What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How the ACC Biosciences Incubator is addressing the lack of available wet lab space in Central Texas
• Why the incubator is a resource to students and startups
• What kind of companies, products and people the lab produces

  

The biotechnology industry in Texas is growing and in need of lab space. That’s where Austin Community College comes in with its one-of-a-kind Bioscience Incubator. The incubator is addressing the overwhelming demand for leasable lab space in Texas, combined with a business incubator that allows biotech startup companies and life science entrepreneurs to thrive in Central Texas. The incubator has established a permanent wet lab facility at ACC that bridges the gaps in the “research to product” cycle and allows startups to utilize ACC interns and equipment, saving time and money during product development. If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is, especially for a community college. The ACC biotech lab is one of only six like it in the country. 

Not only is the lab allowing Central Texas biotech companies to thrive, but it’s also allowing ACC students to get real, hands-on research experience in a way that prepares them for a biotech career. In this episode of Science In the Mall, Y’all host Dan Dillard sits down with Nancy Lyon, the interim director of the incubator and former intern, Marcia McCallum. McCallum is an incredibly impressive student and a true example of a success story at the incubator. She had a non-traditional path to higher education and discovered her passion for microbiology while at ACC. Then, she was one of the very first ACC students to intern in the lab and she has achieved great success since.

Listen to the very first installment of Science In the Mall, Y’all to hear more about the groundbreaking startup work happening at the ACC Bioscience Incubator. If you like what you hear, leave us a review and share it with a friend!

Science In the Mall, Y’all is a founding_media podcast created in partnership with the ACC Bioscience Incubator. 

Host: Dan Dillard, founding_media

Guests: Nancy Lyon, ACC Bioscience Incubator Director, and Marcia McCallum, Former Intern

The energy of it, and what it was aiming for, and what it could be in the future, was just an almost overwhelming feeling of just wow.

