BUSINESS DATEBOOK

Tuesday

1 The Milford Chamber of Commerce Tuesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-8780681.

1 The Rotary Club of Hamden: meets each Tuesday. For meeting time and location please visit the calendar section of their website at www.hamdenctrotary.org.

1 The Ambassador Group for the Milford Chamber of Commerce: meets — visit the calendar section of its website at www.milfordct.com.

1 The Inter-Service Clubs Committee of New Haven Inc.: meets at 5:30 p.m. at Valley Diner, 636 Derby Ave., Derby; call 203-258-1088.

1 The Rotary Club of New Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at the Graduate Club, 155 Elm St. Call 203-624-3197.

1 The Rotary Club of North Haven: meets at 7:15 a.m. at the Breakfast Nook, 448 Washington Ave. Visit www.nhrotary.org.

1 The East Haven Lions Club: meets at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Twin Pines Diner, 34 Main St., East Haven. Membership is open. Call 203-467-4045.

Wednesday

1 The Rotary Club of Branford: meets from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. at the Parthenon Diner, 374 E. Main St., Branford. Call 203-315-2444, ext. 450.

1 The Devon Rotary: meets at 7:30 a.m. at the Bridge House Restaurant, 49 Bridgeport Ave., Milford. Visit www.devonrotary.org.

1 The Greater New Haven chapter of Toastmasters International: meets at 6:30 p.m. at New Haven City Hall, 165 Church St. Call 203-2870037.

1 The Milford Chamber of Commerce Wednesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203878-0681.

1 The Rotary Club of Guilford: meets at 12:15 p.m. at The Maritime Grille, 2548 Boston Post Road, Guilford. Call 203-453-0774.

1 The Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association: meets at 11 a.m. at 192 Dixwell Ave. Call 203-5622193.

1 The Rotary Club of Wallingford: meets at 12:10 p.m. at the Library Wine Bar and Bistro, 60 North Main Street. Call 203-235-3816.

1 North Branford Rotary: meets at 6 p.m. at Nataz, 2025 Foxon Road. Call 203-4847707.

1 The Greater New Haven Breakfast Club: meets at 8 a.m. at Clark’s Pizza & Restaurant, 68 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Email info@rosnerdoherty.com.

1 The Rotary Club of West Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at App’s Ristorante, 283 Captain Thomas Blvd.

Thursday

1 The Middlesex County Toastmasters: meets from 7-8:30 p.m., Wesleyan University, Exley Science Center (Woodhead Lounge), 265 Church St., Middletown, http://middlesex.toastmastersclubs.org.

1 The Madison Rotary Club: meets at 8 a.m. at the Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Road. Call Robert Anderson, 203-907-9032.

1 The Milford Chamber of Commerce’s Health & Wellness Council: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the chamber, 5 Broad St. Call 203-878-0661.

1 The Clinton Rotary Club: meets 6:30 p.m. at Clinton Country Club, Old Westbrook Road. Call Dee Tully at 860388-7013.

1 The East Haven Rotary Club: meets at 5:45 p.m. at Twin Pines Diner Restaurant, 34 Main St., East Haven.

1 The Milford Rotary Club meets: from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at

It was with plenty of fanfare across the pond this week that the Danbury health data giant IQVIA revealed a $25 million investment in an initiative to boost genomic-related research in the United Kingdom.

As for IQVIA’s backyard of Connecticut? The money continues to trickle into startups focused on the emerging field, more than four years after the state established its own beachhead with a $1.1 billion genomics lab in Farmington.

If genomics is a sector brought into reach of the masses with the success of the personal DNA testing provider 23andme, it is the potential to help people alleviate or avoid ailments that offers the most tantalizing prospect for the emerging science.

The field of genomics has progressed rapidly from gene mapping and sequencing technologies pioneered by Guilford resident Jonathan Rothberg, a 2013 winner of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, to the emergence today of Crispr technology allowing scientists to “edit” genes to reduce the chances of disease or other goals.

With the revelation last month of a Chinese scientist’s claim of producing a “gene-edited” baby, the ethical considerations of gene-editing is at the forefront anew, even as venture funding pours into the sector.

In 2012 in his first term in office, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy put genomics at the forefront of Connecticut’s economic development policy efforts, committing $300 million in incentives to spur the creation of the Jackson Laboratory for Genomics Medicine in Farmington, as a collaboration between the Maine-based nonprofit Jackson Lab, the University of Connecticut and Yale University. The state separately issued bonds supporting a $200 million Bioscience Innovation Fund.

Jobs plentiful, royalties scarce

Early indications are that it has been a coup for Malloy, given the concentration of senior Jackson Lab scientists and the possibilities inherent in genomics medicine. A promise that exceeds even the potential of Charter Communications’ headquarters relocation in 2012 to Stamford from St. Louis; and NBC Sports moving its studio operations to Stamford that same year.

As of July, Jackson Lab employed 385 people in Farmington with Malloy stating expectations its workforce would swell to nearly double that number, well beyond original employment projections of 660 jobs. Under those original projections, the state projected Jackson Lab as spurring the creation of an additional 4,000 positions, through the creation of spin-off research efforts and startups.

Jackson Lab produced revenue of $331 million in 2016, a 9 percent increase, with the nonprofit running a $30.5 million surplus for the year, pushing its assets to $633 million.

The original Connecticut deal included a Jackson Lab that awards the state-backed Connecticut Innovations venture fund 10 percent of any royalties as a result of rights awarded Jackson Lab, and half of royalty streams topping $3 million. For the fiscal year ending in June 2017, Connecticut Innovations did not collect any royalties under the arrangement.

Skin disease, asthma

But startup activities are beginning to coalesce. This year in

collaboration with Jackson Lab, Connecticut Innovations refined further its funding streams with a Connecticut Microbiome Initiative to back the commercialization of emerging technologies related to microbiomes, the genes inside the tiniest organisms in the body that ward off germs or produce energy among other functions.

Jackson Lab is now collaborating with the Yale spinout Azitra in Farmington, which has raised more than $5 million from Connecticut Innovations and venture funds as it develops microbiome-based techniques and molecular genetics to address skin ailments.

Last April outside the orbit of Jackson Lab, Malloy made official the relocation to Stamford of Mount Sinai hospital’s Sema4

genomic testing venture, with Sema4 expected to employ 400 people there. This week, Sema4 indicated a possible breakthrough applying genomics to the early diagnosis of asthma, with the ailment killing thousands of people each year according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and costing more than $50 billion.

For the curious wanting to discover more about Jackson Lab, monthly public tours are available of the Farmington facility, with capacity limited to groups of 15 on a first-come basis and reservations required.

The next tour is scheduled for Dec. 12, with information online at www.jax.org and the organization taking reservations via email sent to tours@jax.org.

Live on 85 percent or less. Many financial advisers help their clients devise a budget that has them living on at least 15 percent less than their annual income. First get a clear handle on your income, and then create a

Kin Cheung / Associated Press A screen shows information of genomic data while He Jiankui, a Chinese researcher, speaks during the Human Genome Editing Conference in Hong Kong Nov. 28. A Chinese researcher claims that he helped make the world’s first genetically edited babies twin girls whose DNA he said he altered with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life.