Biotech in Bloomington: life sciences thrive with area's educated workforce.

• Author: Thomas, Joe
• Position: Regional Report South Central

SINCE THOMSON Consumer Electronics closed its television-making plant in 1998, Bloomington's economy has added some 8,500 jobs, thanks to growth at such newer economic stalwarts as Cook Group, Baxter Healthcare, PTS Electronics, Tree of Life natural-food distribution, auto-parts maker Tasus Corp. and Pliant Corp., which makes films and packaging products like resealable bags.

State and local officials see Bloomington and Indiana University as the southern edge of Indiana's biotech beltway that runs north from here to Indianapolis and on to West Lafayette and Purdue University.

IU now actively participates in local economic-development efforts, says Bill Stephan, Indiana University's vice president for umversity relations and corporate partnerships. "The hope is we can effect development of some of the resources we have within the campus that can complement activities under way. The IU Research & Technology Corp. is the technology transfer arm of the university. It works with professors to identify efforts for transfer into commercial ventures and to pursue patents and licenses, too," he says.

The IU Research & Technology Corp., an Indianapolis based program with a Bloomington office, promotes research and technology transfers from IU's laboratories to industrial product lines. In May, IURTC leaders honored Roger Roeske, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, for research that led to Plenaxis, a drug therapy for prostate cancer patients. Along with that, IURTC officials also recognized Roeske's efforts to transfer his research to the commercial sector.

"I think Indiana University's Bloomington Business Partnership helped locals see IU as the biggest business in town and to see the university as a big-time business-retention project," says Linda Williamson, president of the Bloomington Economic Development Corp. "That led to stronger downtown relationships." The partnership, comprised of business leaders, local government and IU representatives, supports funding for the university at both the state and federal levels. This funding benefits IU research and development, as well as the School of Informatics, Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute and the development of science laboratory/incubator space, among other things.

City officials recently proposed creating Bloomington's certified technology park on 87 acres in and around the city's downtown. Mayor Mark Kruzan...