Montana BioScience Alliance July 2010 Newsletter

The grant, which must be matched with another $2 million by MRI, will help fund new positions as well as lab renovations to accommodate the new scientists, and specialized equipment to keep the Institute at the leading edge of neurodegenerative disease research.

The Department of Commerce also provided $2 million in seed money for the expansion in 2008. McLaughlin quickly raised the required match for that grant. Since that time, the Institute has nearly completed its building expansion, which has employed more than 100 people in the construction industry. MRI has also hired a new scientist and advertised and received applications for an additional faculty member.

The new grant will help fund the new faculty position, as well as six postdoctoral positions. Like most, MRI has had to make some budget cuts in recent times, but McLaughlin continues to add good jobs and to bring outside funds to the state.

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MRI/GFPS Partnership Motivates Students

A partnership between MRI and the Great Falls Public Schools is making science come alive for students. Local high school teachers are using engaging new lessons in their biology classes that were developed at McLaughlin as part of a new inquiry-based curriculum.

Inspired by working in the Institute's labs and learning how real science works, teachers from C. M. Russell High and Great Falls High School are translating that experience into stimulating lessons for their classrooms. While individual teachers have been doing that for years, a small group of teachers is now working to apply their lab experience to the entire high school science curriculum. This means that all students in Great Falls will benefit.

The program is funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which aims to attract more students to science careers in order to meet the increasing demand and to keep the U.S. competitive in science fields.

Chris Provance, Assessment Specialist for GFPS, is enthusiastic about the project. "McLaughlin's role in this move to inquiry based science education is really key because it shows schools how professional science uses inquiry and critical thinking rather than a lockstep approach to the scientific method. We're trying to get away from the old textbook view of science and show kids that science involves curiosity and creative thinking."

The school district is using lab experiments developed at MRI to evaluate biology students' science inquiry skills. According to GFPS Superintendent Cheryl Crawley, the tie between actual scientific research and the new curriculum is motivating students to learn.

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Montana Molecular Awarded New Funding

Montana Molecular was awarded new funding from the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology for a proposal entitled "An Integrated Platform for Cell-Based Drug Discovery". This project will be performed collaboratively by Fluorescence Innovations and Montana Molecular, who have joined forces in a shared facility located in Bozeman, Montana. Greg Gillispie, president of Fluorescence Innovations, said, "This new funding will enable us to validate an integrated drug discovery platform that combines high throughput instrumentation with genetically encoded fluorescence sensors in a cell-based format". "The platform will enable extremely fast and specific assays for drug activity, so we can meet the pharmaceutical industry's urgent demand to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of drug discovery", added Anne Marie Quinn, CEO of Montana Molecular.

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Shodair's Genetics Lab Acquires Exciting New Technology

by John P. Johnson, MD, FAAP

Director, Medical Genetics

The Montana Medical Genetics Program Laboratory at Shodair Children's Hospital has recently added chromosomal microarray analysis to the menu of tests available for Montana children and adults with known or suspected genetic disorders. This exciting new technology combines aspects of DNA and chromosome testing. Correspondingly, our DNA and cytogenetic laboratories will collaborate to provide test results.

Since the late 1950s, when humans were found to have 46 chromosomes, and DNA strands with genes aligned along their length, we've been examining these structures under the microscope at ever-increasing resolution. In 1959, Down syndrome was found to be associated with the presence of an extra chromosome #21, with the extra set of genes apparently causing the clinical findings of the condition. Since then, numerous chromosomal "syndromes" have been described associated with various missing (deleted) or additional (trisomic) chromosomal segments. In some cases, the genes in these segments have been shown to cause specific aspects of these chromosomal disorders.

Under the microscope, we can resolve areas of about ten million basepairs of DNA, (we have three billion!), but we haven't been able to move past this level. Typically, such a segment could contain 50 or so genes. Chromosomal microarrays include thousands to millions of fragments of the chromosomes spotted onto glass slides using the technology designed to create computer microchips used in wristwatches to computers. Some call these glass microarrays "chips" in comparison to the computer industry.

The equipment we have at Shodair can analyze almost three million chromosomal fragments, and therefore check for the presence or absence of as few as 10,000 base pairs, providing a thousand-fold increase in resolution. This means we are at the individual gene level, as many genes are larger than 10,000 basepairs!

