Roanoke

Bio Industry South – Roanoke Valley of Virginia

Diversity is a fitting description of the Roanoke Valley of Virginia's life sciences sector. From medical research and education to medical devices to enzymes and microorganism, the nine-government region in western Virginia is becoming an ideal biotech location.

Long known as the medical center of western Virginia , the region soon will be feature a medical school. Already home to the Carilion Clinic, two HCA hospitals and a large Veterans Administration facility, the Roanoke Valley has served as the hub of first-rate medical care for the broader region. Recent plans have enhanced that role beyond traditional patient care and treatment to include research and education.

The Roanoke Valley of Virginia is home to a growing number
of life sciences companies, such as Novozymes Biologicals.

A commitment to medical education is a vital part of the Carilion Clinic, the region's largest healthcare firm . Medical education not only creates future physicians and specialists, but it generates an atmosphere of exploration and innovation – a desire to find better ways to heal and care for patients. Carilion will add four to five additional fellowship programs in the next five years, with further expansion in the future. Areas of education under consideration include cardiology, critical care, pulmonology, gastroenterology, and vascular surgery.  

In January 2007, Carilion Clinic, and Virginia Tech, Virginia's largest research university, announced plans to create a jointly operated private medical school, It will be located in Riverside Center, a planned biomedical park adjacent to Carilion's flagship hospital and just south of the City of Roanoke's downtown business district. Patterned after Harvard Medical School 's Health Sciences and Technology (HST) program and Cleveland Clinic's Lerner College of Medicine, the new school will have a small class size and be dedicated to training physician researchers. Class size is projected to be 40 students per year. In addition to a traditional medical school curriculum, all students will receive training in research methods, conduct original research and write a thesis as a condition of graduation. To accommodate the expanded graduation requirements, the school will have a five-year curriculum instead of the traditional four-year curriculum.

An earlier Carilion partnership with Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia produced the Carilion Biomedical Institute, which has a mission of bringing life sciences research to commercial applications. Some current projects include research into the use of chip technology to eliminate the need for fluorescent dyes in diagnostics tests; magnetic targeting devices that can locate screw holes in intermedullary nails used to repair long-bone fractures, and smart bed technology which uses fiber optics sensors to capture patient movement.

Virginia Tech, located just 45 minutes southwest of the City of Roanoke 's downtown business district, provides an important resource for the region's life sciences sector. In addition to partnerships with Carilion, the university's biosciences researchers are consulted worldwide for expertise on plant, animal and microbial genomics, as well as biotechnology applications. In fact, Virginia Tech faculty members in the biological sciences represent the largest concentration on non-medical biology emphasis in Virginia.

The Riverside Center in the City of Roanoke will be home to a new medical school.

Life sciences in the Roanoke Valley go beyond research and education to the market place. Before "green" was fashionable, before people questioned the effect of pesticides and chemicals on our planet, Novozymes Biologicals was exploring natural biological technology to replace chemicals.

Novozymes Biologicals, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Novozymes North America. Novozymes is the bio-tech based world leader in enzymes and microorganisms. The company's eco-friendly solutions replace traditional chemicals, reduce pollution and waste, and improve our standard of living. With more than 100 types of enzymes and microorganisms and not less than 700 different products, Novozymes has the largest product portfolio in the world.

Located in Roanoke County , Novozymes Biologicals focuses on developing natural microbial solutions for a wide range of industries. The company serves the industrial market with an unmatched combination of products and application expertise for cleaning and wastewater treatment. The natural action of microbes is harnessed and combined with enzyme and formulation technology to provide a new generation of products that are effective, safe to use, and benefit the environment.

Medical research and education, products that enhance patient care and diagnosis, and green solutions that improve lives all flourish in Virginia 's Roanoke Valley as the region proves that it is on target for life sciences.

For more information about the Roanoke Valley , please call the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership at (540) 343-1550 or 800-LOCATE2, e-mail us anne@roaboke.org or visit our website: www.roanoke.org