The Cornell proposal for a life-sciences corridor did not spell out details of how the corridor would work. Because the effort envisioned is so expansive and expensive, no one research institution could possibly develop and execute it alone, Tanksley said. The best possible approach is a collaborative statewide approach with active planning and participation of many public and private institutions and sustained and significant state funding, he added. Robert King, chancellor of the State University of New York, agreed. New York needs to keep up with other states that have made substantial investments to attract both research dollars and the new companies spinning off from the discoveries.
Biotechnology is probably New York's best buffer against economic decline.
This support has been directed toward recruitment of new faculty, seed grants for individual scientists, support for university research programs, Dibner said. The state has also support development of its future workforce in these fields by training public-school teachers and developing bioscience curricula for high schools, community colleges, and colleges and universities, he said. Other states are also investing heavily in the life sciences, he said. Nationally, there are some 1300 biotechnology firms, including 200 established corporations, Dibner said.