BIO5 and Biodesign Institutes seek early detection of type 2 diabetes

A new team of researchers from The University of Arizona and Arizona State University is taking aim at the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States: adult-onset, or type 2 diabetes. The coalition’s goal is to learn how to predict who will develop the disease long before any symptoms appear.

Biodesign Institute wins Valley’s top environmental excellence award

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University Building B won top honors in Valley Forward's 27th annual Environmental Excellence Awards program. The Biodesign Institute was honored with the President's Award (best of show). The Biodesign Institute’s Building B also won a first-place Crescordia Award in the Buildings and Structures/Large Scale and Community Development category.

Wang to lead two major research projects

Joseph Wang, director of the Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors at ASU’s Biodesign Institute, will play a leading role in two major research projects aimed at improving the environment and enhancing national security efforts.

Space flight shown to alter ability of bacteria to cause disease

Space flight has been shown to have a profound impact on human physiology as the body adapts to zero gravity environments. Now, a new study led by researchers from the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has shown that the tiniest passengers flown in space—microbes—can be equally effected by space flight, making them more infectious pathogens.

Green Initiatives

Among the Biodesign Institute’s large thematic areas is a focus on energy and the environment. Our commitment to sustainable initiatives reflects ASU’s leadership in this arena. Our facility was the first in Arizona to earn the top Platinum ranking for environmentally-friendly design and construction from the U.S. Green Building Council.

ASU Is a Leading Nanotech University: Survey

Arizona State University is ranked sixth overall and scored in the top 10 of three categories in this year’s Small Times magazine university rankings, a survey-based scorecard of micro- and nanotech research and commercialization. The survey includes peer nominations.

Biodesign postdocs work to improve collaboration, mentorship and career opportunities

Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz is among a fifty-member-strong family of postdoctoral researchers, or postdocs, working at ASU’s Biodesign Institute to advance science while furthering their scientific careers. Beyond the Biodesign bench side, Kralovetz has taken the lead in developing an organization to support postdocs.

UCLA/VA Partners with Biodesign Institute to Advance Biosensor Technology for Urinary Tract Infections

Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the Veterans Affairs (VA) Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Center, GeneFluidics and the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University have received a five-year, $3.2 million award from the NIH to help rapidly diagnose and treat urinary tract infections (UTI’s)—the most common cause of hospital-associated infection in the United States.

The Aye-Ayes Have it: The preservation of color vision in a creature of the night

A quest to gain a more complete picture of color vision evolution has led Biodesign Institute researcher Brian Verrelli to an up-close, genetic encounter with one of the world’s most rare and bizarre-looking primates.

ASU, Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, host U.S. Representative Harry Mitchell to address Alzheimer’s disease burden

In a press conference hosted at ASU’s Biodesign Institute, United States Representative Harry E. Mitchell (Ariz. – D) made his formal announcement to join the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s disease. The press conference, held Aug. 28, was organized by the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium.

Biodesign Continues Efforts to Generate Faster and Cheaper Tools for Personalized Medicine

Receives Federal Funds for Next Generation of Sequencing Technologies

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has received new funding to continue in its development of novel DNA sequencing technologies to help usher in the era of personalized medicine.

High School Students Participate in Cutting-Edge Research at ASU's Biodesign Institute

A group of researchers at ASU's Biodesign Institute recently presented findings from their work in areas including autism, cancer, renewable energy and diagnostic devices. It might have been a typical symposium except for one thing; the presenters were all high school students. The 26 Arizona students participated as paid interns for six weeks, each contributing to an actual research project ongoing at the institute.

Biodesign Institute at ASU earns Arizona’s top rating from US Green Building Council

Award recognizes environmentally friendly construction and design
The Biodesign Institute has garnered the highest designation for environmentally friendly design and construction from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The platinum certification for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” (LEED®) was issued for Building B, which opened in 2006. This marks the first time a building in Arizona has received the platinum award.

Biodesign Institute Leads Innovative Project to Prevent Breast Cancers

Biodesign Institute researchers have received nearly $9 million in grants to develop a preventive vaccine against cancer. Stephen Albert Johnston, director of the institute’s Center for Innovations in Medicine received a five-year, $7.5 million grant from the Department of Defense’s Innovator Award. Research colleague Douglas Lake will lead a three-year $1.2 million project from the W. M. Keck Foundation to broaden the technology to several other forms of cancer.

Arntzen in the spotlight for national science policy, plant biology honors

Biodesign Institute researcher Charles Arntzen has been doubly honored by the White House and the American Society of Plant Biologists for his leading role in science policy and lifetime contributions in research and teaching.

Professors, ASU president contribute to new IP handbook

A new book touted as a "must read" for anyone dealing with intellectual property includes chapters by Gary Marchant and Dennis Karjala, professors at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, and by ASU President Michael Crow. The lead editor of the book was Anatole Krattiger of The Biodesign Institute at ASU.

Wang receives two honorary doctorates

Joseph Wang, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors was awarded Honorary Professor Degrees from two European universities this June.

