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IDENTIGEN | Irish firm’s subsidiary to bring research operation to Lawrence The Kansas City Star “This is cow country out here. We want to be in the middle of it.” A new biotechnology company employing about a dozen workers, and possibly 200 within five years, is setting up a research operation in Lawrence. IdentiGEN North America Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Ireland’s IdentiGEN Ltd., a company specializing in genetic analysis of meat. The company’s technology can be used to trace a piece of beef or pork back to its source, a test sometimes done following an illness outbreak or when certifying that food has not been genetically modified. The company is setting up a laboratory that will focus on transferring the technology of its parent company from the United Kingdom to the North American market, said Donald Marvin, president and chief executive officer of the new company. IdentiGEN will employ about 12 persons in Lawrence by the end of the year, up to 35 within the next 18 to 24 months, and a couple of hundred within four to five years, Marvin said. The positions will include a mix of scientists, technicians, sales specialists and others. The concentration of other animal health-related companies and talented university researchers in this field was a key factor leading IdentiGEN to select the Kansas City area for this expansion initiative, Marvin said. Proximity to meat packers and other potential customers for the company’s TraceBack DNA tracking system also was important. “This is cow country out here,” Marvin said. “We want to be in the middle of it.” Marvin is an experienced biotechnology entrepreneur. He was a co-founder of Orchid BioSciences, which specializes in human DNA identity testing. Company officials are optimistic about IdentiGEN’s prospects for selling its product to address safety and quality issues in the North American beef and pork market it valued at about $80 billion. “With the rising concerns about our food supply chain, as well as bioterrorism, I think we will see a lot of traction,” Marvin said. Reproduced with permission of The Kansas City Star © Copyright 2006 The Kansas City Star. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication. Not an endorsement. |
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