CHARLOTTETOWN, Prince Edward Island, Canada; KANNAPOLIS, N.C. & GREENSBORO, N.C.) - The NC Research Campus is moving to bridge the gap between research conducted in the United States and research underway around the world. A top campus official and university researchers are at the Nutrisciences and Health 2007: Bioprospecting for Neuroprotectants Conference in Canada today and tomorrow to develop innovative relationships that foster better science and, ultimately, better health.

NC Research Campus Vice President of Business Development Clyde Higgs will deliver a presentation on the "Development of a Comprehensive Research Park" at the conference.

Joining Higgs at the conference are Dr. Ramu Rao, NC A&T State University's Interim Director for the Center for Post-Harvest Technology, and Dr. Deborah Kipp, chair of
UNC-Greensboro's Department of Nutrition. The delegation will meet with Canadian scientists and researchers to discuss the role the NC Research Campus and the universities will play in developing relationships with organizations interested in the crossroads between nutrition, bioscience and technology. The conference will explore the neuroscience implications of the use of naturally-occurring bioactives. Experts in this field will present on topics such as: neurodegeneration; bioprospecting; genomics and nutrition; neuroinflammation; and product development.

Rao will lead research efforts at NC A&T's Post- Harvest Technology program, which will study the processes used to improve quality and safety of food after it leaves the farm. Kipp will lead research efforts on behalf of UNC-Greensboro at the Nutrition Research Institute, which will focus on metabolomics, which measures and analyzes cellular processes.

Higgs, Kipp and Rao are available to answer questions regarding research that will take place on the research campus. To arrange an interview, please contact L. Hester at 919-882-1979.

Construction is well underway on the project's core laboratory building. Three companies, Red Hat, the BioMarker Group and Pelican Life Sciences, recently announced plans to move to the campus, which is designed to complement North Carolina's biotech corridor. The state boasts the country's third largest collection of biotech companies as well as nationally-ranked research universities.

About the North Carolina Research Campus
Other features of the research campus (www.ncresearchcampus.net) include:
* A 350-acre campus that complements North Carolina's biotech corridor.
* An initial 311,000-square-foot building to house the core laboratory, a state-of-the-art contract manufacturing biogenic facility and tenants.
* Five million square feet of office and laboratory space is available for tenants.