Biodesign Collaborates to Develop Pharmaceuticals from Tobacco

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, Mapp Biopharmaceutical and Kentucky Bioprocessing (KBP) will collaborate on developing, refining and producing low-cost pharmaceutical products for large cost sensitive markets in global health. The initial product targets include monoclonal antibodies for use in microbicides and mucosal vaccines to prevent transmission of certain infections. The three organizations also expect to collaborate on other products.

Curtiss named ‘Bioscience Researcher of the Year’ by the Arizona BioIndustry Association

Roy Curtiss, III, PhD, of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, was named “Bioscience Researcher of the Year” at the third-annual Excellence in Bioscience Awards Dinner, held recently and sponsored by the Arizona BioIndustry Association.

Levitus garners prestigious young investigator NSF CAREER Award

The Biodesign Institute’s Marcia Levitus has been named the recipient of a $568,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award, given to a very select group of young scientists deemed to be leaders in their respective fields. With the prestigious award, Levitus will develop a finely detailed picture of how genes are controlled.

ASU Recognized for Nanotech Education and Commercialization

The leading nanotechnology journal, Small Times, has published its annual list of top ten universities in several categories related to advancing the field of nanotechnology. ASU was ranked as the leading university for commercializing nanotechnology-related innovations and ninth for education in the field of nanotechnology.

Biodesign Institute appoints Fisher to develop educational outreach programs

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has hired Richard D. Fisher, MA, MEd, as director of educational outreach. He will design and implement a comprehensive local, state and national public and K-12 outreach program and assist in the institute’s undergraduate training programs.

Scientific Pioneer Named to Biodesign Institute Advisory Board

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University recently named acclaimed cell biologist James E. Rothman, PhD, to its advisory board.

Grant targets math, science teaching

An innovative ASU program that helps high school math and science teachers excel in teaching will receive $525,000 from the Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz). SFAz funding goes largely to stipends that allow teachers to be immersed in cutting-edge research at ASU, and to develop related activities for use in their own classrooms.

Emerging bioanalytical technology addresses global health challenge

An ASU research team’s work is highlighted on the cover of the May 2007 issue of The Analyst, an international journal that reports on new analytical and bioanalytical techniques.

A new wrinkle in evolution: Man-made proteins

Nature, through the trial and error of evolution, has discovered a vast diversity of life from what can only presumed to have been a primordial pool of building blocks. Inspired by this success, a new Biodesign Institute research team, led by John Chaput, is now trying to mimic the process of Darwinian evolution in the laboratory by evolving new proteins from scratch. Using new tricks of molecular biology, Chaput and co-workers have evolved several new proteins in a fraction of the 3 billion years it took nature.

Getting to the core of an emergent public health threat

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002 was a loud wake-up call for researchers studying infectious diseases. SARS infected over 8,000 people, killed 10 percent of those infected, and weakened most with pneumonia.

Biodesign Institute appoints seasoned finance professional to lead operations

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has announced Jeffrey Darbut, MBA, as director of finance and operations. Darbut brings 30 years of business experience and financial acumen to the institute.

Biodesign Institute scientists offer new view of photosynthesis

During photosynthesis, plants approach the pinnacle of stinginess by scavenging nearly every photon of available light energy to produce food. Yet after many years of careful research into its exact mechanisms, some key questions remain. Now, a large research team led by Neal Woodbury describes a new insight into the mechanism of photosynthesis in the May 4 issue of Science.

New statewide alliance aims to boost technologies for medical diagnostics and human health

Arizona’s bioscience efforts continue to grow through an extensive, statewide collaborative network of initiatives. Now, research capabilities are being allied around the state in a new effort to improve medical diagnostics and human health.

ASU featured in Nature; articles discuss the “university of the future”

Both an editorial and article in the April 26 issue of Nature focus on ASU’s progress in “executing an ambitious plan to replace the traditional model with one in which both influence and research excellence are concentrated not in departments, but in large, broadly based interdisciplinary centres with clear commercial or societal goals.”

“Green” Teen Receives Environmental Honors at White House ceremony

An environmental project has elevated a Tempe high school student onto the nation’s highest stage.

Smitha Ramakrishna, a sophomore at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe who volunteers at ASU’s Biodesign Institute, was one of ten in the nation chosen for the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). The award is given by the Environmental Protection Agency. On April 20, she received the honors in a special White House awards ceremony hosted by President Bush for a project that helped deliver clean water to the world.

New computational tool helps scientists visualize “faces and places” of biology

To answer some of the most challenging questions in biology, researchers have had to come to grips with an ever-increasing and unruly information onslaught. Now, ASU assistant professors Michael Rosenberg and Jieping Ye of the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Evolutionary Functional Genomics, have recently been awarded more than $1.2 million in grants by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand and create technology to help wade through the burgeoning data pool.

Biodesign Institute research projects land $376,000 from Science Foundation Arizona

Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) has awarded a total of $1.5 million in funds to seed the first round of research grants to eight Arizona State University professors. SFAz’s Competitive Advantage Awards are a strategic investment designed to provide a catalyst for researchers of exceptional quality to help secure future federal funding.

Wang to receive two honorary doctorates

Joseph Wang, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors will be awarded Honorary Professor Degrees from two European universities this June.

