WET LAB AND STARTUP BUSINESS INCUBATOR

 ABI 4th Quarter Update 

Dear Friends, It’s hard to imagine that everyone is not at the point of total quarantine fatigue. It’s not natural (nor particularly fun) to actively avoid other people. However, as fatigued as I am by it, I do believe we are doing the right thing to keep as many people safe and alive as possible by continuing to social distance and wear masks. Having spent the past 4yrs deliberately creating a shared and collaborative environment at ABI, telling our member scientists to not interact with one another, to not come in at the same time, is difficult. It results in slower progress for them, as well as a less enjoyable work experience. (believe it or not, scientist are people too). Nonetheless, they persist! Antibodies are being made, proteins are being purified, algae is being grown, worms are being imaged, proteins are being sequenced and devices are being made and used in humans (wooohooo…way to go ClearCam!). The college has been gradually and carefully opening back up to students. They are listening to the experts and making great efforts to keep everyone safe. Listen HERE to the discussion recorded last week of Dr. Rhodes and several of his cabinet members discussing the strategy behind reopening with Dr. Mark Escott, Interim Health Authority for the City of Austin. You can also rest assured that there are plenty of people in Texas working together to combat this pandemic. There are so many different angles from which to look at the problem and they all require attention and a trained eye. As mentioned previously, entrepreneurs are diligently working to apply their expertise toward clinical solutions. The public health officials are guiding the decisions on how to re-open (or not) and how to safely navigate life. The medical personnel are treating everyone as safely and as effectively as possible. The support organizations are helping to get rent and food assistance to those in need. The government is funding a large number of initiatives across the board. And, of course, the testing labs are tirelessly working day and night to keep on COVID testing. In addition, the Texas Global Health Security Innovation Consortium (TEXGHS) that we wrote about in August has grown to include even more academic institutions, entrepreneurs, investors, and additional complimentary consortia. Productive partnerships have formed from amongst the group, including one with Clean Air Systems, Industrial Genetics and Panache to install sophisticated air purification systems into commercial real estate, for example. TEXGHS has built a significant amount of momentum and hosted its inaugural event in early October. The event featured representatives from the State and local government, the University of Texas, the WHO, as well as a powerful keynote address from renowned expert on vaccines and infectious disease at Rice University, Dr. Peter Hotez. I invite you to watch a recording of the event HERE. Hang in there, y’all. We’ll get through this! 

Nancy Lyon

Interim Director

The FDA consolidated existing resources for stakeholders to easily access information about drug and biologics development and manufacturing, including for products to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent COVID-19 and for other critically needed products to treat symptoms of COVID-19 or to provide supportive care to those with COVID-19.

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SAVE YOUR SPOT

NOV 6TH- Cultivating a strong professional network takes a little work, but offers tremendous benefits. Learn how to best use LinkedIn and glean real world best practices to develop and maintain valuable career relationships.Launch & Learn is a pilot program meant to prepare people for tomorrow's jobs. This series focuses on those interested in life science and their preparation for the workforce. It is a collaboration of the Capital City Innovation Affinity Network, a regional network of organizations supporting health and life science innovation across Central Texas.Registration is free and the event starts at 12 pm. You can share the link and RSVP below. 

NOV 17TH- Join Temple Health and Bioscience District as top medical device technical advisor Duane Mancini leads this discussion designed to strengthen your virtual network and maintain beneficial relationships amid the pandemic.Registration is free and the event starts at 12 pm. You can share the link and RSVP below.