Alan Miller, interim senior vice president for health sciences at Tulane, discusses the city's potential for biotechnology development. (Photo by Madeline Vann)

Tulane University health sciences researchers, in partnership with Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Xavier University, bring hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs to the city, say local legislators, researchers and business people who gathered together recently to discuss the future of biotechnology development in New Orleans.

Turning research into capital-generating entrepreneurial ventures is the next step for New Orleans, says Alan Miller, interim senior vice president for health sciences at Tulane. Miller is one of a team of 50 New Orleans business leaders, legislators, academics and scientists who journeyed up the Mississippi River January 28-30 to visit St. Louis, which serves as a model of biodevelopment success.

Miller will discuss the biotechnology potential for New Orleans tonight (March 7) at 10:30 p.m. on the "6 on Your Side Live" television show on WDSU, Channel 6.

Ten years ago, St Louis was much like New Orleans, according to Miller.

"The downtown needed a boost and the city had great assets in a mix of high-quality private, public and church-affiliated institutions of higher education that housed productive bioscience researchers as well as the interest of city leaders and the business community," explains Miller. The path St. Louis took to attract venture capital and grow new biotechnology businesses over the following decade inspired the New Orleans visitors.

"What we learned, among other things, is that all it takes is one really successful biotech company to grow and take root in a city to get the ball rolling," says Miller, who added that he is aware of several local projects that could benefit from such investment.

Miller explains that the goal is to identify research in local universities that could be moved into a business incubator for further development. Once the fledgling businesses have some success, Miller hopes they will settle into other space in the business district.

"This is where academic and business partnerships are so crucial to the success of this plan," he adds. "The business community can draw in money, identify potential projects and help researchers learn to manage their businesses."

Local universities also have a role to play beyond supporting bioscience research, says Miller. Training a workforce that can support medical and science research is key to building business in the area.

Although state-funded projects such as the New Orleans BioInnovation Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center stalled in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, plans to build have been revitalized. The estimated dates for completion of construction are the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, respectively. According to Miller, construction costs have soared 40 percent since Katrina, resulting in a budget shortfall that could require further state investment during this legislative session.

In addition to Miller, members of the team who recently shared their thoughts and hopes for the future of New Orleans included Kurt Weigle, executive director, Downtown Development District; Ron Gardner, vice chancellor for administrative, community and security affairs, LSU Health Sciences Center; Mark Drennen, CEO and president of GNO Inc.; Sen. Dianne Bajoie; and Caitlin Cain, economic development program manager, Regional Planning Commission. Rep. Cheryl Gray and Sen. Edwin Murray also were present for the meeting.