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A brain research institute has announced plans to move into the eight-acre biopark built alongside the John Hopkins medical campus in East Baltimore.

The Lieber Institute for Brain Development of Mamaroneck, N.Y., is expected to employ from 60 to 100 researchers and ancillary staff within the next three to five years, said Daniel Weinberger, director of the National Institute of Mental Health's Genes, Cognition and Psychosis Program. Weinberger is the scientific adviser to the project during its yearlong build-out and will later join the institute as its leader.

The nonprofit, which will also house the Maltz Research Laboratories, is funded with more than $100 million in endowments from three foundations, Weinberger said. Both the Lieber and Maltz labs will be in the biopark's John G. Rangos Building.

Research regarding brain development and development behavior disorders such as schizophrenia will be the institute's primary focuses. Weinberger is an expert in schizophrenia research.

Sibley Hospital to join Johns Hopkins system

The Johns Hopkins Health System in Baltimore and Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., have announced they intend to begin discussions on integrating Sibley into the Hopkins system.

According to Hopkins information, it is anticipated that Sibley will join the Hopkins system this fall, and the proposed transaction will not involve any financial exchanges.

If the transaction is completed and implemented as planned, Sibley will retain its name and leadership, and day-to-day operations there are not expected to change. On Wednesday, Sibley's board of trustees expressed its intent to join Hopkins; the Hopkins board had approved the action on May 3.

Companies to pump $200 million into USEC

USEC Inc. of Bethesda, which provides uranium fuel to nuclear power plants, has landed a potential $200 million investment from Toshiba Corp. and Babcock & Wilcox Investment.

The three-phase deal is subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions. The investment, shared equally between Toshiba and Babcock & Wilcox, will strengthen USEC as it deploys its American Centrifuge Plant, according to a USEC statement.

The investors would receive convertible preferred stock, plus warrants to purchase common stock.

BAE Systems wins Army contract for up to $95M

Military contractor BAE Systems of Rockville has won an Army contract worth up to $95 million to install and maintain automated security systems to control access to Army bases and other installations. This contract expands the company's existing security work at federal sites.

The security systems use software and hardware to verify information on individuals and match that information to data on registered vehicles. The company will install the systems at multiple Army sites around the country and the network will be designed to transfer information among the sites.

"These systems are vital to advancing physical security for the Army," said Richard Anderson, BAE vice president and general manager for integrated technical solutions, in a statement.

"They will enable guards to quickly permit or deny entry to drivers based on threat levels. They will also lower overall security costs by reducing guard requirements." Work will be performed primarily at BAE Systems operations in North Charleston, S.C.

Fed survey paints semi-rosy picture

Business activity in the state rose in May, according to the latest monthly survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Va.).

The general business activity index was 19, down from 25 in April, but businesses reported an increase in sales, inventories and customer traffic.

Still, labor demand and pricing conditions "remained weak" and investment activity was down a bit.

"Expectations for activity six months from now remained strong with a solid majority of survey respondents anticipating increases in general business activity," the survey reported. "Respondents expect sales, labor demand, prices and investment to increase over the next six months.

Bay National Bank to delist stock

The parent of struggling Bay National Bank of Lutherville plans to delist its common stock from the Nasdaq Capital Market exchange by June 4.

Bay National Bank, which reported a first-quarter net loss of $2.8 million, received a warning from Nasdaq last month that it didn't meet the exchange's stockholder equity or profit requirement for continued listing.

"Given the improbability that the Company could present a plan within the timeframe required and satisfactory to Nasdaq for regaining compliance ... the Company has decided to voluntarily delist" from the exchange, Bay National said in a statement. Its stock may later become available on the OTC Bulletin Board or Pink OTC Markets.

The bank's assets at March 31 totaled $282.2 million, down 2.8 percent from a year earlier.

SunEdison reaches 15M kwh through its Staples projects

SunEdison of Beltsville, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials of St. Peters, Mo., reported reaching 15 million kilowatt hours generated through its 32 solar installations at Staples stores and storage facilities nationwide.

The company also announced plans for solar power projects in Arizona and New Mexico totaling up to 10 megawatts. SunEdison will be working with Weingarten Realty Investors in Houston through a power purchase agreement.

Temple Hills firm fined in discrimination case

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has ordered Professional 50 States Protection, a Temple Hills company that provides security services, to pay Freddie Thomas of Philadelphia more than $7,500 in back pay, interest and expenses for illegally discriminating against Thomas based on his religion.

According to commission information, Thomas filed a complaint alleging that Professional 50, his former employer, fired him because he was a Christian. Despite multiple notifications, the company didn't answer the complaint, and the commission found the business liable for illegal discrimination.

Company officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The commission also ordered the company to stop discriminating against employees based on their religion.