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An artist’s rendering of the Nebraska booth that will be staged at this week’s BIO convention. |
UNMC and BIO have come full circle.
Eight years ago, UNMC made its debut on the international stage at the annual Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Convention in San Diego. Over the years, UNMC’s delegation grew and evolved and will return to San Diego next week as part of the BIO Nebraska pavilion.
The BIO conference has grown as well. At the 2001 conference, nearly 15,000 people attended. This year, more than 20,000 are expected to attend. The event dates back to 1987, when the Association of Biotechnology Companies hosted an international conference in Washington that exceeded expectations by attracting 155 attendees — the goal had been 100.
BIO is the world’s largest biotechnology organization, providing advocacy, business development and communications services for more than 1,150 members worldwide.
Corporate members range from entrepreneurial companies in the process of developing a first product to Fortune 100 multinationals. BIO also represents state and regional biotech associations, academic centers and service providers to the industry.
The Nebraska contingent is led by Bio Nebraska Life Sciences Association and includes representatives from UNMC, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), University of Nebraska Technology Park, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) and Nature Technology Corporation.
Representatives from UNL’s Office of Technology Development and from UNeMed, UNMC’s licensing and marketing arm, will be on hand to promote the commercial potential of numerous university technologies and inventions.
This year, Alexander “Sasha” Kabanov, Ph.D., will attend the conference and conduct ‘Meet the Scientist’ presentations every morning and afternoon at the pavilion. Dr. Kabanov, professor in the UNMC College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Parke-Davis Chair in Pharmaceutics, recently facilitated a partnership agreement with four Japanese institutions to further research in nano and materials medicine.
Materials medicine is a term Dr. Kabanov uses to describe the interface between materials science — such as chemistry and physics — and biological sciences and medicine. The partnership will facilitate increased research cooperation and student and faculty exchanges to develop drugs and treatments for major health issues.
UNMC also will showcase a unique series of compounds that have the potential to treat age-related eye conditions and neurodegenerative disorders, a novel treatment for Age Related Macular Degeneration, and a method of preventing unnecessary inflammation in the brain and without effecting antigen specific immune response in Parkinson’s disease.
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Don Leuenberger |
This is the fourth year that there has been a statewide presence at the conference and the eighth year that UNMC has had an exhibit, said Leuenberger, who spearheaded UNMC’s initial involvement in BIO, garnering international attention for the medical center.
“We are looking forward to another opportunity to showcase the promising technologies UNMC has in development,” Leuenberger said. “The exposure UNMC and Nebraska gets at BIO is phenomenal. It’s a chance to show people around the world that we are an emerging center of world class research and are interested in attracting researchers and potential partners that ultimately improve health and benefit Nebraska’s economy.”
Michael Dixon, Ph.D., vice president and chief operating officer for UNeMed, said BIO is an excellent opportunity for UNMC to highlight its cutting-edge biotechnology on the international stage.
“It’s a great place to find industrial partners that want to work with our researchers and technology to further develop and commercialize UNMC inventions,” Dixon said. “The International BIO convention gives us access to the leaders in the biotechnology industry. All the companies we want to work with are represented. It’s access we wouldn’t have anywhere else.”