Transcript

This is a founding media podcast produced at Austin community college district welcome to the first episode of Science in the Mall, Y’all  I’m your host Dan Dillard. on this show we’re going to be bringing your conversations from companies and organizations that are all connected to Austin community college’s bioscience incubator first how does a bioscience incubator inside of an abandoned mall actually come to be and how is it run today on this episode of science the mall y’all we get to learn more about Nancy Lyon the director of the bioscience incubator we will also hear from Marcia McCallum whose inspiring journey took from ACC student to employee at the bioscience incubator not only does this space provide a place for companies to innovate but it’s also the perfect environment for ACC students to use their skills as employees yes even beyond folks in science and medicine Nancy Marshall welcome to the show I had a lot of fun with science in the mall yes I’m looking forward to working on this project  you know United Portland on creating the story line and I’m excited about the great interviews we have lined up since this was brought to us by you and others at the ACC our senses incubator I wanted to ask you of those appropriate to start by discussing what is the biosciences incubator dons and then when you just kind of slow overview yes how far do I go back  the license again bitter is a brainchild of the biotech program at ECC seven they have a requirement in their degree program for an internship in the industry and it turns out there’s really not a lot of industry in Austin and that is problematic yeah  but the state of Texas is very interested in Austin be more biotech town and they’ve been wanting to kinda if toyed with that idea in the past and so we wrote St grade to the state of Texas in their economic development to build the space there is that if we were referencing a study that was done in twenty eleven for the demand for at least a lab space that had not ever been addressed in so by a building this space mistake it has the money to do it at the same time the college bottom mall like you do yeah and said that providing the real estate and now we’ve got four stores and that used to be in the mall including glamour shots and told them and that’s instead being used for companies in the in the local Austin area to lease for their biotech startup no I think it’s amazing on I have obviously been there done the tour of love everything that is that you guys have gone in in in talking to others that will be on the show in the shows I’ve  just come to have a new appreciation for the value that the ACC is bringing to small business start ups in the bar in the science of space licenses based biosensor space  and making it possible for them just to  is make it easier and and some of the comments I’ve heard everything from you know you’ve got all the equipment  that means larger quick meant that that’s there that these individuals need but an initial comment on one things keeps coming back is just the network that you built while most of the A. sixty passengers lamp you have resources and people and students that want to work for the company as a source of what so I just think it’s it’s it’s great  from a standpoint of services for the community yeah and that’s what the intention was behind it and I think we successfully created that and growing L. S. growing problem another episode Marcia I want to bring you into the conversation what is your involvement and and you know the start of a CC by senses laugh well I was one of the first and turns into their  we were still when I started there’s still stuff in boxes and things need to be arranged in plugged in or find the plugs to plug it in find all the pieces and parts and get it together and you know make everything workable and usable but the even in the beginning B. form there is in companies even in there yet and it was just starting the energy in that place as an intern was just almost overwhelming it’s when I found out I got the position I was like schipani do Delano got the position you just keeping you dot I was a I was extra security to but just the I see the energy of it and what it was what it was eighty four one it could be in the future Mr saying from the very beginning was just an almost overwhelming feeling of just wow yeah it speaks clearly to me this is you know I’m in the entrepreneurial world and and and so I see on the struggles that these first of all the challenges that these monsters have just starting their business for the flag out there it’s okay I’m going to do this someone shakes the string and then every obstacle that gets in the way that they can overcome and so my respect for ACC biosciences incubator in in other incubators wall buttons especially what you guys are doing is just the ability to make life just a little bit easier for these start ups and allow them to focus on their on their work forces okay this funding for this kind of equipment and and just so it does solve a lot of problems in the community  it just doesn’t feel like a kid in the community for short and then stroll hard to find a flow cytometer on Amazon prime so but not on the basis yeah we can even give you next day delivery they either did your rate the fed under printers have all these issues but in life sciences it’s like a whole nother level because lab space is not it’s not a cheap director Vince is people that are going out there and don’t have access to it before we existed they’re finding commercial real estate and retro fitting it into a lab in buying all that equipment before they even know that their idea was a good idea we was talking to one of the other tests and talking about the the amount of money that needs to be raised for biosciences company versus a software company if you think about it so I suffer company Pete’s programming in computers or not not to belittle that but that’s that’s one level but the new talked biosciences and you’ve got all these machines that the better in a multimillion dollar piece equipment or Christmas in a Cup quarterly and ours and then the maintenance to that so that in the just the trajectory mean that to get through the regulatory