Fraunhofer USA - History

In 2001, Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (FhCMB) was founded by Prof. Dr. Rainer Fischer, Dr. Stefan Schillberg and Dr. Neil Emans of the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biotechnology and Applied Ecology (IME), located in Aachen, Germany. While European biotech is very strong, interaction with American researchers and their expertise is essential to maintaining a competitive edge in the field of Molecular Biotechnology. Their vision therefore, was to create a trans-Atlantic biotechnology bridge between Fraunhofer research in Germany and the rich biotech landscape in America.

After considering a number of sites in the United States, the decision was made to locate the center in the newly established Delaware Technology Park in Newark, Delaware. The Delaware State government is very supportive and their joint success with funding the center has been a very significant and satisfying achievement. The Institute at Aachen compliments the transient gene expression platform in Delaware with a wide range of transgenic plant development technologies. Prof. Dr. Fischer and his founding colleagues are quite pleased by the center's accomplishments. "It looks like Molecular Farming will bring us a rich harvest since our first pharmaceutical crops are already crossing the bridge to FhCMB in Delaware and on to the future. We look forward to a rewarding and exciting relationship with Delaware and wish our team at FhCMB great success."

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