Pombo's visit helps Applied Biosystems Pombo's visit helps Applied Biosystems (September 02, 2005)

Jeb Bing

Republican Congressman Richard Pombo's almost stealth-like visit to Applied Biosystems last week was a surprise to city officials and others in his Pleasanton constituency who almost never see him. But the one-hour stop-over may have provided a valued boost to the globally-recognized biotech firm that quietly invited him. It's no secret that Applied Biosystems has not grown its Pleasanton business as expected, and rumors have circulated for several months that it would like to modify or scrap the city-approved planned unit development that holds the company to constructing seven two- and three-story buildings comprising 960,000 square feet of laboratory, office and manufacturing space. They would create a complex on an 80-acre site Applied Biosystems bought in 2000 from Kaiser Aluminum to help ease its overcrowded laboratory space at its headquarters in Foster City.

Today, however, only one building on its scenic Pleasanton campus, Building D, is occupied with 360 full-time employees working three separate shifts, fewer employees than when the research lab opened with much fanfare three years ago, and a far cry from the 2,600 employees the company planned to have on the site. A second new building stands empty, never completed inside except for heating, air conditioning and overall power supply systems in the basement that are designed to serve the planned seven-building campus. Even a traffic light that the company installed at its entrance across from Sycamore Road had to be re-programmed. With so few cars exiting from the site in late evening hours, it was automatically switching to flashing red for Sunol Boulevard traffic with its computer assuming a malfunction.

Now, however, with a growing emphasis on anti-terrorism detection systems and billions of dollars in federal money available, Applied Biosystems expertise in DNA analysis has found its way into sensing capabilities to detect anthrax and possibly many other chemical poisons. The company lined up with Cepheid of Sunnyvale, a biotech company that took new methods of DNA analysis developed by a Livermore Lab nuclear weapons testing facility, and adapted them for lifesaving medical tests. Working with Cepheid and other manufacturing innovators, Applied Biosystems now supplies the test that actually allows the post office to locate and identify anthrax on mail as it speeds through processing equipment. The systems are now in place at 240 post offices around the country, including Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Similar testing procedures are being used or considered by the Department of Defense and the Center for Disease Control.

This brings me back to Pombo and his quick visit to Pleasanton. When Chris Melancon, Applied Biosystems' senior manager for biosecurity, demonstrated the anthrax detection tests to Senate staffers in Washington recently, Pombo listened in. The Tracy congressman, who serves as chairman of the House Resources Committee and is a member of the House Agricultural Committee, is considered a specialist on farming and agriculture. Why couldn't this same testing technology be used to detect toxins and poisons on crops or, more important, viruses present in cattle that could indicate early signs of Hoof and Mouth disease? What other uses could Applied Biosystems' tests have for detecting dangers in the food supply system? Melancon and Applied Biosystems scientists demonstrated the success of their work in analyzing and identifying these risks during Pombo's visit, hoping he will carry the message of their accomplishments back to Congress where biosecurity appropriations are made. The one-hour visit could turn into one of the best investments the company has made in its portfolio and in Pleasanton.

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