Tennessee's growing life science industry was on full display at last week's BIO International Conference in San Diego. Drawing more than 20,000 industry leaders from around the globe, BIO provides an opportunity to build partnerships and highlight Tennessee's leadership in the life sciences sector. 

This year, Life Science Tennessee partnered with the state, Launch Tennessee, leading research institutions and universities and more to showcase life science innovations and partnerships as well as strengthen connections to continue industry growth and investment. We expanded our presence with a pavilion that hosted more than a dozen research presentations and hosted a sold-out Tennessee-themed reception. 

Thank you to all of our sponsors for making this year such a success! 

The University of Tennessee Medical Center has received a $7 million state appropriation to support its pursuit of National Cancer Institute designation, a milestone that would bring the gold standard in advanced cancer care, research and prevention efforts to East Tennessee. The only currently verified institute in the state is the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.

UT Medical will use the money to:

In recent months, Tennessee's legislature has begun considering proposals that would restrict access to mRNA-based medicines and therapies.

Graham Taylor, president and CEO of Helix Biotech and a Life Science Tennessee board member, has responded with an article in The Tennessean spotlighting the important medical advances being made via mRNA research, such as promising new treatments for pancreatic cancer, and underscores the importance of preserving and promoting scientific innovation in Tennessee. 

"Clinical trials across our state continue to evaluate innovative therapies that may one day transform how we prevent and treat disease. This progress depends on maintaining an environment that supports scientific research, medical innovation and patient access to emerging therapies," Taylor cautions.

The National Cancer Institute's Small Business Development Center will host an informational webinar from 2-3:30 p.m. ET on July 1. The session will cover highlights of the program, including available funding announcements such as omnibus solicitations, the Strategic Breakthrough Awards program and more. 

Registration is required - sign up for free via the website.

Join us and representatives from the NIH, NHLBI, NCI, and NIA for an education session on government funding for life science startups.

Securing funding is one of the most critical, and often challenging, aspects of building a life science startup. While equity investment can play an important role in growth, non-dilutive funding opportunities and government resources can provide valuable support without requiring founders to give up ownership.

As part of the Life Science Venture Program, this session will explore the landscape of non-dilutive funding available to life science ventures, including federal grant programs, research funding opportunities, and other public-sector resources designed to accelerate innovation.

Speakers will include:

This event will be hybrid, with both in-person and virtual speakers, and will take place at Launch Tennessee's offices, 601 Taylor Place #101. Attendance is free with registration. Then join us afterward for Beer & Biotech!

Join Life Science Tennessee in Nashville for a Beer & Biotech industry networking opportunity. Enjoy a complimentary drink and light bites while meeting researchers, postdocs, entrepreneurs, and representatives from Middle Tennessee’s growing biotech landscape. It’s a great opportunity to discover exciting local innovations, build meaningful relationships, and spark new business opportunities.

Beer & Biotech takes place 5-7 p.m. July 21 at Sonny's Patio Pub and will immediately follow the Life Science Venture Program's monthly education series (details above). Admission is free with registration.

Vanderbilt University's Industry Collaborations Division is proud to present this year's Life Science Showcase, centered on the theme AI in Translational Research. As artificial intelligence and machine learning reshape the earliest stages of the research pipeline — spanning target discovery, multiomics analysis, predictive modeling, and the data ecosystems that underpin it all — this event brings Vanderbilt's cutting-edge research into conversation with the industries, investors, and innovators driving real-world impact.

Whether you work in computational biology, data science, drug discovery, or life sciences investment, the Vanderbilt Life Science Showcase offers a focused opportunity to engage with early-stage AI-driven research and explore what's next at the frontier of translational innovation.

Space is limited. Sign up today!

The University of Tennessee Research Foundation’s (UTRF) Accelerate Fund has invested in PreTel, Inc., a Tennessee-based medical device startup developing wearable sensors to help physicians distinguish true labor from false labor.

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has signed a three-year partnership with Belfast-based Global Health Connector, an international network focused on connecting health care ecosystems globally, to create long-term connectivity between Nashville and global health care ecosystems.  

Oak Ridge National Laboratories, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and UT Health Science Center have joined forces on the DART initiative (Development and Advancement of Radiopharmaceutical Therapies) to develop targeted radiation therapies to treat ovarian cancer.