was sponsored by the center and held at its headquarters in Research Triangle Park. Following is a transcript, edited for brevity and clarity.

What are the advantages of a statewide approach?

McMurry: Western North Carolina is not a place you immediately think of as a biotechnology hotbed, but it has unique characteristics that provide an opportunity to develop a pipeline for health- and wellness-related therapeutics. We have the most botanically biodiverse area in North America. The biotech center also has been supportive in establishing the Bent Creek Institute. It has formalized a way of doing research into native botanicals, has set up North America's only gene bank of medicinal plants and serves as a repository where scientists from around the world can get source material in order to perform experiments.

Benbow: Look at what's happening at the North Carolina Research Campus, where a new paradigm of health care is materializing, looking at health, nutrition and wellness. We've even got some exciting work in the area of ag biotech.

Johnson: In southeastern North Carolina, we have assets we've just barely begun to explore. Some are in marine biotech, but we're also looking at biofuels, as well as pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications of agricultural biotechnology. It's all about connecting the dots with the rest of the state.

Riddick: The Piedmont Triad is really the second-most-developed bioscience region in the state after RTP. We have four research universities and a medical school. Each has its specialty. When you have diversity like that, you can be enveloped in things like regenerative medicine, which is very strong at Wake Forest; nanobiotechnology, which is being developed at all three of our big research universities; and medical technologies--for example, diagnostics.

Chaffee: Biotechnology in Eastern North Carolina revolves around three areas: translational science in nanobiotechnology, marine biotechnology and the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine and the allied health sciences around it in Greenville. The other large component is pharmaceuticals.

Burke: This state has unparalleled capabilities. Look at what we grow across our state--trees, soybeans, fish, crops, swine. We're developing new ways of making fuels. Look at our resources, institutional and otherwise.

Casey: To better understand...