On Jun. 25, 2012, The St. Louis County Economic Council is opening the doors to its new biotech incubator on and the agency says it will serve as a launching pad for biotech businesses.

Officials say The Helix Center Biotech Incubator is a 17,000 square foot facility loaded with lab and office space with a prime location next to the Danforth Plant Center. Entrepreneurial efforts are nothing new to the council, which runs four other incubators in the region.

It cost $7.5 million to build the facility, with $4.9 million of that coming from the county.