Biotech deals growing at faster pace in Florida

New data from University of Florida's Sid Martin Biotechnology incubator shows that Florida's life science sector continues to grow at a faster pace than the nation's. Biotech deals grew by 27 percent in 2012, to 19 deals from 15 in the previous year, and venture capital dollars rose to $103.5 million, a 19 percent increase over 2011. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

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Researchers focus on OJ quality, flavor

The Scientific Research Department at the Florida Department of Citrus has rebranded itself to reflect a new mission focusing on monitoring orange juice quality and flavor that might be affected by citrus greening. To help with flavor analysis, the commission approved spending $164,145 over the next two years to purchase a new machine capable of doing "gas chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis." More at the Lakeland Ledger.

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Gambling debate ratchets up again

Animal Business Modern Day Noah's Ark In a mission like a modern-day Noah's Ark, 138 exotic animals — from bears and big cats to the world's largest bats — have been safely hauled by Forest Animal Rescue from Hardee County to their new home outside Ocala. » Full story from the Gainesville Sun

The expansion of casino gambling in Florida will not be on the agenda when the state Legislature convenes next week, but discussion about the industry’s future here is heating up once again. A group of Wall Street analysts on Tuesday at the Florida Gaming Congress agreed it’s not a question of if destination gambling resorts will arrive in Florida, only when it will happen. More at the Miami Herald.

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Interest building in Shiloh area on KSC property

Primarily seen as a strategy to lure SpaceX missions, a proposed state-run launch complex inside Kennedy Space Center has drawn strong interest from another growing private space firm, public records show. Blue Origin, backed by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, says Space Florida’s proposed “Shiloh” site would be a good fit for tests of a reusable booster and eventual launches of cargo and crews to orbit. More at Florida Today.

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In commercial real estate, a rebound

Commercial real estate across Southwest Florida is showing the first signs of a comeback, with eager business operators opening new storefronts and employers expanding operations to accommodate post-recession growth. But just as setbacks have long burdened housing, most in the industry predict that the commercial recovery will be long, slow and uneven. More at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Social Media Etiquette Don’t get too personal on LinkedIn LinkedIn is known for being the professional social network where members expect you to keep buttoned-down behavior and network online like you would at a business event. With more than 200 million registered users, the site facilitates interaction as a way to boost your stature, gain a potential customer or rub elbows with a future boss. But unlike most other social networking sites, LinkedIn is all about business — and you need to take special care that you act accordingly. As in any workplace, the right amount of personal information sharing could be the foot in the door, say experts. The wrong amount could slam it closed. » Full story from the Miami Herald

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