Montana Biotechnology Infrastructure Proposal – A proposal to the State of Montana ARPA Commission for one-time investment in infrastructure, entrepreneurship and innovation for Montana’s rapidly expanding bioscience and technology sector.

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HELENA
Shodair Medical Genetics Center for Genomic Medical Technology

Overview
Shodair Genetics is requesting funding to create a hub for genomics technology development based on
the campus of Shodair Children’s Hospital. The goals of this project are to 1) augment existing
capabilities to bring high–throughput, genome–level sequencing technology to Montana, 2) support
statewide bioscience research and development growth by providing affordable access to state–of–the–
art genomics technology, and 3) to provide space for startup companies focused on genomic technology
and bioinformatics on our campus in Helena.

Background
High throughput sequencing is a powerful tool for obtaining information about nucleic acids, the
building blocks of all living organisms. This and related technologies also continue to be crucial to our
understanding of and response to the COVID–19 pandemic. The ability to initiate and bring testing to
the necessary scale for a new pandemic is limited to laboratories with equipment and clinical expertise
in genetic and genomic technologies. Additionally, our ability to adapt to new strains of a virus is only as
good as our availability to identify the variants circulating in the population in real time and at large
scale. Genomic sequencing not only addresses these issues, but it also has the potential to allow for
accurate detection of multiple infectious agents from a single sample. For example, this kind of testing
could not only result in the rapid diagnosis of COVID–19, influenza, or other common respiratory viruses
from one specimen, but also provide the exact strain of the virus or bacteria responsible. Beyond viral
detection and strain identification, we know that a patient’s genetic makeup can now determine how
effective certain medication will be in the treatment of many diseases including COVID–19, cancer,
behavioral health disorders, and more. This field is referred to as pharmacogenomics.

Shodair Children’s Hospital Department of Medical Genetics
Shodair’s Department of Medical Genetics is a nationally recognized program serving the state of
Montana since the 1970’s. In addition to providing clinical genetics services to patients throughout
Montana, we operate the only CLIA–certified medical genetics laboratory in Montana. The laboratory is
equipped to provide genetic testing that is considered state–of–the–art for the diagnosis of the vast
majority of human genetic conditions. This type of genetics program is unique for a rural state like
Montana, as most genetics programs are part of large hospital systems or academic centers while
genetic testing laboratories are generally either part of large reference lab systems or based in urban
centers. Until recently, our laboratory’s focus has been on the diagnosis of genetic conditions.
However, during the COVID–19 pandemic we recognized a need for increased local testing capacity in
order to prevent or limit outbreaks in our own hospital population. Because of our existing lab
capabilities, we were able to identify a testing strategy that was minimally impacted by international
testing supply shortages and very quickly establish a program that we also expanded to Carroll College,
allowing same–day test results for their faculty, staff, and students. Our lab has also signed a letter of
support and is prepared to provide sequencing if requested for a grant recently awarded to the
University of Montana to sequence positive COVID–19 samples for variant detection.

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Goals
The individual aspects of this project all contribute to a common goal: to bring high–capacity genomic
technology to Montana. This has many applications, including improved diagnosis of human genetic
conditions, the ability to locally contribute to the response to this and future pandemics, and to attract
business development in the genomics and bioinformatics fields.
Goal 1: Improve existing sequencing capability at Shodair
Shodair currently has the most advanced sequencing technology in Montana outside of the National
Institutes of Health Rocky Mountain Labs in Hamilton, whose instruments are not accessible to
independent diagnostics or research organizations. We currently can sequence everything from small
pieces of DNA or RNA up to the coding regions of all 20,000 human genes, which is the standard–of–care
for genetic disease diagnosis. The future of genetic diagnosis, however, is whole–genome sequencing,
which is analysis of all of a person’s DNA in a single test. This will require a more advanced sequencing
instrument, additional supporting instruments to allow for automation of sample preparation, and
computing support for data analysis.

