| Aldevron offers products and
services to the DNA Vaccine and Gene Therapy community. Its core technology
is a proprietary method to produce and purify plasmid DNA. The company
is the brainchild of North Dakota State University (NDSU) graduates
John Ballantyne, from Waiuku, New Zealand, and Michael Chambers, from
Carrington, North Dakota. Chambers earned degrees in chemistry, microbiology,
and biotechnology in 1997. Ballantyne obtained a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical
sciences the same year. Chambers and Ballantyne combined their mutual
interests in biotechnology with the excellent economic conditions in
North Dakota to start Aldevron in 1998.
The company was originally located in an incubator lab on the campus
of NDSU. While there, Aldevron developed many of the fermentation and
purification techniques that it uses today. In June of 1999, increased
business allowed Aldevron to expand into its own 7,500 square foot
facility where it is now located. Fifteen hundred square feet of additional
space was added in the spring of 2003. The building is equipped with
multiple air handling units, hoods, centrifuges, quality control equipment,
a clean room and a pharmaceutical production room.
Aldevron acquired GENOVAC (Freiburg, Germany) early in 2004 to expand
its business and scientific base to include GENOVAC's proprietary technology
for generating monoclonal antibodies with genetic immunization. The
acquisition also provides Aldevron a direct interface with the expanding
European life-science industry.
Aldevron's services, capabilities, and talented workforce have significantly
increased over the last several years. The company's client base has
grown to a global scale. Aldevron is collaborating with a number of
groups to develop new Gene Therapy and DNA Vaccine technologies. Other
synergistic partnerships are being aggressively pursued.
As we expand, our focus remains on meeting the needs of our clients.
We welcome comments and suggestions on how we can better serve the
scientific community.
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