 Montana BioScience Alliance May 2010 Newsletter |
|
|
|
|
|
| Dear Sharon, |
Welcome to the May newsletter!
Ironically, winter is finally over just as Montana's BioScience industry is heating up. Beginning with the Bio International Convention, spring 2010 is going to be filled with excitement and opportunity. |
| Feature Headline | | BIO Paves the Way for Industry Partnerships
By Anne Marie Quinn
 Montana Biotech companies understand the importance of forming partnerships to get new technologies to market, but establishing key connections can be extremely expensive and time consuming. The BIO International Convention is all about providing a venue for networking. Last week the annual convention was held in Chicago...........
|
|
|
|
|
 MEMBER NEWS
| |
McLaughlin Researcher gets $250,000 Grant
By Tribune Staff · April 27, 2010
McLaughlin Research Institute's newest scientist, Teresa Gunn, received a two-year $250,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health's Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to study the effect two genes may have on susceptibility to Parkinson's disease.
Gunn's research focuses on the process at the molecular level of how brain cells die in neurodegenerative disorders. In the new study, she is investigating a possible connection between two genes that could reveal insights into that process, particularly in Parkinson's disease.
Gunn works with a strain of mice with a mutation in a gene called Mahogunin. The new project involves crossbreeding the mice with another strain of a mutation in the parkin gene. Both genes are associated with degenerative brain diseases, and both have been shown to have an effect on mitochondria, the cell's energy factories that fuel cellular activities. Damaged mitochondria can cause a cell to die.
Type Teresa Gun of McLaughlin Research Institute | "Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with most or all neurodegenerative disorders: Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, you name it," Gunn said.
She hopes to learn more about the role of mitochondria in these diseases.
"This could turn out to be a really important aspect of neurodegeneration," she said.
Despite the similarities between the Mahogunin and parkin genes, the effects of their mutations on the mice are distinctly different. Crossing the two will show how they may work together to cause the degeneration in Parkinson's.
As a sideline, Gunn is breeding her mice with one of McLaughlin researcher and assistant professor Deborah Cabin's strains to see if there's an interaction between Mahogunin and alpha-synuclein, the gene Cabin studies. This is the first of many possible areas of collaboration for Gunn and her new colleagues as they explore the complexities of degenerative brain disease.
Gunn, who came to McLaughlin from Cornell University last summer, said her move made the intensive mouse study affordable because of MRI's lower animal care costs.
"I've wanted to do this for a long time," Gunn said.
Gunn received a grant after less than a year in her position, said Irving Weissman, chairman of MRI's Scientific Advisory Committee and Director of Stanford University's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
"This is the hardest of times for research funding," Weissman said. "For Teresa to get a grant in these super-hard times just says what a high-quality scientist she is."
________________________________________________________________________________
MRI Animal Tech is Technician of the Year
Annette Kittleson followed her passion for working with animals to Montana, where she first worked with a sled dog trainer. "After 25 years of training and working with dogs, that was the one thing I wanted to do and hadn't done," she said. She later moved into another realm of animal work when she became a laboratory animal technician at McLaughlin. "I went from wrangling dogs to wrangling mice," she said.
After a decade of caring for MRI's mice, Annette Kittleson was named the 2009 Technician of the Year by the Northern Rocky Mountain Branch of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS). The AALAS is dedicated to "the humane care and treatment of laboratory animals and the quality research that leads to scientific gains that benefit people and animals."
"An animal person is an animal person, whether you work with dogs or large exotic animals in a zoo or with mice that are used for medical research," Annette said. Another way she has worked with animals who are used to help humans is by training dogs to track in search and rescue efforts. She still judges tracking events for the American Kennel Club.
At McLaughlin, she says, "We're guardians of the animals. A lot of people don't realize there are specific people looking after the mice to make them as comfortable as possible. I brought an 'animal' friend in to see the mice, and her comment was, 'They seem pretty happy to me.' That's our goal - to make them happy."
_________________________________________________________________________________
Former MRI Interns Co-author Stem Cell Paper
An MRI student intern from the 1950's and another from the 1990's are co-authors of a new paper on stem cells and aging published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Irving Weissman, MRI's first student intern, is known - among other things - for discovering the blood forming stem cell and for his research on the use of these cells in regenerative medicine. His work at Stanford University has led to new treatments for leukemia and other diseases. Dr. Weissman collaborated with Isabel Beerman, who was also a high school intern at McLaughlin, on her study of how blood forming stem cells function during aging.