Goal 2: Support statewide bioscience research and development growth by providing affordable access
to state–of–the–art genomics technology
Currently, we use our laboratory capabilities only for clinical genetics testing. However, our current
instruments and the requested improvements have the capacity to be used more often than our current
needs. We would like to offer genomic services to organizations throughout Montana at a cost that
enables them to do more with their budgets. Being a partner in local bioscience research and
development contributes to all aspects of our mission: To Heal, Help, and Inspire Hope.

Goal 3: Provide space for startup companies focused on genomic technology and bioinformatics on our
campus in Helena
The bioscience development industry is one of the most influential economic drivers in the world,
accounting for over 1.5 million jobs and billions of dollars in revenue cycle. Montana is in an ideal
position to be a rural leader in small bioscience business development, but many startup companies
cannot afford the space and access to instrumentation required outside of large urban centers. Shodair
is currently in the planning stages for a replacement building for our outpatient services including
genetics and the laboratory. This would be an ideal time to create space for several small to medium
bioscience or computing startups on our campus with brand–new office and laboratory space and access
to our technologies and data sets. This construction is set to begin late in 2021 with completion in fall of
2022.
Requested funding
In order to accomplish the stated goals, we seek funding to:
1) Purchase the gold–standard sequencing instrument capable of 24 whole–human–genome
analyses per run, as well as instrumentation to support automation and supplementary
processes ($1,800,000 total).

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2) Finance the construction of 2 to 3 small to medium incubator spaces including office and
dedicated laboratory space totaling approximately 1200–1500 square feet for startup companies
in genomics or bioinformatics. This would be included as part of an existing planned construction
project on our campus ($1,200,000).

Total requested funding: $3,000,000
Project Support:
Montana BioScience Alliance
Carroll College
LS Skaggs Institute for Health Innovation at University of Montana
Montana Institutes for Science and Technology (MIST)

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MISSOULA
Critical Bio–Laboratory/Facilities for Montana Companies and Researchers
Overview
This proposal is responsive to House Bill 632 of the Montana 67th Legislature which allows for funds
provided by the Department of Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act to be used on public
health and human services programs. We seek funding to:
1) Establish a BSL3/ABSL3 laboratory/facility in association with the Montana Technology Enterprise
Center (MonTEC) and the University of Montana
2) Expand services for biotech companies to include bioanalytical testing of clinical and non–clinical
trial samples facilitating the conduct of clinical trials in association with Sapphire Bioservices (SBS)
3) Partner with companion providers to establish a network of companies which align development
services (nonclinical, manufacturing, clinical, regulatory) and facilitate the rapid evaluation of
novel treatments
4) Provide greatly expanded space for analysis and storage of vaccines and necessary biochemicals
working with SBS

Background
The prevention, testing and treatment for COVID–19 has placed enormous demands on the storage and
distribution networks across the world. From massive storage depots to local clinics, the need for safe,
secure, and temperature–controlled facilities became headline news. The infrastructure required to
store and distribute medications for human use involves significant investment in power, security,
surveillance, and compliance to FDA regulations. The SBS facility has the infrastructure and equipment
to store all the vaccines needed to vaccinate the entire state of Montana. Beyond the current vaccines,
the number of clinical research programs relating to the disease has increased exponentially. Sapphire
Bioservices is uniquely positioned to facilitate these programs. We have the talent and know how to
build out a company to provide supporting services for clinical trial research. Specifically, we aim to
expand our services to include analysis of drugs in biological matrices (blood, plasma, etc.). We would
collaborate with clinical trial sites and contract research organizations that participate in these trials.
COVID–19 has demonstrated a critical shortage of the specialized laboratory/facilities needed to develop
vaccines. In particular, a biosafety level 3 (BSL3) with an adjoining ABSL3 facility for animal challenge
studies is not available to researchers and biotech companies in MT. The University of Montana along
with our partner Inimmune in our business incubator (MonTEC) are leaders in vaccine and
immunotherapy development with over $120 M in NIH grants and contracts awarded to the partners for
these efforts since 2016. UM/Inimmune received a $2M supplement from NIH for development of
adjuvants for COVID–19 vaccine candidates to improve their efficacy which decreases the number of
doses needed for full effect. For this research UM was ranked as one of the top 10 universities in solving
the COVID–19 Pandemic (https://successfulstudent.org/best–universities–solving–coronavirus–pandemic/
). Other efforts which will be impacted by this request include a $35 M NIH Contract for Opioid Vaccine
Development (includes 2 clinical trials) of which >$20 M will be subcontracted outside of MT to support
pre–clinical work, clinical trials and testing of clinical samples. We also have received funding from
NIH/NIAID research and development of vaccines targeting COVID–19, TB, pandemic influenza, pertussis,

