Partnership to Support AavantiBio’s Gene Therapy Platform with Plasmid Supply
Collaboration to Include Material for Proof-of-Concept and GLP Toxicology Studies for Future Programs
Aldevron will Supply Plasmids to AavantiBio’s Planned Vector Core and CDMO Partners

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & FARGO, N.D.--(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aavanti Bio, a gene therapy company focused on transforming the lives of patients with rare genetic diseases, and Aldevron, a global leader in the custom development and manufacture of plasmid DNA, proteins and mRNA for the biotech industry, today announced a long-term strategic partnership for the supply of plasmid DNA that will enable AavantiBio to advance its platform of innovative gene transfer therapies.

Aldevron will provide plasmids for AavantiBio’s future gene therapy programs, including the company’s neuromuscular and CNS pipeline programs. In addition, Aldevron will provide AavantiBio with plasmid supply materials for Proof-of-Concept studies (POC) to be produced within AavantiBio’s planned vector core facility, which is expected to open later this year and will supply pre-clinical and analytical material for future pipeline products. The partnership with Aldevron further enhances AavantiBio’s strategic capabilities as the company looks to develop novel gene therapies for patients with rare genetic diseases.

"This collaboration is an important milestone in AavantiBio’s evolution as we seek to advance our pipeline of gene therapy candidates which have the potential to become next-generation, life-changing genetic medicines,” said Bo Cumbo, President and Chief Executive Officer of AavantiBio. “Partnering with Aldevron, the premier plasmid DNA manufacturer in the world, and leveraging their proven manufacturing expertise, will support AavantiBio’s pre-clinical and clinical development efforts and supports our strategic plans to bring high impact, transformational therapies to patients with rare genetic diseases.”

Aldevron will develop and optimize the plasmid DNA in its pre-clinical research grade facility, moving through to its GMP-Source® and GMP manufacturing facility in Fargo, North Dakota.

“Aldevron is proud to support AavantiBio with the development and supply of their plasmid DNA needs as part of their efforts to transform the lives of patients facing a rare disease,” said Kevin Ballinger, CEO of Aldevron. “Since 1998, we have been providing our clients with the highest quality biologics and industry expertise they need to help give hope to millions. We look forward to working together through this long-term, strategic partnership.”

About AavantiBio, Inc.

AavantiBio is a gene therapy company backed by a premier syndicate of life sciences investors including Perceptive Advisors, Bain Capital Life Sciences, and RA Capital Management, who led the company’s recent $107 million Series A financing. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, AavantiBio’s platform is focused on advancing innovative gene therapies in areas of high unmet medical need, including a lead program in Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare inherited genetic disease that causes cardiac and central nervous system dysfunction. The company benefits from strategic partnerships with the University of Florida’s renowned Powell Gene Therapy Center and the MDA Care Center at UF Health where AavantiBio’s co-founders and renowned gene therapy researchers Barry Byrne, M.D., Ph.D. and Manuela Corti, P.T., Ph.D. maintain their research and clinical practices. Learn more at www.aavantibio.com.

Located 6 miles north of the tiny town of Geneseo, North Dakota, (population 20), right in the middle of farm country, is the “Dakota Micro Manufacturing Facility” on the farm of Dave and Charissa Rubey. Now I have visited a number of “manufacturing facilities” located on farms before, but I have never visited a farm manufacturing facility that, in the words of Administrator Jovita Carranza, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Dakota Micro is “a world class operation manufacturing high quality camera systems from Cayuga, North Dakota”. These sentiments by Ms. Carranza were shared when Charissa was selected as SBA’s 2020 Small Business Person of the Year for North Dakota stating “A great success story from rural North Dakota!”

Dakota Micro, Inc. Is the exclusive manufacturer of AgCam, EnduraCam, InnoPro, RazerCam, and OverView rear view and surveillance camera lines. The AgCam, EnduraCam, InnoPro cameras and all associated adapters and cables are manufactured at their facility in Southeastern North Dakota. Dakota Micro also provides custom manufacturing to a wide variety of industries including, agriculture, construction, forestry, public works, and aggregate.   

Dakota Micro has a highly trained and efficient staff capable of a wide variety of electronics manufacturing including soldering, assembly, and testing. It has a documented manufacturing reliability of 99.5% and specializes in rugged design and manufacturing. This company has evolved from a camera and accessories manufacturer, for business to include custom cable manufacturing and electronics assembly.
 
Dakota Micro is the “brainchild” of Charissa and her husband Dave, both pictured to the left. In fact, Dakota Micro Manufacturing is located on the Rubey Farmstead which Dave took over approximately 27 years ago from his father who passed away. The business was actually started shortly after they took over the farm due to an injury suffered by Dave. This injury was to his neck, so he needed a way to be able to “see” what his farm machinery was doing in order to operate efficiently so he and Charissa invented the camera system that they manufacture and market today to fulfill that need. I would encourage people to watch the following video to learn more about how the company was started and where it is at today, it is a true Horatio Alger Story!
 