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University Wins ‘Build America’ Award

The joint venture team of Sundt Construction, Inc., and DPR Construction, Inc. has won a 2007 Aon Build America Award for construction of Building B at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University.

Cardineau named to federal panel

Guy Cardineau, a professor at the Biodesign Institute and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, has been appointed to a federal panel charged with making recommendations about the development and use of genetically-engineered agricultural products.

ASU and UA Awarded $2 Million to Fund Joint Biomedical Research Projects

Researchers at The University of Arizona and Arizona State University have been awarded more than $2 million to fund collaborative biomedical research projects designed to accelerate the translation of research discoveries to the clinic and target diseases such as asthma, Parkinson’s disease, valley fever and cancer.

Dean Deirdre Meldrum interviewed on KAET-Channel 8

Deirdre Meldrum, the Director of the Center for EcoGenomics, was interviewed on KAET-Channel 8's Horizon program about the new Center and on the state of women in science and engineering. Click the link below to access a video of the interview on the Horizon website:
See the Video » (wmv) (quicktime)
Listen to the Audio » (audio only)

Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic join forces to develop cancer vaccine

Two major research organizations in the Phoenix area have announced they will collaborate on an ambitious goal: creating a vaccine to prevent the development of cancer. Researchers at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe and Mayo Clinic will use the latest developments in laboratory and clinical sciences to reach their goal - finding components in cancer that could be used to vaccinate against the occurrence of the disease.

ASU Embarks on Innovative Fuel Cell Project

Roller coaster gas prices and rising energy costs for the home have created uneasiness about the future of our fossil-fuel based economy. One near-term solution being pursued by researchers at the Biodesign Institute at ASU is a new fuel cell technology for renewable energy and the fledgling hydrogen economy.

Biodesign Institute takes part in $14.4 million NIH Chemical Defense Grant

Researcher Tsafrir Mor advancing plant-based production of new antidotes against nerve agents
The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has been awarded one of six research projects as part of a $14.4 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) effort to develop improved antidotes for civilian populations vulnerable to chemical agent poisoning by a terrorist attack.

The Biodesign Institute at ASU Offers Paid Summer Internships to High School Students

Applications available for six-week laboratory training program
High school students interested in bioscience and biotech research can now apply for a six-week paid internship program at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. Applications are available on the Institute’s Web site at www.biodesign.asu.edu/outreach/internship.

Cross-Country Cyclist with Rare Neuromuscular Disorder Makes Stop at ASU’s Biodesign Institute

Kyle Bryant, who has a rare neuromuscular disorder called Friedreich's ataxia, is cycling 2,800 miles to raise awareness and research funds to help find a cure for the disorder. He will stop at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, which recently launched a center to fight mitochondrial diseases such as Friedreich’s ataxia. He will be met by Valley residents who also have Freidreich’s ataxia and families from the local National Ataxia Foundation support group.

NIH funds next generation of DNA sequencing projects at ASU

Faster, low cost sequencing technologies needed to drive era of personalized medicine
DNA testing is transforming health care and medicine, but current technologies only give a snapshot of an individual’s genetic makeup. Any patient wanting a complete picture of their inherited DNA, or genome, would drop their jaw at the sight of the bill - to the current tune of $10 million or more charged for every human or mammalian-sized genome sequenced.

Grant fuels grad student research

ASU will receive $1.85 million from the Science Foundation of Arizona (SFAz) as part of the foundation’s Graduate Student Fellowship program.

ASU Law Center Sponsors Conference on Personalized Medicine

The legal landscape of personalized medicine, which uses an individual’s genetic and molecular data to more accurately predict, diagnose and treat health problems, will be navigated by top experts in law, science, ethics and business at an upcoming conference at Arizona State University.

Deirdre Meldrum steps into Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering dean’s post

Brings cutting-edge research to Biodesign with Center for EcoGenomics

Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering began 2007 by opening a new chapter in its 50-year history with the arrival of new dean Deirdre Meldrum. She takes on a role as a prime catalyst in the realization of ASU President Michael Crow’s vision for a “New
American University.”

Evolution in the Air: Studies zoom in on interplay between environment, species, and building blocks of life

Claudia Acquisti, a postdoctoral researcher who recently joined the Center for Evolutionary Functional Genomics at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, is providing new perspectives on environmental nutrient availability and the evolution of life. Her conclusions suggest that changes in the earth’s atmospheric oxygen may have played a significant role on the evolution of proteins and compartments necessary for cell communication in higher organisms.

Biodesign Institute's Bert Jacobs Named Academia Winner at 2006 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards Event

Biodesign Institute virologist Bert Jacobs was named the recipient of the Innovator of the Year Award for Academia at the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards, held before a packed house at the Point South Mountain Resort on December 5, 2006.

Science, tech hold key to economic balance

The metro Phoenix economy needs to balance its portfolio. Achieving this will require bold thinking, big investments and, most of all, patience.

Kudos to Kumar: Biodesign Researcher Promoted as one of President Crow’s 2006 Faculty Exemplars

ASU President Michael Crow has appointed Sudhir Kumar, PhD, director of the Center for Evolutionary Functional Genomics at the Biodesign Institute, as one of six “2006 Promotion and Tenure Exemplars” among the university’s entire faculty.

ASU researchers test antibacterial effects of healing clays

Clay is most commonly associated with the sublime experience of the European spa where visitors have been masked, soaked and basted with this touted curative since the Romans ruled. If ASU geochemist Lynda Williams and microbiologist Shelley Haydel’s research on the antibacterial properties of clays realizes its full potential, smectite clay could one day rise above cosmetic use to take its place comfortably with antibacterial behemoths like penicillin.

Biodesign Institute's Bert Jacobs Finalist for Governor's Celebration of Innovation Awards

Researcher Bert Jacobs has been named a finalist for the Innovator of the Year Award for Academia by the Arizona Technology Council, in partnership with the Arizona Department of Commerce.

ASU embarks on $1.1 million National Science Foundation grant for Nanotechnology Solar Energy Initiative

ASU scientists Rudy Diaz and Stuart Lindsay will lead a research group on a three-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation for an innovative project designed to break through the current technological hurdles of solar energy.

ASU Discovery May Aid Counter-Terrorism Efforts

The thwarted 2006 London airline bomb plot not only heightened summer travel fears and created new passenger screening inconveniences, but also greatly underscored the urgent need for improved national security measures.

Now, Professor Joe Wang, director of the Center for Biosensors and Bioelectronics at the Biodesign Institute, has developed a highly sensitive technology to rapidly detect liquid peroxide explosives in as little as 15 seconds.

Statewide Bioscience Group Awarded NIH Planning Grant

Arizona has received a planning grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support a statewide program to increase patient access to new medical breakthroughs via innovative, multi-instiautional partnerships. If the planning process is successful, Arizona will pursue a multi-million dollar Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). This prestigious and competitive grant from the NIH is designed to further develop statewide collaborations, programs, and research projects focused on translational science.

Tiny fuel cell could power laptop computers, portable music players

If you’re frustrated by frequently losing battery power in your laptop computers, digital cameras or portable music players, then take heart: A better source of “juice” is in the works. Chemists at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, have created a tiny hydrogen-gas generator that they say can be developed into a compact fuel cell package. This could then power portable electronic devices three to five times longer than conventional batteries of the same size and weight.

Biodesign Institute Builds Team Focused on Energy Impairment Diseases

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has recruited Sidney Hecht, PhD, to co-direct its new Center for BioEnergetics. A respected leader in biological chemistry and drug design, Hecht played a key role in the development of Hycamtin, a drug used to treat ovarian and lung cancer, as well as in the study of the mechanism of the antitumor agent bleomycin. He is now turning his attention to diseases caused by defects in the body’s energy production processes.

$18 million grant will boost ASU research into mysteries of fatal diseases

The Microscale Life Sciences Center (MLSC) led by Deirdre Meldrum, new dean of Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, has been awarded a five-year $18 million grant – one of the highest individual grant amounts in the university’s history – to continue its role as one of the national Centers for Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS).

Microscopic Passengers To Hitch Ride On Space Shuttle

When space shuttle Atlantis rockets into space at the next available launch window, it will take along three kinds of microbes so scientists can study how their genetic responses and their ability to cause disease change.

ASU Joins Collaboration to Accelerate HIV Vaccine Development

New international research consortium goal: A pox on HIV
Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute will embark on an international collaboration with Switzerland's Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in an effort to ramp up the production pipeline of new candidate HIV vaccines for clinical trials.

Biodesign's Ranu Jung Elected President of the Organization for Computational Neuroscience

Ranu Jung, co-director of the Center for Adaptive Neural Systems at ASU‘s Biodesign Institute and an associate professor in the Harrington Department of Bioengineering, is the new president of the international Organization for Computational Neurosciences.

Biodesign Institute, Banner Good Samaritan Help People Living with Spinal Cord Injury

A Collaboration between the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University and the Clinical Neurobiology & Bioengineering Research Center (CNBRC) at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center will seek to assist people with spinal cord injuries to exercise, stand and possibly prevent the onset of chronic disease such as diabetes due to inactivity.

Biodesign's Arntzen Wins Centennial Award for Plant Research

ASU researcher Charles Arnzten, co-director of the Biodesign Institute‘s Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, has been honored with a Centennial Award from the Botanical Society of America in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of the plant sciences. The BSA was formally established in 1906 and has been a bastion of support for the plant sciences and developing plant scientists over the past century.

ASU's Biodesign Institute Director Awarded 2006 Albert Einstein Award

George Poste, director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, was awarded the Albert Einstein Award, presented in Jerusalem on June 27 during the Third Annual Life Science Mission to Israel by the Global Business Leadership Council. The award recognizes business leaders who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in advancing human health worldwide.

National Science Foundation Awards $900,000 Grant for Innovating Biotechnology Education

ASU, Mesa Community College, and Mesa Public Schools partner for bioscience workforce development program
Recent studies conducted in conjunction with the state of Arizona show an immediate need for qualified bioscience laboratory technicians with demand outstripping supply by four-fold.

How Plants Avoid Feeling the Burn

Photoprotective effect measured for the first time at single biomolecule level
Too much sun – for plants as well as people – can be harmful to long-term health. But to avoid the botanical equivalent of “lobster tans,” plants have developed an intricate internal defense mechanism, called photoprotection, which acts like sunscreen to ward off the sun’s harmful rays.

