Today pioneering research into biological life sciences is happening in St. Louis. A regional communications task force, led by the St. Louis Regional Growth Association, commissioned a study and decided upon the name "BioBelt - Center of Plant and Life Sciences" for the St. Louis region. The marketing effort is paying off.

     In 2000, the $146 million Donald Danforth Plant Science Center opened in St. Louis. The facility is a world-class interdisciplinary plant research center in genetics, chemistry, biochemistry and cell biology.
     Sigma-Aldrich last June broke ground on a large midtown expansion. The $55 million Life Science Technology Center will house 220 research chemists, flexible lab space and a corporate training center.
     In April of 2000, the Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise opened their doors. The Center is a business incubator, the first of its kind in the country focusing on the life sciences industries. It currently has three tenants: Colliant L.L.C., Libratto.com, and GenChemciCs L.L.C. The $10 million facility is expected to generate more than $1.5 billion for the St. Louis regional economy over the next 15 years.
     The city is also home to The Center for Emerging Technologies, a non-profit private organization that develops start-up biomedical and technology companies. The center recently announced an $8 million expansion, and hopes to aid in the development of early detection methods for cancer, electronic monitoring devices and gene detection technologies.