Dr. Beerman is now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School's Immune Disease Institute. Her work is linked to Dr. Weissman's through his former postdoc, Derrick Rossi, in whose lab Dr. Beerman now works. Dr. Beerman is the lead author of the new paper, and Dr. Rossi is the senior author.
The Rossi lab works with the hypothesis that blood forming stem cells don't function properly as people age, leading to a loss of immune function and a higher incidence of myeloid leukemia.
Blood-forming stem cells have the potential to give rise to all cells in the blood, including the myeloid cells and lymphoid cells of the immune system. With aging, those stem cells with a greater potential to create myeloid cells become dominant in number, at the expense of those more likely to create lymphoid cells.
The new study showed that the myeloid-biased stem cells develop an elevated ability to self renew as they age, leading to a dramatic replication of these cells. This could help explain the diminished immune response and predisposition to myeloid leukemia in the elderly, making it possible to find a way to therapeutically address these pitfalls of aging.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Fluorescence and Montana Molecular Announce Strategic Alliance
Contacts:
Greg Gillispie, CEO Fluorescent Innovations Anne Marie Quinn, CEO Montana Molecular
406-522.0613 406-539-7399
gillispie@fluorescenceinnovations.com amq@montanamolecular.com
Bozeman, Montana (February 6, 2010) Montana Molecular and Fluorescence Innovations Inc. have joined forces to co-develop cell-based, fluorescent assays for drug discovery. To maximize progress, the companies have located in adjacent lab space to work on an integrated system that couples fluorescent biosensors with sophisticated instrumentation for measuring fluorescence.
Fluorescence Innovations develops specialized lasers, detectors and microplate systems for drug discovery, protein production, purification and formulation that enable extremely fast and robust measurements of fluorescence lifetime. Montana Molecular's genetically-encoded biosensors change fluorescence in response to signaling in living cells. By merging these highly synergistic technologies, both companies expect to accelerate progress and to compete even more effectively for new funding.
According to Dr. Greg Gillispie, CEO of Fluorescence Innovations, "Our goal has always been to expand into cell-based assays and fluorescence microscopy. This alliance with Montana Molecular makes the most of our respective intellectual property, takes advantage of our pooled expertise and is already driving new directions of technology development."
"We recognize that fluorescent lifetime measurements are the key to robust live-cell assays. The opportunity to couple Montana Molecular's biosensors with Fluorescence Innovation's revolutionary instrumentation will mean new breakthroughs in cell-based approaches to drug discovery. We will soon be able to measure cellular processes that have evaded us up until now, due to the inherent variability in traditional fluorescent detection technologies," added Anne Marie Quinn, CEO of Montana Molecular.
As a starting point for this effort, Montana Molecular hired a new scientific research associate, Paul Tewson, a 2006 graduate with honors from Montana State University's Cell Biology and Neuroscience Program who trained in Dr. Roger Bradley's lab at MSU Bozeman and later at Oregon Health Sciences University. Paul has been implementing the molecular and cell biology aspects of this collaboration and demonstrating how excellent education, and experience in an academic research laboratory translates into immediate progress toward achieving the goals of this alliance. ___________________________________________________________________________________
Bacterin International Obtains ISO Certification
Belgrade, Montana (March 29, 2010) - Bacterin International, Inc. (Bacterin), a medical device and biologics manufacturing company, is pleased to announce it has received certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for fulfilling the requirements of ISO 13485:2003. To accomplish this goal, Bacterin worked with BSI, a leading provider of independent third-party certification of quality management systems.
"This is a significant milestone for Bacterin and we are proud of this accomplishment," said Darrel Holmes, Bacterin's Vice President Medical Devices. Mr. Holmes continued, "The ISO 13485:2003 certification assures our customers and partners of our commitment to quality, and in the quality of our innovative products and processes. Additionally, we are looking forward to the new markets and business opportunities that ISO 13485:2003 certification offers for our products in the global marketplace."
