Biotech building booms in Maine
Maine innovators are expanding biotech facilities and workforce reported. Also, Scottish startup BIOCAPTIVA raised £1.58 million for liquid biopsy cancer testing reported.
Maine's life science sector is experiencing substantial growth, with a 31% increase in bioscience-related jobs over the last 5 years; the average salary in the sector is $108,000. This growth is attributed to expanded labs, new collaborations, and increased research capacity. The Maine Technology Institute (MTI) has distributed over $25 million in state funding to support economic growth across various sectors, including biotech. Four biotech firms received over $4 million through MTI and pledged $8.5 million in matching funds for facility and research expansion projects. Jackson Laboratory received a $2 million grant to renovate a vivarium, creating a state-of-the-art production facility for advanced research models. Mount Desert Island Biological Lab received $960,000 to build a new facility and expand its translational drug research capacity. BIOCAPTIVA, a University of Edinburgh spin-out, secured £1.58 million in funding and launched its msX research kits in Boston. Their technology improves how cell-free DNA is captured from blood, to make liquid biopsy testing more reliable and scalable.
