$227 million in grants going to build California stem cell labs

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$227 million in grants going to build California stem cell labs

UCLA, USC and UC Irvine are among a dozen research centers getting

the money.

By Engel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer May 7, 2008

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-stemcell7-

2008may07,0,3291762.story

California's voter-created stem cell institute is expected to award

$227 million in grants today to seed a laboratory building spree at a

dozen universities and research centers, including USC, UCLA and UC

Irvine.

New labs are needed to house the growing number of researchers funded

by 2004's Proposition 71, officials at the California Institute for

Regenerative Medicine say, even though one of the main pressures on

lab space is likely to be lifted after the November election.

All three presidential candidates, all senators -- Republican

McCain (R-Ariz.) and Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and

Barack Obama (D-Ill.) -- support human embryonic stem cell research

and would be expected to lift restrictions that have forced many

scientists to set up dual labs.

Concerned about the destruction of embryos, President Bush in August

2001 limited federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research

to stem cell lines that had been developed up to that point.

Scientists wanting to study new lines had to find other funding and

set up separate labs lest they inadvertently use a pen or a petri

dish bought with federal money.

" The primary argument that was presented for Proposition 71 --

particularly in the area of large facilities -- is becoming less and

less important, " said Reynolds of the Oakland-based Center for

Genetics and Society. " Bush's restrictions will most likely be undone

before the first brick is laid. "

Simpson of Consumer Watchdog agreed that the need for separate

laboratories probably will disappear after the election, but not the

need for new labs. Proposition 71, crafted in response to the Bush

ban, provides $3 billion in bond money for research, to be doled out

over 10 years. As much as 10% of that amount can be spent on

facilities.

" Arguably, there is a need for laboratories to do research on the

scale that they want to do it, " Simpson said.

He also praised the requirement that applicants leverage each grant

by tapping other donors. Private and other institutional donations

will raise the total building spree to $800 million.

The bond-funded building boom is a windfall to state universities

that are being urged to cut their overall budgets by 10% because of

state money problems.

But the largest grant -- about $47.5 million -- is expected to go to

the private Stanford University, the third-wealthiest university in

the country, with an endowment of $17 billion.