HAMILTON - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Master Plan at Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML). RML, a 33-acre campus in southwest Hamilton, is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of NIH in Bethesda, MD.

A master plan is a planning document that provides guidance for development. The RML Master Plan identifies potential long-term facility and space needs for the campus through 2025 and includes specific plans and proposals for addressing the needs in a coherent, consistent and cost-efficient manner. The Department of Health and Human Services requires a Master Plan for all its campuses.

The FEIS for RML analyzes three options: the proposed action-slow growth of about 1 percent per year to 2025; a no action alternative; and a capacity growth alternative. The FEIS identifies the proposed action as the preferred alternative.

The FEIS includes environmental and social analyses of potential impacts of the proposed action and the alternatives. Issues such as landscaping, traffic, parking, lighting and general site development are discussed in the FEIS.

NIH will accept comments from the public about the FEIS through midnight April 20. NIH will make its formal recommendation about the project and issue a Record of Decision after reviewing comments received about the FEIS.

People who formally commented on the draft EIS, which was issued in October 2008, will receive a printed copy of the FEIS in the mail. The FEIS also is available on the Internet at FEIS.

The NIH Office of Research Facilities (ORF) is overseeing the preparation of the RML Master Plan and EIS.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducts and supports research- at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide- to study the causes of infectious and immune- mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.

The NIH-The Nation's Medical Research Agency- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

Chicks in Science

On February 14th, Valentines Day, more than 1,000 girls in grades 4th - 8th grade participated in the MSU Billings 2nd annual "Chicks in Science" event sponsored by Montana Bioscience Alliance. There were over 50 interactive booths that allowed the girls to do hands on activities. The fair was free to the public and it was aimed at getting girls interested in science at an early age.

"They come here and realize that there are hundreds of jobs that are science related that they may not have thought of, or that there are things that affect them every day that are from science and they don't even know it," says Kim Schweikert, with MSU-Billings.

The event developed last year to encourage girls to enter math- and science-related fields. Studies show that between the fourth and eighth grades, girls start losing interest in math and science. Yet, industry surveys indicate that many emerging careers will require an understanding of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and the problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptive and collaborative skills gained through the study of these subjects. The event gave the young girls the chance to work with women who work as professionals in the science or math related field.

OVP Venture Partners Announces Affiliation with Irving L. Weissman

Irving L. Weissman is a Montana native and a graduate of Montana State University.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Early-stage venture capital firm OVP Venture Partners (OVP) announced today that distinguished scientist Irving L. Weissman, M.D., will join its technical advisory group. OVP's Technical Advisory Group consists of senior executives and technology leaders around the country who provide input and insight on strategic market and technology directions relevant to OVP's investment spaces and portfolio companies.

Irving L. Weissman, M.D., co-discovered the mammalian and human hematopoietic stem cells and the human neural stem cell. He has formed three stem cell companies, SyStemix, Inc., StemCells, Inc., and Cellerant, Inc. Dr. Weissman is a Professor of Cancer Biology, Pathology, and Developmental Biology at Stanford University and is Director of the Stanford Institute for Cancer/Stem Cell Biology and Medicine. He has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

"Clearly, we're delighted to have someone of Dr. Weissman's caliber on hand to advise us on our current and potential investments in the life sciences," said OVP Managing Director Chad Waite. "We've been lucky enough to have Irv's counsel on an informal basis in the past, and this appointment formalizes that role."

OVP currently has ten investments in life sciences and computational biology companies. The firm has over $750 million in capital under management and is currently investing its seventh fund.

Education Health Recovery Act

Closing date for applicants: May 6, 2009
Expected number of awards: 40

Type of institutions viable for awards:
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education

The NCRR High-End Instrumentation Grant (HEI) program encourages applications from groups of NIH- supported investigators to purchase a single major item of equipment to be used for biomedical research that costs at least $600,000. The maximum award is $8,000,000. Additionally, it is expected that the funds will be expended expeditiously, within 18-24 months from the date of award. Instruments in this category include, but are not limited to, structural and functional imaging systems, macromolecular NMR spectrometers, high-resolution mass spectrometers, cryoelectron microscopes and supercomputers. Mechanism of Support. This funding opportunity will use the NIH S10 mechanism. Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. The NCRR intends to commit approximately $160M in FY2010 to fund approximately 40 new awards. Since the cost of the instruments varies, it is anticipated that the size of the award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend on the funds available for the HEI program. For more information and grant applications, visit NIH

