Congressman previously secured more than $30 million for company and center 

            Today, Congressman Reynolds joined Calspan/UB Research Center (CUBRC) President and CEO Tom McMahon and Bruce Holm, UB's Senior Vice Provost and Executive Director of UB's Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CoE), to announce the award of a major contract from the U.S. Department of Defense, worth up to nearly $8.5 million over two years.  The funding, of which $4 million has already been awarded to CUBRC, culminates a fierce competition between the world's most prominent bio-pharmaceutical companies, universities, and research institutes for a critical Department of Defense research program.  To pursue and win the award, CUBRC was able to leverage funding secured by Reynolds over the past several years, including $7 million to build CUBRC's state-of-the-art in-house laboratories and $25.75 million for the CoE. 

            "This award is proof that the investments secured for CUBRC and UB's Center of Excellence are paying off for Western New York and have quickly put our region at the forefront of the biotechnology industry," Reynolds said.  "CUBRC was able to compete against the best research institutions in the world and win because of the extraordinary efforts of researchers harnessing the power of world-class facilities.  I'm proud of my role in securing funding to build and develop these facilities.  The state-of-the-art research infrastructure we have created here is not only giving CUBRC researchers the tools they need, but is attracting researchers and companies worldwide.

            "Make no mistake: this is just the beginning in a long-line of victories for Western New York's burgeoning bioresearch industry," Reynolds continued.  "And as the partnerships build and more companies learn of the tremendous research discoveries and facilities here in Buffalo, more sought-after, high-paying jobs will roll in to Western New York.  And creating new jobs is just the reason why I fight so hard to bring investments back to our community."

            The up to $8.5-million award, made through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, will allow CUBRC, in partnership with the San Francisco-based biotechnology company Prosetta Corporation, to develop new drugs to treat viral diseases of major importance to bio-defense, providing protection to military personnel and civilians alike. 

            CUBRC's winning program proposal calls for development of a whole new class of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.  CUBRC also aims to create a new and significantly quicker drug development path for antiviral therapeutics, which will have implications on bio-defense capabilities and beyond.  The revolutionary aspect of CUBRC's proposal is the promise to expeditiously develop new anti-viral drugs against any viral target.

            "This award--and CUBRC in general--is about more than research; it's about protecting our troops and supporting our military," Reynolds said.  "CUBRC's research is not only innovative and ground-breaking, but given the threat of bio-terrorism we face today, its research is imperative. The Department of Defense is turning to CUBRC during this critical time because it has some of the best researchers in the world equipped with the finest tools and technology.  I am proud that Western New York's-own CUBRC is playing an essential role in the War on Terror, helping defend our homeland with first-class laboratories as its weapons."       

          In competing for the award, CUBRC researchers emphasized the strengths of their bio-team and the cutting-edge capabilities of the CoE.  During the past several years, Reynolds secured tens of millions of dollars for CUBRC and the CoE. 

           Specifically, Reynolds secured $7 million for CUBRC to develop a Hand-held Biological Agent Detector (HBAD), a portable, inexpensive device for rapidly detecting and identifying biological warfare agents in the field.  This HBAD funding allowed CUBRC to develop state-of-the-art equipment for research laboratories and technology for biological defense work.  The funding also attracted research talent, allowing CUBRC to build a world-class biotech research team.  CUBRC is also a prime collaborator in programs and research with the CoE, for which Reynolds secured $25.75 million in federal funding.  Since 2001, these investments have fueled the creation and retention of 4,133 jobs.

            "This type of award and partnership is what I and other local leaders envisioned when we worked hard to bring funding to CUBRC and the Center of Excellence," Reynolds said.  "Now that hard work is paying off, and it's time for America's military and Western New York's economy to reap the benefits."