Forum to explore science, issues and business of biomarkers
|
The forum, which is free and open to the public, takes place from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Room 121, in Discovery Park, 1201 State St.
Alan Rebar, executive director of Discovery Park whose academic background is veterinary medicine, will kick off the day with a discussion of the need for biomarkers in the diagnostic laboratory. Biomarkers' great promise is the potential to diagnose and measure therapeutic progress across a wide range of major diseases.
Ed Chait, chief scientific officer of Bioanalytical Systems Inc., will follow Rebar to provide an industry perspective and considerations about the development of biomarkers.
At 10:15 a.m., Charles Buck will discuss biomarker research at the Bindley Bioscience Center. Buck is the director of operations at the center, which is helping to organize the forum. The event is sponsored by the Purdue Research Foundation's Office of Technology Commercialization.
"What we're doing at this forum, and to a large extent in our scientific enterprise at the Bindley Bioscience Center, is addressing the underlying confusion and questions about biomarkers," Buck said. "There is both interest and skepticism about biomarkers. We believe it's an important emerging technology that we in Discovery Park can help progress by advancing the science and creating the standards."
Winding up the day will be a panel discussion on the potential of biomarkers for investors. Panelists are John Rice of Triathalon Medical Ventures, a Midwest venture capital firm that invests in early-stage life sciences research with commercial promise; and Dr. Ken Green of Spring Mill Venture Partners, a Carmel-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in high-growth information technology and life sciences companies in Indiana and the Midwest.
Moderating the panel is Teri Willey of Chicago-based Arch Development Partners, which partners with universities and communities to create startup companies in biotechnology and information technology in the Midwest, primarily in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.
Julie Goonewardene, who is responsible for the identification and commercialization of intellectual property at Discovery Park, said her goal in helping to organize this forum is to bring beneficial technology to the marketplace.
"We want to take this technology with enormous potential for good and be proactive in commercializing the intellectual property that emerges from the Discovery Park research," Goonewardene said. "We've got the facilities, the researchers, and we're starting to create a buzz and get interest from the business and investment community.
"At Discovery Park, we are committed to commercializing our intellectual property, and the investment and business community recognize that there's something happening here, and it's time to start building relationships."
Following the forum will be tours of the $15 million, 55,000-square-foot Bindley Bioscience Center, which is designed for scientific collaboration and interdisciplinary life sciences research. The Bindley Bioscience Center is located at Purdue's Discovery Park, the university's interdisciplinary research and enterprise hub.
Writer: Mike Lillich, (765) 494-2077, mlillich@purdue.edu
Sources: Charles Buck, (765) 494-2208, cbuck@purdue.edu
Julie Goonewardene, (765) 496-7519, jkgoonewardene@prf.org
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
To the News Service home page