Possible Anti-Dementia Drug Being Tested

Researchers hope a drug in clinical trials at sites across the country, including in Billings, could slow or stop the progress of dementia in the human brain. The drug, under development by the pharmaceutical companies Elan and Wyeth, already showed promise in earlier trials, said Dr. Larry Severa, a physician at Billings Clinic who is overseeing local participants in the study. "Our goal is that it will decrease the abnormal proteins in the brain that cause dementia," Severa said. "It's hoped that if we can decrease the abnormal proteins, we can slow down or stop the dementia process." Some 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer's is a progressive and ultimately fatal disorder that causes memory loss, disorientation and personality changes. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It's gotten to the point now where everyone knows someone who has Alzheimer's," Severa said. The Phase III clinical trial of bapineuzumab is under way at 200 sites in the United States and Canada, including the Billings Clinic Research Center, where Severa hopes to enroll up to 10 people. So far, at least 100 people have applied to participate in Billings but only three have qualified to be in the trial. One of them is Phyllis Olson, a 78-year-old Billings woman who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease about two years ago. "I guess I thought why not," Olson said of her decision to enroll in the trial. "I'm retired, and I'm not doing anything." Olson will be in the study for 83 weeks, during which time she'll receive six injections and undergo regular cognitive testing. Neither she nor Severa knows if she is receiving infusions of the drug or a placebo. If results from the 2,000 people in the clinical trial indicate that the drug can slow dementia's progress, Elan and Wyeth could ask the Food and Drug Administration to approve it as a treatment for Alzheimer's. That step is at least a couple of years away. "By the time this study is over and it gets FDA approval, it may not be much help to her," said Olson's husband, Marty. "It might help our kids."

The biotechnology industry is expected to rebound and outperform healthcare and the rest of the market this year, according to findings from an investor perception study released today by Thomson Reuters and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) at the 11th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York. The perception study is an in-depth assessment of Wall Street's views of the biotech industry, its current challenges, its relative valuation, and the outlook for 2009. The purpose of the study is to inform and improve communication between biotech executives, investors and policymakers.

According to participants, who represent firms with $2.3 trillion in assets under management, the credit crisis has shifted investors' focus with over 80% acknowledging that the effects have forced them to change their investment approaches. In particular, they have stated that a company's cash position is now more important. More than two-thirds in the study expect greater M&A volume in 2009, with major pharmaceutical companies buying biotech of all sizes and large biotechs buying smaller biotech companies.

Additional key findings include:

Investors are optimistic about biotech stock performance

70% expect biotech to outperform the rest of the market this year.

59% consider biotech "undervalued" while only 4% say the sector is "overvalued."

57% expect biotech to rebound during this year; another 30% expect a rebound in 2010.

Investors are less optimistic about research and development

60% state overall productivity in 2009-2011 will be the same as in 2006-2008.

Investors see the best opportunities in mid-cap companies with late-stage pipelines

37% of polled investors see opportunity in micro-and small-cap companies, but only 16% favor early stage pipelines over late stage pipelines.

67% of investors state the best investment opportunities lie in oncology while 37% see promise in immunology.

In addition, the study found that most investors are neutral to positive about the policies likely to be pursued by the Obama administration. Investors are particularly hoping for greater consistency and predictability from the FDA where higher safety barriers and insufficient resources are cited as primary reasons for limited drug approvals.

Most investors pay little attention to activism in the biotech sector, according to the study. Looking at what the 'smart money owns' is the least popular source of new investment ideas and least important for research. Meeting with management is the most important factor when researching investments, followed by conferences and sell-side research, which is still considered important.

The perception study was conducted by Thomson Reuters, in conjunction with BIO's Investor Relations team, during December and January. It included over 80 participants representing firms with $2.3 trillion in assets under management and included $266 billion in healthcare and $76 billion in biotech. The full study will be released at the end of March.

BIO

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is now accepting submissions for the BIO Show Daily for the 2009 BIO International Convention taking place May 18-21 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The on-site publication provides attendees with event highlights and schedule information and features exhibitors and breaking news from companies.

BIO will partner with The Scientist to deliver a fresh and engaging voice to Convention attendees.

"The Show Daily provides exhibitors and attendees with an opportunity to reach influential decision makers at the world's largest biotechnology event," said Robbi Lycett, vice president of Conventions & Conferences at BIO. "Attendees should expect a combination of event coverage, personality profiles, engaging thought pieces, industry analysis and insightful perspectives on biotechnology around the world."

