A venture of Hallandale Beach, Fla.-based TopMed Realty bought the 233,588 -square-foot office building at 4901 Searle Parkway. The building, which is almost fully leased to NorthShore University HealthSystem on a long-term deal, was purchased from a venture of Skokie-based American Landmark Properties

The sale comes a month after American Landmark sold the life sciences lab portion (8025 and 8045 Lamon Ave.), the majority of the leased 22.6-acre ISTP campus to Chicago-based investor Singerman Real Estate. The portfolio is comprised of a mix of highly technical wet lab and GMP space and is home to established global life sciences brands as well as prestigious university affiliated venture backed startups.

These recent sales highlight property types for which real estate investors have clamored during the COVID-19 pandemic: high-quality life sciences research buildings and office buildings with big, single tenants with good credit and long-term leases. The former has benefited from a rush of venture capital pouring into biotech and pharmaceutical research throughout the public health crisis, while the latter has drawn buyers looking for safe places to invest amid economic uncertainty.

 NuMat Technologies is a chemistry design company that enables its partners in the electronics, life-science, and industrial sectors to achieve sustainability and innovation objectives, one molecule at a time. A pioneer in the field of programmable chemistries, NuMat designs materials to capture targeted molecules in industrial products and processes where purity matters most. From reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the chemicals value-chain, to purifying electronic materials used in semiconductor manufacturing, NuMat is solving critical industrial challenges at the smallest possible level..

Ever alert to new opportunities, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) are well aware that cell and gene therapies are generating excitement among industry analysts. For example, Deloitte recently predicted that the cell and gene therapy market will generate revenues of $12 billion a year by 2025, which is an impressive jump for a market valued at just $1 billion three years ago. Deloitte indicated that its prediction was based on the high level of activity in cell and gene therapy R&D—more than 1,000 clinical trials were ongoing in 2019—and the large number of developers entering the space.

Charles River Laboratories (CRL), long known as a research services firm, says that it is expanding its manufacturing business while pursuing a “technology agnostic” strategy that emphasizes innovation and flexibility. To read the entire article, click here.

Blank said increasing research funding, enhancing the residential university experience, and encouraging students to break out of the Evanston bubble are among some of the ideas she'd like to explore in her role. She declined to lay out more specific strategies, saying that will come later after she's had a chance to hear from students, faculty and senior leadership about what they think should be prioritized.