Since its founding in 2012, Vigene Biosciences has been a leader at the forefront of cell and gene therapy, Adeno-Associated virus or AAV vector production, adenovirus vector production, lentivirus vector production, retrovirus vector production, plasmid production, viral vector QC and analytical services, plasmid QC and analytical services, providing services and products to support this rapidly growing and increasingly important field. The company’s diverse, international team is made up of molecular biologists, virologists, chemical and biomedical engineers, quality control professionals, and quality assurance professionals as well support staff, all of whom are dedicated to helping its customers perform groundbreaking research.
At the time the company was founded, adenovirus was the primary viral vector used, so Vigene developed cloning technologies to generate the largest collection of full-length human open reading frames packaged in adenovirus. Over the next few years, different viral vectors became more widely used for research, so Vigene expanded its viral packaging and cloning services to include the major viral vectors being used for gene delivery (AAV, adenovirus, lentivirus, and retrovirus). Vigene also diversified its product portfolio to include control viruses, shRNA clones, biosensors, and Parkinson’s disease tools. In 2016, Vigene acquired Omnia Biologics with its 15+ years of clinical manufacturing experience in response to the growing need for high titer, clinical-grade viral vectors as gene therapy candidates progressed to clinical trials. Since then, Vigene has continued to serve both research and clinical communities and has been recognized with national awards. Currently Vigene operates a 110,000 SF state-of-the-art facility with over 15 CGMP cleanroom suites.
Amazon has recently completed construction of a new distribution center in Grimes. The area is bustling with new construction projects, many fast-food restaurants, new retail outlets, and the recent completion of a large Menard’s hardware store. Also, John Deere has a major facility located a short distance from the site.
Other factors contributing to the rapid growth in Grimes are a good school system, and proximity with convenient transportation to the Des Moines Metro Area.
