Protea Biosciences was the cover story in Biz magazine for the December 2008 issue, written by Tyler Blankenship. The article was also featured in the Auctions/Employment and Opportunities section of the Sunday, December 21st, 2008 issue of The Dominion Post newspaper. The article summarizes Protea’s history and how they work with WVU to improve research possibilities.
Steve Turner is Protea’s founder, starting the company from the WVU Chemistry Department in 2002. “We help researchers obtain improved protein identification and characterization data from biological samples. We develop technology and help WVU commercialize and patent research that has been done by their students and professors,” says Turner.
Protea’s Director of Research and Development, Matthew Powell, earned his doctorate from WVU. He says, “We give our customers ways to help move [protein] samples forward. Every lab sample has to be prepared differently and we try to make that transition for scientists easier here.”
According to Turner, Protea works closely with WVU, providing job opportunities for interns and gradating students, and helping the university with royalties for technology they create. “Our presence creates a confidence for smart and ambitious WVU graduates that they might be able to have a job locally after they graduate,” says Turner.
In the article, Bruce Sparks, the director of the Office of Technology Transfer at WVU, talks about how interns at Protea gain invaluable knowledge and experience. “After interning there, the kids gain practical business knowledge for the scientific field. Interns are always able to get great jobs with an internship like Protea on their resume,” says Sparks. He goes on to say that WVU will continue to work closely with Steve and Protea Biosciences to help develop new technology through the university.
Protea is trying to gain more global customers. Turner says, “About a third of our products are sold overseas. We have had about 150 sales in the last five months, a lot of that is turnover from repeated buyers. With time, more companies will jump on board.”
Protea’s marketing communications manager is Lauren Cutruzzula. She says that Protea is trying to start a global marketing campaign that makes all their products recognizable, creating strong brand name recognition.
Turner says that Morgantown is able to sustain more companies like Protea. He says, “Someone that works here for awhile or has had an internship here and learns the ropes could open a similar business in this area. People will leave companies and start up new ones, which will hopefully create a bio-tech valley.”
The full article can be found in the Biz magazine, a monthly business publication. December 2008 Vol. 4 Ed. 12
Also available in the Auctions/Employment and Opportunities section of the Sunday, December 21st, 2008 issue of The Dominion Post newspaper on page 1-G.
Posted by Sarah Abbate on December 3, 2008 at 4:55 pm in the following categories: Featured News, Protea Biosciences
