By Innovate Pasadena Staff — March 11, 2014
Following years of careful planning headed by future California Senator Jack Scott and Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard the Pasadena Bioscience Collaborative (PBC), a non-profit biotech incubator, quietly opened its doors for business in 2004. The following decade held unprecedented growth for PBC, mirroring the success of its namesake city. During these formative years the PBC expanded from 500 square feet to occupy over 13,000 square feet in 3 separate facilities, assisting nearly 30 startups along the way and shows no sign of slowing down.
Following years of careful planning headed by future California Senator Jack Scott and Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard the Pasadena Bioscience Collaborative (PBC), a non-profit biotech incubator, quietly opened its doors for business in 2004. The following decade held unprecedented growth for PBC, mirroring the success of its namesake city. During these formative years the PBC expanded from 500 square feet to occupy over 13,000 square feet in 3 separate facilities, assisting nearly 30 startups along the way and shows no sign of slowing down. In fact the PBC quickly gained a reputation as the ‘go to’ spot for early stage life science companies in need of high quality wet lab space and unequalled administrative mentoring. At the start of 2014 PBC provides space to 18 tenants who specialize in a divergent range of fields from drug discovery, cancer research, radiation mitigation, and medical devices to low energy etching of semi-conductors and beyond. With a number of prospective hopefuls waiting in the wings the PBC continues to prove it’s a key element of the burgeoning start-up community based in the City of Roses. “When Innovate Pasadena came on the scene we saw an opportunity to join an amazing group of dynamic, forward thinking and highly motivated people who wanted to create a community out of the fragmented start-up scene in Pasadena” states Dr. Wendie Johnston, Lab Director at PBC. “The fact that the CONNECT Weekend happened to coincide with our 10th Anniversary celebration kick off made our involvement a real ‘no brainer’… and yes, that is a highly scientific term!” President Bruce Blomstrom echoes the sentiment adding “PBC and our tenant companies are really excited to be a part of the CONNECT Weekend. This is a chance for others in the area to really experience the magic that happens not only at PBC but also at the Oak Crest Institute of Science right next door. The fact that both labs are participating should really highlight the depth of the startup and research community here in Pasadena.” On Friday, March 14th the Pasadena Bioscience Collaborative will open the doors to its main wet lab to allow visitors to meet entrepreneurs behind innovative research happening at PBC and see science in action. Visit Eventbrite for details and registration.