A person can contact Dakota Micro by phone: 701-538-4403; or by mail, 8659 1481/2, Ave. SE, Cayuga, ND, 58103; or by email, [email protected]. But no matter what, view the you tube video cited above or go to their website www.dakotamicro.com and enjoy the story of a true North Dakota Couple that took “lemons” and made “lemonade” not only for themselves but for North Dakota.

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) (the "Company") announced today that Danaher has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Aldevron, for a cash purchase price of approximately $9.6 billion. Danaher expects to finance the acquisition using cash on hand and/or proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper.

Founded in 1998 by Michael Chambers and John Ballantyne, Aldevron is headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota and employs approximately 600 people. Aldevron manufactures high-quality plasmid DNA, mRNA, and proteins, serving biotechnology and pharmaceutical customers across research, clinical and commercial applications. Aldevron will operate as a standalone operating company and brand within Danaher's Life Sciences segment.

Rainer M. Blair, Danaher President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are thrilled to have Aldevron join Danaher's Life Sciences segment. For nearly 25 years, Aldevron has made tremendous contributions to the advancement of cell, gene and other novel therapies and vaccines. This acquisition will expand our capabilities into the important field of genomic medicine and help us support our customers and their critical mission to bring more life-saving therapies and vaccines to market faster."

Michael Chambers, Aldevron Founder and Executive Chairman, added, "Joining Danaher will help us expand our global reach and harness the power of the Danaher Business System to continue supporting our customers with best-in-class products and services. I'm incredibly excited for Aldevron to take this pivotal next step with Danaher and look forward to the tremendous impact we can make together in the expanding area of genomic medicine." 

The transaction is subject to customary conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.

ABOUT DANAHER
Danaher is a global science and technology innovator committed to helping its customers solve complex challenges and improving quality of life around the world. Its family of world class brands has leadership positions in the demanding and attractive health care, environmental and applied end-markets. With more than 20 operating companies, Danaher's globally diverse team of approximately 69,000 associates is united by a common culture and operating system, the Danaher Business System, and its Shared Purpose, Helping Realize Life's Potential. For more information, please visit www.danaher.com.

Pictured is Dr. Slobodan Paessler and Ms. Isabelle Chambers of Biomed Protection, LLC, whose company is engaged in the design and manufacture of vaccines for the treatment of Covid-19 and other viruses. Biomed Protection, LLC, has registered as a North Dakota corporation and is establishing an office in Fargo, North Dakota, in order to work in partnership with Aldevron in the design, development and manufacture of vaccines utilizing Biomed Protections unique and proprietory electronic Biology Platform. Biomed has developed an electronic biology platform that allows for real time monitoring of genetic changes with biological consequences for vaccine design against various different pathogens including SARS Corona Virus 2. For more information about the technology which is being employed by Biomed Protection, LLC, please go to their website, biomedprotection.com.

The 69th annual North Dakota State Science and Engineering Fair was held on April 5, 2019, at the University of North Dakota. The fair had over 160 seventh- through twelfth-grade students presenting their research projects in biology, chemistry, engineering, behavioral sciences, and mathematics, among others. Participating schools were from across the entire state.
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Students were divided into junior and senior divisions. There were special category, regional, and overall awards. These regional and overall awards determine who will progress to the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Ariz.

To increase student participation, fees for the regional fair were paid by the North Dakota IDeA (Institutional Development Award) Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), which is administered by the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences. The immediate goal is to stimulate the development of science, technology, engineering, and math education by supporting the ability of all third- through twelfth-grade students who wish to participate and compete in their regional fairs and the North Dakota State Science and Engineering Fair. This will ultimately increase the number of North Dakota students entering the technical, educational, and health professional workforce pipeline in the state.

Richard Glynn, Executive Director of the Bioscience Association of North Dakota attended the fair and saw many exhibits posted by local students. Such as the Exhibit Isabelle Chambers exhibited entitled “Engineering To Improve Vision via Photoactivation”. This exhibit shows her work in improving vision in the visionally impaired by directing a beam of light directly into the eye. This allows the person to see images and shapes as before they were unable to see nothing.

