Critical to the success of the Danforth Center is the third point of our mission to “enhance our region as a world center for plant science.” The most visible result of this commitment is the new Bio-Research & Development Growth Park (pronounced BRIDGE PARK) located adjacent to our campus.
Several years ago the Center set aside eight acres of our campus in the hopes of finding a developer that would build commercial wet lab space for small companies and for related plant science activities. We were fortunate to find Wexford Science +Technology LLC, a privately held real estate developer and investment company specializing in major university facilities and science research parks nationwide.
BRDG Park provides emerging life science and clean-tech start-ups with the tools and facilities they need to increase their chances of success – interactions between top scientists and access to state-of-the-art core facilities such as research grade greenhouses, growth rooms and chambers, a microscopy suite, a proteomics facility, and a tissue transformation complex.
The first of what will ultimately be a three building campus, opened in June 2009 and features world-class wet laboratories and office space, a prominent incubator, and on-site workforce development and training program.
BRDG Park will serve as a vital resource for homegrown plant science startup companies as well as a beacon for attracting established plant science companies from across the country and around the world to our region.
