Biotechnology is a booming business, and South Dakota companies are competing with organizations around the globe. Local scientists pioneer medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, and research. We talk with a researcher-turned-business developer about what he sees for area investors and scientists. Christoph Bausch is chief science officer for S-A-B Biotherapeutics in Sioux Falls. He grew up on a Nebraska farm, and his parents worked in medicine. Bausch says he left the Midwest to chase a science career at companies around the country. Then he returned to the heartland to further his work in biotechnology. Before we hear how adults see biotechnology, SDPB's Kealey Bultena takes you to the South Dakota Biotech annual summit where some future scientists help equip fellow kids.
David Salem is a Professor in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He is part of a team of researchers with the Composite and Nanocomposite Advanced Manufacturing Biomaterials Center. They are using microbes that were discovered deep underground in the Sanford Underground Research Facility in an attempt to make low-cost plastics that are renewable and biodegradable.
Dr. Ranjit Koodali joins us regularly to discuss the latest in chemistry research around the country. Koodali is a chemistry professor and dean of the USD Graduate Education program. We discuss how a Lilly chemist makes chemotherapy drug candidate in a multistep continuous flow process using current Good Manufacturing Practices. Continuous flow chemistry is where molecules are made in a continuous process rather than in batches. This practice has gained ground in academic labs, but has been comparatively slow in manufacturing labs.