The Prince William County Department of Economic Development & Tourism (PWCDEDT) participated in the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) roadshow event Empowering the Future of Biotechnology through Trusted Science at American Type Culture Collection (ATCC)’s corporate headquarters in Innovation Park, Manassas on November 21.
The exclusive gathering included an intersection of key leaders in academia, industry, and government for the NSCEB’s Biotech Across America Roadshow program, which comes on the heels of the comprehensive 200-page report presented to the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee in April 2025.
This stop featured global leadership in the bioeconomy, including the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), and Virginia Bio. Major biomanufacturing startups from across the Capital BioHealth Region were featured on panels, including the Endeavor234 incubator graduate, Capra Biosciences, who is working with ATCC on projects related to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Switch program.
“We grow and protect the essential resources that can harness the immense power of biology – impacting everything from cancer and infectious diseases to agriculture. Every milestone related to scientific biological discovery is recorded at ATCC,” said ATCC president and CEO Ruth Cheng, PhD. “The bioeconomy is a shared mission for resiliency which starts with the talent pipeline.”
Located in Manassas for nearly 30 years, the private non-profit is an anchor life science and biomanufacturing company for the county’s burgeoning Innovation District, which is powered by PWCDEDT, the City of Manassas, and George Mason University (GMU).
In addition to successful workforce programs such as Virgina Bio’s STEM2VA and VIPC’s Lab-to-Launch, GMU just launched the Northern Virginia International Soft-Landing Accelerator (NISA) program designed to help start-ups from around the globe find guidance, connections, and lab or office space in Innovation District.
“ATCC's growing campus in Prince William County highlights a major economic opportunity for us," said Christina Winn, executive director, PWCDEDT. “Businesses are actively looking for modern industrial space, places where advanced biomanufacturing, tech innovators, and their suppliers can scale their ideas. The demand is there, and we’re in a competitive position to capture it.”
The event coincided with ATCC’s 100th anniversary year, and key leaders were given a guided tour of the new biomanufacturing facility that's under construction. ATCC invested $54.6 million to build the new lab and when complete, it will create 75 new high-paying jobs..
ATCC will continue its central role in supporting U.S. priorities in health, biosecurity, and domestic biomanufacturing. “This is the next century of biology, and we at ATCC are proud to be supporting it." said Cheng. "Our global competitiveness depends on deep collaboration and collective action.”
About NSCEB
The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology is a time-limited, high-impact legislative branch advisory entity whose purpose is to advance and secure biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and associated technologies for U.S. national security and to prepare the United States for the bioindustrial revolution. The Commission published a comprehensive report in April 2025, including recommendations for action by Congress and the federal government. The bipartisan Commission is composed of Congressionally appointed Commissioners with members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as experts from industry, academia, and government. For more information about the Commission and to view the report, visit: biotech.senate.gov.