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Idaho schools team up for biotech – Collaboration of 3 state universities seeks to attract grants, businesses to state

When you think of biotechnology, does Idaho come to mind?

Probably not.

A statewide effort is underway to change that and a possible $16.1 million federal grant could help pay for everything from research faculty salaries to biomedical equipment. That funding would ripple out to colleges throughout the state but have special impact on research efforts at Boise State University, Northwest Nazarene University and Albertson College in the Treasure Valley where the state´s population is centered.

Julie Howard
The Idaho Statesman

http://www.idahostatesman.com/Business/story.asp?ID=64851

Idaho´s three state universities — BSU, University of Idaho, and Idaho State University — created the Idaho Biotechnology and Biomedical Association, a collaborative organization that has applied for the federal grant. The group already has been successful in receiving an $8.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to link the state´s universities together in a research effort.

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Idaho Life Science Corridor

The Idaho Life Science Corridor is another recent initiative started to promote Idaho as a home for biotechnology industry.

Based in Rexburg, the organization´s first goal is to focus on agriculture-related technologies in the eastern Idaho corridor.

The organization´s Web site http://www.teambiotech.com/index.html said that for the state to maintain a strong economy, “Idaho will need to implement strategies and incentives that will attract and sustain high technology, biotech-focused industries, advanced manufacturing, and research and development.”

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The $16.1 million grant will be awarded next month, and IBBA members believe Idaho is a good candidate to win.

The grant could help attract more biotechnology and biomedical businesses to Idaho, said Karl Tueller, executive director of the state Office of Science and Technology. “Statewide collaboration among universities in every research area will draw more research dollars and attract world-class scientists and researchers to Idaho,” said Tueller.

University of Idaho biology professor Michael Laskowski launched the project in 2001 after receiving notice from the National Institutes of Health that Idaho was among 24 states receiving a paltry amount of research dollars for medical research. The NIH petitioned those 24 states to apply for grant dollars that would help further their research efforts and biomedical industries. “We knew the three lead universities in the state would have to work together as a team to make this happen,” said Laskowski.

After receiving the $8.3 million grant in the fall of 2001, the universities assessed their laboratory needs and earmarked a good portion of the funds for research equipment.

At BSU, the funding paid for a mass spectrometer, a laboratory instrument that allows researchers to study how proteins interact with each other and with cells.

“It shows how proteins play a roll in disease or normal development,” said Julia Oxford, an associate professor of biology at BSU and the university´s lead person for the IBBA project. “This really gave us a leap forward in our abilities for research here.”

Oxford said the initial $8.3 million funding has given the program credibility toward receiving even more research grants. If awarded the $16.1 million, the program could pay faculty at several colleges to specifically focus on developing research, she said. “It would go toward individual researchers at BSU, NNU and Albertson here in our area,” said Oxford. “This will help establish a research environment in the Treasure Valley.”

While University of Idaho in Moscow is known for its strong research focus, Laskowski acknowledged that Treasure Valley colleges would receive a significant portion of the funding.

“A major amount of money will go into the Ada-Canyon County area because Idaho´s biggest growth is there,” he said. “That means they will be able to hire more faculty at BSU and major new equipment at those colleges and scholarships for students. All that creates the kind of environment that is more attractive for biotech businesses.”

Laskowski believes Idaho has an opportunity to build on its current biomedical research strengths in the areas of cancer biology, infectious diseases, cardiovascular medicine and the neurosciences, and expand other areas as well.

“Our goal is to work closely with the government of Idaho to promote biotechnology,” said Laskowski. “That means either growing our own biotech industry or having the environment in place that encourages others to relocate here.”

To offer story ideas or comments, contact Julie Howard
[email protected] or 373-6618

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