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May 20, 2021 (Washington, D.C.)- Connected DMV held its ninth and final COVID-19 Strategic Renewal Task Force meeting, where they announced the formation of the DMV Regional Congress to continue the Task Force’s mission of advancing strategic initiatives to promote economic renewal and social equity in the region. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also addressed the Task Force, where she gave an update on the District’s reopening plans. She also thanked the cross-sector regional nonprofit for its work in bringing together all of the region’s stakeholders for the shared purpose of creating a more economically vibrant and equitable future for all in Greater Washington on behalf of the District and Maryland and Virginia Governors Larry Hogan and Ralph Northam.

Image: https://www.connecteddmv.org

GERMANTOWN, Md. & HILDEN, Germany–(BUSINESS WIRE)– QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced it has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the fast and easy-to-use QIAreach® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Test.

The authorization means QIAGEN can start making its portable antibody testing device available to health-care professionals in the U.S. Each antibody test takes only about 10 minutes to identify whether a person carries antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a result of prior infection. Individual test results are read on a digital eHub device that can process up to 32 tests per hour – and will eventually also run the antigen test.

FREDERICK, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, the Maryland Tech Council (MTC), Maryland’s largest technology and life sciences trade association, announced the winners for its annual Industry Awards Celebration. The event recognizes the leaders and innovators in the life sciences and technology communities from Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic Region. Winners were announced at the virtual celebration event today at 4pm ET.

“We are proud to celebrate and honor these companies and individuals in the life sciences and technology industries who are doing important work to improve lives,” said MTC CEO Marty Rosendale. “The work done by these industries is necessary now more than ever to help advance the state and the country. Each year, the Industry Awards Celebration brings out the best that the region has to offer, and 2021 was no exception.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on global health and highlighted the importance of international cooperation to effectively combat SARS-CoV-2. Since the discovery and publication of the virus’s genome in January 2020, scientists have rushed to develop vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics on an unprecedented timescale. To date there are 80 vaccines in clinical trials and 70 more in clinical development, setting the stage for some of the fastest vaccine development and testing in modern history1. The vaccine technology platforms used by the most promising vaccine candidates range from viral vector–based and protein-based technologies to mRNA and lipid nanoparticle technology. Despite these impressive scientific achievements, barriers such as the vaccine cold chain and multiple forms of intellectual property (IP) protection stand in the way of equitable access and fair allocation.

Image: https://www.nature.com

The universal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed our understanding of the lives we knew both collectively and personally. No one is immune to the effects of an “enemy” that we cannot see and at times cannot comprehend.

It would be safe to say that feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness are a normal part of our daily lives over the past year. Regaining a sense of control and the promise of returning to some semblance of safety and normalcy is a priority.

Charles River Laboratories is diving headfirst into gene therapy with another acquisition, this time paying $292.5 million upfront for Maryland-based Vigene Biosciences.

Image: https://www.bizjournals.com

WYNNEWOOD, PA / ACCESSWIRE / May 19, 2021 / Lankenau Ventures is a new business established to accelerate development and commercialization of medical inventions conceived by frontline healthcare workers. It is an initiative comprising a leading medical research institute and commercialization and entrepreneurship experts.

The joint venture includes the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR; the research division of Main Line Health) and L2C Partners, both in Philadelphia and Early Charm in Baltimore.

The Terp Entrepreneur Network (TEN) is a University of Maryland Alumni Association industry-focused group with a broad mandate to foster a vibrant Terp alumni entrepreneurship ecosystem. Bringing together UMD’s significant investments in innovation and our talented network of alumni, TEN generates tremendous value for the Terp community. TEN serves as a dedicated platform to connect Terp alumni with the resources, tools, and connections needed in meaningful ways to advance their entrepreneurial goals.

FastForward U has announced the winners of its inaugural Innovation & Entrepreneurship Challenge, which awarded more than $100,000 to eight student startups.

The I&E Challenge gave students a streamlined process to apply for multiple funding opportunities that enable them to make progress on their ventures over the summer without having to balance a job or internship. All four awards include money to pay for room and board, co-working space at FastForward U, and access to mentors and advisers.

Image: https://hub.jhu.edu