The Exhibitors compete for a spot in the “Senior Division Sweepstakes. Senior Division Sweepstakes First Place winner receives a gold state plaque, a hooded sweatshirt, a $200 cash award from the Marcus J. Friskop Family, a $500 cash award from the University of North Dakota Admissions and Financial Aid, and a 1 Year $2500 Scholarship to the University of North Dakota and will advance to the ISEF in Phoenix Arizona and will exhibit his/her project. The second place (sweepstakes runner-up) winner receives a gold state plaque, a hooded sweatshirt, a $250 cash award from the University of North Division Admissions and Financial Aid, and a 1 Year $2000 Scholarship to the University of North Dakota and will advance to the ISEF in Phoenix Arizona and will exhibit his/her project. The third place (sweepstakes 2nd runner-up) winner receives a state plaque, a hooded sweatshirt, a $200 cash award from the University of North Dakota Admissions and Financial Aid, and a 1 Year $1000 Scholarship to the University of North Dakota and will advance to the ISEF in Phoenix Arizona and will exhibit his/her project.
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Once again the goal is to increase the number of North Dakota students entering the technical, educational, and health professional workforce pipeline in the state. A goal endorsed by the Association.

More than 600 participants from across the state braved snowy conditions to take part in the second annual Northern Corn & Soybean Expo held in the Fargo Dome on February 12, 2019. They were there to get the latest updates on important topics like trade, weed management and farm stress. And there to greet them was Executive Director Richard Glynn in a booth among more than 80 exhibitors to inform them of the importance of the Biotechnology Association’s role in the life of these corn and soybean producers.

Director Glynn was interviewed by Ag Week Radio on the Exhibit Floor on the value added uses of Corn and Soybean in the BioTech Industry. Glynn emphasized the role of ethanol in the United States creating jobs in rural areas where employment opportunities are needed. That ethanol production in 2018 accounted for more than 71,300 direct jobs across the country, adding $46 billion to the gross domestic product, and $25 billion in household income. In North Dakota, the ethanol industry contributes more than $300 million annually to the state’s economy, while in the United States, the ethanol industry adds $42.4 billion to the Gross Domestic Product and contributes $29.9 billion to household income and $8 billion in tax revenue. On how greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are reduced on average by 34% with corn-based ethanol and up to 108% if cellulosic feedstocks are used, compared with gasoline and diesel production and use.
Glynn also emphasized the different uses that Soybean Oil is being utilized for. Everything from creating “carbon black” for tires to creating a cure for Cancer. No longer is Soybeans being used solely as a food source but as an industrial product.
All in all it was a highly successful Expo, with Glynn greeting and helping farmers to understand the role of the Bio Industry in their lives. That “Bio” is not just for “healing the world” but for “feeding and fueling the World as well.

BIO ASSOCIATION ATTENDS THE SECOND  ANNUAL  JOINT  UND-NDSU 
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING  SYMPOSIUM AT UND’S MEMORIAL UNION ON OCTOBER 22, 2018
On Monday, October 22, 2018, there was held the Second Annual Joint UND-NDSU Biomedical Engineering Symposium in the Memorial Union on the Campus of the University of North Dakota. The Symposium provided  new  opportunities  to  broaden relationships  leading  to  the  development  of  BME  collaborative/competitive  research projects  and  proposals  that  require  interdisciplinary  participation,  specially  from  industry.
Pictured is Dr. Kouhyar Tavakolian, the director for Biomedical Engineering Research Complex (BERC) at UND and one of the sponsors for this Symposium. Kouhyar’s particular interest are in biological signal processing, biomedical instrumentation and noninvasive cardiology technologies he has published more than a hundred journal, conference proceedings, patents and book chapters in these fields. It was his idea to bring the two Universities together in this Symposium to explore synergies they may have in the Engineering Biomedical area.
Dr.’s Benjamin and Amanda Brooks also attended the seminar. The Dr.’s Brooks' current research interests lie in developing: 1) antimicrobial biomaterial surfaces via a variety of molecular and chemical techniques as well as development of novel controlled antibiotic release strategies to combat the emerging problem of antibiotic drug resistance, 2) combination hemocompatible, antimicrobial biomaterial surface coating, and 3) novel combination polymers for advanced drug delivery.
A highlight of the conference was a panel discussion, featuring Chuck  Kummeth,  Bio-TechneCorp.; Nathan  Grenz,  Medtronic; Andy  R.  Thoreson,  MayoClinic;  Jim  Albrecht,  ComDel  Innovation; and Mark Basson, Associate Dean for Research and Development at the UND Medical School. These gentlemen discussed how the two Universities could work together and also with the industry and how this could provide new opportunities for both Universities to broaden relationships leading to the development of  BME  collaborative/competitive  research projects  that  require  interdisciplinary  participation,  specially  from  industry.
As pictured at left the meeting was well attended by students and staff of both Universities. And the Bioscience Association was present to encourage these co-operations and to help these innovators and entrepreneurs achieve their goals. This is what industry and biotechnology need to do. Come together, work together to create a new Industry in North Dakota that will provide opportunities for our students and faculty.

The 2018 North Dakota INBRE Annual Symposium was held on Saturday and Sunday, October 13 & 14, 2018, at the University Of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences located at 1301 N. Columbia Road, Grand Forks, North Dakota.

