N.C. Biotech Center picks five firms for new Fellowship program

Research Triangle Park, N.C. — Five life science companies will participate in the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s new “Industrial Fellowship Program” through which post-doctorate researchers will receive private-sector experience with their compensation being paid by the Biotech Center.

The companies that will host the fellows are:

• Affinergy, which is based in Durham and is developing biological delivery systems

• Aldagen, another Durham-based firm, which is developing proprietary cell therapies

• BASF’s plant science group in Research Triangle Park

• Targacept, a biopharmaceutical company in Winston-Salem developing a variety of drugs targeting central nervous system and other disorders

• Tengion, also located in Winston-Salem, which is developing “neo-organs” and tissues that are based on tissue taken from donors seeking treatment

“We’re very pleased with the response we’ve gotten for this first year,” said Rob Lindberg, who is director of the Biotechnology Center’s Business Acceleration and Technology Out-Licensing Network.

“There were a number of great proposals and it was difficult to narrow the list down to five,” he added. “We think these are excellent transitional training opportunities for scientists with industry ambitions.”

Eighteen companies applied for the program.

The fellows will be selected from post-doctoral students who have only academic lab experience. The Biotech Center program is designed to help these researchers transition to the private sector.

Applications for the fellowships from PhD scientists who want to work in the private sector will be accepted through Aug. 22. The program will launch on Oct. 15.