Securing a national bio-defense lab for the state of Kansas would mean up to 500 new research positions, another 1,500 construction jobs and $451 million in investment for the state of Kansas.

Atop Mount Oread, the potential for a National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility being built either in Leavenworth or Manhattan could be even more far reaching, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts told Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway and a variety of research leaders this morning at KU.

“There are hundreds of ways this will be important,” Roberts told the 10th anniversary meeting of his Advisory Committee on Science, Technology and the Future, conducted at the Adams Alumni Center. “Chancellor Hemenway, you would know far better than I that with all the exciting bioscience initiatives now occurring on both the Lawrence and medical center campuses, the collaboration and ‘pourover’ effect at KU, as well as the other research universities, this would simply be monumental. :

“Kansas has made clear that it is willing to do what it takes to invest in the infrastructure necessary to compete for the high-tech research and jobs. You, the members of the advisory committee, deserve much of the credit for this success. I can not thank you enough.”