hurdles that are also part of most of these people is you know like you just use the analogy of an app but that said maybe a one year two year turnaround time so it’s low cost but it’s also a faster turn for investors it’s just like get on to the next thing it’s more like a fifteen to twenty years can a trajectory in life sciences and certifying that kind of stamina and that kind of funding is yeah yeah credible well the other thing that you reminded me of is it just the people support as you know we have the lab itself but but you’ve got access to students and so one of the people who were talking to let’s talk about how much he appreciated just the talent that comes through A. C. C. and the ability to the higher directly from there so that’s that is unique I think he said that he put on out for something and for scientists have a hundred up to seven thirty days is like in in the role supercool funding system building that network so one of things that you just mentioned was you know the in the process of of getting things through regulation and whatnot and I would think that just the network loans be able ask other people are going to the same summer experiences can be incredibly helpful that M. we’ve also  employed the Austin technology incubator at the university of Texas and so when they brought that grand regionally five years ago they were forward thinking enough to know that these scientists are gonna need more than just us and said they wrote this  the Austin technology into the grand so we provide a lot of support and they provide the business support to together we are at all purpose serving yeah so that’s huge too because we can bring in experts in any of these fields and they’re they’re two hours a week every week open office hours for the companies to just use that we’ve already paid for their services well that’s what I love about choose the community feel Austin as the city are you lost past all time describe Austin in one word and I see communal property well are you a user community because in collaboration and it’s because of that you can ask anybody for coffee the good have Cup coffee share knowledge and and just come home and be sure to help each other and so that’s what I love about the spirit here I want to backtrack a little bit and talk about some background so Marcia I read a story about  your path to education you want to share that with the audience I think I think it was a total store and I think that’s what made me cry well  I have four children and Alyssa waiting tables to get to my kids through college and  I decided I was going to get a shot myself you can wait tables stuff through colleges and  I started I was wanting to be a nurse and I took my first micro class in I was in love I definitely knew that microbiology itself I don’t even know what cell culture was but I just knew that sounded so cool  so I started the biotech a program in the ACC and  yes I got my degree  I got an a a player socius on science and biotechnology and started my first internship at the incubator and it was an amazing experience if you don’t know anything about the cell culture basically you’re growing cancer cells and then they grow indefinitely so you have to just keep him in check by diluting back into the backseat of what a million something cells per milliliter and I try to name all of that is really it and them I’m actually working  in a manufacturing position where I raise us cells  to produce an antibody and we got a four very large reactors and I named him John Paul George and Ringo reactors well that’s the wave and then we’ll and so I have to admit some my colleagues were kind of glad I stop naming them after my pets  Clinton thing like this change a little bit but cell culture is it’s a very nurturing it’s I raised under my baby’s interest and I am a mice had didn’t even really know what it entailed but I knew that’s what I want to do and when I was at the internet the incubator I got a chance to work with different cell lines and just kind of expand my mind palace what the classroom had taught me and that came along from Nancy team because he was my mentor I hello Sir a little bit of what I read the story and and you know I’m always really inspired by what entrepreneurs do and how hard that journey is and whatnot and when I was reading your story it was a very similar story in that you did all the hard work which goes to school and if I’m not mistaken forty eight minutes to go back to school now is probably right around there and all these others are already in prince yes it is yeah I was I was I was forty eight when I went back to school so when I thought that was fascinating about that is just the the the the courage and I just dove into the story because it talks about how you you know went to the the the line is someone with a camera holding that kids if you wouldn’t mind if you’re holding a place for years are your child to get their ID would you mind if I just I was like no idea thank you thank you for going for me because I’m an expert and then the first couple of classes you know because they were all I mean I had business classroom thirty years yeah and you know I’m walking a lot less the kids for like and then it said that S. I just imagine in in this story I read where you’re taking your algebra classes and and what you’d forgotten about all my god and try to go back and fix my eyes because I use a lot of math is one of my favorite things but the sixteen year old and sometimes I go and help her with her mouth about homework and what you know what I was just you to fix yeah I know I have my kids tutor me and a lot of stuff they own them and my kids were a major major drive from me on even all the way up to my son St you know keep going the front of your classes keep don’t stop keep going keep going and  and my daughter’s tutored me in math and I had one tutor me in English and it was very empowering mmhm but a humble in the same breath of going through that but I would not change the long hours the hard work the people in math the people I still know  I wouldn’t change any of it right now will I look at life in in in in the various people have talked about their journey just seems like things just unfold differently