ISO 13485:2003 specifies requirements for a quality management system. To obtain ISO 13485:2003 certification, an organization must demonstrate its ability to provide medical devices that consistently meet applicable customer and regulatory requirements. The primary objective of ISO 13485:2003 is to facilitate harmonized medical device regulatory requirements for quality management systems. All requirements of ISO 13485:2003 are specific to organizations providing medical devices, regardless of the type or size of the organization.
About Bacterin International, Inc.
Bacterin International, Inc. designs, tests, and develops bioactive coatings for medical device applications. Bacterin also develops innovative biologic products for transplantation. The company was founded in 1997 based on expertise gained from the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University. Since its inception, Bacterin has been an innovative and dynamic company in the field of biomaterials research, testing, development, and commercialization. Bacterin is continuing to expand its IP base and has successfully leveraged its technical expertise and knowledge of biofilms into multiple product areas. Bacterin is well positioned for future growth through established partnerships with major medical device manufacturers and ongoing internal product development of innovative tissue constructs and bioactive coated devices. Bacterin's proprietary coated medical device, Elutia®, is the first antimicrobial-coated wound drain on the market and is available for various applications including: orthopedic, plastic and reconstructive, neurological, gynecological, head and neck, thoracic/cardiovascular, and general surgery. Bacterin's proprietary biologic scaffolds include OsteoSponge®, OsteoWrap®, OsteoSelect®, OsteoLock®, and BacFast®.
For more information regarding Bacterin, or this press release, please visit www.bacterin.com.
New Physician to Join Shodair's Genetics Department
Expands Number of Shodair's Genetic Physicians to Three
(Helena) - Shodair Children's Hospital is pleased to announce that medical geneticist Samuel Yang, M.D., will join its Genetics Department on June 7th.
Medical geneticist, Dr. Yang, is the newest addition to Shodair's Children's Hospital's Genetics Department. caption text here.  | A graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Dr. Yang completed an internship in pediatrics at Stanford Medical Center, followed by a residency in pediatrics at UC Davis Medical Center. Dr. Yang also completed a Fellowship in Genetics at Children's Hospital of Central California.
Dr. Yang is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and the American Board of Medical Genetics with both clinical and medical bio-chemical specialties.
Most recently, Dr. Yang worked at Lanterman Development Center in Pomona, California. Prior to that, he was associated with the Permanente Medical Group in San Francisco, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, and the California Department of Developmental Services.
Dr. Yang joins a team of two medical geneticists and four genetic counselors at Shodair who see patients across the state at monthly genetic outreach clinics. While Dr. Yang will see patients with a variety of genetic concerns, he will specialize in treating patients with metabolic conditions through the Newborn Screening Follow Up program operated by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and Shodair Children's Hospital.
______________________________________________________________________________
Data From Ligocyte's Clinical Studies Of Norovirus VLP Vaccine Presented At 13th Annual Conference On Vaccine Research
Intranasal Norovirus Vaccine Demonstrates Immunogenicity in Phase I Studies
Bethesda, Md., April 28, 2010 - LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a private biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative vaccine products, announced today that results from two Phase I studies of its norovirus virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate were presented today at the 13th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research. Sponsored by the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases, the conference is being held in Bethesda, Maryland, from April 26-28, 2010.
Donald P. Beeman, Chief Executive Officer of LigoCyte, commented, "Each year, nearly 23 million Americans are infected with norovirus, the leading worldwide cause of infectious gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach and intestines marked by acute vomiting and diarrhea. Epidemic outbreaks in hospitals, nursing homes and schools highlight this virus's significant burden, including serious and sometimes life-threatening complications.
"Given the urgency for prevention strategies, we are excited that Phase I data for LigoCyte's novel norovirus vaccine could be shared at NFID's Annual Conference on Vaccine Research." Data presented during the conference were from two Phase I trials evaluating different dosage levels of the norovirus VLP vaccine candidate. The objective of the double-blind studies was to evaluate the vaccine's safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers, ages 18-49. Subjects were randomized to receive two doses of intranasal norovirus VLP vaccine (containing a Norwalk strain) or controls 21 days apart. The clinical results showed the vaccine to be immunogenic and generally well tolerated in human subjects. Local nasal symptoms, including for example nasal stuffiness, were common and generally brief. No vaccine-related serious adverse events occurred.
