biology

After all, "Growing the Nation's Bioscience Sector: State Bioscience Initiatives 2006," ranked us in the top four life-sciences states, having significant assets in three of the four areas measured.

Spending time basking, though, would only give the other 49 states more time to develop and implement their life-sciences plans.

Global conglomerates are rapidly buying up biotech start-up companies, seed companies, agribusiness and agrochemical concerns, pharmaceutical, medical and health businesses, and food and drink companies, creating giant life-science complexes from which to fashion a bio-industrial world.

Global life-science companies are expected to introduce thousands of new genetically engineered organisms into the environment in the coming century.

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center is an investment agency that supports life-science innovation, research, development and commercialization.

"Our life-sciences strategy is about choosing to shape our future--investing today to leave a better commonwealth for the next generation," Patrick said." This investment supports the kind of innovation that propels our economy forward, and demonstrates that we are making investments in life-sciences growth across the entire commonwealth."