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As a land-grant institution, Kansas State University is deeply committed to serving the needs of all 2.8 million Kansans. 102 of 105 counties in Kansas are designated as rural, which means the state places a critical focus on our rural communities. With a presence in all 105 counties, K-State has a distinctive role in serving rural communities and the future of our state, with the recognition that rural solutions are applicable and scalable to urban, suburban and global settings.
K-State proposes consideration of the following recommended strategic investments for the people of Kansas.
Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center
$4 million
The combination of Kansas State University's strengths in agriculture and veterinary medicine, its Biosecurity Research Institute, and its direct proximity to the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility has been a powerful draw for companies seeking access to the university's research prowess and industry-ready graduates. To meet the workforce needs of biomanufacturing firms in the state, including Scorpius BioManufacturing, K-State proposes a Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center.
The Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center, or BTEC, will provide a 2,000+ square-foot laboratory that will contain a comprehensive biomanufacturing line that supports all phases of modern biomanufacturing processes.
The BTEC will be configured with equipment and software that prepares students for immediate transfer to industry - both in upstream processing, the first stage of biomanufacturing that focuses on cell line development and cultivation, as well as downstream processing, where the highly valuable biological products that result are produced at scale.
Biotechnology Development Module
$3 million
Kansas State University's Biosecurity Research Institute, or BRI, is a Biosafety Level-3/Biosafety Level-3 Agriculture (BSL-3/BSL-3Ag) facility authorized to work with select pathogens of pandemic and bioweapons potential for humans, such as a highly pathogenic avian influenze and SARS-CoV-2. The facilitiy is also authorized to work with animal pathogens that can cause billions of dollars in economic losses, such as African swine fever virus.
K-State faculty working at the BRI have developed potential vaccines and therapeutics that have been licensed for commercial development. A new addition to the BRI's research space is the Biotechnology Development Module facility, or BRI-BDM, which is a pilot manufacturing facility that can be used by K-State researchers and corporate partners to develop pilot-scale production of the inventions.
The BRI-BDM will allow corporate partners to develop diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative countermeasures for a broad range of emerging zoonotic diseases, as well as provide BSL-3 containment space to rapidly manufacture new products to protect the nation's animal agricultural industry and food supply during an emergency. The space will conform to Good Laboratory/Manufacturing Practices to support licensing and approval by federal entities.
Funds are required to purchase equipment and support researchers and corporate partners interested in using the facility and to develop a business model for sustainability.
Large Animal Research Center
$16 million
Kansas State University's Large Animal Research Center, or LARC, is a 19,000 square-foot, Biosafety Level-2, or BSL-2, research facility for animals ranging from piglets to calves. It is an important resource for K-State researchers to study infectious diseases and mitigation strategies, but it currently has limitations. LARC does not accommodate adult cattle or swine, and the housing capacity is insufficient to support the needs of current K-State researchers, let alone corporate partners and future researchers with the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF. An expanded LARC will accommodate housing needs for animal acclimation and pharmaceutical/biologic safety studies prior to transition to higher containment work at NBAF or K-State's Biosecurity Research Institute.
The proposed 35,000 square-foot LARC expansion is an essential pillar of the suite of biosecurity and biodefense resources being developed at K-State, which will enable the university to serve as the preeminent U.S. resource to facilitate private-public collaboration for pathogens of worldwide significance.
Kansas Aerospace Training Hub on General Atomics Innovation Ramp
$28 million
Kansas State University's Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus continuously works with industry partners to identify workforce needs and ensure programmatic offerings are aligned for the future. And the aerospace industry is taking note of the campus' vision. Initiated by a $10 million corporate gift from General Atomics - ASI, the future General Atomics Innovation Ramp at Kansas State University Saline will be home to a dynamic community of educators, students, researchers, corporate partners and entrepreneurs sharing space, resources and ideas to shape the future of the aerospace industry.
The anchor of the Aerospace General Atomics Innovation Ramp will be the Kansas Aerosapce Training Hub that will house the K-State Salina Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, Aviation Maintenance Training Center and Advanced Composites Laboratory. The training center will be attached to the Kansas AIRES, a new state-of-the-art education and research center in immersive technology and virtual reality. With this collaboration, the Kansas Aerospace Training Hub will transform the aerospace and defense industries by leveraging mixed reality to deliver knowledge and content to students, industry partners and defense contractors worldwide.