Last week, biotechnology researchers, innovators and executives gathered in Philadelphia for BIO 2005, a conference sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
BIO 2005 drew over 18,000 participants to the city --ÿa marked increase from the annual conference's first stop in Philly nine years ago, when barely 3,000 attended.
During the four days of presentations and speeches, the Pennsylvania Convention Center and other Center City sites catered to representatives from over 2,000 companies and over 60 countries.
Philadelphia's local biotech industry accounts for $15.5 billion of the region's annual gross metro product, making it a fitting host for the conference.
The influx of visitors during the event also had a significant economic impact -- estimated to be as much as $35 million -- on the city and local restaurants, hotels and shops.
However, the conference was accompanied by public outcry and a local tragedy.
Protesters gathered against issues such as genetically modified foods and pharmaceutical drug prices.
In addition, tragedy struck on June 21 when Philadelphia police officer Paris Williams suffered a heart attack while engaged in a scuffle with the crowd of anti-biotechnology protesters outside the Convention Center. No charges were filed.
Penn contributed greatly to the conference, Director of Economic Partnerships in the Office of Strategic Initiatives Keri Mattox said.
"Penn has been very innovative and aggressive in advancing biotechnology," Mattox added. "It's driving the type of biotech products and successes that BIO 2005 showcases."
The event also pulled in guest speakers and high-ranking public officials, including Penn president Amy Gutmann.
Celebrities such as Grammy Award-winner and cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge, golf champion Arnold Palmer and actor and breast cancer survivor Richard Roundtree -- better known as the original Shaft -- shared their stories and hopes for future growth in biotechnology.
In recent years, Penn has also been on the cutting edge of biotechnological innovation.
Penn has made a pledge to the further advancement of biotechnology with increased funding and two new projects.
The Nano-Bio Interface Center -- a collaboration of the Bioengineering and Materials Science and Engineering departments -- was recently formed to further study at the nanoscale.
The Bioengineering Department is also getting a boost with the ongoing construction of Skirkanich Hall -- a multimillion-dollar research and academic building slated for completion sometime next year.
Mattox said that Penn researchers currently have 40 different compounds or drugs seeking FDA approval, and five have recently been approved.
Bioengineering professor Steven Nicoll believes that the future of bioengineering at Penn looks promising, especially with the addition of Skirkanich Hall.
Nicoll said that the field of bioengineering is working at an increasingly up-close level, moving toward the nanoscale, which puts an even bigger premium on getting larger space for this small but booming discipline.