for everybody in and you’ve got to just say yes and move forward and sounds like you said yess opportunity and did whatever it took because at that point it wasn’t like you weren’t working you Charles yes and  I think at one point I was doing eighteen hours of school  twenty hours of work during the week and then full time on the weekends yeah I know in this crazy  the sparkly grey hairs it also sparked a new passion for you hello yeah so yeah people who knew me free microphone  Sam completely different person lance got more self esteem I’ve got more drive I see more in the future and  it’s a pretty cool well it sounds like you know you you you you have a lot more meaning in your life now I mean raising my baby wipes me raising my babies that was my that was my choice and that was that but you know thank them and  so I kind of went my life is kind of split in to listen it was the joy that I had and the hello Dr that I had in raising my children and then the private the joy that I have here refers to drive right okay and she’s got a six million per millilitre children yes here hold my beer yeah yeah the thing we didn’t mention about the incubators the fact that you know yeah we have all these companies and yeah we have all this equipment but it’s the interns that run yeah yeah they do everything now let me list like we did well at the very beginning we got all the equipment set up at all the calibrations of Ali and curators on help kind of design the work flow space in the in the community space that all the businesses have there so one lab that is shared amongst them and so we kind of helped set up the work flow that there was another intern there and he was tall mmhm and I’m not real talk it was in here put away I’d be like okay he put away everybody look up it’s kind of you if it isn’t then I put away he’d be like I can’t find it on the lower level from but it was and that we also helped with them if any of the company’s revenue problems with equipment or anything like that then we would help trouble shoot it for them or help train them on it even with that  so it was a yes this is it’s really fun to watch a C. E. O. he’s got a little swagger maybe a little too much get taught how to use something by at community college L. like this his aides any power it seems there hopefully there is yeah let me show you how to do this really powerful for both from both angles you watch it in both of them here like us on that well I think it’s an amazing inspired to really think that the could the audience needed to hear the effort that you did to get where you’re at now and and and knowing that the passion that you reach refocusing shifted settles down and then them though and the colleagues that I work with now would probably wish I wasn’t quite as passionate I still I know I yeah that would see them hear me say good morning at five thirty at eight thirty but he did tell me that least wait online sometimes don’t get up in the nineteen thirty the coffee first she was she was sent away  just having come back and we’ll chat happy leader means your your background in a Utah  I didn’t teach actually I mean I guess I can today I were in a research lab county that’s true and I did yep  there is a research W. T. N. I. E. because lab manager researcher for him for fifteen years said so you know your way around yeah I mean I was hired to run the less you know but that thing is that there was no lab the first eight months that I worked there because it was under construction and so I started doing it like that director type thing like how should we set it up in which we offer which we charge in which we expect it happy and all that kind of step but then once we open and we had companies and students that maintain our staff but there is also a downtime and they all had to drive to learn some science so I would it creates science and like what what looks interesting like that thing over there okay read a project on that they were there hopefully make something up and figure out how to make it happen if we would do a project and they loved it is great and will so what attracted you to lab work to begin with I’m not sure but like so I went to school late to I went back to college I was thirty and I am after waiting tables for for many years fifteen years  but it was exactly what I need I want to do when I was in seventh grade I just I just didn’t trust myself incident once I was like Israel here natural at it so I’m glad you decided to make that ended sept it’s fun mean lab work is fine some very well rewarded but it’s very fun  what’s the stop look like now so I am currently the interim director the director  who opened it and who is the COO bring child  moved to Chicago seven months ago  and then we have a lab manager currently who is from the biology department ACC and so her background is in anatomy physiology which makes it hard to kind of create projects that have been there but she’s she’s great she knows how to do what she’s doing and every semester we have about three to five students that we bring in to keep things running it’s really been fun to see that the companies that are there are finally starting to feel brave enough to do the same and so we’ve seen a lot more companies hiring our students and interns which I was it was a hard push for first they were all like no not anybody little time to get to that and now they they really see the value in it so we’re seeing a lot more the students getting hired by the companies that’s really cool and again the spirit of what A. C. C. is all about just getting games people hired and it’s working I mean the people I mean they take these biotech classes and all of the classes at ECC are very hands on and so by the time they’ve done all their lab work and course work in the in the college and then come and do a semester to at the incubator then they’ve got some confidence in the address and they’ve worked on this stuff and they’ve trained CEOs just handle it I don’t micromanage these guys like these guys know what they need to do and so when the companies in town that aren’t here which there weren’t very many there are growing it’s working I’m they call me now like you know we’ve had a CC student before Judy at