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Lyme disease, Pseudo–monas and other pathogens of critical importance with high disease burden. Most
of the vaccine discovery, formulation and initial testing will be performed at UM (in vitro and in vivo
potency, adjuvant/antigen compatibility, stability, etc.). All Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) and ABSL3 testing
for these important vaccine research projects is being sub–contracted out of state due to the lack of
appropriate BSL3 facilities at UM/MonTEC. Renovation of existing space either at UM or creation of
additional space at MonTEC would keep the pre–clinical models and testing of clinical samples in
Montana and would keep significant amounts of federal funding and jobs in the state. Based upon
current research efforts approximately $6M in currently subcontracted services would be maintained in
Montana annually with an estimated 8–15 high–wage jobs and important education and training
opportunities for students at UM. By making this space available to other researchers and biotech
companies in Montana the impact will be significantly larger than these projections.
Sapphire Bioservices
SBS was founded in the fall of 2020 in Bozeman, Montana. Our facility is just 10 miles from the
Bozeman–Yellowstone International airport and is serviced twice daily by FEDEX and UPS. The city is
home to approximately 50,000 residents and is growing rapidly. Recently, we have hired a seasoned
researcher in Missoula to establish our bioanalytical testing laboratory. SBS is the only GMP storage and
distribution company in Montana and soon will be the only bioanalytical testing facility in Montana.
SBS has been able to recruit experienced industry professionals and is seeking to train and hire the next
generation of scientists to support the pharmaceutical industry. We intend to find this talent from both
Montana State University and University of Montana at Missoula. We aim to provide critical services
to facilitate development of new medicines not only for the COVID–19 virus but for medicines treating
cancer, neurological, cardiovascular, genetic disorders and the entire spectrum of medical research.
The Montana Technology Enterprise Center (MonTEC)
MonTEC is a high–growth, technology/biotech focused business incubator that is building a community
of high growth enterprises on the Clark Fork River in Missoula. It is closely affiliated with UM. MonTEC
plays an integral part in the entrepreneurship ecosystem of Western Montana by providing flexible lease
terms and tiered rental rates for a wide range of technology–driven companies. Its 32,000 square foot
facility offers start–ups first rate conferencing space, common work areas, break rooms, 1 GB internet
access, office/co–working spaces of various sizes, and microbiological and chemical laboratories.
MonTEC works closely with AccelerateMT, a component of UM that provides startup companies access
to technical assistance. Our vision and goals are directly responsive to Montana and federal guidelines
for utilization of COVID–19 stimulus funds: Researchers at UM and the companies participating in this
request have provided products that have increased the efficacy of COVID–19 vaccines and developed
new tests for the virus. Development of the BSL3/ABSL3 space and availability to biotech researchers
and companies across the state will decrease the development time of vaccine adjuvants and new tests
for COVID–19 and related corona viruses.
Inimmune
Inimmune was founded in early 2016 by Drs. Jay Evans, David Burkhart, Helene Bazin–Lee, Kendal Ryter,
and a team of 11 highly trained scientists. It is located in Missoula, MT, and works in close collaboration
with the Center for Translational Medicine at the University of Montana as well as several industry and
academia partners. Inimmune was formed from an experienced, close–knit team of biotech/pharmaceutical industry professionals. This team of chemists, immunologists, and formulation
scientists have been at the cutting edge of innovation for over 10 years as former GSK Vaccines
scientists and investigators. They now are working to create new immunotherapies directed at making
meaningful and lasting clinical impacts in the areas of allergy, autoimmunity, infectious disease, and
cancer. Through its technology, assets, expertise, and favorable IP positioning, Inimmune is poised to
stand up and become a leader in the fields of immunotherapy, infectious disease, and immuno–
oncology. Inimmune is headquartered in MonTEC in Missoula, Montana.

