Nashville, Tennessee (September 25, 2003) — Cumberland Emerging Technologies (CET) and RHIZOMA Corporation recently signed an agreement for RHIZOMA to make use of space in CET’s downtown Life Sciences Facility in Nashville, adjacent to the Union Station Hotel.
RHIZOMA Corporation, started in Sheffield, Alabama, has been involved for a number of years in research and development in proteins, amino acids, enzymes, metals and particulates, using extracts from plants growing in Alabama and Tennessee for advanced proprietary processes and products. The company has recently been awarded a Phase I grant under the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funded by the US Department of Agriculture.
“We were looking for some ready-equipped ‘wet’ laboratory space in which to conduct our initial Phase I feasibility studies,” said Llewellyn Parks, President of RHIZOMA Corporation. “CET had just finished equipping its Shared Laboratory in its Life Sciences Facility, and this was exactly what we needed for our work in terms of available equipment. Our primary in-house and consulting scientists were already located in Middle Tennessee.”
“We are pleased to welcome RHIZOMA into our Life Sciences Facility,” said A.J. Kazimi, CEO of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals. “We set up the Shared Laboratory specifically to provide our tenants with access to general purpose laboratory and equipment infrastructure. But this is ideal also for companies undertaking a short-term feasibility study while finalizing their plans for the next phase of development, which may include a lease for dedicated space in our facility.”
Cumberland Emerging Technologies Inc. (CET) is a joint initiative between Vanderbilt University, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc, and the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation (TTDC). The mission of CET (www.cet-fund.com) is to bring biomedical technologies and products conceived at Vanderbilt and other regional research centers to the commercial marketplace. CET helps manage the development and commercialization process for select projects, and provides critical expertise on intellectual property, regulatory, manufacturing, and marketing issues that are critical to successful new biomedical products. The Shared Laboratory was supported by a $100,000 Tennessee Industrial Infrastructure Program (TIIP) grant to CET and the TTDC.