publication date: Feb 21, 2012
|
author/source: Integra Communications
Her Royal
Highness The Princess Royal will perform the official naming ceremony of the
Sir James Black building at BioCity Scotland on Monday 20
th February
2012. Her visit will coincide with a gathering of Scotland's leading life
science practitioners, and the planting of a Jubilee Oak by the Provost of
North Lanarkshire to commemorate the visit of Her Royal Highness to BioCity
Scotland and the Queen's 60
th Jubilee.
Her Royal
Highness will tour the recently-opened BioCity Scotland life sciences complex
at Newhouse, meeting tenant companies and hearing about the plans and vision
for the site from BioCity Group CEO Dr Glenn Crocker. She will then be invited
to unveil a plaque naming the Chemistry building the ‘Sir James Black'
Building.
Sir James
Black OM FRS FRSE FRCP is hailed as one of the great Scottish scientists of the
20th Century. He was a Lanarkshire-born pharmacologist who spent his career
both as an industrial researcher and as an academic at several universities. He
was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for work leading to the
development of Propranolol, a beta-blocker used in the treatment for heart
disease, and Cimetidine, a drug used to treat stomach ulcers.
This special
occasion comes just six weeks after the launch of BioCity Scotland, a joint
venture between BioCity Nottingham and Roslin BioCentre. With over 130,000 sq
ft of purpose-built laboratories and offices on the 23 acre site, new and
growing life science companies now have a central base on the M8 capable of
supporting pre-clinical drug discovery and development. In addition, there are
administrative and conference facilities to provide support and networking
capabilities for the client companies and other organisations in the sector.
Speaking
ahead of the Royal visit, BioCity Scotland chairman Dr Louis Nisbet said: "Her
Royal Highness has always shown a keen interest in the development and success
of Scotland's life sciences, poignantly illustrated by Sir James Black's
legacy. Scotland can rightly claim to be a major centre for life sciences and
at the forefront of drug discovery and commercialisation. Through BioCity
Scotland we are beginning to create a strong environment in which to build a
critical mass of growing world-class firms driven by highly-skilled
scientists and entrepreneurial business leaders."
Roslin
BioCentre CEO Malcolm Bateman's own career followed the development of
Cimetidine while working at Smith, Kline and French: "Sir James' work had a
profound impact on the early part of my career which involved seeing the new
drug taken from lab to patient. It also gave me the opportunity, as part of an
international management team, to build and run a greenfield site in the
Bahamas where the raw chemical of the drug was produced. So I'm delighted that
Sir James is being recognised here at BioCity Scotland."
Also taking
place on Monday 20
th February will be the first BioCity Scotland
Life Science Sector seminar in front of over 100 academics, entrepreneurs and
healthcare practitioners. Chaired by Scott Johnstone, CEO, Scottish Life
Sciences Association, the panel of speakers will address ‘What should be done
to transform the environment for life sciences in Scotland?'
In April,
BioCity Scotland will run the first BioEntrepreneur Boot Camp Scotland, a
three-day intensive business development programme for pre-start and
early-stage life sciences firms. Further details can be found at
http://bootcamp.biocity.co.uk.
Potential
tenants, university representatives and organisations interested in becoming
involved with BioCity Scotland should make contact via the website
www.biocity-scotland.co.uk
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