Inside the sunlit corridors of Kansas City’s Stowers Institute for Medical Research, scientists are studying apple snails, silkworms, fruit flies and zebra fish.
Almost any organism that could shed light on how life works is a possible research subject for one of the 20 labs and more than 300 scientists housed at the institute. Likewise, almost any research question is up for grabs, whether or not it has a clear chance of curing a disease or leading to a new medication.
That’s because Jim and Virginia Stowers had something grander in mind when they gave their fortune to open the institute 25 years ago.
Takeaways
- In 2000, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research opened its doors in Kansas City. Naysayers doubted it would be able to succeed in the Midwest.
- Its founders and benefactors, Jim and Virginia Stowers, wanted to create a top research institution that could shed light on the mysteries of life. After 25 years, the institute has 500 employees, 20 research labs and its scientists have published 2,000 research articles.
- Since the time plans for the institute were announced, Kansas City’s civic leaders have made expanding the area’s biotech sector a goal. That effort continues today.
They hoped the biomedical research they funded would contribute to treatments and cures. But they believed an even more valuable contribution could be made if their scientists revealed the secrets of life itself…