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Bacterin International Holdings, Inc. Completes Merger and $7.5 Million Raise

Belgrade MT - July 1, 2010 - Bacterin International, Inc. "(Bacterin"), a Nevada company, today announced that it has completed a reverse merger transaction with Bacterin International Holdings, Inc. f/k/a K-Kitz (the "Company"), in which the Company caused its wholly-owned subsidiary to be merged with and into Bacterin, with Bacterin as the surviving company. Concurrently with the closing of the merger, the Company also completed a private placement of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock to accredited investors, and received gross proceeds of approximately $7,508,000 at the closing of the private placement.

As a result of the merger, the Company has terminated its prior business and is now engaged, through Bacterin, solely in the business of biomaterials research, development, and commercialization. Bacterin is in the process of expanding its intellectual property base and has successfully leveraged its technical expertise and knowledge of biofilms into multiple product areas. Bacterin markets its products through its in-house sales force and select distributors. To further its growth opportunities, Bacterin has established partnerships with major medical device manufacturers and provider networks, in addition to the vast universe of private and unaffiliated hospital and surgical practices to which it markets. Bacterin also maintains an ongoing product development of innovative tissue constructs and bioactive coated devices. Revenues for Bacterin come from product manufacturing, sales, distribution, licensing agreements and grants.

Before the merger, the Company's corporate name was K-Kitz, Inc., and its trading symbol was KKTZ.OB. On June 29, 2010, the Company changed its corporate name to "Bacterin International Holdings, Inc." which name change will become effective for trading purposes on July 1, 2010. The Company intends to request a trading symbol change to correspond with its name change at the appropriate time and in accordance with current FINRA regulations that went into effect June 1, 2010. Accordingly, the trading symbol for the Company will remain KKTZ.OB until such time as the Company moves to another market or otherwise can effect a trading symbol change through FINRA.

Full Article

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Bacterin International Appoints Three New Members to Its Board of Directors

Belgrade MT - July 1, 2010 - Bacterin International, Inc. ("Bacterin"), a developer of anti-infective coatings for medical applications and revolutionary bone graft material, today announced that it has confirmed the appointment of three seasoned financial experts to its Board of Directors. The three appointments include Daniel R. Frank whose asset management experience spans 31 years with particular focus on the healthcare industry and has served on several public and private Boards of Directors; Gary M. Simon, who has served as CFO for two NASDAQ listed companies and has managed investment money for over a decade; and Ken Calligar, who has over 25 years of executive management experience in corporate finance and capital markets.

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Bacterin International Secures Three-Year Agreement to Distribute Biologic Products to Broadlane's Network of Over 6,000 Medical Facilities

BELGRADE, Mont., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Bacterin International, Inc., a developer of revolutionary bone graft material, today announced a three-year agreement to provide its biologic line of products, OsteoSponge�, OsteoSelect�, OsteoSponge SC�, OsteoWrap�, BacFast�, and OsteoLock�, to the vast Broadlane� nationwide network of hospitals and medical practices. The group purchasing agreement through which any Broadlane customer may elect to purchase products from Bacterin, either directly or through an authorized distributor, became effective May 1, 2010, and follows several months of rigorous testing by Broadlane and its clients.

Broadlane, founded in 1999, is the largest operator of healthcare supply chains in the US, managing approximately $10 billion in contract volume, with 1,147 Independent Delivery Networks (IDNs) and hospitals, 5,175 ambulatory care and surgery centers and 33,155 physician practices in its network. Broadlane, in its capacity as a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO), proactively engages its clients to determine engagement and contract strategies. Of the $10 billion in spend processed by Broadlane contracts each year, $4 billion is managed directly by its employees on behalf of clients. Broadlane's meticulous testing focuses on value analysis and clinically aligns the contracting process, ensuring that its clients have access to the best-of-breed products to improve patients' quality of care.

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Golden Helix Partners with CloudScientific to Provide Genetic Analysis Software in China

BOZEMAN, Mont. (June xx, 2010) - Golden Helix, Inc., a global leader in genetic analysis solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with CloudScientific, a Chinese life sciences software company, to act as a distributor of the company's analytic services and proprietary software, the SNP & Variation Suite (SVS). The software offers several modules to facilitate SNP, copy number, and genome-wide association analyses.

