Topeka ? In the race for bioscience research dollars, Kansas should focus on developing medicines, taking a global lead in food safety and raising crops for the health industry.

Those were among some of the recommendations made Monday by six “hot teams” that studied the Kansas bioscience landscape and laid out a roadmap for research and development.

The roadmap will be used during the next 10 years to guide the investment of more than $500 million in captured tax revenue that has been dedicated by the state for bioscience research and development.

“As has been said all along, Kansas knows that it cannot be all things in the bioscience industry,” said Tracy Taylor, president and chief executive of Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. “The hot teams have shown that Kansas is ready to pick and choose wisely where we invest our time, talents and dollars.”

The goal is to create more than 100 new bioscience companies that would employ more than 23,000 people and spin off another 20,000 jobs.

Development of the roadmap followed six bioscience summits conducted across the state last year.

Hot teams were composed of economic, education and industry experts. Four areas emerged as targets of potential gains in research dollars.

Among them was research in new medicines for human and animal health that would be centered at Kansas and Kansas State universities.

Charles Decedue, a hot team member and executive director of the Higuchi Biosciences Center at KU, said the effort must coordinate scientific research, clinical research and bioscience businesses.

Kansas also should aspire to be a global center for the advancement of animal health and food safety, said Marty Vanier, associate director of the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center at KSU.

“What we have here in the state of Kansas is incredible agriculture productivity,” she said.

In addition, Kansas should focus on developing new biologically derived materials, such as renewable agriculture commodities, and biopharmaceutical products.