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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Monday, January 23, 2006
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Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative to Fund Missouri Universities
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 29, 2006 - Missouri Governor Matt Blunt has unveiled his Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative designed to transform the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) into a public-private partnership that would generate $425 million for higher education institutions across the state.
If approved by the Missouri General Assembly the Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative will provide a one-time infusion of approximately $300 million for capital improvement projects at state universities. Approximately $125 million would be spent on a $100 million endowed scholarship fund, $5 million to be utilized by the Missouri Discovery Alliance to attract and retain life science companies and to commercialize existing research already being conducted in our state and $20 million to create endowed professorships for Missouri research scientists.
In a statement, Governor Blunt said, "This is an excellent opportunity to get full value out of a state asset to provide aid to college students and capital to their universities for important building projects. I am committed to doing everything I can to enhance educational opportunities in our state and to ensure that our employers and entrepreneurs continue to benefit from the greatest workforce in the world."
In addition to helping students and universities, Missouri's working families and the state's economy will also benefit from Blunt's forward-thinking proposal. According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, the initiative will create an average of 4,880 new jobs annually paying an average wage of $45,314.00. The total impact is expected to be $554.2 million in new economic activity on average each year.
The state's public bid process would be followed as MOHELA is transferred to a private entity. A new board comprised of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, and the commissioners of the offices of administration and higher education will be instituted to manage the sale.
The board will ensure the process is open and that taxpayers receive full value for the public-private partnership. The Lewis & Clark Discovery Initiative will also focus on providing more options and better service to student borrowers. Currently, several colleges and universities do not use MOHELA, and there is substantial expertise and competition in the marketplace that will also give students access to competitive loan rates.
As governor, Blunt has made education his number one priority. Last year Blunt signed a budget that directed more money to Missouri's two and four-year public colleges and universities than any budget of the prior administration. This year he is calling for a $17.1 million increase for higher education. The new funding will provide our state institutions resources they need to hold back any significant tuition increases and to continue to improve the quality of education they offer.
Advisory Council Designs Roadmap for Plant Biotechnology
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 29, 2006 - Members of the Missouri Governor's Advisory Council for Plant Biotechnology met last week at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to discuss life science initiatives underway across the state, outline goals for enhancing plant science research and commercialization, review legislative proposals and ideas, and explore potential funding sources for new commercial ventures.
Governor Matt Blunt met with council members to outline short, mid and long term goals designed to accelerate growth in Missouri's plant biotechnology industry.
"Plant science is a perfect fit for Missouri because of our large and diverse agricultural industry and existing research capacity" Blunt said. "Today we are working to develop a roadmap for the future that will enhance our position as a world leader in plant biotechnology, helping create and sustain high quality jobs for generations to come."
This is the group's second meeting. The advisory council is charged with analyzing the plant life science environment in Missouri to determine how the state can better capitalize on the industry's potential. Members represent all of the facets of plant biotechnology, including agriculture, government, economics, science and industry.
Tripos Discovery Research Announces International Partnerships
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 29, 2006 - Tripos, Inc., a leading provider of drug discovery chemistry and informatics products and services, today announced new collaborations with several prominent pharmaceutical and life science organizations across Europe and North America to provide knowledge-driven customized chemistry services.
These agreements encompass a combination of new partnerships and extensions with CeNeS Ltd., Gemin X Biotechnologies Inc., Genzyme Corp., GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development Ltd., and Schering-Plough Research Institute. Terms of the agreements, which were all finalized in the fourth quarter of 2005, were not disclosed.
"Tripos is delighted to be working with these pioneering pharmaceutical and life science companies. Their decision to select Tripos Discovery Research as their drug discovery partner underscores the quality of our work, the innovation we bring to our partners and our solid reputation for success in this field," said Dr. John P. McAlister, president and CEO of Tripos.
"As we enter 2006, we are committed to expanding our service and client base to provide more integrated drug discovery services. We are now engaged in more discovery research programs than ever before, and we look forward to generating value on behalf of our clients."
Homeowners Turning Down the Heat, Bundling Up Indoors
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 15, 2006 - Americans this winter are coping with skyrocketing home heating bills by turning down the heat, closing off rooms and even wearing more clothes, according to a national homeowner survey commissioned by St. Louis-based Emerson.
The prospect of continued high energy costs has nearly 60 percent of Americans considering more drastic lifestyle changes, the Emerson survey found, including spending less on non-essentials like dining out and vacations. In fact, more than one-quarter of survey respondents say they would put less money away for savings to help foot their energy bills. The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that households heating with natural gas likely will spend as much as 35 percent more for fuel this winter than last winter.
Setting their thermostats lower is the most popular way Americans are saving on energy costs this winter, the survey found. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of those surveyed said they are setting their thermostats lower to save on energy costs. Energy experts recommend use of programmable thermostats, which can be set to automatically adjust a home's indoor temperature up or down based on the homeowner's preferences throughout the day and night. About 23 percent of households have a programmable thermostat, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The Emerson survey found that only four of 10 households that have a programmable thermostat are actually using the programming feature. One reason: a perception that programmable thermostats are complicated to operate. Homeowners ranked the programmable thermostat as the second-hardest home technology to program -- comparable to the VCR.
"This survey finds that many homeowners are changing their behaviors to cope with higher energy costs, but we're still lagging in embracing and fully utilizing affordable technologies like programmable thermostats that can really make an impact on utility costs and promote energy conservation," said Tom Bettcher, an Emerson executive vice president and business leader of Emerson Climate Technologies. "Most programmable thermostats are not that complicated to setup, and the new models now available are easier-than-ever to use."
Sixty-three percent of respondents say they are setting their thermostats lower to save on energy bills and it appears the days of 72-degree comfort are gone, with nearly three-quarters of respondents setting their thermostats at or under 70 degrees during the day; 28 percent setting it at or below 67 degrees. Most homeowners are following energy experts' advice regarding setting a lower sleep time temperature, with 82 percent setting their thermostats at or below 70 degrees and 52 percent at or below 67 degrees.
Putting on a sweater or another blanket has been the energy-saving approach for 59 percent of homeowners surveyed. More than a quarter said they are not heating unused rooms in their houses and 23 percent are using wood and other alternate energy sources to heat their homes.
The prospect of continued high energy costs has 58 percent of homeowners considering home improvements to achieve higher energy efficiency.
The survey also reveals that steps taken to reduce energy bills differ between the sexes. More women than men said they are adding a sweater to save energy. Women are almost 10 percentage points more likely to cut back on non-essentials like dining out or vacations than their male counterparts.
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