Exploring Science's Sweet Spot

Recently, the Biodesign Institute at ASU hosted a two-day gathering of international experts focused on a burgeoning branch of science that attempts to understand how sugars in the body -called glycans- contribute to human health and life.

Biostatistics Expert joins Center for Innovations in Medicine

The Center for Innovations in Medicine welcomes Phillip Stafford, PhD. Dr. Stafford is a biostatistics expert, advancing understanding of living systems at a molecular level through statistical analysis and modeling. His focus on demystifying complex genetic and clinical data through new measurement and interpretation tools will support the center�s efforts to develop vaccines, cancer treatments and pre-symptomatic diagnostic devices.

Arizona State University Hosts “Genomes, Evolution, and Bioinformatics” Conference

Arizona State University will serve as the host institution for the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE) from May 24-28. The “Genomes, Evolution, and Bioinformatics” (GEB2006) conference will be the premier opportunity for researchers around the globe to exchange ideas and research results from a diverse array of genomics and evolutionary topics.

Biodesign Researchers Make Strides Toward Gene Vaccine aimed at Alzheimer's Disease

A gene vaccine that prevents buildup of a specific protein in the brain may spell progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is the accumulation in the brain of the protein amyloid-beta 42. Scientists at the Biodesign Institute at ASU are partners in research that found that mice vaccinated with the gene responsible for amyloid-beta 42 produced antibodies that greatly reduced the protein’s build-up in the brain.

National Science Foundation Bestows Biodesign Institute researcher with Prestigious CAREER Award for Young Investigators

The twisting, ladder-like structure of DNA is one the most recognizable icons in all of biology. Now, Biodesign Institute researcher Hao Yan is becoming a virtual Frank Lloyd Wright of DNA architecture, fashioning nature’s molecule of life as a buttress to further advances in nanotechnology aimed at improving human health.

Biodesign Institute Participates in First-of-its-Kind “Coyote” Disaster Preparedness Drill

Rapid response technologies for bioterrorism and “dirty bomb” scenarios
A full year in planning, the first Coyote Crisis Campaign (CCC) culminated in a large-scale disaster drill during the week of April 24-28, 2006. The Biodesign Institute at ASU was among the participants facilitating emergency response coordination during a mass casualty crisis scenario.

ASU's Wang Wins American Chemistry Society's Electrochemist of the Year Award

Joseph Wang, director of the Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors in the Biodesign Institute at ASU, is the 2006 recipient of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Analytical Chemistry Cole Parmer Award in Electrochemistry.

Biodesign Institute boosts state bioscience research capacity with facility expansion

Institute dedicates second phase of Arizona’s largest laboratory facility
Amidst a packed house of political dignitaries, researchers and bioindustry representatives, the second phase of the Biodesign Institute was officially dedicated March 21. The event paid tribute to the foresight of the 2003 Arizona Legislature, which passed an appropriations bill that funded this phase of the institute’s development.

Biodesign Institute At ASU Named Lab of the Year in International Competition

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has been named 2006 Laboratory of the Year by R&D Magazine.  The award recognizes innovative laboratory design that creates a superior working environment and supports research excellence. The annual competition includes industrial, government and academic laboratories across the U.S. and abroad.

The Biodesign Institute Recruits Major Talent to Launch Center for BioEnergetics

Miller to Lead New Initiative in Translational Mitochondrial Research

The Biodesign Institute has hired Guy Miller, MD, PhD to direct a new Center for BioEnergetics. In doing so, ASU has retained a renowned physician, scientist, innovator and humanitarian.

ASU and Mayo Lead "MAC Attack" to Accelerate Cancer Research

In terms of a medical diagnosis, nothing is more devastating than hearing the "C" word – cancer. But now, ASU and Mayo Clinic are hoping that five different C’s will become the best arsenal against the big C. The organizations have teamed up to introduce a new research entity called MAC5.

Earth Rx: A Microbial Biotechnology Prescription for Global Environmental Health

Water. Waste. Energy. This trio of problems is among the greatest challenges to the environmental health of society. Water purification alone is becoming more problematic in the world due to our increasing reliance on contaminated sources, such as polluted rivers, lakes and groundwater.

Biodesign Center Cited in EMBO Report

The Center for Rehabilitation Neurosciences and Rehabilitation Engineering's work in the area of computer-brain interfaces recently was cited in a publication by the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

Helping People to Recover Lost Neurological Function

Ranu Jung was recently honored with election as a Senior Member in the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE). Only 7.6 percent of the approximately 367,000 IEEE members worldwide hold this grade.

Biodesign and TGen form joint Center for Systems and Computational Biology

To help usher in a new era of molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine, ASU's Biodesign Institute and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) have teamed up to establish the Center for Systems and Computational Biology.

ASU's Nanotech in Society Center Hosts Launch Event

Nanotechnology promises to have a profound impact on society. Defined as science and engineering done at the scale of a billionth of a meter, nanotechnology has been heralded by many scientists, futurists and investors as the next industrial revolution.

Arntzen elected to the board of the National Center for Genome Resources

Charles Arntzen has been elected to the board of the National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR). NCGR is a non-profit research institute dedicated to improving human health and nutrition through collaborative research at the intersection of bioscience, computing and mathematics.

Plant-Derived Vaccines Safeguard against Deadly Plague

Through an innovative feat of plant biotechnology and vaccine design, researchers in the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University have successfully turned tobacco plants into vaccine production factories to combat the deadliest form of plague. The vaccine elicits a protective immune response in guinea pigs. The results are considered to be a milestone in the future development of a new vaccine for human use.

Scientists Narrow the Time Limits for the Human and Chimpanzee Split

A team of researchers has proposed new limits on the time when the most recent common ancestor of humans and their closest ape relatives - the chimpanzees - lived. Scientists at Arizona State and Penn State Universities have placed the time of this split between 5 and 7 million years ago - a sharper focus than that given by the previous collection of molecular and fossil studies, which have placed the divergence anywhere from 3 to 13 million years ago.

ASU Researchers "Wire" DNA to Identify Mutations

A team of ASU researchers led by Nongjian Tao and Peiming Zhang has developed a new, breakthrough technique for the detection of DNA mutations.

ASU Spin-Out Company Acquired by Agilent Technologies

In a celebratory event held at the Biodesign Institute, Agilent Technologies, Inc., announced it has acquired ASU spin-out company Molecular Imaging Corporation. The company, which is a leading developer of atomic force microscopes and scanning probe microscope systems, was founded in 1993 by ASU professors Stuart Lindsay and Tianwei Jing. Lindsay now directs the Center for Single Molecule Biophysics at the Biodesign Institute. Jing leads the R&D team at Molecular Imaging.

Biodesign Institute's Stephen Albert Johnston and Kathryn F. Sykes Awarded $3.2 Million to Develop Vaccine to Thwart Biothreat

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has been awarded a $3.2 million grant to develop a safe and effective vaccine against the disease tularemia, more commonly known as "rabbit fever." The bacterium that causes the disease, Francisella tularensis , is a potential biothreat agent against which no effective vaccine currently exists.

ASU Student Gets National Grant to Develop New Therapy for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Researcher is the First Recipient from the Biodesign Institute to Receive this Type of Award
TEMPE, Ariz. Andrea Downing dreams of developing therapies to help children with cerebral palsy.�Now, she has $90,000 to kick those dreams into overdrive. Downing, a graduate student at Arizona State University, was recently announced as a recipient of the Ruth Kirschstein Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Grant from the National Institutes of Health�s Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Poste Named ASU Regents' Professor

George Poste, director of the Biodesign Institute and the Del E. Webb Distinguished Professor of Biology, has been named an ASU Regents’ Professor, joining the university’s most prestigious ranks. His selection, along with five other exceptional ASU professors, was ratified Dec. 2 by the Arizona Board of Regents.

ASU's Biodesign Institute Honored at Governor's Celebration of Innovation Awards

At a sold-out event, Governor Janet Napolitano and Arizona's technology leaders presented the Innovator of the Year Award for Academia to the Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology in the Biodesign Institute at ASU.

Levinson Elected AAAS Fellow

Rachel Levinson, director of the Biodesign Institute's Government and Industry Liaison Office, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a prestigious international society. Levinson was selected for “distinguished contributions to the governance of science and technology through dedicated and informed public service, particularly in bioethics, biosecurity, and technology transfer.”

Collective Brainpower: Integrated Biosystems Research Workshop

Arizona's Bioscience Researchers Produce Recommendations to Improve Collaborations
More than 60 researchers representing some of the leading healthcare and bioscience research institutions in Arizona gathered on November 18 at ASU to discuss ways to strengthen the links within the state's bioscience community and to build a unique network for integrated biosystems research.

Biodesign's Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology Honored at Governor's Celebration of Innovation Awards

At a sold-out event, Governor Janet Napolitano and Arizona's technology leaders presented the Innovator of the Year Award for Academia to the Biodesign Institute's Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology. The award was presented for groundbreaking work in the area of prevention of HIV, the virus which causes AIDS

Innovate or Perish? Helping Developing Countries Fight Neglected Diseases

For the health challenges facing developing countries, the numbers alone are staggering. Every day, 40,000 people �enough to fill a sports stadium � die from preventable infectious diseases and malnutrition.�Entire generations of human potential are perishing.

ASU Recruits World-Class Scientist To Direct Strategic And Industrial Alliances For The Biodesign Institute

Former Stanford Research Institute Executive Brings Expertise in Translational Research and Multidisciplinary Strategy

Biodesign Institute Signs National Policy Expert to Liaison Office

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has tapped national science policy expert Rachel Levinson to direct its Government and Industry Liaison Office. With more than 20 years experience, Levinson will lead efforts to facilitate mutually-beneficial relationships between Biodesign Institute researchers and federal funding agencies as well as private sector entities.

Biodesign Researcher Kumar Among Top Cited Computer Scientists in the World

Biodesign Institute researchers continue to shine among their scientific peers. Dr. Sudhir Kumar, director of the Center for Evolutionary Functional Genomics in the Biodesign Institute at ASU, has recently joined the elite ranks for researcher with the most citations.