Jack Lin, CEO of CloudScientific, stated, "China is experiencing explosive growth in genetic research. More and more universities, pharmaceutical companies, and even government institutions are beginning to realize great value from life sciences research and innovation. Our partnership with Golden Helix will enable CloudScientific to further serve this market, providing exceptional analytic capabilities for genetic research."

"After the US and Canada, we receive more inquiries from China than any other country," explained Andrew Ferrin, executive vice president of business development at Golden Helix. "Even so, it took quite a while to find an accomplished, experienced partner in China that has the technical capability and professionalism Golden Helix customers require. CloudScientific was the perfect choice."

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GlaxoSmithKline:A FFiRiS AG: Alzheimer's Vaccine AD02 Already in Clinical Phase II

Vienna (Austria), 23. April 2010: AFFiRiS AG's clinical Alzheimer's vaccine candidate AD02 has already progressed to phase II clinical testing. It may therefore be possible to confirm the efficacy of the vaccine as early as during 2012. Indeed the start of this efficacy study comes only five months after the completion of the corresponding phase I study. The company is active in several disease areas and is currently developing a total of twelve prospective products in all stages of the development pipeline up to clinical phase II.

The prospective Alzheimer's vaccine AD02 by AFFiRiS AG will with immediate effect be used in a multicentre phase II clinical study in Austria and five other European countries. Clinical centres in Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia are taking part in the study. A total of 420 patients will be recruited. Interested parties can find further information about the study on the homepage www.affiris.com. There is also a link to study registration via a trustee. You can also phone +43 512 56 73 73-0 (reference "Alzheimerstudie") please ask Ms Weiss.

During the past year the safety and tolerability of the vaccine has been confirmed; now the focus is on its efficacy. With regard to this, CEO and co-founder of the company Dr Walter Schmidt said: "Last year AD02, along with our second prospective Alzheimer's vaccine AD01, was primarily tested in terms of its safety and tolerability. Those primary endpoints have been met by vaccine formulations. The decision to nominate AD02 for phase II testing study is based on currently still confidential results of the interim analysis of the secondary endpoints of the preceding phase I studies".

Attractive Product Pipeline - Clear Priorities

The other reason for deciding to accelerate the progress of AD02 is the company's principle to set clear priorities in respect of its broad product pipeline. The pipeline also comprises vaccines for treating atherosclerosis, hypertension and three other indications, which are currently still confidential. In addition, AFFiRiS AG announced only a few weeks ago that a prospective vaccine for the treatment of Parkinson's disease will start phase I clinical studies at the beginning of 2011.

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GeneCTAr Com LLC President Thomas Brown presented "Mining unexplored territories of comparative genomics" in the Pre-emerging Companies Poster Session of Life Science Innovation Northwest in Seattle, 16-17 March 2010. He also presented "A candidate gene similar to VAV1 oncogene from a lepidopteran, Bombyx mori by comparative genomics" to the Fourth Arthropod Genomics Symposium in Kansas City, 10 June 2010. GeneCTAr Com LLC participated in the First International Workshop of Information Systems for Insect Pests hosted by Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique in Rennes, France, 16-17 November 2009.

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Neuroscientists Gather at Seeley Lake

The Annual Montana Neuroscience Retreat convened at Seeley Lake June 4-6th. The meeting was dedicated to C. Sean Esslinger, a University of Montana neuroscientist who died just a few weeks earlier in a motorcycle accident. The highlight of the meeting was a keynote address by Francisco Bezanilla from University of Chicago. Mike Kavanaugh, Director of the Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience introduced Sarah Certel, a new faculty member at University of Montana. Sarah presented her work to characterize MeCP2, a gene involved with central nervous system disorders including Rett Syndrome, a severe disease that affects about 1 in 10,000 children. Deb Cabin presented an update on the beautiful new mouse facility at the McLaughlin Institute and announced the recent hire of Teresa Gunn, a scientist studying Parkinson Disease. According to tradition, students gave oral presentations on Sunday morning and received feedback from the neuroscience community on their projects. Student presenters were Alana White, Weinan Sun and Vaishali Sapute from University of Montana and Drago Guggiana from MSU. The annual retreat is sponsored in part by grants from the NIH National Center for Research Resources and the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology.

