(Charlotte, N.C.) On February 25, BioNight 2010: A Celebration of BioAchievement will provide a unique showcase for the success of local researchers, entrepreneurs, educators and businesses involved in biotechnology and the life sciences. Hosted by NC BioConnect, The North Carolina Biotechnology Center and Discovery Place, the special event will recognize key accomplishments made by Charlotte-area companies and individuals.

“In part, this is a chance for people in the life science community to connect with each other and celebrate our accomplishments,” said Scott Ferguson, NC BioConnect Chair and Regional Sales Manager at Groninger USA. He added, “It also gives us an opportunity to raise the level of awareness of something that’s so important to the economic health of North Carolina.”

BioNight, running from 6-9pm at Discovery Place, will feature a keynote presentation by Bruce Parker, CEO of Parker Medical Associates. A chemist, inventor, entrepreneur and longtime Queen City resident, Parker will address the growth and potential of biotech businesses in the greater Charlotte area. Also, awards recognizing outstanding BioAchievement in Research and Education will be presented by last year’s winners: Pinku Mukherjee, Ph.D., the Irwin Belk Distinguished Scholar in Cancer Research at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Tamica Stubbs, biology teacher at E.E. Waddell High School, respectively. Names of this year’s winners will be announced at the event.

More than 200 people attended last year’s inaugural BioNight, a healthy turnout that Ferguson saw as a sign of an active and engaged local biotech community. “There are so many exciting things going on in the life sciences – in schools, at universities, in startups and at larger companies. The more we can make people aware of that, the more we’ll be able to make connections in the larger academic and professional communities for the benefit of the entire region.”

About NC BioConnect:  Funded primarily through a generous grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NC BioConnect is a nonprofit regional exchange group whose mission is to foster and promote interaction between academia, industry and government agencies involved in the life sciences and biotechnology in the greater Charlotte region.