News Net brings you news you may have missed in the world of bioentrepreneurism. Today, an expert’s thoughts on what makes a successful life science cluster, and two Mid-Atlantic regions stake their claim.

• Two recent reports highlight the growth of North Carolina’s life science sector—specifically the Raleigh-Durham area. Battelle ranks NC third behind California and Massachusetts, and Jones Lang LaSalle puts Raleigh-Durham area as the fourth largest life sciences cluster in the US based on employment, number of companies and the amount of VC and NIH funding. Read more here.

• Newark, New Jersey’s future biotech cluster has gained another tenant: French CRO Biotrial plans to create an estimated 100 jobs at its new North American headquarters. Biotrial will join other biomedical organizations and five universities in at the University Heights Science Park. More details here.

• Houston BizBlog asks what the secret is to a successful biotech cluster. Money, surprisingly, isn’t the answer. According to Mass Bio’s Peter Abair, the key is having institutional leaders who can wear multiple hats. “It’s really having that cadre of entrepreneurs who have the experience and … can flow freely among the different sectors of academia and hospitals and private sector.” Read his thoughts.