MONTANA NEWS/UNIVERSITIES

Allied Health dean advances healthcare on many levels

By Dan Carter

MSU Billings News Services

Like the students who take the various classes in her college, Diane Duin knows that healthcare occupations come in all shapes, sizes and acceptable levels of blood-letting.

Not everyone has the personal affinity for helping stitch up kid's hand or setting a broken bone, Duin says. And that's perfectly OK with the new dean of the College of Allied Health Professions at Montana State University Billings.

"We're the non-blood-and-guts college," she's fond of telling prospective students and community members.

Duin, who had served as director of the CAHP's health administration program since 2008, was recently named the academic of the college. She replaces Dr. David Garloff, who retired a year ago.

Duin came to Billings from South Dakota where she worked at the University of South Dakota, but also worked for the Presentation Health System in Sioux Falls. She co-chaired the Center for Rural Health and Economic Development where she helped communities make planning decisions based on their unique healthcare needs.

"I understand how difficult it is to get physicians into rural areas," she said.

Eventually, she fell in love with the academic area of healthcare, especially the management setting. She joined MSU Billings to advance the university's graduate level health administration program.

The College of Allied Health Professions is the youngest of the five academic colleges at MSU Billings and provides undergraduate and graduate education in a variety of healthcare fields, some of them the fastest-growing fields in a continually growing industry. Roughly 600 students are declared majors in the college preparing for careers in health promotions, athletic training, health administration, physical education as well as rehabilitation and mental health counseling.

Full Article

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Successful Technology Entrepreneur Tapped to be Founding Chairman of Missoula Area Big Sky Angels

Dr. David Opitz has been tapped to lead a network of angel investors in the Missoula area. Dr. Opitz founded and grew a successful Missoula based company, Visual Learning Systems, which was sold to Textron. Visual Learning Systems provides highly complex software solutions in the remote sensing arena. Dr. Opitz has an undergraduate degree from Montana Tech and a Masters and PhD. in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Opitz is currently working as a consultant and is active in the community. "Dave Opitz is a terrific entrepreneur and understands how to navigate the academic world and how to build a successful business. He will be a great collaborator for the new tech transfer efforts in process at the University of Montana" said Liz Marchi with the Montana Angel Network.

The formation of an angel network, and possibly a fund in the future, is very timely for the Missoula area. A robust network of angel investors will play a key role in support of new business innovation and development. Angels will complement the forward looking work being done by Mayor Engen's task force, the Hellgate Venture Network (a network for entrepreneurs) and the work of Dr. Joe Fanguy in Technology Transfer at the University of Montana.

Missoula continues to be a location of choice for talented, young, entrepreneurs. A number of companies have launched recently in the software space including Goomzee, WhoCanHelp.com and Grupthink. Rivertop Renewals and Algae Evolve have launched in the clean technology space. Entrepreneurial activity continues to grow and these young enterprises need capital and mentors to grow and provide the jobs of tomorrow.

The Montana Angel Network is supported by the Governor's Office of Economic Development to cultivate, educate and support a network of private capital for Montana entrepreneurs. To find out more about being a part of the Big Sky Angels, contact Dave Opitz at daveopitz@msn.com or Liz Marchi at 883-4044, liz@ frontierangels.com

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Montana Board of Research, Commercialization and Technology 2011 grants:

Congratulations to:

Jeff Golini All American Pharaceutical Inc. Billings, $25,000, for second phase clinical trials of a Lypolytic Compound.

David Poulsen, Montana Neuroscience Institute University of Montana Missoula, $60,000, for dose optimization of Methamphetamine as a neuroprotective treatment for traumatic brain injury.

Richard Bridges, Dept. Biomedical Pharmaceutical Services, University of Montana, Missoula, $161,344, for enhancement of applied research in Biomedicine.

Kurt Toenjes, Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, $100,000 for continued development of applications for Inhibitors of Fungal Morphgenesis.

Anne Marie Quinn, Montana Molecular, Bozeman, $99,935, for development of an integrated platform for cell-based drug discovery.

Marissa Pedulla, Montana Tech/Montana State University, Butte, $113,050, for Naonparticle-Bacteriophage cocktails to combat infectious disease.

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MSU's biomedical research to jump forward with $17 million renovation of Cooley Lab

May 12, 2010 -- By Evelyn Boswell, MSU News Service

A grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow MSU to upgrade 50-year-old Cooley laboratory into a state-of-the-art facility for faculty and student biomedical research.