and so I keep handing off all my students to these companies Marsha and Mike the tall guy that she was talk about both have jobs in town everybody that has done the internship at the incubator for their for credit they have full time jobs with benefits in the industry in Austin wow so obvious others listen to if your student thinking about this yeah where where do you see this coming so I don’t know the route yeah yes and now but in five years from now what is it I don’t know like right now like when we when we were building this for like what if we build this and nobody can’t rate we were going to study that someone said that there was a demand and we trusted that college trusted that and we are totally full we’ve been totally filled for about a year yeah I’ve got a bit of a wait list of having a hard time getting him out the door more than I am in the door not because they’re not great but because there’s no lab space for them to go to and they’re ready like they are ready to make the next step which is maybe by their equipment but have an infrastructure built it with to leave the lab right now they would have to find a real estate is a real estate sign a five year lease retrofitted to a lab by all that equipment and they’re not ready for that it does make sense right a certain point especially when you’re talking about needing to do hard work and then you need pressurized rooms and you need special filtering of the air and you need yeah  limited access and you know you just can’t find them everywhere right in that the stuff that we’re doing everything at the Gators shared and you can’t do that with any kind of regulated things any kind of drug development or medical devices have to be in any in their own space the only way they can get through that and so until someone builds the next lab space which is something that we’re at I give a lot of tours and I mentioned it to absolutely every human being replaced because that’s the need we we demonstrated that there was any clean filled it is best we can and now if we can keep growing and having new people coming in we have to we have to I don’t know if we have to expand but we’re doing this as a as a ecosystem there’s a whole bunch of people in town that are really making a concerted effort to make this a life sciences presents and so they all want lab space about how many people are affecting companies fifteen currently fifteen trailer is fifteen companies that need the service and I’m sure there’s a lot more on a waiting list that are doing things to change the world yep and they are being the way it most people think of the life sciences they said that must be drug development and my speed diagnostics medical devices and we definitely have those fields in there but we’ve also got food safety and ag tech and oil and gas and environmental remediation and and people that are making tools for other researchers so there’s it coming out of the woodwork in all different places and we didn’t ever expect to hear from you no thanks I think it’s quite amazing so signings in the mall you’ll what is the show all about several at ACC they came up with this idea they give us the money the sport everything to build it and we have been out pounding the pavement tip to sell it to everybody but we kind of the collected did tell everybody is that right  we realize that we’re going to get students from other departments and other faculty involved and help from whoever we need they need to know that we’re here so Susan right yeah absolutely the committee outside of it that are in the biosciences right in but as soon as you see the word biocides exhibit again  science  and that’s not my thing I can’t help that intimate in little bit yeah I just think it doesn’t affect you know on the English faculty is not thinking that they have anything to do with biocides but maybe they do maybe they care about the problems resolved and they want to get involved because it it hits them personally well  I think you know when we first road bridge in this idea I I filled up with the idea  because  these companies are doing things that impact the world moves have salaries of the zebra mussels I mean everybody else’s been affected and and then what is being done in the in the lab space to change the world to to come to fight them off for cancer or just so many other things that that just opens your mind up so this the story telling of what these people are doing is just just amazing and inspiring  and you know you say that this is what happens with most businesses like you’ll build a website and you do some social media that’s pretty much it there’s so much to tell about what companies do in a medium like this you know since the mall you know it just it just makes science friendlier more approachable end allows us to share the stories of what is changing the world right here in Austin right what we’re doing in Austin to changing the world yeah and I just I just love and appreciate so much and it’s evident in the mall is an abandoned mall and right where we are it still looks very much like awesome but cool yeah I know I was reading an article the other day about what they’re thinking about doing some of these models to remove it because there’s so many miles across across the U. S. that just are not being used and so on what do you do with them I think this was a great idea and in in a good use of space there’s one in my home town that we grew up going to that is currently being used as a homeless shelter which is another really good of all one moment miss Lawson yes well I certainly love the work certainly love what we’re doing here and  really thank you both for being on the show in the first place in our first show was our first and I’m sure that will hit all the goals we want to help people to fall in love with all the companies and what they’re doing thank you very much thank you thank you to Nancy for letting us be a part of the story the bioscience incubator into Marsha for sharing how is directly impacted her life and career to learn more about the Austin community college bioscience incubator please visit the link in our shows sign small you’re always greeted a partnership between county media and ACC bioscience incubator