"This is a unique example of a vaccine against an enteric virus that was well tolerated and highly immunogenic when given intranasally. The vaccine activated immune cells with the capacity to migrate to the gastrointestinal tract and produce antibodies that have the potential to prevent infection," said Marcela F. Pasetti, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Maryl and School of Medicine, who presented the data at the Vaccine Research Conference. Dr. Pasetti also is chief of the Applied Immunology Section at the University of Maryland Center for Vaccine Development.
The investigational, nasally delivered, dry powder vaccine is currently being examined in a Phase I/II study designed to assess safety and immunogenicity plus potential protection against clinical symptoms of norovirus infection by including a live virus challenge of subjects that have received either the vaccine or placebo. The company expects to release interim results for this study next quarter. In addition, the company expects to begin a Phase I trial with an intramuscular version of norovirus VLP vaccine before the end of 2010.
______________________________________________________________________________
Diabetes Telehealth Program
Approximately 2,559 patients in the communities served by the 21 rural health clinics in Montana and Wyoming that are part of the Eastern Montana Telemedicine Network have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death among Montanans and the sixth in Wyoming. Between 1999-2006, the prevalence of diabetes in Montana and Wyoming increased 11% and 39%, respectively, compared to the prior 5-year period. This increase in diabetes prevalence combined with a small population base and low per capita income is likely to overwhelm the limited financial resources of rural health care facilities not only in Montana and Wyoming, but in rural areas throughout the US resulting in suboptimal care for rural patients with diabetes.
The purpose of the Diabetes Telehealth Program is to expand access to important and needed diabetes management services to patients residing in rural areas of Montana and Northern Wyoming. The provision of direct diabetes management services to patients will be provided in collaboration with the Billings Clinic Eastern Montana Telemedicine Network (EMTN).
The long term goal of the project is to develop a practical and sustainable system of intensive diabetes management that will be effective in helping patients achieve and maintain goals within established treatment guidelines, regardless of geographic location. Disease-specific outcomes goals are based on American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, which are the accepted national standards. Patient and provider satisfaction with the program and technology will be measured for the program's duration.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth awarded Billings Clinic Center for Clinical Translational Research a three year $735,000 grant for the Montana and Wyoming Diabetes Outreach: Expanding Access Through Telehealth program to expand access of diabetes care services to 21 rural communities in Montana and Wyoming.
________________________________________________________________________
Montana BioScience Alliance 2010-2011 Directory
We are in the process of preparing the 2010-2011 Montana BioScience Alliance Directory. Please check out the following:
1. If you would like to purchase an ad - $800.00 for one page, $400.00 for half page, please contact us as soon as possible.
2. The 2009-2010 directory is online at www.montanabio.org under resources. Please check your listing and let us know quickly if you would like to be listed differently or if you know of another company/organization that should be listed.
3. Join the alliance. There are lots of benefits and it is important that we let the world know we have a bioscience industry in Montana.
Applications are on line at www.montanabio.org
For further information contact sharonpeterson@bresnan.net or shaun_hoover@yahoo.com |
|
MONTANA NEWS/UNIVERSITIES |
Montana State University Technologies Available for Licensing
April 28, 2010
Getting university inventions into the marketplace is a priority for the Montana University System. University leaders recognize that economic growth in Montana and other areas is fueled, in part, by new inventions.
At MSU, responsibility for moving technology into the private sector rests with the Technology Transfer Office. This office has facilitated well over 100 licenses for MSU technologies, over 70 of them with Montana companies. More than 80 patents have been issued on the university's inventions, with another 136 pending.
The office manages intellectual property--the inventions of MSU faculty, staff and sometimes students-- in accordance with federal law and the policies of the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education.
The Technology Transfer Office assists faculty with the disclosure, patenting and licensing of processes, products or creative works that may have commercial potential. It also seeks sponsored research from private industry and helps outside users gain access to University facilities, services and specialized equipment.
Full List of Technologies Available: http://tto.montana.edu/technologies/
_________________________________________________________________________________
Summit Corporate Services Achieves ISO 13485 and 9001 Quality Systems Certification
March 1, 2010 (Bozeman, MT) Summit Corporate Services is pleased to announce that it has been awarded ISO 13485:2003 and 9001:2008 certification for the distribution and servicing of medical and consumer products. Summit's quality systems were audited by BSI Management Systems, one of the world's leading certification bodies.
