Texas' Biocorridor continues to grow exponentially with addition of mixed use community

BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, Texas, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ATLAS is the first master planned community in Texas designed for companies engaged in manufacturing biologics and pharmaceuticals.

Less than two miles from Texas A&M University, ATLAS offers a prime location for a community with an amenity-rich lifestyle and the collaborative atmosphere companies need with access to world-class researchers and students.

ATLAS will provide a vibrant, walkable lifestyle for the people relocating to Bryan/College Station to work in the biotech and pharmaceutical labs and offices.  

Texas A&M is under construction on the newly formed Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM). The first component is a $91 million facility operated by KALON Biotherapeutics that will manufacture a Glaxo Smith Kline product and provide a national response capability in the event of a pandemic.

This national asset is situated near Caliber Biotherapeutics, the world's largest plant-based vaccine manufacturing facility. Also under construction is the global headquarters for Nutrabolt, the maker of Cellucor nutrition products.

An important part of the experience within ATLAS is a thriving town center where residents and guests can walk to Lake Atlas and enjoy the inviting green space. Also in planning are a boutique hotel, retail, waterfront restaurants, and a live music venue. ATLAS also has direct access to amenities of Traditions Club, which features a Nicklaus designed golf course and is home to the Texas A&M golf teams.

"We are developing ATLAS specifically for life-science manufacturers who want to position their companies and people in a truly integrated community where it's possible to work, collaborate, live and recreate, all at the epicenter of the region's burgeoning One Health Plus Biocorridor," stated Spencer Clements, Principal, Traditions Acquisition Partnership, developer of Atlas and The Traditions Club and Community.

"To successfully attract additional biotech industry, our quality of life amenities have to be competitive," College Station Mayor, Nancy Berry said.

"As the biocorridor grows, this entire region of Texas will benefit," echoed Bryan, Texas Mayor, Jason Bienski. "To see BCS and the Research Valley become the new biotech development area of choice is truly exciting."

"The Atlas announcement represents another brilliant step in accomplishing the Biocorridor vision. We are honored to work day in and day out with a development partner that desires to compete with us on the global playing field. I know Atlas will be world-class." stated Todd E. McDaniel, President & CEO, The Research Valley Partnership, Inc.

For more information, atlastx.com

SOURCE Atlas, Texas; Biocorridor

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World Agroforestry Center holds feeding program for flood victims

Staff and scholars of the World Agroforestry Center (also know an ICRAF), an IRRI-hosted center, held a feeding program to more than 1,000 evacuees at the Tadlac Tent City in Los Baños on 7 September 2012.

Rosemary Caballero led the activity, representing Rodel Lasco, Philippine programme coordinator. They were joined by volunteers and IRRI spouses Sue Pretty and Stella Bouman, and guests.

Floodwaters have receded to waist level in the communities along Laguna Lake, and the residents of Barangay Tadlac are staying in the 'tent cities' because their homes remain unsafe and there is prospect of more rainfall. Tadlac was hardest hit by the flooding caused by Typhoon Gener and the Habagat rains in July.

Close to 10,000 residents are still in various tent cities and evacuation centers in Los Baños and Bay as floodwaters are expected to take about 3 more months to recede in the lakeshore areas. 


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IRRI staff donate to flood victims

IRRI's Host Country and Community Relations Office has turned over donations from IRRI employees to the Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Coordinating Councils of the towns of Los Baños and Bay and continues to coordinate relief assistance and feeding programs from volunteer organizations.

Donated items include rice, canned foods, hygiene articles, bottled water, blankets, towels, and clothes and will be distributed to those affected by recent flooding on the shores of Laguna Lake. Cash donations were used to buy more rice for distribution to the flood victims.

The HCCRO team thanks all donors and those who volunteered to help during the feeding programs.


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IRRI staff celebrate birthdays to benefit poor children

Seven staff members of IRRI's Social Sciences Division who had their birthdays in July started a different way of celebrating: share the joy with less fortunate kids through Project ShoeBox of the 4th Light Armor (Masigasig) Batallion of the Philippine Army.

Project Shoebox is an outreach activity in which shoe boxes filled with school supplies and other goodies are solicited from donors and distributed to poor kids.

The birthday celebrators requested their friends, colleagues, and AISAS (an IRRI employee group) for shoe boxes and collected more than 170 of these—more than three times their goal of 50 boxes.

Beneficiaries of the activity were kids from select areas in the CALABARZON. The shoe boxes were turned over to the batallion through a simple ceremony led by Lt. Col. Thomas Sedano and his staff, held on 3 August at the SSD lobby in Drilon Hall.

Lt. Col. Sedano thanked the SSD staff and assured them that the shoe boxes will reach the schoolchildren of Masin Elementary School in Candelaria, Quezon Province.

The birthday celebrators were Flor Palis, Dehner de Leon, Malu Malabayabas, Aileen Maunahan, Rodmyr Datoon, Gen Todcor, and R.G. Sarmiento.

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Donated dolls and medicines help kids in IRRI medical mission

What can help lessen the fear in children while they endure a physician's cold metallic stethoscope during consultation? How about dolls and rice cookies?

The Tsuno Food Industrial Company, Ltd. from Japan donated these items and helped make IRRI's medical mission and community health education activity certainly less frightening among the sick children from Barangay Tagumpay in Bay, Laguna, on 20 July 2012.

The white faceless doll, a project of the Kiwanis Club, was intended to take away anxiety and discomfort from sick children and become an outlet for their expression. By drawing a face on the doll, the children can express fear, unhappiness, or pain from an injury they feel, thus allowing adults to discuss concerns or pains more objectively with the child.

More than 500 residents of the lakeshore barangay were recipients of July's medical mission and health and wellness counseling. They are of low-income households and thus have less access to medical services.

IRRI provided free medicine while medics from the Philippine Army provided health counseling and medical consultation. Common illnesses found among the group were respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, diabetes, hypertension, malnutrition among children, and skin infection.

IRRI's Host Country and Community Relations Office conducts such activities monthly in depressed areas within its host communities of Los Baños and Bay in Laguna Province to help improve health and wellness among residents.

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