Goals
The overall goal is to provide cutting–edge clinical trial research support for Montana research and
biotech companies. Specifically, we intend to:
1) Expand services to include bioanalytical testing of clinical and non–clinical trial samples facilitating
the conduct of clinical trials
2) Partner with companion providers to establish a network of companies which align development
services (nonclinical, manufacturing, clinical, regulatory) and facilitate the rapid evaluation of
novel treatments
3) Expand space necessary for analysis and storage
4) Renovate existing space to provide BSL–2 and BSL–3 lab space along with an ABSL–2 and ABSL–3
vivarium
5) Provide for education and training in pharmaceutical development for Montana residents.
Further detailed objectives with anticipated outcomes
● Existing space with BSL–2 and BSL–3 lab space along with an ABSL–2 and ABSL–3 vivarium will be
renovated. Facility should be available for use within one–year from initial contract.
● Research proposals routed thru UM (and other campuses requiring BSL3/ABSL3 access) will
include support for the new facility rather than out–of–state facilities.
● Availability of facility to biotech companies in MT will be announced thru the Montana
Bioscience Alliance.
● Establishment of the bioanalytical testing facility in the first year of funding with key goals in this
phase to:
o Identify a suitable physical space and staffing requirements for the site
o Purchase, install and qualify the HPLC and Mass Spectrometer equipment on–site
o Develop SOPs and Systems to comply with FDA and GLP Regulations
o Establish all key partnerships with other CROs to grow clientele.
o The outcome being a fully GLP compliant testing facility for clinical and nonclinical
samples.
● Recruit up to 4 technical staff from local areas with the goal of running equipment and sample
preparation throughout the work week, receiving, and dispatching of samples, quality
assurance, and preparation of testing protocols for clients.

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● Expand our storage capacity particularly for ambient/room temperature and ultra–low
temperature storage. The outcome being the ability to store clients’ bioanalytical samples for
the several years that are required by regulatory authorities.
● Identify key strategic partnerships with other CROs in non–competitive areas such and
nonclinical and clinical research facilities, regulatory firms and logistics companies
● Launch internship programs at the high school, community college, 4–year sciences programs
with 4–5 internships annually.
Requested funding
This proposal seeks the following funding:
1) Equipment ($500,000). Purchase of LC mass spectrometry equipment, –80C storage freezers and
an inventory tracking system.
2) Facility and Infrastructure: ($2,400,000) Build–out existing shell to include power and venting
requirements, HVAC for controlled room temperature storage, office, and laboratory space,
internet and cloud services to support data archival and security monitoring. Renovate existing
lab space with BSL–2 and BSL–3 lab space along with an ABSL–2 and ABSL–3 vivarium.
3) Personnel and Education: ($500,000) Support to hire chemist/biologist, quality assurance,
logistics and business operations positions. Education to include GMP and GLP training. Support
for three years.
Total requested funding: $3,400,000
Summary
We request a total of $3,400,000 in ARPA funding to create the critical infrastructure that Montana is
lacking to be able to continue to address the COVID–19 pandemic and future such outbreak. These
facilities will be made available to MT researchers and biotech companies. The facilities include those
necessary for pre–clinical models and testing of clinical samples related to vaccine development, storage
and distribution of vaccines, and testing services to the clinical research community. We will also use
these facilities to train the next generation of biotech researchers.

