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Biotech September 28, 2018

International partners looking to grow pot-tagging biz

By GREGORY ZELLER // Two months after introducing the world’s first DNA-based cannabis-tagging system, a Stony Brook biotech and its Canadian partner are looking to increase their stash of legal-marijuana growers. Supply-chain security and product-authentication specialist Applied DNA Sciences and Canadian pharmaceutical-solutions provider TheraCann International Benchmark Corp. this week announced an upgraded system designed to accommodate different sizes and type of growers – particularly larger-volume cannabis and hemp growers. The next generation of TheraCann International’s…

Robotics September 27, 2018

ULC Robotics, PSEG-LI send in the drones

By GREGORY ZELLER // Look, up in the sky – and you just might see a fleet of flying robots checking out PSEG Long Island’s power lines. The Uniondale-based utility has deepened its ongoing relationship with Hauppauge-based ULC Robotics, calling in ULC-operated UAVs to inspect PSEG-LI power lines and equipment. The drones are 4.5 feet wide and weigh about 25 pounds each, and while on PSEG-LI duty are operated by licensed UAV pilots and engineers…

Space September 26, 2018

Cradle of Aviation gives a Hoot with new ‘Space’ show

By GREGORY ZELLER // Attention, space cadets: For a really out-of-this-world adventure, put down your new Blu-ray copy of “Solo” and beam over to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, where one of the planet’s largest interactive space exhibits is about to touch down. A “Star Wars” story is always fun, but nothing beats the real thing, and to that end, “Space: A Journey to Our Future” – a traveling NASA show sponsored locally by the…

Economic Development September 25, 2018

Brookhaven IDA backs Triple Five’s Dowling plan

By GREGORY ZELLER // A New Jersey-based developer with high-flying plans for a new Long Island aviation hub has earned an assist from the Town of Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency. The IDA on Tuesday announced its final approval of an economic-incentives package that will help Triple Five Aviation Industries LLC, a subsidiary of East Rutherford-based Triple Five Worldwide Group, redevelop the former Dowling College campus in Shirley into what the development agency called an “aviation…

Economic Development September 25, 2018

Long Island pet-chow firm will stay, thanks to IDA

By GREGORY ZELLER // Long Island’s largest pet-food company seems likely to remain a Long Island company, thanks to man’s best friend – at least, a good friend of regional enterprise. The Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency has issued preliminarily approval of an economic-development package that would help Deer Park-based Health Extension Pet Care – doing business as Holistic Health Extension – purchase, renovate and equip a new headquarters building. According to the IDA, the…

Education September 24, 2018

Old-school art, next-gen tech converge at Five Towns

By GREGORY ZELLER // Once the pipedream of an overactive imagination, a new Interactive Computer Graphics degree program is now resetting educational and professional trends at Five Towns College. With the start of the Fall 2018 semester, the Dix Hills-based college has officially introduced its new course, the masterwork of digital innovator Paul Lipsky, who spearheaded the effort – including creation of the program curriculum – in an effort to right some wrongs he perceives…

Transportation September 21, 2018

LIRR ‘Double Track’ pulls in well ahead of schedule

By GREGORY ZELLER // Just two years after Gov. Andrew Cuomo accelerated plans for a Long Island Rail Road overhaul, the long-awaited “Double Track” project has been completed – more than a year ahead of schedule. Cuomo on Friday announced the completion of the LIRR Double Track, roughly 18 miles of track added between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma, expected to ease congestion and allow for reverse-peak service expansions as necessary. The 18 miles of track –…

Opinion September 21, 2018

Anid: Time for a cyberskills ‘GI Bill’ at the college level

By NADA MARIE ANID // Colleges and universities are in crisis mode. The digital age continues to transform disciplines – dissolving some, merging and reconfiguring others. A highly trained and college-educated workforce, one grounded in the ethics of how to best harness new technologies to benefit humanity, is needed more than ever to tackle issues such as cyberwarfare and artificial intelligence. However, higher education is an expense close to, or greater than, the cost of…

Economic Development September 20, 2018

Hempstead advances three key development projects

By GREGORY ZELLER // It’s been a busy week in the Town of Hempstead, where local economic-development officials have hit the gas on a multitude of projects. The Hempstead Industrial Development Agency on Tuesday approved the sale of Park Lake Residences, an affordable-housing complex located in the Village of Hempstead, and the reassignment of existing economic benefits to the complex’s new owner. The IDA also granted preliminary approval to an economic-benefits package that will allow…

Biotech September 18, 2018

With new spinoff, biotech goes all-in on DNA sales

By GREGORY ZELLER // A Stony Brook biotech with a growing international reputation for supply-chain security has spun off a new company focused on DNA modification and production. Stony Brook-based Applied DNA Sciences on Tuesday announced the formation of LineaRx Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary that will concentrate on commercializing the parent company’s extensive experience in the design, manufacture and chemical modification of DNA by large-scale polymerase chain reaction – big news for scientists working…

Law September 18, 2018

This looks like a job for … Super Lawyers!

By GREGORY ZELLER // A bevy of Long Island attorneys representing a host of regional firms and numerous practice areas has landed on the 2018 Super Lawyers list. The list – which includes both “Super Lawyers” and “Rising Stars” in various fields of law – is based on a “patented multiphase selection process” involving peer nominations and evaluations and “independent research,” according to Canadian multinational mass-media and information firm Thomson Reuters. Thomason Reuters released its…

Gizmos September 17, 2018

At Janam Technologies, have gun, will scan barcodes

By GREGORY ZELLER // They’ve set their phasers to stun at Janam Technologies, where the next generation of gun-shaped XG handheld devices goes where no mobile computer has gone before. Featuring a palm-pleasing pistol grip and handle-mounted battery pack, the new XG200 looks for all the world like a “Star Trek” ray gun. But instead of blasting Klingons with energy beams, the sturdy wireless device is designed to “enable peak performance in the most demanding…

Startups September 13, 2018

For the Boyz From New York, style is an attitude

By GREGORY ZELLER // “Streetwear” may be rooted in the California surf culture, but the hoodies and hats in the Boyz From New York catalogue represent a decidedly different state of mind. Popularized first by Left Coast surfers and skaters, streetwear encompasses many elements of so-called “hip-hop fashion” (the clotheshorses over at GQ can tell you more). All of those elements – comfort, functionality, attitude – are front-and-center at circa-2018 startup Boyz From New York…

Economic Development September 12, 2018

Brookhaven IDA considers Amneal expansion plan

By GREGORY ZELLER // A rapidly growing drug-maker may be able to keep up with skyrocketing “business dynamics” on Long Island, with a little help from the Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency. The IDA on Wednesday announced that it has accepted an application for a tax-relief package from Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, designed to help the New Jersey-based generic-pharma manufacturer expand its Island operations. Amneal Pharmaceuticals, which weighs in as the fifth-largest U.S. generics manufacturer, already operates…

Opinion September 12, 2018

On LI, the electric-vehicle revolution is fully charged

By JOHN BILLARD // It’s National Drive Electric Week, and drivers across the country are showing off their electric vehicles. Americans are looking towards the future when it comes to their vehicles. According to a 2018 AAA survey, 20 percent of Americans want their next vehicle to be electric. Fortunately, the future of electric vehicles is only looking better and brighter than ever – particularly right here on Long Island. Last fall, Ford partnered with…