University of Florida

UF purchases buildings to house the Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology (CERHB).

The University of Florida has purchased two buildings in Progress Corporate Park located in Alachua, FL, proximal to UF's Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator and other biotech companies. University funds that matched the State's $10 million grant were provided by the UF Research Foundation for the purchase. Two buildings that were owned by Regeneration Technologies, Inc. will be renovated to house a biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility, a hands-on training facility, and university support cores in the 45,000 square feet.

The biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility will manufacture new medicines for early phase human clinical trials. Within the Southeast, there is a demand for these services from biotech companies, and institutes and universities. The CERHB supports the translation of biological discoveries made in the laboratory to their testing in the clinic. The facilities and operations will comply with federal regulations to ensure the drugs are safe, potent, pure, and stable. To achieve these specifications, cleanrooms and support areas will be built, large-scale equipment will be installed, and personnel will be trained.

There is a national shortage of trained personnel who are capable of operating compliant facilities and manufacturing drug products. To meet this need, curricula are being established by CERHB in regulatory compliance, quality systems, and biomanufacturing. The new training facility will be built complete with classrooms, conference areas, and wet labs outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment. This initiative will train our workforce for high-wage jobs, and will serve students at Santa Fe Community College, the University of Florida, and throughout the state of Florida.