Participants
This proposal is a collaborative effort between the following:
The Montana Technology Enterprise Center (MonTEC)
University of Montana
Inimmune
Sapphire Bioservices
Montana Institutes for Science and Technology (MIST)
Montana BioScience Alliance

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BOZEMAN
Laboratory Infrastructure Buildout, Bozeman

Overview
This proposal is responsive to House Bill 632 of the Montana 67th Legislature which allows for funds
provided by the Department of Treasury through the American Rescue Plan Act to be used on public
health and human services programs. We seek one–time funding to improve an existing laboratory
building to raise it to current OSHA standards, to better accommodate emerging companies and
workforce training in an environment that is connected to other communities in the State. We seek to:
1) work with the private building owners to update and/or retrofit 40,000 sq ft multi–tenant laboratory
space; 2) establish a telecommunications center capable of supporting programming to and from other
sites, including workforce training; 3) provide incubator and shared space for new companies and
programs in the bioscience sector, including medical photonics, drug development, ag bioscience,
clinical testing and other areas; 4) provide vouchers that support preclinical disease models as an
incentive to innovative small businesses to work in therapeutic areas negatively impacted by the COVID–
19 pandemic.

Background
Across the State of Montana, available space to lease to support technology–based companies is in
critical short supply. Successful and growing tech companies are typically funded by institutional venture
capital (VC) investors, such as Two Bear Capital in Whitefish and Next Frontier Capital in Bozeman, or
from investors that are typically based in Boston, NY, the Bay Area or other large metropolitan areas. In
2020, $362,333,133 in total capital flowed to MT Bioscience Cluster participants with $284,000,000
flowing to small businesses in Montana. Syndicated VC financing rounds typically total in the tens of
millions of dollars, but VC investors do not invest in “bricks and mortar” facility builds unless they
happen to be investing in the real estate sector. While Montana is currently ranked number one as the
best state to start a small business (by The Blueprint, February 2021), many entrepreneurs in the
bioscience and technical fields are not able to find suitable space in which to grow companies. Part of
the core mission is to fund, support and coordinate the improvement of laboratory and technology–
based infrastructure in the State of Montana in order to better foster the success of our strong
entrepreneurial culture and attract new businesses with high paying jobs to the State.
Southwest Montana (SW MT) has been the home to a number of successful bioscience companies. The
SW MT bioscience cluster centers around Montana State University (MSU), who’s annual research
funding totaled $167mm in the 2019–2020 academic year. MSU is classified as R1 in the Carnegie
Classification for “very high research activity,” making it one of only 131 universities nationwide in that
category and the only one in the five–state region of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and North and South
Dakota. MSU’s 406 Labs Business Accelerator, a program at the Jake Jabs College of Business and
Entrepreneurship, provides education and mentorship for students and faculty who are launching
business startups, and the bioscience share of total academic R&D in Montana was 58%. The period
from 2019 to 2020 saw a creation of 31 Montana–based bioscience businesses, more than a 100%
increase over 2019, increasing the total number of bioscience businesses from 597 to 628 (Montana
Department of Labor, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages). In addition to the bioscience sector,

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there is a robust and thriving photonics industry largely centered in SW Montana that is comprised of 45
companies employing over 800 people.

