The Texas Life Sciences Collaboration Center in Georgetown broke ground June 27 on a new 15,000-square foot building that will enable it to continue attracting life-sciences companies to Georgetown.

The new building will offer space that meets the FDA requirements for manufacturing drugs for use in humans as well as additional wet lab space. It also will provide training space for university bioscience interns in bio and advanced materials manufacturing.

TLCC officials have worked with public and private sources to secure financing for the new building, which will be located next to the site of the current TLCC laboratories in Georgetown.

The TLCC was founded in 2007 by Southwestern University, the City of Georgetown and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce to facilitate the acceleration of early-stage life science companies and promote education in the life sciences. The TLCC’s existing 15,000 square-foot building houses eight companies and is at capacity.

The new building will be built by the Georgetown Rail Equipment Company (GREX), which has partnered with the TLCC for the past five years to provide the infrastructure to house and support the TLCC member companies.

One TLCC member company that is particularly excited about the new building is DisperSol Technologies, which has developed special technologies to deliver drugs. The company requires the FDA-approved production space that will be included in the new TLCC building.

“This is a very special type of production space,” said TLCC Executive Director Michael Douglas. “There is demand in central Texas right now for this type of space.”

As DisperSol Technologies expands, Douglas predicts it will draw even more medical and pharmaceutical development to Georgetown.

“The expansion of the TLCC into this new phase marks a major milestone for the Center and moves some of our most exciting companies closer to the fulfillment of their potential,” said Mel Pendland, president of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce.  “Georgetown and TLCC are increasingly recognized as regional magnets for the life-sciences and, with the invaluable support of our partner, GREX, this new phase will only enhance our ability to attract and retain outstanding life-sciences companies in our community and to create educational opportunities to build the workforce of the future.”