Kansas Bioscience Authority Announces $2.5 Million Initiative to Bring Researchers From Across the Nation to K-State

MANHATTAN, KS, Jan 15 (MARKET WIRE) --
The Kansas Bioscience Authority announced today a $2.5 million initiative that
will add more horsepower to Kansas State University's research capabilities in
addressing threats to the nation's food supply.

The Collaborative Biosecurity Research Initiative will bring K-State's
unique
biosecurity research capabilities to investigators across the nation. The
program will offer researchers from academia, the federal government and
nonprofit groups a chance to conduct research at K-State's Biosecurity Research
Institute and develop solutions to today's biosecurity problems. Under this
program,
the Kansas Bioscience Authority will fund research awards of up to $500,000 to
investigators for projects conducted in partnership with Kansas researchers, and
that take place at the Biosecurity Research Institute.

"This initiative will allow us to take the Biosecurity Research Institute to
the
broader scientific community," said Ron Trewyn, K-State's vice president for
research. "Researchers will have a unique opportunity to conduct research
they might not be able to accomplish anywhere else."

K-State's Biosecurity Research Institute is a state-of-the-art facility
where
investigators will be able to address threats requiring BSL-3 and BSL-3Ag
level biocontainment. The institute is designed to accommodate research in a
variety
of areas including infectious diseases of livestock and poultry, food safety and
processing, plant science and the development of plant-based vaccines, insect
vector,
and basic molecular biology. The building is 113,000 square feet and houses
high-level lab space, as well as a unique educational suite and lecture hall.

"This initiative will kick-start research at the Biosecurity Research
Institute
while bolstering K-State's existing pool of scientific expertise in animal
health
and agriculture," Trewyn said. "The role that K-State will play in fending off
high-consequence disease threats to our nation is crucial. This partnership
will not only enhance the role of K-State, it also illustrates Kansas'
commitment to high-level research like that slated for the National Bio and
Agro-defense Facility."

K-State and Manhattan are one of six potential sites for the $451 million
National Bio and Agro-defense Facility. That facility's focus will be on
research to address high-consequence threats to the nation's food supply.

The Collaborative Biosecurity Research Initiative is open to faculty members
of
U.S. academic research universities, federal agency researchers, and nonprofit
research institutions conducting biosecurity research. Full details are
available at http://www.kansasbioauthority.org.

Contact:
Ron Trewyn
785-532-5110
Email Contact
http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/trewynbio.html

Copyright 2008, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

-0-