A $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow Montana State University to upgrade its 50-year-old Cooley Laboratory into a state-of-the-art facility for faculty and students researching everything from treatments for infectious diseases to safeguards against bioterrorist attacks.

The NIH announced on March 18 that it would award almost $15 million toward the $17 million project, with most of that stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The rest of the money will come from another NIH grant, a State Board of Investments InterCap loan and overhead from MSU research grants.

Because university building projects are typically approved only during Legislative sessions, the Montana Board of Regents and Gov. Brian Schweitzer both reviewed and approved the project, one of only a few nationally deemed "shovel-ready" by the NIH under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Schweitzer approved the project on May 7.

A renovated Cooley Lab will help advance one of the university's major strengths: biomedical research. Of the $100 million annually MSU wins in competitive grants for research, roughly $40 million of that goes to studying everything from influenza, to heart disease, to using parts of viruses for pinpoint delivery of drugs, to examining plants for medicinal properties, to exploring ways to keep horses and cattle healthy and safe from a variety of infectious agents.

Full Article

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University of Montana's Tech Transfer Notes May 2010

May 28, 2010

Strengthening Relationships

Dear Colleague,

At the conclusion of this spring semester I had the privilege of participating in several capstone course project presentations here on campus. Being back in a classroom setting was a good change of pace from my day to day routine! In addition to being energized by the students, I was greatly inspired by the excellent teamwork each group demonstrated through their respective projects. A few weeks removed now, the projects that stick out in my mind best were carried out by groups that allowed each member to utilize his or her individual strength(s) for the greater cause of the team!

Teamwork is very important to my role here on campus, as many stakeholders, including faculty, entrepreneurs, the public, students, and investors - to name a few, each play a key role in the technology transfer process. Building relationships with these stakeholders is an exciting part of my job! Along these lines, two partnerships of great importance to technology transfer activity at The University of Montana have started to take shape recently, and I want to provide you with an overview:

The School of Business Administration

Partnerships between technology transfer offices and business schools exist around the country, and serve as a great platform for promoting entrepreneurship among faculty, staff and students. Since my arrival in Missoula many individuals have shared with me a similar vision for The University of Montana. It's fair to say that The School of Business Administration has been a leader in this discussion, and this past semester took action toward establishing a partnership with the Office of Technology Transfer.

Dr. Dave Poulsen (center) and members of his lab group, postdoctoral fellow Dr. Tom Rau and graduate student Cherokee Rova, use image analysis to assess the extent of brain injury and neuroprotection in a rodent model of ischemic stroke..
Drs. Klaus Uhlenbruck and Jakki Mohr each partnered student teams from their respective spring courses with faculty inventors and entrepreneurs. The outcome of the collective projects was four marketing reports and three business plans that defined commercialization opportunities for inventions arising from The University of Montana's research enterprise. Feedback from both the students and faculty involved indicated that the overall effort was a great experience for all, and definitely worth building upon in future semesters. To further enhance this collaboration, the Office of Technology Transfer will launch an Innovation Internship Program this coming fall. This effort will provide real-world opportunity for MBA students to work with inventors, entrepreneurs, and experts to perform market research and develop commercialization feasibility reports during the upcoming academic year. If you know of anyone interested in applying for the program, they are encouraged to email a resume along with a letter of interest to Dr. Bambi Douma at bambi.douma@business.umt.edu. Interviews will be conducted during the week of June 14 with an anticipated start date of July 12, 2010.

Institute of Translational Health Sciences

Translational research involves moving knowledge and discovery gained from the basic sciences to its application in clinical and community settings, often referred to as "bench-to-bedside" and "bedside-to-community" research. This exciting field requires a tremendous amount of collaboration as the commercialization process involves basic research, pre-clinical studies, clinical trials, and launch of a product. Here at The University of Montana two of our translational research strengths involve basic science and pre-clinical studies, both which can serve as a platform for the discovery and early stage validation of life saving and life improving treatments. Advancing these early stage discoveries beyond the laboratory is a challenge for most universities, thereby reinforcing the need for strong partnerships along the translational research pipeline.

One important partner for translational research activity at The University of Montana is the Institute of Translational Health Sciences (ITHS, http://www.iths.org/), an affiliate of the University of Washington that facilitates the education, resources and collaborations necessary to translate discoveries into practice. In addition to funding several research projects at the University, ITHS also sponsored the May 17 Pre-Clinical Research & Development Summit here on campus.

