Kenneth Giacin couldn't be more excited about California's Proposition 71. The landmark initiative to provide $3 billion in funding for stem cell research is not only a potential watershed in the world of science and medicine, but it may also mean that his company, StemCyte, will be able to accelerate its work in transplantation therapy.
"For us, it's far nicer to look at an additional source of potential funding than just one, which is the National Institutes of Health," says Giacin, a former Johnson & Johnson executive who runs the Arcadia, Calif., startup. "But it's not just us. Many others who have been looking to the NIH or private equity investments now have another place to look. This could drive a lot of companies into this space. In theory, it should act as a catalyst to heat up this area of research."
Indeed, the move to create the California Institute ...
