Biotechnology Resource Center
The BTI was chartered by the state to be its biotechnology initiative. It has a commitment to provide state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to support the research efforts of faculty and companies, both small and large, to help catalyze the development of a biotechnology industry in Minnesota.

BTI has dedicated considerable effort and resources to convert a sub-standard space in the basement of Gortner Lab to the Biotechnology Resource Center (BRC), which is the cornerstone of Biodale. Over the years, there have been significant contributions from companies such as ABEC, Inc., Fisher Rosemount, Hosakawa-Bepex and others.

Training grant
Starting in 1990, the BTI was successful in pursuing a 5-year, cross-disciplinary biotechnology grant from the NIH. This was renewed in 1995 and again in 2000-2005 for $2.3 million. Over the past 15 years, this grant has provided financial support for over 100 graduate students who have participated in the program. Some 67 students have completed their Ph.D. degrees in disciplines such as Biochemistry, Microbiology, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Genetics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Plant Sciences, Mathematics, Health Informatics and Electrical Engineering. Of these, 42 have taken industrial positions in biotechnology, 20 are in academia, and 5 have gone on to medical careers. The BTI has provided significant administrative and financial support to sustain the grant.

Seed grants
A research university lives on grants to support its graduate students and post-doctoral associates. Competition for grants is very keen, and the funds available to the granting agencies have not kept pace with the expanding research base in biotechnology -- more people competing for fewer resources. To provide our faculty a competitive edge, the BTI began making seed grants available in 1993. These grants are intended to fund one year of research with the goal of generating sufficient preliminary data to increase the odds of success in grant applications. This has in fact been the case, but more importantly, it has provided encouragement for the faculty to try new ideas and move into areas with potential for seminal discovery.

Exchange programs
Biotechnology is a global enterprise. In 1996, BTI established a formal exchange program with the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) in Japan. In 2001, a program was established with the Hochschule Wadenswill in Switzerland. Students and faculty on each side of these exchanges have experienced each other's culture and approach to biotechnology. An aggregate of over 100 students and faculty have been involved since inception.