Despite the high level of entrepreneurial activity in SW Montana, the area is without a business
incubator to foster and mentor new companies. According to the International Business Innovation
Association (InBIA), there are 1,400 business incubators in the United States today. At their core,
business incubators provide modular ready–to–work space for young companies with flexible leasing
terms (for example, graduated lease rates as the companies grow, and short–term lease renewals to
accommodate emerging company’s financial situations). The best and most successful incubators and
accelerators across the country also provide networks of mentors, professional service providers,
training programs, workforce development opportunities, introductions to investors, seed funding,
guidance and coaching, and other assistance to improve the success rate of new companies. One of the
key objectives is to create a connected network across the State to help supply these types of support
services to new companies, but this will be more successful if appropriate space can be built or
remodeled to house these new companies and provide a venue for such support services to be
delivered. Incentives to collaborate with core facilities at Montana State University will also help small
companies extend their reach by using state–of–the art equipment and collaborating with experts in
their fields.
As the United States emerges from the global COVID–19 pandemic, it is evident that the economic and
societal damage inflicted extends well beyond infections and mortality that are the direct result of the
disease. AS an example, increased isolation, reduced access to treatment, and economic devastation
have led to an increase in mental health and substance use disorders across the country. Prior to the
pandemic, the US was already in the midst of an epidemic of opioid abuse and misuse that had been
fueled by over prescription of opioid pain medications (e.g. hydrocodone, oxycodone), the lack of
effective non–opioid alternatives, as well as an increasing supply of extremely potent, synthetic opioids
often laced into illicit street drugs such as heroin without the knowledge of the end–user. A growing
body of evidence now indicates that the opioid crisis accelerated during the COVID–19 pandemic. It is
now estimated that over 90,000 Americans died of overdoses during the 12 months ended September
2020, the highest number in any year on record. According to the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, synthetic opioid fatalities rose an unprecedented 55%. This public health crisis is occurring
at the same time that many large pharmaceutical companies have withdrawn from neuroscience to
focus on other therapeutic areas such as oncology and rare diseases. An objective of our program is to
institute a voucher system that encourages companies to conduct research addressing these unmet
medical needs exacerbated by the COVID–19 pandemic.
The overall goal of this section of the proposal is to work with existing building owners to upgrade,
remodel and improve 40,000 sq ft of space to better accommodate start–up companies and small
laboratory–based projects and businesses. Current facilities are outdated or not equipped for laboratory
operations, and would need to be upgraded to comply with current best practices for workplace safety.
In addition, much of the building space was designed for a single tenant, rather than as a multi–tenant
facility. The existing spaces could be remodeled in a cost–effective manner to better support the
community and to facilitate spin–off companies and projects from Montana State University. By
investing in facilities with proximity to Montana State University, and providing appropriate incentives,
opportunities for small businesses to collaborate with the University will be enhanced.

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Goals
1) Work with an architect fluent in laboratory and incubator design to develop a plan to remodel
the facilities
2) Solicit bids for the project from at least three commercial contractors experienced in laboratory
facilities and/or incubator design, and contract the work to be performed
3) Establish an up–to–date telecommunications facility with seating for at least 50 people to support
programming that can be broadcasted to and from hubs in the other six communities in Montana
4) Institute a disease model voucher program to incentivize innovative small businesses associated
to direct their research efforts toward unmet medical needs exacerbated by the COVID–19
pandemic

Goal 1: Work with an architect fluent in laboratory and incubator design to develop a plan to remodel
the facility
Required improvements to the facility include updating air handling equipment, laboratory equipment
including autoclave, Glasswash, chemical fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, refrigerators and freezers,
variable office–lab modules to accommodate different sized companies, card–swipe security systems
designed for multi–tenant facilities, shared conference rooms and kitchen facilities, and other
improvements. These types of design improvements are typical in most urban environments, and there
are firms based in Montana who would be qualified to do the work.

Goal 2: Solicit bids for the project from at least three commercial contractors experienced in laboratory
facilities and/or incubator design and contract the work to be performed
Best practice is to solicit bids from multiple contractors with the requirement that contractors in turn
solicit at least three bids for each subcontract over $5,000. There are contractors based in Montana who
would be qualified to do the work.

Goal 3: Establish an up–to–date telecommunications facility with seating for at least 50 people to
support programming that can be broadcasted to and from hubs in the other six communities in
Montana
A key principle is to create an interconnected network across the State of Montana, which will require
telecommunication centers capable of broadcasting and receiving content throughout the network.
Content will include workforce development and training, collaboration with STEM education systems,
seminars from professional service providers (patent attorneys, accountants, company formation
attorneys, human resources, etc. Throughout 2020, the Montana Bioscience Cluster Initiative partner
activities, trainings and events drew in over 1000 participants including small businesses, faculty
researchers, students, and entrepreneurs engaged in bioscience in Montana. They estimated 1200
unique participants of which 60 were small businesses. A main seminar room exists in the facility but
needs to be updated to accommodate an audience of at least 50 people. Also included will be to wire
shared conference rooms with monitors and video equipment capable of supporting Zoom meetings for
building tenants. There are contractors based in Montana capable of doing the work.

