State Pulls Back on Stem Cell Funding

Eight months after state officials broke ground on New Jersey's new center for stem cell research, the once-heralded $150 million project has quietly been put on indefinite hold.

Despite continuing assurances that the 18-story tower in New Brunswick would remain on track -- even after voters rejected proposals last year to finance $450 million in stem cell science grants -- state officials behind the scenes pulled back millions in construction funding for the research facility late last year. They now acknowledge they are re-evaluating the entire project.

Gov. Jon Corzine said the project is in limbo and could not offer a concrete timeline for getting it restarted.

"I'd like to have a director and I'd like to see what our options are on making sure that New Jersey continues to be the leader, or among the leaders on biotech research -- particularly as it relates to stem cells," he said. "And then we'll work together on our rollout of what our plans are."

As of now, the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey is little more than a web page...