Full Article

INDUSTRY NEWS / FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Application Available for Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program

June 18, 2010

Today the IRS made available Form 9842-Application for Certification of Qualified Investments Eligible for Credits and Grants Under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program.

As you know, Senator Max Baucus championed the creation of this new program to support biomedical research by small firms. The program provides tax credits and grants to small firms that show significant potential to produce new and cost-saving therapies.

The new Therapeutic Discovery Tax Credit covers up to 50 percent of the cost of qualifying biomedical research, up to a maximum credit of $5 million per firm and is available to firms with fewer than 250 employees. To provide an immediate boost to U.S. biomedical research and the small businesses that conduct it, the credit is effective for investments made in 2009 and 2010. Firms can opt to receive a grant instead of a tax credit, so start-ups that are not yet profitable can benefit as well.

Companies may submit applications for certification beginning June 21, 2010, and applications must be postmarked no later than July 21, 2010. As part of the review process for research projects, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will evaluate each project for its potential to produce new therapies or reduce health care costs. Only projects that show a reasonable potential to meet these goals will be certified as eligible for the credit. The IRS will issue certifications by the end of October based on the determinations made by HHS.

Please see below for links to all relevant documents, including Form 9842. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Kerra_Melvin@finance-dem.senate.gov or (202) 224-0330 if you have questions about the Therapeutic Discovery Project Program.

Link to the IRS press release: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=224513,00.html

Link to Form 9842: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8942.pdf

Link to Instructions for Form 9842: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8942.pdf

Link to Q & A for the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=224011,00.html

Link to Text of Notice 2010-45 for the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-10-45.pdf

Kerra Melvin|Tax Research Assistant|Senate Committee on Finance|Max Baucus (D-MT), Chair|(202) 224-4515

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Scientist Creates Life. That's a Good Thing, Right?

Thursday, May. 20, 2010

By Alice Park

It's the ultimate science experiment, really - taking a handful of chemicals, mixing them in just the right combination and presto - life!

And after nearly 15 years of such toiling in his labs in Rockville, Md., J. Craig Venter, co-mapper of the human genome, has done just that. Reporting in the journal Science, he describes a remarkable experiment in which he and the team at his eponymous institute have pieced together the entire genome of a bacterium and then inserted those genetic instructions into another bacterium. The cell booted up, and life - by nearly any definition - was created. (See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2009.)

"We're basically getting new life out of the computer," Venter says. "We started with a genetic code in the computer, wrote the 'software,' put it into the cell and transformed it biologically into a new species. We're still stunned by it as a concept."

With Venter's breakthrough it's now possible to splice and snap together genetic material to create a Legoland's worth of new genetic combinations. Ideally, some of these would have robust industrial purposes, such as manufacturing bacteria that can churn out valuable vaccine components to shorten production times during an epidemic, or co-opting organisms such as algae to pump out new sources of biofuel-based energy. (See TIME's health checkup package on how to live 100 years.)

"Just imagine these cells where all we do is put in a new piece of chemical software and all the characteristics of the cell start changing to become what was dictated by the new software," says Venter. "These are biological transformers."

Full Article

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NCI Grant Funding Available for Small Business Innovation Research in Cancer Technologies

The National Cancer Institute Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs announced NCI SBIR & STTR Grant funding opportunities available in a range of topic areas, and 2010 Omnibus Solicitation funding for eligible small business and research institutions.

These funding opportunities are intended for U.S. small businesses that have the research capabilities and technological expertise to contribute to the development and commercialization of novel technologies and products to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. The deadline to apply for these grant opportunities is August 5, 2010.

As this news may be of interest to your constituents, I am providing for your consideration a listserv announcement to distribute or to include as a notice in your member communications (e.g., newsletter or Web site posting). You can also find details on SBIR's website, at http://sbir.cancer.gov/funding/receipt_dates.asp.

Apply Today!

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ITHS Small Pilot Project Grants

Technology and Resources Access Grants Are Now Part of Small Pilot Project Grants

What: These pilot grants are designed to assist investigators in obtaining preliminary findings, testing "proof of concept," or conducting other research activities designed to prepare and support competitive, full-scale grant applications. Research activities may address any aspect of translational health science. These grants may also cover costs associated with the provision of services to you through an ITHS-approved facility core, shared resource, or cost center. Typical awards will be in the $10,000 range.

