High-tech Science Making Real-life Impact By: Erin Hemme Froslie Today there are between 25 and 30 million Americans living with a rare disease. Thousands of these patients are waiting for a cure, a cure that likely will have its start in a Fargo-grown biotechnology firm. Aldevron is the world’s leading manufacturer of plasmid DNA, the base material used in gene and cell therapy, gene editing and immunotherapy. It’s a critical ingredient for laboratories in the booming fields of biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals. Essentially, Aldevron makes the DNA that will help its clients cure people of all sorts of diseases. “We know patients are waiting,” says Michael Chambers, founder
and president of Aldevron. “That’s why we’re trying to find ways to do it better, faster. That’s what motivates us.” Last fall, Aldevron moved into its new headquarters in southwest Fargo near the Microsoft campus. The 70,000-square-foot building is the largest and most advanced DNA facility in the world. About 300 people work at the corporate center, but there is room to grow on the 14 surrounding acres. Chambers expects the firm will ultimately have up to 800 employees in Fargo. In addition, Aldevron has facilities in Madison, Wisconsin, and Freiberg, Germany devoted to,
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respectfully, protein and antibody development. The company’s expansion has brought it a long way from the small lab at North Dakota State University where Aldevron was founded by Chambers and John Ballantyne in 1983. Chambers was graduating with degrees in microbiology, biotechnology and chemistry. Ballantyne, who now serves as the company’s chief scientific officer, was doing graduate work in pharmaceutical sciences. Despite its humble beginnings, Aldevron had the good fortune of coming of age as the industry exploded. That has ensured not only the firm’s growth, but its
