Hopeful signs for biotech

Hopeful signs for biotech
From Doug Ford
03/09/2009

Thanks to the BioTech System Consortium, I've been learning some great things about Solano County's fastest-growing industry.

Formed a few years ago in the interest of "providing leadership across Northern California in the development of biotech education and training programs designed to address the needs of the local community," the consortium brings together high school teachers, college and university faculty members and business and government leaders from the life sciences.

In early February, I listened to a presentation by Brian Naughton to a packed audience of University of California, Davis, biotech students. Naughton's title with 23andMe, a 2006 startup company in Mountain View, is "founding R&D architect."

He earned his doctorate from the Biomedical Informatics Training Program at Stanford University and joined with others to found the innovative business to provide personal genetic information on health, traits and on ancestry to individuals who are willing to pay $399 for an analysis of their DNA. The analysis currently provides information on more than 90 health susceptibilities and traits.

Last week, BioTech System members met on the campus of BioRad Laboratories, Inc., in Hercules to learn about the company and its products. Sometimes referred to as the "Ace Hardware Store for the Life Sciences," the company produces diagnostic testing systems, research instruments and various chemical and other supplies. Its more than 8,000 different products are sold in more than 100 countries. The company is particularly known for its training kits and materials for classes in life science laboratories.

BioRad was started in 1957 by David and Alice Schwartz. They are both still active in the business, which had more than $1.4 billion in sales in 2007 and continues to grow at a substantial rate. Their son, Norman, is now the CEO and president of the 6,400-employee company.

Also last week, Solano Economic Development Corp. met for a life science cluster workshop led by Doug Henton, chairman and CEO of Collaborative Economics, on the Solano Index Project. Solano is indeed fortunate to have recruited several of the most successful life science businesses to locate their manufacturing facilities here. The San Francisco Bay Area leads the world in biotech patents. Life science production and earnings continue to grow at a very good rate in the county, and the bulk of the employees in the industry are residents. The Solano cluster is outperforming the rest of the Bay Area.

"No academic discipline is more important to the continued success of the life science industry than science education," Henton said.

The training programs at the high school, community college, and university levels have been improving, but need to be further improved and expanded.

The author is retired from the U.S. Air Force, lives in Dixon and serves on the Solano County Board of Education.