Dr. Rafick Sekaly, Chief Scientific Officer for VGTI and internationally renowned AIDS researcher, toured the mobile AIDS testing unit sponsored by In the Image of Christ and presented its director with $1000 raised from the employees at VGTI on World AIDS Day. Pictured are Penny Sugar, VGTI Director of Institutional Advancement; Dominque Cain-Atwater, who tests clients on the mobile unit; Dr. Sekaly; and Hazel Hoylman, Director of In the Image of Christ.

VGTI-FL recently participated in a joint symposium with Florida Atlantic University.

Click here to read about it on the FAU website...

Economics is often referred to as the dismal science, and prominent Florida economist Henry "Hank" Fishkind didn't offer too many rays of sunshine during a presentation to business leaders on Wednesday at Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies in Port St. Lucie.

If there was a bright spot in Fishkind's outlook for the national, state and local economies over the next few years, it was Florida in general and St. Lucie County's Tradition corridor in particular. If job growth is going to occur anywhere, Fishkind argued, we're one of the top four places where it's likely to happen.

To read the full article on TCpalm, click here.

Despite a sluggish economy and the slow process of bringing a biotech hub to the Treasure Coast, local officials believe the industry could transform the region in the next decade.

“Five years from now is going to be really exciting,” Economic Development Council of St. Lucie President Larry Pelton said. “I think 10 years from now is going to be enormous. You won’t recognize our county.”

Thousands of jobs, improved wages and hundreds of acres of state-of-the-art biotech facilities are among the benefits officials tout when talking about the biotech sector. But stumbling blocks exist in the form of limited lenders, increased competition for federal grants and a slow economy.

To read the full article on TCpalm, click here.

Attorney Raquel Rodriquez recently celebrated a milestone birthday by asking her friends and family to donate their gifts to VGTI. This was a wonderful surprise and a great way to give a gift that keeps on giving to the future and to the research work that will benefit the world as it is done here at VGTI Florida. The first gift to arrive came from Jorge Carvallo and Eddy Cruz of Miami Beach. VGTI will be pleased to contribute this gift in Ms. Rodriquez’s honor to our general fund. Thank you to the donors and to the birthday lady for all their generosity and Happy Birthday Rocky!

Nonprofits that depend on money from the nation’s banks are struggling as financial companies, worried about the market turmoil and threats of a double-dip recession, hold back on their giving,The New York Times reports.

The tight giving climate has been toughest on charities with a financial bent, like those that advise low-income borrowers and budding entrepreneurs, the newspaper says, since those groups often get a big share of their money from banks.

Citing The Chronicle‘s studies of corporate giving, the newspaper notes that the pool of financial donors has not recovered since the 2008 economic crisis caused Lehman Brothers to file for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch to be taken over by Bank of America.

Even so, financial companies accounted for the largest amount of corporate cash donations in 2010, roughly $2.11-billion, according to the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, a group of business leaders.

Some of you may have heard about our recent funding success.  We, along with
researchers at the UC San Francisco and Merck were awarded $25million over five
years to work towards finding a cure for HIV.  Our joint project with UCSF
was one of three such awards funded by the NIH.  Each research team will
use the funds for research efforts directly devoted to finding a cure for
HIV. 

While this is one of the largest funding efforts devoted to this endeavor to date,
there are many other diseases and maladies that remain poorly funded.  Many
of these including immune therapies for cancer and how to combat emerging
tropical diseases encroaching into South Florida remain "orphan" causes and
could use similar funding as we have received for our HIV studies.  So
please remember to help us in our quest to devote resources to these problems as
well. 

Are you part of a major arts group along the Treasure Coast looking for exhibit space to showcase all your super special art work? Did you know that VGTI-FL is "Doing our part for science and art"? We will be displaying six very special exhibits for two month periods, including a cocktail reception to kick off each show and sale prior to each exhibit in our wonderful new lobby space at 9801 Discovery Way, Port St. Lucie, FL! To see how your group may qualify, contact us at (772)345-4786 today!

What do TB and the sometimes deadly bites of Dengue Mosquitoes have in common? Each goes under the microscope at VGTI-FL! To learn more about the specifics of our research consider scheduling a lecture for your club or organization during next "season". For details call (772)345-4786.