Crisco says state poised for growth in stem-cell field

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, co-chair of the legislature’s Insurance and Real Estate Committee and vice-chair of its Commerce Committee, said today Connecticut is poised for economic growth in the near future to coincide with an ongoing expansion of stem cell and genetics research in the state.  
Crisco was among those briefed Tuesday on the topic at a special Legislative Office Building forum.

He said Connecticut’s investments in genomic and stem cell research are setting the stage for a new generation of high-tech jobs and economic growth, centered on the research underway at Yale, Wesleyan, and the University of Connecticut.

“The work underway by scientists at Yale and UConn has already resulted in new patents and innovations that are likely to translate into new jobs in the field of bioscience and personalized medicine,” Crisco said. “Connecticut is well positioned to attract the type of private sector investment necessary to capitalize on our public investments in research and development.”

 Crisco said Tuesday’s forum was convened by the legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

 “Our decisions to invest modestly and steadily in this emerging field are expected to return additional dividends as a direct result of last year’s move to bring the Jackson Laboratory to the state to continue its stem cell and genomics research near and in conjunction with the UConn Health Center in Farmington,” Crisco said.

 “Jackson Labs is scheduled to break ground soon after the first of the year as additional, bricks and mortar evidence of growth and economic development in this relatively new sector of our economy.”

This information was provided by Crisco's office.