The University of Washington is a world leader in biotech research. And the work we do places us squarely in the center of an increasingly growing and global industry.

That’s one reason major scientific companies select Seattle for their operations. Here they find the talent they need to turn ideas into products that revolutionize health care. Consistently the top public university for federally funded research, the UW is the kind of university that businesses want as a partner. The result: an economic engine that is creating jobs and building demand for goods and services – all while improving health and saving lives.

UW Medicine is one of the world’s leading centers for biotech and genomic research. With five Nobel Laureates on faculty and three of the eight scientists considered the architects of the Human Genome Project, UW Medicine is internationally renowned.

Two new projects exemplify how the University’s leadership in scientific disciplines leads to economic growth.

Biotech hub in South Lake Union
The first is the University’s new research facilities in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle , an area that is being turned into a hub for biotech research with the help of leaders like the UW. The first UW Medicine Lake Union building opened in January 2005 and comprises the Center for Cardiovascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine; Program for Translational Medicine in Women’s Health; Program in Allergy & Inflammation and the Center for Proteomics at UW Medicine Lake Union. These interdisciplinary teams of scientists focus on speeding the translation of basic science discovery into clinical advancements that prevent, treat and cure diseases.

By keeping top scientists in Seattle , UW Medicine helps position our region as a national and world leader in the biotech industry. The new campus puts UW Medicine researchers close to local biotech companies and to research partners such as Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, creating a critical mass that will attract additional biotech entities. “Our opportunity – indeed, our responsibility – is to enhance economic development regionally, while improving health for our children and grandchildren here and throughout the community,” said Paul G. Ramsey, MD, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine .

New genomic center
The University is nearing completion of a new $150 million, 265,000 square-foot building that will house the Department of Genome Sciences and further establish the UW as one of the world’s leading genomic research institutions. The new building will house offices and laboratory facilities designed to serve the needs of a rapidly changing research discipline.

“Thanks in large measure to the tremendous intellectual capital already in place at the University of Washington, Seattle and the Northwest are well positioned for unparalleled world leadership in genome sciences,” said UW Regent Jeff Brotman, founder and chairman of Costco Wholesale Corporation.

“I can’t stress enough the enormity of what is taking place in terms of its potential for transforming the economic future of the greater Seattle area,” Brotman added. “UW Medicine employs more than 14,000 people and tens of thousands of others can trace their livelihoods to the University of Washington 's programs in medical education, research and clinical care.”

Three of the key architects of the Human Genome Project are now at the UW: Philip Green, Maynard Olson and Robert Waterston. “This building and other research space under development at the south end of Lake Union will allow us to lead this research and to successfully compete for future funding,” said Waterston.

The new building was made possible, in large part, by a $60 million gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Additional funding for the building includes $12 million from the federal government, $10 million from the Whitaker Foundation, and gifts from other private sources.

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