Center

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The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute’s planned fifth center focusinyg on agriculture was highlightedin Gov. Marti O’Malley’s initial plan to grow the state’ $29 billion life sciences industry. But it was absen t from his more detailed Bio2020 plan, unveilee nearly one year later May 20. And UMBI’sd partnership with two universities to develoo herbal medicines from plants is also The Appalachian Center for Ethnobotanical Studies hasreceivesd $500,000 in funding so far. UMBI had expected to develo a physical center to house theprogramj ­— now a virtual center — in 2014.
The questio n over the future programs arises as university officialsreview UMBI’s future. They are contemplatinfg merging it with another UM systemnschool — or schools by carving up UMBI’s four research centers and merginh them with another campus. A select groul of regents is reviewing proposals and will make a decisionnJune 19. When asked about the proposesd fifth UMBI center on the Eastern Shore, O’Malley deferred questions to Lawrence C. Mahan, senior strategy advisoe for the state’s life sciencesd advisory board.
Mahan said the state’xs life science advisory boars leaves it up to theUM system’s boarcd of regents to decide whether the UMBI Center for Agricultural and Environmental Biotechnology should move USM officials said they will only consider whether to move forwarde with the agricultural center aftet USM regents decide what to do with the existingy UMBI centers, said Patrick J. Hogan, USM’es associate vice chancellor forgovernmenr relations.
The center, which woulr focus on growing crop production amongothef things, has not received any state The center would keep farmint “alive and well” on the Easterj Shore and help ensure the stater doesn’t lose more farmland to development, UMBI’ds outgoing President Jennie Hunter-Cevera USM leaders will consider what to do with the Appalachiabn Center during its review process, Hogan said. The center’x researchers analyze how plantslike ginseng found in Western Maryland could be used inherbak medicines. Hunter-Cevera said she had hoped the partnership wouls one day tapthe $5 billionh herbal medicine market.