"Summit has had a tremendous year. After relocating to a new state-of-the art facility which expanded our warehouse space and implementing an integrated ERP software system that provides clients remote access via the Web, ISO certification was the next logical step" said Jennifer Royston, Director of Operations and Quality Systems at Summit. "ISO certification means Summit is recognized as having the quality systems in place to maintain and continually improve our business practices. Being ISO certified gives clients the peace of mind that we will manage their business operations effectively."
In addition to attaining ISO 13485 and 9001 quality systems certification, Summit is registered with the FDA as a Distributor and Repackager/Relabeler and meets the requirements set forth in 21 CFR Part 820, FDA's Medical Device Quality System Regulation.
About Summit Corporate Services
For over a decade, Summit Corporate Services has been providing customer service, order fulfillment, inventory management, distribution, logistical support, marketing, and billing and collections services to the life-science and consumer product industries. Summit's seamless services offer a cost effective solution over in-house operations and allow clients to remain focused on the most critical aspects of their business including product development and establishing sales. Additional information is available online at www.summitcorporate.com.
Contact:
Damon Peary
President & CEO
Damon@summitcorporate.com
406-556-3270
________________________________________________________________________________
Research And Development Summit, 5/17, University Of Montana
The University of Montana, in conjunction with the Institute of Translational Health Sciences, TechRanch and the Montana Bioscience Alliance, will host the Preclinical Research & Development Summit from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, May 17, in Skaggs Building Room 117.
The event will be a day of discussion and learning for translational researchers in academic and industry settings. It will feature speakers and sessions addressing preclinical research resources, entrepreneur partnerships, tech transfer, marketing new discoveries, and life-science research developments at UM, among other topics.
The summit is free, but attendees are asked to RSVP by e-mailing vprd@mso.umt.edu and including "preclinical summit" in the subject line. Montana State University will host a similar event Wednesday, May 19, in Bozeman.
For more information, call Joe Fanguy in the UM Office of Technology Transfer at 406-243-2148 or e-mail joe.fanguy@umontana.edu.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Preclinical research and development summit set for May 19 at MSU
Summary: The daylong summit is intended to help preclinical researchers network with colleagues across the state and identify funding sources.
From MSU News Service
BOZEMAN - A summit to help preclinical researchers network with colleagues across the state and identify funding sources will be held Wednesday, May 19, at Montana State University.
At the preclinical research and development summit, organizers will also provide consultation to summit participants. The event is set for 8-a.m.-3 p.m. at TechRanch, located just west of the MSU campus at 910 Technology Blvd. in Bozeman.
Preclinical research and development is a phase of medical research. In it, researchers test basic science discoveries that might have clinical uses for safety and possible effectiveness in treating a medical condition, according to Jane Shelby, executive director of Health Sciences at MSU.
Many scientists say it's challenging to find funding to adequately test these new discoveries, Shelby added.
"The summit will provide information and connections for researchers to successfully navigate preclinical testing of their discoveries, and open up possibilities for access to resources both at ITHS (Institute of Translational Health Sciences) and locally," Shelby said.
The summit is free and open to the public, RSVP to Prairie at plee@techranch.org or by calling 406-556-027 |
|
INDUSTRY NEWS/OPPORTUNITIES | |
2010 BIO International Convention Closes in Chicago With Record Number of Partnering Meetings
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Monday, May 10, 2010) The 2010 BIO International Convention, the global event for biotechnology, wrapped up today at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. hosting a record-number of partnering meetings and highlighting a broad array of top-level speakers addressing critical global challenges and the top issues in biotech. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the event drew 15,322 industry leaders from 49 states and 65 countries.
"The 2010 BIO International Convention was a great success, bringing together international leaders from industry, government and academia who are working to solve some of the world's biggest challenges," said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO. "The robust activity at our Business Forum and the general sense of optimism and energy prevelant at our Convention underscored the continuing strength, vitality and promise of biotech. I personally want to thank our many partners in Illinois, the Midwest region and throughout the entire industry that help make this event such an enormous success this year and in years past."
The full Convention program featured more than 125 breakout sessions across 17 tracks, addressing the latest scientific, policy and business opportunities and challenges facing the biotechnology industry today. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, former Vice President Al Gore and BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood gave insightful keynote addresses. Other high-level speakers included Margaret Hamburg, MD, FDA Commissioner; Roger Beachy, Chief Scientist for the US Department of Agriculture and Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture; and David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United State Patent and Trademark Office.
