April 7, 2015

Frontiers of (Doing) Science

An update from one of my former colleagues (Steve Suhr), by way of the Lansing (MI) State Journal. Steve and Marie-Claude Senut (his wife, who is also a molecular biologist/Neuroscientist) decided to open their own scientific business (Biomilab LLC) after their soft-money (grant-dependent) positions ended at Michigan State University. As research grants have become both more scarce and more competitive, their options were to either uproot their lives yet again or strike out on their own. Having moved around the country extensively in the name of doing science, this was more of a rational lifestyle choice than a risk-taking venture.

Mom-and-pop entrepreneurship in the name of science. In this case, "shop" could be replaced by "collaborate". I don't suppose that they will limit their collaborations to the "local", however.

Described by Steve as a "Mom-and-Pop biotech company", Biomilab's business revolves around contracting with academic labs to do protocols and analyses involving specialized equipment or expeertise that the contracting lab does not have immediate access to. Steve specializes in genetic engineering (the creation of transgenic constructs), while Marie-Claude specializes in neurogenesis and neural differentiation. Good luck Steve and Marie-Claude!

Steven T. Suhr, at the edge of a new frontier. COURTESY: Lansing State Journal.

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