Taconic Farms, Inc. Hosts Second Annual Global R&D Meeting

HUDSON, NY--(Marketwire - September 24, 2009) - Taconic held its second annual Global R&D Meeting September 14-15 in Albany, New York, drawing industry leaders from the U.S. and Europe. The annual meeting brings together Taconic scientific experts and industry thought leaders to discuss strategies for further enhancing Taconic’s position as the leading provider of rodent models that are vital to drug discovery. The meeting focused on topics including cutting-edge technologies for custom mouse model generation, reproduction technologies and strategies for optimizing the production of genetically modified mice.

“Taconic continues to lead the industry in the introduction of advanced technologies that drive the development of highly relevant rodent models for use in biomedical research,” said Todd Little, President & CEO of Taconic. “Our Global R&D meeting brings together some of the world’s top research and development experts in the field, enabling us to leverage their expertise to bring the most innovative translational animal models and services to the international research community.”

Industry experts teamed up with management representatives from Taconic’s U.S. and European operations, representing R&D, veterinary services, molecular analysis, product management and business development. Key participants and speakers included:

-- Keynote Speaker -- Dr. Thomas F. Vogt, Senior Director and Head of Merck Research Laboratories’ Genetically Engineered Models and Genetic Target Validation Center of Excellence. Dr. Vogt led Merck Research Laboratories’ Ophthalmology Basic Research Discovery group and was a member of the strategy team focused on discovering and developing new drugs for age-related macular degeneration. As a faculty member in the molecular biology department at Princeton University, he led research in mammalian developmental genetics. Dr. Vogt serves on several national and international scientific advisory boards. -- Dr. Peter J. W. Stadler, Managing Director, TaconicArtemis. Dr. Stadler previously headed Pharma-Biotechnology at Bayer AG before co- founding ARTEMIS Pharmaceuticals, for which he served as Managing Director. A leader in the German biotechnology industry, he was an advisor to the German government and was awarded for his contributions to the field of biotechnology in Germany. His insights on genetic engineering have been widely published. -- Dr. Gunther Kauselmann, Director Molecular Biology, TaconicArtemis. Dr. Kauselmann possesses more than a decade of experience in designing and generating genetically engineered mice and currently supervises the Molecular Biology Department with responsibility for customer projects, the implementation of novel techniques and automated procedures for producing genetically modified mice at Taconic. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Molecular Neuroscience Hamburg, he worked on the identification of genes involved in learning and memory. Dr. Kauselmann has patents pending for technologies that involve automated gene targeting and knockout mice. -- Dr. Branko Zevnik, Director Applied Genetics Department, TaconicArtemis. Dr. Zevnik gained extensive experience in genetically engineered mouse model generation and the biology and manipulation of mouse embryonic stem cells, through various roles with TaconicArtemis as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Helmholtz Institute in Munich, and in the Institute for Stem Cell Research in Edinburgh. A member of the International Society for Transgenic Technologies and the Society of Laboratory Animal Science, he holds patents for gene targeting and knockout mouse technologies. -- Dr. Stephen Michael Festin, Director U.S. Research & Development and Albany Scientific Operations, Taconic. Dr. Festin is currently responsible for U.S. R&D, Molecular Analysis, Surgery, and Contract Research operations for Taconic. He was recently responsible for the development of the Bioinformatics Facility as an Assistant Professor of Biology at Hamilton College. In this capacity, he conducted academic research to understand the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of signaling in cancer. As a Post- doctoral Fellow at National Cancer Institute identifying novel genomic factors leading to myeloid tumors in mice. He participates on committees of both the Endocrine Society and American Association for Cancer Research. Dr. Festin is regularly invited to lecture at leading universities, national meetings and has authored numerous research papers. -- Dr. John Couse, Senior Scientist, Contract Research Services, Taconic. Dr. Couse previously served as Staff Scientist, National Institute of Environmental Health Science, National Institutes of Health. He has been integrally involved in the design, generation and study of several genetically modified models and is highly experienced in the areas of reproductive and developmental biology, endocrinology, and toxicology. A frequent speaker at international conferences and a member of the editorial board of Endocrinology, his research has been profiled in medical journals and in the news media. 

About Taconic

Taconic Farms, Inc. was founded in 1952 as a family-owned business in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Since then, the company has become one of the largest laboratory rodent providers in the world with a reputation for consistently producing high quality, well-defined rats and mice. Taconic’s expertise in the custom design and generation of genetically modified mice, mouse and rat breeding, barrier systems, genetics and animal health supports researchers focused on drug development using in vivo models. Taconic has six breeding facilities and three service laboratories in the USA and Europe, a staff of over 1,000, and a commitment to technological innovation. Additional information about Taconic is available through its corporate website, www.taconic.com.