Seven U.S. governors attended this year's event: Pat Quinn (IL), Jennifer Granholm (MI), Jay Nixon (MO), Jim Doyle (WI) , Steve Beshear (KY), Martin O'Malley (MD), David Heineman (NE). In addition, more than 80 high-level public officials attend(ed).
______________________________________________________________________________
Formatech donates manufacturing to new MS drug
Formatech continues to help others by donating our manufacturing services to make new drugs happen. Today, we have awarded our latest Fillanthropy Program candidate: RegeneRx Biopharmaceutical's RGN-352 drug for Multiple Sclerosis. I've included a link to the press release for more details:
http://tinyurl.com/35y2xmv
Since Formatech established the Fillanthropy Program, we have awarded our drug manufacturing services to GeoVax for their HIV/AIDS vaccine, KAI Pharmaceuticals for their secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment, ViroMed for their vaccine targeting breast cancer and Tracon's drug for advanced cancer. So far to date, we have donated over $300K in drug manufacturing services.
As a contract manufacturer in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, Formatech's mission is to "Help make new drugs happen at the speed of science." Please help spread the word of our Fillanthropy Program to reach those companies in need. |
|
WHAT'S HAPPENING |
Sharon Peterson, Rob Bargatze, and Anne Marie Quinn attended the BIO International Conference in Chicago
Montana BSA's booth at the Bio International Conferencetext here.  | May 2-6, 2010. We staffed a 10x20 booth with lots of information from Montana and the BioScience Directories both in print and on a flash drive. We had a drawing for a custom made fly rod and got lots of interest in Montana research and companies.
We attended a meeting of the Council of State BioScience Associations and had a chance to network with those folks. We were able to hear Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush in a dialogue with Jim Greenwood, President of BIO. The conference is so impressive and hopeful with all of the research being conducted both nationally and internationally. We hope to be joined by many more of our members next year.
_____________________________________________________________________________
BIO Paves the Way for Industry Partnerships
By Anne Marie Quinn
Montana Biotech companies understand the importance of forming partnerships to get new technologies to market, but establishing key connections can be extremely expensive and time consuming. The BIO International Convention is all about providing a venue for networking. Last week the annual convention was held in Chicago, with about 20,000 attendees representing industry leaders both large and small. The world's largest biotechnology exhibit is the center of activity each day, and just about any connection in the biotech-pharmaceutical world can be made there.
The Montana Bioscience Alliance exhibit featured highlights of biotechnology research from several member companies as well as the University of Montana and Montana State University. Hundreds of attendees stopped at the exhibit to find out about our technologies, to offer services, or just to talk about fly fishing. Several of these informal discussions sparked follow-up emails, referrals and new interest in our member companies. One Head of Research and Development at a major European drug discovery company that stopped by the Montana exhibit wrote to me yesterday, "We met at the Bio meeting. I would appreciate additional information on your screening technology. I envy you your beautiful location. Of all the places I have been to in the world (and that is almost everywhere) I favor Montana the most."
Whether you are seeking partnerships for research and development, licensing, commercialization, manufacturing, investment financing, patent protection, or federal funding, BIO is the place to be. It is a low pressure, relatively inexpensive and effective way to meet face-to-face with many potential partners while enjoying a program full of insights and inspiration on the major trends affecting the industry. Next year's convention will be June 27-30 2011 in Washington D.C. Please consider participating - the Montana BioScience Alliance needs you.
________________________________________________________________________________
Montana BSA Cosponsors 10th Annuanl Life Science Innovation Northwest
The Montana BioScience Alliance cosponsored the 10th annual Life Science Innovation Northwest held in Seattle on March 16th and 17th. Hundreds from the Life Science community from 15 states, Washington D.C. and seven countries - Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom attended the conference.
Attendees were treated to two days of panel discussions, a state-of-the industry report by G. Stephen Burrill, CEO of Burrill and Company, the keynote address by Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and presentations by life Science companies and leading research and global health organizations.
In addition representatives of the growing Chinese life sciences community learned first hand during Life Sciences Innovation Northwest that that they should pay close attention to the Northwest states as they develop partnership and investment opportunities in the United States.
