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Library – Archives – Humanities  / Education / Center for Humanities & History of Modern Biology / Exhibits, Projects and Initiatives / Plant Science, Biotechnology, & Agriculture

The Early Days of Biotech on Long Island

A lot of things have to come together for a region to end up with a successful biotech industry. One of things that was missing on Long Island in the 1980s and 1990s was local sources of funding. Jim Hayward of Stony Brook and Applied DNA Systems recalls: “What was really missing in the ’80s and ’90s was regional access to money. It was all New York City-based or in Connecticut, and there weren’t many investors cultivated in this community. That was one of the missing puzzle pieces that really had to be added.” Eventually, investors outside of New York City began to emerge.

Jim Hayward / Applied DNA Systems

Plants need nitrogen to grow, but a significant portion of the nitrogen in fertilizers is not absorbed by the soil or used by the growing plants. Rather, it washes away into waterways, rivers, and the ocean. This in turn has had devastating effects on marine life. In some areas, excessive nitrogen in the oceans has caused algae blooms that kill wildlife, make it dangerous for people to consume fish or shellfish or in some cases even swim in affected waters. This problem isn’t limited to poorer countries. Nitrogen pollution is a serious problem here on Long Island. In our case, the nitrogen comes primarily from septic tanks and cesspools, although nitrogen from agricultural fertilizers also plays a role. Nitrogen pollution in the waters around Long Island has hampered fishing, made it dangerous to eat seafood from some areas, and caused environmental changes that make coastal areas more prone to flooding.