This month’s issue of St. Louis Commerce Magazine is dedicated to biotechnology and plant and life sciences. It addresses not only regular regional and national readers, but also the thousands of attendees at this year’s BIO International Convention May 6th through 9th in Boston and the World Agriculture Forum’s 2007 World Agricultural Congress, taking place May 8th through 10th in St. Louis. Agricultural ministers, CEOs, non-governmental organization leaders and other agricultural experts will be in attendance. Over the past 7 years St. Louis has emerged as the BioBelt: the Center for Plant and Life Sciences—supporting more than 350 companies, which employ more than 15,000 in the plant and medical sciences cluster throughout the St. Louis region. This sector of the economy continues to grow with a major $200 million expansion underway at Pfizer, along with continued growth of Monsanto with its global headquarters in the region and the growth of St. Louis-based Sigma-Aldrich. St. Louis also continues to benefit from the world-class research universities and institutions located here in the region—including Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, University of Missouri —both in St. Louis and in Columbia, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and the world renowned research underway at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The agendas at both the BIO meeting in Boston and the World Agriculture Congress in St. Louis are placing a heavy emphasis on the emerging bio-energy sector. So to is St. Louis with the announcement earlier this year of the establishment of the Center for Evergreen Energy, a national policy think tank on renewable energy. In keeping with these themes, this special May issue of St. Louis Commerce Magazine begins with a cover story on the unique regional infrastructure that supports the emergence of biotechnology and plant and life sciences in the St. Louis BioBelt. We also examine St. Louis’ role as global center of biologics, as well as the distinctive homegrown workforce available for biotech and the recently announced Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Danforth Center. There is also a report this month on the continuing strengths of St. Louis’ two robust, biotechnology incubators, the Center for Emerging Technologies (CET) and the NIDUS Center for Scientific Enterprise. Important to this infrastructure is the policy framework and professional services capabilities that reside here in the BioBelt. To this end, we examine efforts by area law firms to protect innovation, along with a look at the venture capital environment. And finally, this month’s spotlight focuses on Cheryl Morley, senior vice president, corporate strategy at Monsanto. She heads global strategy, which includes mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and long-range planning. Read how she has survived and thrived in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. We hope you enjoy reading this issue of St. Louis Commerce Magazine. As always, please send your comments and suggestions to us at dfleming@stlrcga.org. RICHARD C.D. FLEMING President and Chief Executive Officer St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association

May 2007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cover Story David Duncan Don Kloth & Jake Scharre Brittany Probst - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - www.stlrcga.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nick Akers of Akermin Lauri Tanner ”Restaurant Five” Solae Headquarters - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -