   
The Southern Virginia economy has been severely affected by declining tobacco and textile markets, and the transfer of hundreds of furniture jobs offshore. This economic downturn and the lower than average level of advanced education make the need for revitalizing and diversifying the Southern Virginia economy all the more important. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, VA is working on innovative opportunities based on the region's rich agricultural heritage. These technologies are under development through the Institute for Sustainable and Renewable Resources (ISRR) a research center jointly affiliated with the Departments of Horticulture and Forestry at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).
The ISRR has brought together expertise in plant tissue culture, plant molecular biology, genomics, molecular breeding and information technology to facilitate the development and propagation of novel ornamental, crop and forestry plant varieties. The novel varieties being developed in collaboration with the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association (VNLA) Plant Introduction Program offer the opportunity to diversify the traditional tobacco-based economy by providing new marketable products that could be grown in regional greenhouses and fields, generating new economic resources for the region.
In addition, the expertise offered by the ISRR provides the impetus to attract other high technology enterprises to the region. The ISRR will serve as a major educational and outreach facility in plant biotechnology, integrating K-12 programs and graduate student training, through close relationships between the ISRR, Virginia Tech, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Averett University and Patrick Henry and Danville Community Colleges.
The ISRR mandate deals with the desire to use plant biology to enhance economic and community development in Southern Virginia. We believe that we can achieve this mandate through several different mechanisms relating to our research program:
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Develop novel plants and plant products, to be grown or produced regionally, some using tobacco greenhouse infrastructure currently available
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Create Intellectual Property and spin-offs as a result of the technology developed here
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Utilize our expertise to attract companies and investment
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Encourage and cultivate an interest in plant science and technology with local students and members of the community |