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Goal 4: Institute a disease model voucher program to incentivize Montana–based companies to direct
their research and therapeutic development efforts toward unmet medical needs exacerbated by the
COVID–19 pandemic
Small businesses will be eligible to apply for vouchers to support disease models in the following areas
that are directly related to or have been exacerbated by the COVID–19 pandemic: antiviral, addiction,
mental health, non–opioid pain, substance abuse disorder, diagnostic testing, therapeutic development
and vaccine research. It is estimated that a total of 10–15 vouchers will be awarded for a total
consideration of $750k.
Estimated time to completion is 12–24 months.
Requested funding
Estimated cost of the improvements described above is $2,300,000 ($57.5/sq ft)
Estimated cost of the COVID–19 related R&D voucher incentive program is $600,000 (10–12 vouchers,
$50,000 – $75,000 each)
Total requested funding: $2,900,000

Summary
The project described here meets a critical need in the Bozeman community to provide affordable space
to emerging companies and support through an integrated network across the state.

Participants
The Montana BioScience Alliance
Montana State University’s Innovation Campus
Montana Institutes for Science and Technology (MIST)

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Statewide Biotechnology Impact, Workforce Landscape,
Trends and Potential
America’s high–tech and bioscience industries have flourished together, in a synergistic and supportive
culture of innovation that has attracted intellectual capital and investment while also creating public–private
partnerships that have resulted in immeasurable contributions to the communities in which they thrived.
These industries have spawned some of our greatest achievements and contributions to the world, including
medical breakthroughs that have improved and saved countless lives during the COVID–19 pandemic,
advancements in agricultural science resulting in more efficient, environmentally friendly, safer production
methods, methods to enhance cybersecurity and advancements in technology that have revolutionized the
way we access and utilize information to conduct our daily lives. The pandemic has also revealed potential
cracks in our healthcare systems and potential strain in our economic development across the United States.
The State of Montana is uniquely positioned to respond to the economic uncertainties presented by the
current COVID–19 pandemic, and Montana technologies companies are uniquely positioned to provide
interventions and solutions for current COVID–19 needs and as future pandemics or public health challenges
emerge.
Bioscience and technology industries offer tremendous opportunities for professionals with a wide array
of talents and education levels, providing high paying jobs and fulfilling careers for Montana.
Historically, talent, investors, and companies initially clustered in coastal areas of the United States with
world–class, often private, academic institutions in large metropolitan centers
such as Boston/Cambridge and the San Francisco Bay area. But today is a
different story: as the costs and other challenges of situating companies in
these traditional technology hubs increase and as information can be
propagated and dispersed equally throughout much of the United States,
entrepreneurs and company founders have increasingly looked for more
favorable states and cities to grow their new enterprises. Montana is well on its
way to being one of the preferred states for incubating and launching key
bioscience and technology companies and attracting workforce with above
average wages. This is detailed in a report provided by the Coalition of State
BioScience Institutes, 2021 Life Sciences Workforce Trends Report: Taking
Stock of Industry Talent Dynamics Following a Disruptive Year, showing strong
data supporting the potential for high paying bioscience and technology jobs for
Montana.
Additionally, the Montana Department of Labor has provided an excellent report, Montana Information
Wage Rates by Occupation 2020, showing specific job titles and wage information that this sector
would be creating. The details related to bioscience and technology are provided separately.
(Appendix A)
Through the work of the Montana BioScience Alliance and the Montana BioScience Cluster Initiative, the
Montana University System, and private and public partners, the state is already seeing exponential
growth and impact. In their recent 2020 Impact Statement (Appendix B), the Montana BioScience
Alliance reinforced that the bioscience and tech industry sector holds bright promise for high–paying
jobs, sustainable businesses and a brain gain for the state.

