AN AERIAL VIEW of the 280,000-square-foot facility at 8333 Hickman Mills Road. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research will house support functions and storage facilities at this south Kansas City location.
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Stowers awaits resolution of life sciences controversy
By: Kelli Bamforth, Staff Writer
kellibamforth@npgco.com
The purchase of a 280,000-square-foot facility in south Kansas City reaffirmed the Stowers Institute’s commitment to stay in the area despite a political climate that threatens its work, Public Affairs Director Marie Jennings said.
The facility will house support functions and storage facilities for the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, the world’s second-largest medical research company. The institute conducts gene and protein research on animal models to investigate genetic diseases such as cancer, birth defects and diabetes.
The new facility also will serve as headquarters of BioMed Valley Discoveries, a companion organization whose mission is to develop Stowers’ biomedical discoveries into applications to improve human health.
“We needed this new space to realize the full potential for accommodating research programs at our main campus, and we are pleased to have found it in Kansas City,” Stowers President and CEO William Neaves said. “However, before the institute undertakes major expansion in this region, we need to be confident that the political environment in Missouri is science-friendly.”
In 2006, Missouri voters agreed to change the Constitution to support life sciences research, including stem cell research, but an effort is underway to gather signatures and overturn that legislation.
Plans for growth have stalled while Stowers scientists wait for the political dust to settle.
“Stowers feels a responsibility not to start a multimillion-dollar expansion for scientific advancement when the political climate is a little tenuous,” spokeswoman Laurie Roberts said. “We hope that Missouri becomes a more science-friendly state, and when that happens we’d be more likely to talk about an expansion.”
The nearly 15-acre property at 8333 Hickman Mills Road will undergo a $20-million renovation scheduled for completion in 2009.
The Midwest is not thought of as a premier life sciences region, Jennings said.
“Most facilities that do what we do are in California and Boston,” she said. “Stowers was told they would never get people to come to the middle of the country and do this kind of research.”
But Stowers scientists published 50 papers in peer-reviewed medical journals last year and have made significant discoveries at the campus at 1000 E. 50th St.
In 2003, researcher Linheng Li led the discovery of the bone marrow stem cell niche, which could lead to more effective bone marrow transplants for patients with cancer or other conditions.
Research by Robb Krumlauf led to the discovery of the gene that promotes bone growth and could be used to treat osteoporosis.
In 2006, work in the lab of Paul Trainor determined the cause of Treacher-Collins Syndrome, a rare disorder that brings on craniofacial abnormalities.
The institute will continue research efforts to cure disease.
“The rapid pace of advances in embryonic stem cell research means that day when this science can be translated into cures is drawing near,” Neaves said at the Governors’ Summit on Regional Economic Development in February. “The Stowers Institute is determined to accelerate the progress toward this goal.
“We remain optimistic that most Missourians will oppose misguided efforts by some politicians to outlaw legitimate biomedical research.”
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The facility will house support functions and storage facilities for the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, the world’s second-largest medical research company. The institute conducts gene and protein research on animal models to investigate genetic diseases such as cancer, birth defects and diabetes.
The new facility also will serve as headquarters of BioMed Valley Discoveries, a companion organization whose mission is to develop Stowers’ biomedical discoveries into applications to improve human health.
“We needed this new space to realize the full potential for accommodating research programs at our main campus, and we are pleased to have found it in Kansas City,” Stowers President and CEO William Neaves said. “However, before the institute undertakes major expansion in this region, we need to be confident that the political environment in Missouri is science-friendly.”
In 2006, Missouri voters agreed to change the Constitution to support life sciences research, including stem cell research, but an effort is underway to gather signatures and overturn that legislation.
Plans for growth have stalled while Stowers scientists wait for the political dust to settle.
“Stowers feels a responsibility not to start a multimillion-dollar expansion for scientific advancement when the political climate is a little tenuous,” spokeswoman Laurie Roberts said. “We hope that Missouri becomes a more science-friendly state, and when that happens we’d be more likely to talk about an expansion.”
The nearly 15-acre property at 8333 Hickman Mills Road will undergo a $20-million renovation scheduled for completion in 2009.
The Midwest is not thought of as a premier life sciences region, Jennings said.
“Most facilities that do what we do are in California and Boston,” she said. “Stowers was told they would never get people to come to the middle of the country and do this kind of research.”
But Stowers scientists published 50 papers in peer-reviewed medical journals last year and have made significant discoveries at the campus at 1000 E. 50th St.
In 2003, researcher Linheng Li led the discovery of the bone marrow stem cell niche, which could lead to more effective bone marrow transplants for patients with cancer or other conditions.
Research by Robb Krumlauf led to the discovery of the gene that promotes bone growth and could be used to treat osteoporosis.
In 2006, work in the lab of Paul Trainor determined the cause of Treacher-Collins Syndrome, a rare disorder that brings on craniofacial abnormalities.
The institute will continue research efforts to cure disease.
“The rapid pace of advances in embryonic stem cell research means that day when this science can be translated into cures is drawing near,” Neaves said at the Governors’ Summit on Regional Economic Development in February. “The Stowers Institute is determined to accelerate the progress toward this goal.
“We remain optimistic that most Missourians will oppose misguided efforts by some politicians to outlaw legitimate biomedical research.”