Submission categories include: Editorial: Share an innovative business strategy; comment on a trend or trends developing in the industry; or address a topic of consequence to the industry.

New Development: Describe a new and innovative technology developed; a significant breakthrough in research and development; or a new service launched in the past year.

Profile: Highlight the accomplishments of a particular person; the achievements of an organization, region, biocluster, state, country; or a special offering by an exhibitor.

Announcement: Welcome a new officer; announce a new partnership; share information about an award received or presented; or publicize an event.

Product Focus Zone: Highlights product samples on display in one of BIO's Product Focus Zones.

Organizations wishing to submit articles for consideration in the BIO Show Daily must follow the submission guidelines at http://www.the- scientist.com/bio/. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, April 15, 2009. All submissions are subject to approval and editing by BIO Show Daily editorial staff.

Join Rob and Sharon at the 2009 BIO International Convention by registering at the BIO website.

Please welcome our new Montana BioScience intern, Lee Pawlowski. Lee is from Circle and is a Senior in Business Administration at MSU Billings.

Ann Marie Quinn and Thom Hughes represented the Montana BioScience Alliance on January 17th at the Opportunity Link Annual Meeting in Havre. Opportunity Link is a poverty-reduction organization serving North-Central Montana. They met John Nestor Soriano who is the new scientist that was hired to run the Biodiesel Certification Laboratory at MSU-Northern. They made arrangements for John and his students to participate in MSU student research day in Bozeman this spring. They also met with students from Fort Belknap College. Ann Marie reports that one of the most interesting presentations was by James Lambert of Allied Bio Energies. His company purchased 21 acres outside of Havre and is developing a ten million gallon biodiesel pressing and production facility based on canola. They will also produce high quality feed from the by-product, and hire 30-40 people in the facility over the next year. Part of the reason they located the facility in Havre is because of the collaboration with the new Biodiesel Certification Lab at MSU-Northern.

The January 25th Billings Gazette contained a series of articles on BioScience in Montana. To view these stories online select: Article #1 Article #2 Article #3 Article #4 Article #5

February 10th found Montana BioScience members and recipients of the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology grants in the Capitol rotunda with a poster session. Legislators and others had the opportunity to view many exciting projects happening in our state. Following the noon session, a BioScience roundtable was held at the Great Northern Hotel with approximately 30 folks in attendance. A reception for legislators followed the roundtable.

On February 12th, Sharon Peterson represented the Alliance at a meeting at GSKbio in Hamilton, learning of progress on the Ravalli Entrepreneurship Center. The center/incubator will be a $3.2 million facility with 10,000 square feet of premium space, services and quality of life. "We'll be assisting the RCEDA with vetting applicants and assessing proposals to make them more solid, to make sure they have rigorous review and a solid business plan" said Michael Covarrubias, site director of GSK'S Hamilton operation. "We expect that most of them will need money. The RCEDA can introduce them to investors, and our hope is that some could be funded." Rob Ryan, founder of Ascend Communications will personally meet with Entrepreneurs at his Roaring Lion Ranch to evaluate and advise on business plans. RCEDA has also developed a strong relationship with the University of Montana.

HB 572 - Authorization for a SBIR/STTR matching grant program for Montana was introduced in the Montana House of Representatives by Rep. JP Pomnichowski on February 20, 2009. After a hearing in the Business and Labor Committee, the bill was passed out of Committee on February 23 and passed the House on 2nd and 3rd reading on February 24 and 25. HB 572 will be heard in the Montana Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee on Tuesday, March 24. To follow progress of the bill check out www.leg.mt.gov. Special thanks to Senator Kim Gillan for requesting this vital legislation, Rep. Pomnichowski for her strong support and great work on the bill and Anne Marie Quinn for representing the Alliance in this effort.

March 31-April 1, 2009 · Washington, DC
BIO Legislative Fly-In
For more information, visit: http://www.bio.org/flyin

May 18-21, 2009 · Atlanta, GA
BIO International Conference and Exhibition http://convention.bio.org

Save The Date
July 16, 17, 2009
Hamilton, MT
Montana BioScience Annual Meeting

There is now a classifieds section on the Montana Bio website, in the resources section! Please send information to Sharon at sharonpeterson@bresnan.net .