Enthalpy Chosen for NC Biotech’s Industrial Fellowship Program

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Enthalpy has announced Susan M. Deupree, Ph. D., as its postdoctoral fellow under the Industrial Fellowship Program (IFP) sponsored by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

The program places doctoral recipients with companies where they learn the complexities of running a biotechnology business. Enthalpy is one of three companies selected in 2009 for the program.

Deupree obtained her doctorate in Biological Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009, where her dissertation focused on bioanalytical methods for investigating bacterial adhesion and the antibacterial action of nitric oxide. She has worked as a scientist in pharmaceutical research and development, and has lectured on analytical microscopy techniques. While at UNC, Deupree developed a novel method for measuring the strength of bacterial adhesion using atomic force microscopy.

“We are excited to have Dr. Dupree join us,” said Mike Allen, director of Enthalpy’s Bioanalytical Division. “She’ll be mentored by Brian Nofsinger, Ph.D., our associate director, and will work on projects with him initially. Once she’s introduced to our procedures, she will manage her own studies, work with our business development and marketing people, and will hopefully present for us at upcoming conferences. She has diverse capabilities and real-world experience, so we expect she will be a good fit with Enthalpy.”

“The Biotech Center’s Industrial Fellowship Program ties in well with our desire to be a good corporate citizen,” Allen said. “This program also gives Dr. Deupree the opportunity to work with some top-notch scientists at Enthalpy, and could ultimately lead to her working with us permanently.”

Funding for the IFP is provided by the State of North Carolina, through state budget allocations. Biotechnology companies are chosen for the program based on rigorous selection criteria that include company growth since inception and reputation in the business community in addition to scientific and technical considerations. The Biotechnology Center engages outside reviewers to score each applicant company on the selection criteria, with only top-scoring firms winning entry to the program.

“At the Biotech Center we leverage the strong partnerships we have with organizations in North Carolina, for example the Council for Entrepreneurial Development and the Small Business Technology Development Center,” said Shobha Parthasarathi, Ph.D., technology development director for the Biotechnology Center. “Fellows are given access to university business classes, various conferences on regulatory matters, intellectual property, and other issues. At the end of their fellowship, we make available an internship program to allow them to try other aspects of running a biotechnology business beyond simply pure R&D. By the time the fellows come out of the two-year program, they’re well-rounded in the entire business of biotechnology.”

“Ultimately, our goal is to reach a steady-state condition where we award funding for ten postdocs per year,” Parthasarathi added. “This year our budget was cut, so we were limited to three companies. But to the best of our knowledge, nowhere else in the world is state money being used to fund postdoctoral work in industry.”

ABOUT ENTHALPY ANALYTICAL, INC.
Enthalpy Analytical, Inc. was founded in 1993 to provide analytical support for the environmental and pharmaceutical industries. Enthalpy remains true to its mission of providing accurate, high-quality analytical services in a timely manner and for a reasonable cost.

Enthalpy’s Bioanalytical Division offers GLP-compliant LC/MS/MS bioanalytical services for all phases of drug discovery and development. The division provides responsive, reliable service supported by Enthalpy’s exclusive 70% Solution. The company holds scheduled projects at 70% of capacity to guarantee sufficient resources for meeting deadlines and expediting critical studies.

ABOUT THE NC BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER
The NC Biotechnology Center is a private, nonprofit corporation supported by the North Carolina General Assembly. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina through statewide support of biotechnology research, business, education, and strategic policy. Ncbiotech