To recognize Bioscience Month in Nebraska, Governor Pete Ricketts celebrated Nebraska’s bioscience industry, including Bio Nebraska members, in his weekly column. He highlighted how Nebraska has prioritized bioscience R&D, supported bioscience production, and is working to develop the bioscience workforce.
By Governor Pete Ricketts | October 18, 2022
In 2024, NASA will send a small surgical robot from Nebraska to the International Space Station. The tiny, two-pound robot will be able to perform surgeries on the space station that would normally require a surgeon’s expertise and much larger equipment. The surgical robot can operate more or less on its own, performing complex procedures at the flip of a switch. The device, developed by Nebraska-based Virtual Incision, is a significant step toward making it possible for surgeons to operate remotely—whether their patients are in deep space or on a battlefield halfway around the world.
Virtual Incision’s surgical robot is just one example of the many breakthrough products Nebraska’s bioscience companies are creating. From biomedicine to biofuels to biochemicals, companies in our state are on the cutting edge of innovation. We’re growing our bioscience industry by prioritizing research and development, making it easy for bioscience companies to do business, and helping to develop the workforce talent bioscience firms need to grow.