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Bryant Advances South Jersey Role In Stem Cell Research

TRENTON – A collaborative biomedical research and education effort in Camden would receive a $50 million boost under the $200 million stem-cell research measure approved today by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

“South Jersey is blessed with an abundance of dedicated, biomedical research professionals who are prepared to make quality-of-life breakthroughs of world-renowned proportions,” said Senator Bryant, Chairman of the panel. “This critical funding will help expedite those advancements.”

The committee approved the stem-cell legislation, S-1471, that would also call for a $150 million stem-cell facility in New Brunswick. The measure, sponsored by Senate President Richard J. Codey and Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, is co-sponsored by Senator Bryant, D-Camden and Gloucester.

The Coriell Institute for Medical Research, the newly formed Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the Camden Campus of Rutgers University would participate in the collaboration which also would include education tracks for students seeking doctoral degrees in biomedical research, Senator Bryant said.

“With Coriell already a world leader in cord-blood research, this combination of talent will be poised for formidable academic achievement and research development,” said Senator Bryant.

The joint venture, to be known as the Systems Biology Institute, will be located on the Camden Campus of Rutgers University and will be the setting for considerable Phd-research, Senator Bryant said.

“South Jersey students will be positioned well to make good use of this facility to help themselves -educationally,” said Senator Bryant. “I commend Senator Codey and Governor Corzine for their support.”

The measure would appropriate unused bond capacity resulting from tobacco revenues. Bonds, in turn, backed by the cigarette tax would be issued by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The panel approved the measure by a vote of 8-4 with three abstentions and it now awaits a vote before the full Senate.

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