The first Huntsville BioDefense Symposium is headed to the CRP Biotech Campus. This event will be held October 19 – 20 at the Jackson Center.
The symposium was designed to serve as a networking venue for defense contractors, research institutions, universities, biotechnology companies and government representatives to explore opportunities for partnership and collaboration. Attendees are also expected to gain a greater understanding of government funds available in the area of biodefense and how to access those federal dollars.
Event organizers believe that Huntsville, with a major confluence of biotechnology, intelligence and defense expertise, is a prime location for strategic collaborations supporting biodefense initiatives.
“There are significant opportunities available for groups who have a profound understanding of how to work government contracts and perform biomedical solutions through directed research,” said Moore. “Our aim is to create an opportunity for all the parties to see beyond their normal horizons and glimpse the opportunities and network with the people that can assist them in reaching these new goals.”
Dr. Jerry Jaax, Kansas State University’s associate vice president for research compliance and the university veterinarian, is the keynote speaker. His presentation will address “The Biological Threat to Agriculture.”
Other speakers from KSU (an example of a successful biodefense community), federal agencies and HudsonAlpha’s associate companies will also be on hand, including:
• Robert Bull, FBI, supervisory microbiologist
• David E. Hough, Transformational Medical Technologies (TMT) Program, director
• Dennis Grimaud, Diatherix, president
• Sameer Singhal, CFDRC, director, micro power and sensing technologies
• Dr. Beth Montelone, KSU, professor of biology
• Dr. Marty Vanier, KSU’s National Agricultural Biosecurity, director of operations
The BioDefense Symposium is sponsored by SAIC and hosted by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and Partnership for Biotechnology Research (PBR). The $200 cost covers all sessions, breakfast and lunch each day, breaks, as well as a welcome reception and dinner on the first day. For more information or to register, click here.