Houston is a dynamic biotechnology center. Employing nearly 75,000 life science workers, the region has a strong infrastructure providing all the tools for a successful operation. Houston’s five leadership areas of research include cardiovascular medicine, genomics and bioinformatics, infectious diseases and biodefense, oncology, and nanotechnology.

Much of Houston’s biotechnology industry is focused in the Texas Medical Center. With over 43 member institutions hosting more than 5.6 million patient visits annually, the Texas Medical Center is the world’s largest medical complex. Houston-area institutions are awarded approximately $1.7 billion annually in federal research funding. And the region thrives with more than 120 life science companies. This extraordinary field, in the context of a tremendous research and patient infrastructure, fuels innovation for an increasingly rich commercial pipeline. For the Texas Medical Center’s list of member institutions, visit http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/GetToKnow/TMCInstitutions/TMCInstitutionsSplash.htm

Expansion of biotechnology operations in recent years has moved Houston into the forefront of the industry. For example, according to the 2004 BioHouston Life Science Industry Survey, Texas is a leading state in terms of institutional research expenditures, which totaled more than $6 billion between 1999 and 2002. Houston's research spending has increased 35% since 1999 and represents about 67% ($4.2 billion) of the state's total. Over the past five years, this investment has produced more than 2,500 invention disclosures, 2,000 patent applications and some 785 license agreements. Furthermore, Houston public life science companies totaled more than $2.6 billion in market capitalization in 2003.

The science of very small things –  nanotechnology – offers the promise of innovation. A convergence of chemistry, engineering and physics, this is a relatively new field of science in which scientists arrange atoms and molecules to create new materials. Nanotechnology can help build stronger structures with superior electrical, mechanical or optical properties than we have today.

Houston companies and institutions are active in cutting-edge research and development making the region a leader in nanotechnology. From health care to construction to energy, Houston is uniquely poised to excel.

Nanotechnology Facts:

• Texas ranked fifth as one of the top nanotechnology regions in the nation and ranks third in nanotech venture capital according to the July 2006 issue of Small Times.
• Rice University in Houston is the birthplace of nanotechnology and is home to the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology and the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology.
• Seven major research institutions in the Texas Medical Center comprise the Alliance for NanoHealth. The Alliance is the first collaborative research effort to bridge gaps between medicine, biology, materials science, public policy and computer technology.
• The Department of Defense recently launched funding to start the Consortium for Nanomaterials for Aerospace Commerce and Technology, involving Rice University and the University of Houston among five other Texas universities. The consortium's mission is to develop "smart" materials and composite nanomaterials with defense aerospace applications.