This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"Emergent BioSolutions (NYSE: EBS) -- my top 2009 pick -- makes the only FDA-licensed vaccine for the prevention of anthrax," says Timothy Lutts in his The Cabot Stock of the Month.

"Located in Rockville, Maryland, the company is currently filling a $448 million government order for 18.75 million doses, and in October, the U.S. government contracted to purchase 14.5 million additional doses valued at up to $404 million, to add to the Strategic National Stockpile.

"The vaccine is named BioThrax, and it accounts for 97% of the revenues of Emergent BioSolutions. However, the company has a full pipeline including two 'next generation' anthrax vaccines.

"Also in development are two anthrax therapeutics (immunoglobulin and monoclonal), two botulinum vaccines and a botulinum therapeutic (botulinum is the nasty form of Botox), an oral typhoid vaccine, a next generation tuberculosis vaccine, a hepatitis B immunotherapy and a chlamydia vaccine.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"My top idea for 2009 is Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: MYGN)," says Mike Cintolo. In The Cabot Market Letter, he looks at "the leader in the new field of cancer predisposition testing."

"Myriad Genetics five tests on the market (covering colon, breast, ovarian, and skin cancer) that tell a patient if his genes make it more likely that he'll get various types of cancer.

"During the past few quarters, revenues from these tests have risen at a 50% annual clip, and there's no sign of that slowing down.

"The company also has a pharmaceutical division, but it's going to spin that off sometime in 2009. That should be a big positive, as the drug development division carries good potential, but also big-time costs. Once the cancer predisposition testing division is on its own, much of that revenue growth is going to fall to the bottom line.

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"Our favorite speculative pick for 2008 is (NASDAQ: IVGN)," says Daniel Frishberg, editor of The MoneyMan Report and host of BizRadio.

"Invitrogen is a $4.5 billion company that markets tools in kit form and provides other research products and services to corporate, academic, and government entities. The company has over 25,000 products.

"The company is also involved in stem cells, which are cells in an early stage human embryo that have the potential to turn into any other type of cells, e.g., heart, nerve, kidney, pancreas, etc.

"There has been much debate about stem cell research due to the killing of an embryo. However, a major breakthrough suggests that stem cells can be created from your own skin cells.

In referring to his recommended position in Cepheid (NASDAQ: CPHD), industry-leading biotech expert Michael Shulman jests, "To use a highly technical financial term: WooHoo! What a great quarter capped by a justifiably upbeat conference call."

Here, the editor of The ChangeWave Biotech Investor takes a look at the company, noting "I've been pounding the table for CPHD -- and this great quarter justifies my optimism."

"Cepheid develops and markets a diagnostic testing system called the GeneXpert that's a hardware platform for genetic tests of diseases that can be identified by their genetic code.

""There are several specific tests for this platform including MRSA, the killer staph infection that is typically found in hospitals, but is also spreading to other venues.

"In its latest quarrter, the company reported that revenues were $36.3 million, up 53% from Q3 2006. Total product sales were $34 million, up 50% and clinical product sales were $20.7 million, up 258%.

In its latest quarrter, the company reported that revenues were $36.3 million, up 53% from Q3 2006. Total product sales were $34 million, up 50% and clinical product sales were $20.7 million, up 258%.

"The GeneXpert system sales exploded! By the end of the quarter 1,376 GeneXpert System modules were installed in hospitals in the United States -- including 77 in VA hospitals, up by 51 modules in Q3 and representing a 79% share of the VA market.