PHILADELPHIA and WASHINGTON, D.C.8 May 2007Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) will present the ninth annual Biotechnology Heritage Award to Ronald Cape, cofounder of Cetus Corporation. Cape is a true visionary, a pioneer, and an entrepreneur gifted with considerable research and business skills. The award, sponsored by Invitrogen Corporation, will be presented at the 2007 BIO International Convention in Boston.
"Cetus Corporation is widely recognized as the first biotechnology company," said James C. Greenwood, president of BIO. "Ron Cape saw the potential of biotechnology even before recombinant DNA. He helped to create a new kind of company and with it launched the creation of a whole new industry."
About Ronald E. Cape
Cape, a partner at PureTech Ventures in Boston , cofounded Cetus in 1971 and served as its chairman for 20 years and CEO for 13 years, until Cetus merged with Chiron Corporation in 1991. Cetus was a pioneer in genetic engineering, developing a technology that was ultimately awarded a Nobel Prize. Cape was the founding chairman of Darwin Molecular Corporation, which was later sold to Chiroscience plc. He serves on the board of EntreMed, Inc. and Neurobiological Technologies, Inc. He also serves as a director for several privately held companies. Cape was a founding member of the Industrial Biotechnology Association (now BIO), where he served as president from 1983 to 1985. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Microbiology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
About the Biotechnology Heritage Award
The Biotechnology Heritage Award is presented yearly at a special ceremony during the BIO Annual International Convention to honor individuals who have contributed significantly to the growth of biotechnology through discovery, innovation, commercialization, and/or public und
'"/>
Contact: Neil Gussman
neilg@chemheritage.org
215-873-8262
Chemical Heritage Foundation
8-May-2007