​​Richard Glynn, Executive Director of the Bioscience Association of North Dakota, shown at left, was in attendance at this event. The goal of North Dakota INBRE is to build biomedical research capacity by serving research universities, baccalaureate institutions, and tribal colleges within the state. The specific aims are to: (1) Initiate competitive, sustainable research programs at four predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs); (2) Increase the number of students from PUIs who choose to pursue advanced training in the biomedical sciences; (3) Increase the number of students from tribal colleges who matriculate into baccalaureate degree programs in the sciences; (4) Enhance the state's access to computational and electronic resources supporting biomedical research; and (5) Enhance existing core facilities. 

Pictured here is Dr. Donald Sens, Professor, Department of Pathology, ND INBRE Principal Investigator, from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Dr. Sens is the Principal Investigator for the North Dakota INBRE organization and as such is the principal organizer of this conference. With the help from Associate Professor Van A. Doze, Ph.D. from the Department of Biomedical Sciences, UND; Associate Professor Scott Garrett, Ph.D., Department of Pathology, UND, Chris Keller, Ph.D. Professor of Biology, Minot State University; Seema Somji, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, UND; Grant McGimpsey, Ph.D, Vice President of Research and Economic Development, UND; and Brent Voels, Ph.D, Science Instructor Cankdeska Cikakana Community College, INBRE Advisory Committee this conference has become an annual event.

One Hundred and fifty-seven Faculty, Parents and Students from 9 predominately undergraduate institutions participated in lectures, workshops and a poster session where students displayed the work they had performed over the last year on various projects.

Among those participating in the poster session was Ms. Isabelle Chambers, the sixteen year old daughter of Michael and Victoria Chambers. Her poster described her work in proving that Plasmid DNA can be produced in Gas Permeable Low Density Polethylene Bags which sounds very complicated but the basic premise is that this material can be produced in plastic bags and then stored or shipped that way. A significant cost savings! Also participating in the poster session was various faculty from the participating institutions...

Pictured is Dr. David T. Pierce of who is a member of the Chemistry Department at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at UND. Dr. Pierce displayed a poster showing his work on metals and petroleum in our ground water. The poster is entitled “Metal Analysis Core Facility”. The conference is designed to build and strengthen the lead and partner institutions' biomedical research expertise and infrastructure and increase the research base and capacity by providing research support to faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students at the participating institutions.
These are the innovators and entrepreneurs of the future who are going to bring the Biotech Industry to North Dakota. And the Bioscience Association of North Dakota is going to be there to help turn their ideas into businesses and industries located in North Dakota!

On Monday, October 22, 2018, there was held the Second Annual Joint UND-NDSU Biomedical Engineering Symposium in the Memorial Union on the Campus of the University of North Dakota. The Symposium provided  new  opportunities  to  broaden relationships  leading  to  the  development  of  BME  collaborative/competitive  research projects  and  proposals  that  require  interdisciplinary  participation,  specially  from  industry.
Pictured is Dr. Kouhyar Tavakolian, the director for Biomedical Engineering Research Complex (BERC) at UND and one of the sponsors for this Symposium. Kouhyar’s particular interest are in biological signal processing, biomedical instrumentation and noninvasive cardiology technologies he has published more than a hundred journal, conference proceedings, patents and book chapters in these fields. It was his idea to bring the two Universities together in this Symposium to explore synergies they may have in the Engineering Biomedical area.
Dr.’s Benjamin and Amanda Brooks also attended the seminar. The Dr.’s Brooks' current research interests lie in developing: 1) antimicrobial biomaterial surfaces via a variety of molecular and chemical techniques as well as development of novel controlled antibiotic release strategies to combat the emerging problem of antibiotic drug resistance, 2) combination hemocompatible, antimicrobial biomaterial surface coating, and 3) novel combination polymers for advanced drug delivery.
A highlight of the conference was a panel discussion, featuring Chuck  Kummeth,  Bio-TechneCorp.; Nathan  Grenz,  Medtronic; Andy  R.  Thoreson,  MayoClinic;  Jim  Albrecht,  ComDel  Innovation; and Mark Basson, Associate Dean for Research and Development at the UND Medical School. These gentlemen discussed how the two Universities could work together and also with the industry and how this could provide new opportunities for both Universities to broaden relationships leading to the development of  BME  collaborative/competitive  research projects  that  require  interdisciplinary  participation,  specially  from  industry.
As pictured at left the meeting was well attended by students and staff of both Universities. And the Bioscience Association was present to encourage these co-operations and to help these innovators and entrepreneurs achieve their goals. This is what industry and biotechnology need to do. Come together, work together to create a new Industry in North Dakota that will provide opportunities for our students and faculty.