Millipore awards stem-cell research grant

Millipore Corp. today said it has awarded a $150,000 grant to Jeanne Loring (left) to support her stem-cell research at the Scripps Research Institute of La Jolla, Calif.

Headquartered in Billerica, Millipore provides technologies, tools, and services for bioscience research and biopharmaceuticals manufacturing, and stem-cell research is a particular focus of the company's.

This is the first time that Millipore has awarded a major grant for stem-cell research on the West Coast, and the grant was presented to Loring at the Biotechnology Industry Organization convention now underway in San Diego, Millipore said.

Among those attending the convention is Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick, who is eager to attract more biotech companies to operate and create new jobs in the Bay State.

Millipore employs roughly 1,100 people in Massachusetts and another 300 at a facility in California, a hotbed for stem-cell research, a company spokeswoman said.

Last year, the company made a grant to the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, she said.

In a press release, Millipore said, "Dr. Loring is studying gene-regulating molecules known as microRNAs in relation to the ability of stem cells to self renew and to develop into diverse cell types."

The release included a statement from Loring, which said in part, "Stem cells are a crucial component to understanding and addressing diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which impact millions of people."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)