When: Offered twice per year, with pre-applications due on August 20, 2010.

Details:ITHS Small Pilot Project Grants

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Montana Sen. Baucus unveils lineup for economic summit September 13-14 at Montana Tech in Butte, Montana

A number of high profile leaders in business and government will speak at the Montana Economic Development Summit, scheduled to take place in September in Butte.

Those already committed to attend include: General Electric chairman Jeffrey Immelt; President and Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company Robert Iger; Chief Executive Officer of the Microsoft Corporation Steven Ballmer; U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu; and U.S. Small Business Administration head Karen G. Mills.

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. http://baucus.senate.gov/ , unveiled the speakers Wednesday in Butte and said more could be added in the coming months.

The summit will take place September 13-14 at Montana Tech. Registration is now open at http://www.montanaeconomicsummit.org.

By Tim Trainor of The Montana Standard

Full Story: http://www.mtstandard.com/news/local ... c002e0.html

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The Montana BioScience Alliance Annual meeting was held in Great Falls at the MSU Great Falls College of Technology on June 25, 2010.

During the board meeting, election of officers was held. Rob Bargatze, President , Carol Beam, Treasurer and Dave Crum, Secretary were reelected. Michael Covarrubias and Evan Barrett were reelected to the board of trustees and a new member, Chad DeLong, MAEDC, Missoula, was elected to the board.

Annual meeting speakers included:

Welcome and Overview: Rob Bargatze

Governor's office of Economic Development, announcement of BRCT 2011 grants, Chris Aageson.

Legislative update and report on the Economic Development Summit, JJ Adams, Senate Finance Committee

Update from PhRMA, follow on biologics and national issues, Leslie Rosedahl

Technology Transfer at the University of Montana, Joe Fanguy

A roundtable discussion was held with updates from member companies and organizations.

We were delighted to participate in the McLaughlin Institute's Expansion/Remodel Dedication ceremony and their National Development Council meeting at Benefis. The meeting included a fascinating talk by Barry Peterson, on Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease. Mr. Peterson wrote his first book, Jan's Story, about the struggle he has shared with his wife, Jan Chorlton, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's disease in 2005 and is now in an assisted living facility. Mr. Peterson is a 1996 Emmy Award winner and has been called one of CBS News' most experienced correspondents. He grew up in Sidney Montana.

Following Mr. Peterson's talk a distinguished panel of scientists provided an update and review of current Alzheimer's disease research. Panel members included: Irving Weissman, MD ,Director, Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University; George Carlson, PhD, Director and Professor, McLaughlin Research Institute and Deb Cabin, PhD, Assistant Professor, McLaughlin Research Institute.

The next Montana BioScience Alliance meeting will be held in Butte at the Economic Development Summit on September 13, 14.

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Seattle Policy Forum for leading state Biotech association executives

Sharon Peterson attended the Seattle Policy forum for leading state Biotech association executives, June 14 and 15^th in Seattle sponsored by Amgen and the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

The group toured the Amgen Seattle research facility on the Seattle waterfront and heard an overview of a policy agenda developed by Battelle on behalf of the Council for American Medical Innovation presented by Mitch Horowitz and then participated in a roundtable discussion with Congressman Jay Inslee (D-Washington). You can find copies of the "Gone Tomorrow" report at this link http://www.americanmedicalinnovation.org/

Other panels included: patient safety in a multisource biologics environment : implications in the states and for state biotech sectors by Geoff Eich, Amgen, and exploration of state and state biotech sector health care reform implications and impacts by Donna Boswell , NGA and Richard Cauchi, NCSL.

The group also met with and toured PATH, a global health nononprofit organization with presence in more than 70 countries with focus on emerging and epidemic diseases and heard an overview of "Global Health Nexus Seattle". Global Health Nexus Seattel is a collaborative effort undertaken by a range of community, education, global health, biotech and health care sector leaders to communicate regional global health and life science efforts and opportunities.