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Current Montana Bio Companies and Successes
During the COVID–19 pandemic, a number of Montana companies stepped up to fill a gap not being
served by State and Federal public health organizations:
● Archer Biologics was formed in Bozeman to perform wastewater testing to assess
community incidence of COVID via viral detection by PCR testing;
● Inimmune in Missoula expanded to test ways to enhance performance of vaccines using
their proprietary adjuvants;
Montana High Tech Business Alliance – February 10, 2021
For Missoula’s Inimmune, a $22 M Series A Round with Two Bear Capital is the latest
record set.)
● FYR Diagnostics in Missoula and Montana State University in Bozeman built clinical testing
laboratories to process human samples to detect viral infections;
● Rocky Mountain Biologicals in Missoula created Viral Transport Medium for coronavirus
testing kits;
● Bozeman’s Golden Helix developed bioinformatics software to automate the diagnostic
process;
● Missoula–based PatientOne worked with the county health department to implement
software that automatically updates patient symptoms and temperature information to the
government database;
● Whitefish–based Truwl built an online platform that allows researchers to share genomic
data analysis methods.
● VIRIS Detection Systems was formed in Bozeman to develop new diagnostic tools, including
for SARS–CoV–2 (the cause of COVID19), using a platform that can be quickly reprogramed
for detection of other viruses (e.g., Ebola, Influenza, or HIV), genes associated with non–
infectious diseases (e.g., oncogenes) or disease important to the agricultural industry.

Without these efforts from private companies, the response to the COVID–19 pandemic in MT would
have been greatly diminished. This highlights two critical reasons for the State to invest in infrastructure
to support bioscience and other technologies. First, expansion of the industry offers greater diversity in
Montana’s economy, providing high paying jobs that are resilient to current and future pandemics.
More importantly, though, the cases illustrated above show us that much of the work to respond to the
pandemic in MT occurred locally within the State. An investment now in infrastructure for bioscience
and technology companies will allow this type of companies to continue to provide technologies and
services for Montanans, expand our ability to export products and services out of State, and quickly
respond to the emergence of strain variants or future pandemics.
Given the availability and proposed investments in high quality, cost–effective internet–based infrastructure
and communication tools, more people than ever before can work remotely, including in rural Montana,
resulting in more geographic diversity in company formation and capital investment. Many of Montana’s
neighboring states have recognized these trends and for the last several years have aggressively pursued
entrepreneurs and existing businesses through tax incentives, modern infrastructure investments, and other
quality of life benefits

32

Conclusion
Throughout the most recent legislative session, conversations were held with select legislators,
Montana Department of Commerce, Montana Governor Gianforte, and stakeholders in the seven
largest communities in Montana. It was determined during these discussions that a proposal should be
developed to be submitted to the commission for Economic Stabilization and Workforce Development
Commission as well as the Health and Human Services Commission to solicit funding and initiate
projects in each community.
It is expected this proposal will leverage private funding and resources in conjunction with State and
Federal funding. For example, there are existing properties that could be repurposed as modular, multi–
tenant facilities suitable for technology companies once renovation funds are identified. Development
partnerships are also anticipated where the private sector could construct shell space and have modular
laboratories built using funding from the ARPA, or even where shell space is available and under–utilized.
These types of public–private projects are the best way for the State of Montana to gain the greatest
impact from ARPA funds that have been allocated to the State.
The infrastructure programs described above require a one–time investment from the State to leverage the
private resources already in place and support entrepreneurial growth in this exciting industry sector. With
an investment by the state, the communities will be able to leverage additional funding from the US EDA, US
Congress, and private investors to continue to enhance the job growth climate in Montana.
For additional information or to request a presentation to the commission, please contact, Melanie Schwarz,
at [email protected] or 406–670–9364.