Sign In
Free Newsletter
Biotech accelerator launches in Charlottesville
At the beginning of April, the Charlottesville area will enter a new phase in its journey to become a hub for biotech innovation with the launch of the Commonwealth Bio Accelerator. The program will help early-stage biotech companies from the University of Virginia and others in the surrounding region and beyond move from the research […]
Take a look inside George Mason’s high-tech science and engineering labs
In a third-floor lab at George Mason University’s new, $107 million Life Sciences and Engineering Building in Manassas, students will dissect and study the effects of decomposition on human remains. A few floors away, their peers may dangle from harnesses while wearing sensors to research gaits while others test fly an autonomous blimp in a […]
23andMe files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as co-founder and CEO Wojcicki resigns
NEW YORK (AP) — 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and its co-founder and CEO has resigned as the struggling genetic testing company continues its push to cut costs. San Francisco-based 23andMe announced on Sunday that it will look to sell “substantially all of its assets” through a court-approved reorganization plan. Anne Wojcicki, […]
Verge rebrands to Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance
Verge, a collective of organizations dedicated to tech-based economic development in the Roanoke and New River valleys, announced a rebrand Tuesday, an effort that includes a new website, logo and a new name — the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance (RBIA). Previously, Verge, which has roots dating back to 2013, used “Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance” as […]
Tiny Cargo gets big local support
In a bid to keep the startup local, the Roanoke Regional Partnership found a 10,800-square-foot warehouse to renovate and looped in Roanoke Valley Development Corp. and Greater Roanoke Valley Development Foundation, which jointly purchased the building and offered Tiny Cargo favorable leasing terms. “If a place has the real estate solution to offer a business, […]
ATCC expansion targets future coronaviruses
Rebecca Bradford raises a scary thought: “What if we were hit with two pathogens at the same time?” For example, what if, as COVID-19 was hitting the country in early 2020, a flu virus had been spreading too? It’s a distinct possibility in the future, and scientists are working hard to establish quick and effective […]
Afton Scientific announces $200M Albemarle expansion
Afton Scientific, a manufacturer of sterile injectable pharmaceuticals, plans to invest over $200 million to expand its manufacturing facility in Albemarle County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. The expansion is projected to create more than 200 jobs. Founded by Thomas Thorpe in Charlottesville in 1991, Afton Scientific is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CMDO), [&h[...]
ATCC expanding presence in Prince William County
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday that American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) plans to expand its bioresource center campus in Prince William County, investing $54.7 million and creating an expected 75 jobs. The project will include a new biomanufacturing facility focused on global health. “ATCC is a world-class resource for scientists performing vital research to solve […]
Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List
Who are Virginia’s most powerful and influential leaders in business, government, politics and education this year? Find out in the fifth annual edition of the Virginia 500: The 2024-25 Power List. Read more about how we assembled the Virginia 500 from our editor. Executives are listed in alphabetical order by industry. Below you will find links […]
Briggman leaving post as CEO of Activation Capital
Chandra Briggman is leaving her position as president and CEO of Activation Capital, the Richmond tech incubator announced Monday. Her last day is Friday. Briggman joined Activation Capital, an accelerator arm of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority, in May 2020; the organization includes a biotech park, startup development and cluster accelerator for pharmaceutical research [[...]
Health Care: A new horizon
Virginians could look back at 2024 a few years from now and see a turning point for health care in the commonwealth — the dawn of a “Virginia Research Triangle” in biotechnology, pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical research. In December 2023, the University of Virginia broke ground on the $350 million Paul and Diane Manning Institute […]
Richmond biotech company to buy contraceptive biz for $100M
Aditxt, a biotech company based in Richmond, expects to purchase California-based contraceptive maker Evofem Biosciences for $100 million, taking on the business’s debt of up to $18 million, according to Aditxt’s announcement. Both companies’ boards have unanimously approved the acquisition, which is expected to close in the first half of the year. Evofem produces Phexxi, [&helli[...]
