Biotechnology is the popular girl of the economic development world, the industry that all cities and counties are working hard to woo, seeking a long-term commitment — And Tallahassee is no exception. company in 2009. It is now run by Doug Engel and Timothy Kinney, though Dudley is a scientific adviser. Florida Custom Synthesis found the right lab space through FSU’s Entrepreneurs Building on Commonwealth Blvd. in Northwest Tallahassee. Already, Florida Custom Synthesis has clients in Florida and as far away as California. Dudley said the company is already starting to turn a profit. “(Drug or biotech companies) are going to be designing what they think are the new treatments,” Dudley said. “We are the ones providing the fuel for their testing process.” Tallahassee doesn’t have the thriving biotechnology and health sciences industries that cities such as Boston, San Diego and the Raleigh-Durham area have, but it shows promise.
One biotechnology company has been here since 1992. Animal Genetics, which started as Avian Biotech, was founded by Dr. Siwo de Kloet, a retired professor of biological science at FSU who had studied animal genetics. De Kloet wanted to focus on bird DNA sexing and disease testing. Determining the sex of a bird isn’t easy. Prior to DNA testing, birds had to undergo surgery to determine their sex. Thanks to genetic testing, the sex can be determined after the bird’s owner mails in a few feathers. It’s much less invasive and less expensive for the bird’s owner. Animal Genetics is now run by Siwo’s son, Arne de Kloet. Arne de Kloet said Animal Genetics has since expanded to include an office in the United Kingdom and testing on dogs and
horses, though it is still the largest private provider of genetic tests for birds in the world. Animal Genetics handles more than 90,000 tests annually. The company tests everything from genetic disorders and infectious disease testing to what the offspring of two animals would look like. “It’s all kinds of different issues with these animals,” said Arne de Kloet. Animal Genetics, which employs around 20 people in Tallahassee, works frequently with breeders, especially race horse owners, who want to test for performance abilities. “Another popular thing is DNA profiling,” Arne de Kloet said. “Determining the parents and lineage of a fowl is very popular.” “We do that with a registry that requires
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