From VOA Learning English,
this is the Technology Report.
New York City and the State of New York
are investing hundreds of millions of dollars
to become a major player
in the development of high tech industries.
They have developed 40 workspaces known as incubators
to assist start-up businesses.
Harlem Biospace is an incubator for biomedical engineering.
It gives young entrepreneurs a low-cost way
to develop their ideas and businesses.
For a low monthly payment,
they are given desk space and use of a laboratory.
The young people pay for their own raw materials.
"This is great.
The reason is because it is so cheap
and it has the wet lab that we need.
So, I order chemicals that I need,
and I'm given the facilities here
to do my experiments," said Tyler Poore.
Tyler Poore and his partner are developing a product
that will kill bacteria.
It can be put on household goods,
like a sponge for cleaning.
He and 17 others at Biospace share a common goal
to find solutions to biomedical problems.
Edwin Vazquez is investigating the mystery of diseases,
such as Alzheimers and Parkinson's.
He says suggestions from others in the building
make the work environment at Biospace a real plus.
"There's nothing better than sitting down in a room like this
when there is a lot more people around and got something
that is exciting and go to the lunchroom
and you start talking to your other colleagues.
All of a sudden, somebody knows a researcher
that is doing something similar to you
who can complement your research,
you get in contact and things happen," said Vasquez.
Leading hospitals and science centers
are supporting innovators like Kate Rochlin,
founder of a company called Immunovent.
She has developed a brush to test for allergic reactions,
the device is placed in the nose or mouth.
The test results are correct more often than skin or blood tests.
"And from one single sample from the nose or mouth
we can test for a whole panel of 72 allergens.
And we found that the blood test only identified
peanut allergies 50 percent of the time,
and we could find it 99 percent of the time.
So, we are far more accurate with peanut diagnosis.
That's really important because that one in particular
is really life-threatening," said Rochlin.
Matthew Owens is the Executive Director of the Harlem Biospace.
He says there have been real signs of success
since the company was launched last November.
"We do have companies that are already shipping,
getting revenue and getting products out to customers.
So, I think it's a testament
that it's absolutely a success," said Owens.
And that is the Technology Report from VOA Learning English.