The presentations can be dowloaded here:

Reforming US Health CareImplications for the States and Markets

EVENTS CALENDAR

Montana Economic Development Summit & Montana BioScience Alliance Meeting
September 13-14, 2010
Montana Tech
Butte, Montana

Northwest Association for Biomedical Research

IRBs, IACUCs, IBCs and Bioethics: Strengthening a Culture of Commitment & Community
September 22-23, 2010
Governor Hotel
Portland, Oregon
Details

BioWest 2010
September 29-30, 2010
Grand Hyatt
Denver, Colorado
Details

11th Annual Life Science Innovation Northwest Conference
March 2nd & 3rd, 2011
Seattle, WA

CLASSIFIEDS

BioScience Laboratories seeking qualified professionals with a degree in microbiology or a related field

BioScience Laboratories is enjoying a strong year of growth. The company recently hired a new study director. Susan E. Veneziano, Ph.D. has joined the BioScience Laboratories' team in the role of In-Vitro Study Director. Dr. Veneziano has a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology from the University of Iowa, 2003 and a B.S. in Biology-Chemistry from Saint Joseph's College with a solid background in standard biochemical and molecular biology techniques. Her prior professional positions have given her outstanding project management and customer services skills. BioScience Laboratories now has over 65 employees and is seeking more qualified professionals with a degree in microbiology or a related field to work in our clinical laboratory, in-vitro laboratory, or quality assurance department. The company also has a full schedule of clinical studies in the next three months and is in need of more study participants to complete them on time. For more information about BioScience Laboratories job openings and current studies, visit www.biosciencelabs.com.

McLaughlin Research Institute Post-Doc Opening

McLaughlin Research Institute is a small non-profit research organization near the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains and provides an outstanding environment to train for a career in mouse genetics. Applicants for these positions should provide evidence, including publication in internationally recognized journals, for their potential for an independent research career.

Cellular And Molecular Basis Of Neurodegeneration (T. GUNN) Mice lacking the ubiquitin ligase MGRN1 develop age-dependent spongiform neurodegeneration associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupted endolysosomal trafficking. Studies to identify the cellular function of MGRN1 and the pathway by which its loss leads to neurodegeneration involve the generation and analysis of transgenic mice and cell biology and biochemistry assays.

Genetic Regulation of Myelination (J.Bermingham) Genetic control of the morphological changes in Schwann cells that result in myelin formation. Emphasis on genes that are misexpressed in sciatic nerves or brains of mice that possess defects in myelination and neuronal.

Mouse models of Parkinson's disease (D. Cabin)Mice transgenic for mutant human alpha-synuclein are studied to elucidate the pathologic mechanism by which the gene causes Parkinson's disease, and to understand the early stages of that disease. Genetic approaches using mice lacking alpha-synuclein are aimed at understanding the protein's normal function, and whether that function contributes to Parkinson's disease.

Genetics of Prion Disease Susceptibility. (G. Carlson) The goal is to identify genes (in addition to the prion protein gene) that modify susceptibility to prion infection or that are involved in prion replication. A new program is aimed at detection of early host responses to prion infection and development of in vitro models for infection. Interactions with co-investigators at larger research centers in Seattle (L.E. Hood) and San Francisco (S.B. Prusiner) enhance the training environment. Successful applicants will have a solid background in molecular biology.

Application of Mouse Genetics to Alzheimer's Disease.(G.Carlson) Genetic approaches using transgenic mice overexpressing Alzheimer's disease-associated genes are aimed at dissecting pathogenic mechanisms and developing better disease models. Outstanding expertise in behavior and molecular genetics (K. Hsiao Ashe), biochemistry (S.G. Younkin), pathology (B. Hyman), and vascular physiology (C. Iadecola) is provided by our collaborators. Expertise of the successful applicant may be in cell biology, neuroscience, or molecular biology.

Molecular Motors & Chemical Genetics (J Mercer). Unconventional myosin function in hearing and organelle transport.

To apply: State clearly which program you wish to apply to, send your curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, and the names of three individuals we may contact for references to:

Training Office
McLaughlin Research Institute
1520 23rd Street South
Great Falls, MT 59405
admin@mri.montana.edu

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www.montanabio.org

The Montana Bioscience Alliance serves as a hub for Montana's biotechnology companies, entrepreneurs, laboratories, hospitals, clinics and universities to commercialize, grow and sustain globally competitive bioscience companies -- ultimately to create high-quality jobs and economic opportunity in Montana.

Sharon Peterson
Executive Director
Montana BioScience Alliance

sharonpeterson@bresnan.net