Renowned scientist focuses discussion on essence of humanity

People have long debated what separates humans from other animal life forms. How different are we, really, and what accounts for these differences? Why is the chimpanzee, which shares 95 percent of our genetic code, an endangered species, while man enjoys tremendous control over world resources? Why has man sought novelty in the structures he inhabits, his modes of transportation, his food and his clothing, while the chimpanzee has not changed its lifestyle over millions of years?

2 engineering students earn Goldwater Scholarships

ASU students’ excellence in science and engineering has again been recognized nationally, with two outstanding students having been chosen to receive Goldwater Scholarships. Eric Anderson, a bioengineering sophomore, and Allison Engstrom, a materials science and engineering junior, were selected for the award.

Biodesign Institute Garners Top Honors for Environmental Excellence

At the annual Valley Forward Environmental Excellence Awards banquet on Friday, Sept. 9, the Biodesign Institute took home the top awards in two categories.

Segway donation provides improved mobility

Thanks to a recent donation, faculty and students from the Biodesign Institute at ASU can save time traveling across campus using Segways, those individual human transport devices that mimic natural body mechanics for unusual maneuverability.

Biodesign Institute and TGen Awarded Grants to Help Lessen Threat of Radiological Terrorist Event

The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University and the Translational Genomics Institute (TGen) have been awarded key roles in an effort to provide protection in the event of a radiological terrorist attack.

ASU researchers presentations shed light on multiple advances

Four teams of Arizona State University researchers made presentations at the 230th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, Aug. 28 – Sept. 1, in Washington, D.C. The topics of the ASU presentations ranged from single molecule electronic devices to new detection systems to guard against terrorist attacks.

Biodesign Institute at ASU to Lead Development of HIV/AIDS Prevention Drug

Researchers at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University have been tapped to lead development of plant-derived topical medications that would prevent HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases. A $7.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund a collaborative research center headed by Charles Arntzen, who co-directs the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology. Internationally known for his work on plant-derived vaccines, Arntzen, who is also a Regent’s professor in ASU’s School of Life Sciences, will be the principal investigator for the project.

Biodesign Researcher Awarded $14.8 million to Develop New Pneumonia Vaccine for Newborns

ASU researcher Roy Curtiss has dedicated much of his career to finding effective vaccines that overcome geo-political barriers. Now, his dream is getting a booster shot. He is the recipient of a $14.8 million grant from the Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative.

Biodesign Researcher Top Ranked Scientist for Engineering and Chemistry Citations

Dr. Joseph Wang, director of the Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors in the Biodesign Institute at ASU, has recently joined the elite ranks of researcher citations.

Biodesign Researcher Does Double Duty

Serving in Kuwait, Arizona Army National Guard Member Mark Richards Continues to Advance Science from Afar

Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative selects 43 groundbreaking research projects for more than $436 million in funding

The Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative, a major effort to achieve scientific breakthroughs against diseases that kill millions of people each year in the world's poorest countries, is offering 43 grants totaling $436.6 million.

Reaves earns prestigious Homeland Security honors

The Department of Homeland Security has honored ASU undergraduate Marshall Reaves and graduate student Brent Satterfield with prestigious DHS education awards. The awards support students who are pursuing innovations that caThe Department of Homeland Security has honored ASU undergraduate Marshall Reaves and graduate student Brent Satterfield with prestigious DHS education awards. The awards support students who are pursuing innovations that can advance national security interests.

Dow AgroSciences, Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University Collaborate in Advancing Plant-Made Vaccine Platform

Dow AgroSciences LLC announced today that it has entered into a two-year research and collaboration agreement with the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University (ASU). The collaboration will bring forward plant-made technology advancements to create plant-made vaccines for the animal health industry.

ASU Researchers Team with Kinetic Muscles, Inc. to Develop Robotic Arm

Arizona State University researchers and Tempe-based Kinetic Muscles, Inc., have developed a robotic arm to help stroke survivors regain the ability to perform basic tasks, such as reaching for objects or feeding themselves.

ASU professor creates novel technique to identify DNA mutations

A new method to identify DNA mutations may shepherd in an era of small, portable, electronic devices for the rapid screening and identification of genes that harbor disease.

Biodesign Institute Leadership Honored by Arizona BioIndustry Association

Geoge Poste, Director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, was named Bioscience Leader of the Year by the Arizona BioIndustry Association. The award was presented March 29 at a dinner held in conjuction with Arizona Bio Expo 2005, a two-day conference in Phoenix devoted to furthering the state's emerging biotech industry.

The Biodesign Institute at ASU Appoints Stephen Johnston to Lead Center for Innovations in Medicine

While many cancer research programs focus heavily on specific types of the disease, Stephen Albert Johnston hopes to find a universal cure that will be effective against virtually any type of cancer.  Johnston, a preeminent scientist whose work spans a broad range of genetic and medical research, has been recruited to head a new Center for Innovations in Medicine within the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University.

