Prince William County-based business ATCC was awarded a $32 million contract to manage one of the world’s largest storage spaces for biological specimens.
According to a release, ATCC – a biological materials management company – is headquartered in Innovation Park in Manassas.
In addition to the large contract, ATCC was also selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to “distribute a new generation of cancer models under the Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI),” stated a release.
“ATCC is a world-recognized biological resource center with over 90 years of successful biorepository expertise. We are honored to support Leidos Biomed and the NCI in their important mission of supporting the biomedical community with advancements in cancer and infectious disease research. This program extends ATCC’s clinical biorepository management portfolio for both government and commercial customers,” stated ATCC Chairman and CEO Dr. Raymond H. Cypess in a release.
More on their work, from a release:
Directly following this award, ATCC announced a contract to distribute a new generation of cancer models under the HCMI. Launched in July 2016, the HCMI is an international collaboration between NCI, Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, and the foundation Hubrecht Organoid Technology, to develop approximately 1,000 cancer cell models that better represent the hallmarks and diversity of human cancer. The new models will be generated using tumor tissue from patients with a variety of cancer types, including rare and pediatric cancers, and will include a complete genetic analysis and anonymized clinical information about the patients and their tumors, including their response to treatment.
“ATCC has been supporting cancer research for more than 50 years,” said Dr. Mindy Goldsborough, ATCC Chief Science and Technology Officer, speaking on the HCMI award. “We are honored to support the NCI with this important initiative. These new models could transform how we study cancer, including how the disease progresses and develops drug resistance, and help guide the development of new cancer therapies for the millions living with and affected by cancer worldwide.”
“ATCC has been a welcome addition to our roster of life sciences companies in Prince William County,” said Jeffrey Kaczmarek, Executive Director, Prince William County Department of Economic Development. “The groundbreaking work being carried out by ATCC is consistent with and reflective of the caliber of companies we expected to attract when we embarked on the establishment of Innovation Park,” he added.