Attending from Montana were Sharon Peterson, Montana BioScience Alliance, a member of the steering committee, Don Beeman, LigoCyte, presenting company and Tom Brown, Genectar, participated in the poster session.
Next year's 11th Annual Life Science Innovation Northwest Conference will be held in Seattle on March 2 & 3. Mark your calendars.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Kopriva Science Seminar Series Past Speakers Leroy Hood
Friday, March 12, 2010
Dr. Leroy Hood, president and cofounder of the Institute for Systems Biology here. |
A free public lecture about the systems approach to biology and disease was given on Friday, March 12, at Montana State University's Museum of the Rockies.
Leroy Hood http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leroy_Hood , president and cofounder of the Institute for Systems Biology, spoke on "Systems Medicine and Transforming Technologies: Cataloging the Revolution of Medicine from a Reactive to a Proactive Mode". The Montana BioScience Alliance board met in the afternoon at the Museum of the Rockies and attended the speech and reception afterward.
Hood is a pioneer in the systems approach to disease, where emerging technologies and powerful new computational and mathematical tools are expected to move medicine from its reactive mode to a predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory mode over the next 5 to 20 years.
Hood developed a DNA sequencer that has revolutionized genomics by allowing the rapid automated sequencing of DNA. He played a crucial role in contributing to the successful mapping of the human genome during the 1990s and early 2000s. Instruments developed by Hood constitute the technological foundation for modern molecular biology and genomics. He has applied these technologies to diverse fields including immunology, neurobiology, cancer biology, molecular evolution and systems medicine.
Hood has received 17 honorary degrees from institutions such as Johns Hopkins, Yale, UCLA and Whitman College. He has published more than 650 peer-reviewed papers, received 15 patents, co-authored textbooks in biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology and genetics, and is just finishing a textbook on systems biology. In addition, he coauthored a popular book on the human genome project titled, The Code of Codes.
Hood's lecture was presented by the Kopriva Science Seminar Series, which is funded through an endowment created by Phil Kopriva, a 1957 microbiology graduate from MSU. Kopriva, who died in 2002, also created an endowment to fund the Kopriva Graduate Fellowship Program, which provides support and opportunities for graduate students in the College of Letters and Science, particularly in the biomedical sciences. The series features four seminars annually, with talks provided by MSU graduate students, faculty members and guest speakers.
For more information about this and other Kopriva lectures, visit http://www.montana.edu/lettersandscience/kopriva.html |
|
EVENTS CALENDAR |
Preclinical Research & Development Summit
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Skaggs Building Room 117
Missoula, MT
RSVP by emailing vprd@mso.umt.edu and
include "preclinical summit" in the subject line Agenda
Preclinical Research & Development SummitWednesday, May 19th, 2010 TechRanch Bozeman, MT RSVP by emailing plee@techranch.com or
by calling 406-556-0272 Agenda Greenwood SBIR Workshops
May 19 th, 2010 MonTec Missoula, MT RegisterOnline or call 406-841-2749 or 406-422-9143
Greenwood SBIR Workshops
May 20th, 2010
TechLink
Bozeman, MT
RegisterOnline or
call 406-841-2749 or 406-422-9143
Jon Tester's Treasure State Export Seminar
June 3rd, 2010
Rocky Mountain College
(Bair Student Center Dining Room)
Billings, MT 59102
Agenda
Montana BSA Annual Meeting
June 25th, 2010
Great Falls, MT
More info to come soon!
11th Annual Life Science Innovation Northwest Conference
March 2nd & 3rd, 2011
Seattle, WA |
CLASSIFIEDS |
BIOSCIENCE LABORATORIES, INC.
Full time openings for Media Lab Technicians, Clinical Lab Technicians and Microbiologists: B.S. or substantial coursework in Microbiology or Biology is preferred. Knowledge of 'Aseptic Technique' and previous lab experience a plus. Will be working with bacteria and preparing media for laboratory testing or performing IRB approved clinical trials with human subjects. We offer competitive wages, fully paid H&M Ins, 401(k)/ Profit Sharing plan, FLEX plan, Incentive Bonus Program & opportunities for career advancement. Submit resume by FAX to 406-922-6680 or by email to dfield@biosciencelabs.com. Visit www.biosciencelabs.com for more information about our organization.
|
|
|
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
Montana BioScience Alliance
|
|
|
|
|