ASU Strengthens its Research Capabilities in the War against Cancer

Despite tangible progress in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the toll from this devastating disease remains unacceptably high. Understanding the genetic changes that are the root cause of the abnormal and dangerous behavior of cancer cells is now center stage in the fight against cancer.

ASU Biodesign Institute Researcher Works Both Sides of the Atlantic to Bring Better Health to Poor Countries

In his quest to help bring vaccines and knowledge to poor regions across the globe, ASU research professor Richard Mahoney recently took on a second job. This one just happens to be 5,300 miles from his Arizona home.

ASU Biodesign Researchers get Grant to Explore New Methods of Hydrogen Generation

TEMPE, Ariz. - A group of ASU researchers at the Biodesign Institute received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to explore innovative methods for generating hydrogen.

Poised for change, Biodesign at ASU is cutting edge for innovative techniques in research

Arizona State University's new Biodesign Institute has walls made of brick, glass and steel - the traditional materials you'd expect in a new campus building.

Biodesign site to open. ASU chief says it will help fight killer bugs.

As Arizona State University today dedicates the first of its Biodesign Institute buildings, Director George Poste is sounding a public health warning.Echoing experts around the world, he says an influenza pandemic rivaling the horror that killed millions in 1918 could hit the United States and kill as many as 2 million people.

The Biodesign Institute At Arizona State University Opens With National Speaker, Tours And Displays

TEMPE, Ariz.—The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University will officially open Tuesday, Dec. 14 with tours, scientific displays, and a dedication program featuring remarks by White House science policy advisor, John H. Marburger.  The event begins at 8:30 a.m., with the dedication ceremony at 9:00 a.m.  An open house and tours will be hosted from 10:00 a.m.-noon.

Finding Funds Fast: ASU Researchers Secure $3.9 Million in New Grants to Help those with Spinal Cord Injuries and Neurological Disorders

Ranu Jung and James Abbas are on a roll. The ASU researchers recently secured four grants totaling $3.9 million to advance efforts to repair or replace lost function for people with spinal cord injury or other neurological disorders.

The Biodesign Institute At ASU Launches Center For Environmental Biotechnology

TEMPE, Ariz.---Bruce Rittmann, PhD, sees pollution as a valuable resource that's just in the wrong place. An international leader in environmental engineering, Rittmann has been recruited to head a new Center for Environmental Biotechnology at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. He will also be professor of civil and environmental engineering in ASU's Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering.

Biodesign Institute Awarded Grant to Develop AIDS Vaccine Funding is most recent of several awards for HIV-related Research at the Institute

TEMPE, Ariz—The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to pursue promising research into an oral vaccine that stimulates the production of antibodies known to block HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.

Biodesign Institute Director George Poste Named Scientist Of The Year

Tempe, Ariz.-George Poste, Director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, has been named 2004 Scientist of the Year by R&D Magazine. Dr. Poste's 38-year career has encompassed roles in academia, industry and government, with expertise in disciplines as diverse as molecular biology, pharmaceutical development, and biosecurity.

The Biodesign Institute Names Chief Operating Officer

Yaa-Yin Meng has been named Chief Operating Officer of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University. Meng has been with ASU for the past 21 years, having served a variety of management roles.

Grant allows The Biodesign Institute To Fabricate Nanoscale Structures

A grant from the National Science Foundation has enabled the Biodesign Institute at ASU to purchase an instrument allowing researchers to construct nanoscale prototypes of objects that could be used in a wide range of biotech applications. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, or about 1,000 times smaller than a human hair.

Ovitt joins ASU's Biodesign Institute

Kimberly Ovitt, 23-year veteran in public relations and communication, has joined ASU as the director of communication and public relations for the Biodesign Institute. Ovitt is moving to ASU from Phoenix Children�s Hospital, where she handled the internal and external communications of one of the 10 largest children�s hospitals in the nation

Gratitude swells

A picnic lunch on May 27 was a gesture of thanks for the construction workers’ dedication to building the Biodesign Institute, formerly named Arizona

Wired Uniform

A military camouflage outfit that includes embedded sensors, power sources and displays is one of two outfits ASU researchers are featuring at Wired Magazine�s NextFest in San Francisco, May 14-16. Key capabilities of the camouflage outfit include pathogen detectors, a flexible electroluminescent display and a fuel cell to power the equipment.

Technology gives bacteria researchers new tools

Developing new weapons against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi is the goal of ASU researchers working with technology donated from Hercules, Inc., a global manufacturer of chemical specialties used to make a variety of products for home, office and industrial markets.

Researchers compare human genome sequence for clues to evolution

An ASU researcher is part of a group of scientists reporting the first large-scale comparison of the human genome to 12 other vertebrates. The work is an important step in understanding how vertebrate species are genetically similar or different from one another, and provides a glimpse into the evolutionary past of humans.

Top ASU Faculty Make Research Meaningful

Researchers at ASU are applying nanotechnology to the design of fuel cells. Their work could lead to "several new ways of dealing with shortcomings of conventional fuel cells," says Frederic Zenhausern, director of the Center for Applied Nanobioscience (ANBC) at the Arizona Biodesign Institute. ASU virologist Bertram Jacobs has received a $5.5 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health's Biodefense Partnership Program to develop and test a modified smallpox vaccine.

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