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Accomplishments 2010

The accomplishments of the Biodesign Institute encompass operational successes and contributions to a well-prepared workforce as well assignificant researchstrides.

The Biodesign Institute has met or exceeded all of the business goals set in mid-2003 and endorsed by the Arizona Board of Regents and provided a significant return on TRIF investment. Biodesign has attracted more than $350 million in external funding since inception, including competitive grant awards and support from philanthropic sources. During FY 2010, the Institute won the State’s 2009 Excellence in Economic Development Award in the category of Innovative Economic Development. With more than 500 new scientific findings documented in peer-reviewed journals over the past six years, the research community at Biodesign is both dynamic and innovative.

Return on Investment

The Biodesign Institute researchers generated significant proposal activity, with nearly $300 million in proposals advanced in the past FY2010 alone. This ensures a strong leveraging of TRIF investment. Increased with opportunities from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, (the ‘stimulus package’), and our strong track record of securing competitively-awarded research grants, FY2010 was the most successful federal and non-federal award year to date, with $63 million generated from Biodesign researchers. Federal awards remain our single largest source of funding, and diversifying our award portfolio is a long-term strategy for success. In FY11, our projections are a slight downturn in federal and non-federal awards, due to factors such as the expiration of stimulus funding and uncertainty in funding streams driven by a challenging economic environment.

Technology Transfer

Biodesign continues to be an ASU focal point for translational research with the formation of the Biodesign Impact Accelerator in FY10. In FY10, Biodesign researchers continued their high-level of technology transfer activity with record levels of output for disclosures and patent applications. The Impact Accelerator will enhance the intellectual property and innovation pipeline by providing a risk-reduction strategy to start-up/spinout efforts of the Institute.

Students Trained/Workforce Development

The Biodesign Institute is a beacon for undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral education and bioscience training, providing workforce development in high-paying jobs for the State. Despite economic uncertainty, Biodesign provided a training pipeline for more than 60 postdocs and graduate students to enter the workforce in FY10. The Institute also provides undergraduate research opportunities and public outreach.

Partnerships/Collaborations

An important component for growth of the Biodesign Institute and capacity building project initiatives are collaborations, partnerships, and strategic alliances with some of the world’s leading institutions. Increasing involvement with non-ASU researchers such as the Mayo Clinic, TGen, Barrow Neurological Institute, and others provides additional opportunities to expand and enhance ASU research.

Indicative Results

In FY10, the Biodesign Institute:

  • Engaged a workforce exceeding 500 people, including 59 faculty, 120 researchers, 53 technicians, 176 students (variable) and 95 operational / support staff.

  • Posted $63 million in research awards: a $32.8 million increase (94.5%) over the prior year. Non-federal partners accounted for 32.5% and federal agencies accounted for 67.4% of total awards.

  • Exceeded $290 million in new research contract proposals, an ASU record second only to last years’ record of $390 million.

  • Recorded >60 invention disclosures, which is the highest level in five years and demonstrates an ability to expand the innovation pipeline.

  • Introduced the Biodesign Impact Accelerator program, a first-of-its-kind initiative, aimed at accelerating the commercial translation of scientific innovations and technologies generated at ASU.

  • Dr. Joshua LaBaer took his post directing Biodesign’s Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics in the summer of ‘09, and has since received contract and grant awards totaling $15.0 million. His team is focused on discovery and validation of unique molecular fingerprints of disease (biomarkers), which can provide early warning for cancer, diabetes and other conditions.

  • Nobel Laureate Dr. Lee Hartwell was recruited as Chief Scientist of Biodesign’s Center for Sustainable Health, which addresses core issues impeding better health outcomes at a lower cost, including social and policy barriers and lack of uniform metrics. The Center is directed by policy expert Dr. Michael Birt.

  • Biodesign became home to the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program, or I-ELCAP, the world’s largest ongoing study of CT scanning for lung cancer with 56 sites across 26 states and in 8 other countries.

Biodesign Select Research Highlights

  • Created a graphene transistor composed of 13 benzene rings and new imaging technology to significantly improve the detection of trace chemicals important in such areas as national security, human health and the environment. –Nature Communications

  • Biodesign secured a 5-year contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to lead an anticipated $40.8 million, multi-institution research program to develop systems to rapidly measure an individual’s level of exposure to radiation in the event of a radiological or nuclear incident.

  • Biodesign researchers pioneered a method for taking a ‘snapshot’ of a person’s immune system, paving the way for simple, inexpensive tests that could be used frequently enough to detect disease at the earliest possible stage, before symptoms appear. –Vaccine

  • Biodesign was part of a multi-institution team that programmed a molecular robot made of DNA to maneuver along a DNA track. Potential applications include molecular robots that identify and destroy cancer cells or could assemble nanoscale electrical components. –Nature

  • A vaccine candidate against newborn pneumonia developed at Biodesign with funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation entered human clinical trials.

  • Biodesign researchers developed a treatment demonstrated to halt infection against West Nile Virus.