Generating Rapid Returns and Long Term Global Impact

In addition to leading-edge research to improve human health and the health of the planet, the Biodesign Institute plays a vital role in education and has a significant economic impact in Arizona. The Biodesign’s accomplishments since its inception are detailed in its Five Year Progress Report. Following are highlights from this report.

Return on Investment Highlights FY04-FY08

  • Produced $199 million in research funding, a 3X return on investment
  • Created 500 new jobs and recruited 60 new faculty
  • Disclosed 212 inventions, resulting in 122 provisional patent filings, 46 patents filed and 12 issued patents to date
  • Provided hands-on research experience for 188 postdoctoral researchers (75 have entered the workforce), 301 graduate students (111 have entered the workforce) and 403 undergraduate students
  • Provided internships for more than 74 high school students
  • Provided summer research experiences for 35 high school teachers
  • Hosted 308 seminars by visiting scientists and 27 major symposia
  • Led development of 10 new academic courses and developed a new interdisciplinary PhD program
  • Published 460 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals
  • Participated as invited speakers at 286 major symposia
  • Conducted 733 tours with 4,700 participants
  • Collaborated with 15 ASU units, 9 local scientific/health organizations and 39 other academic and industrial partners
  • Generated four spinout companies

Major awards and philanthropic investments (in excess of $1 million), include:

  • $45 million to develop personalized diagnostics initiative (in partnership with TGen)
  • $18 million for National Center for Excellence in Genome Sciences
  • $14.8 million Gates Foundation Grand Challenge Award for a pneumonia vaccine
  • $9 million for Biodesign and TGen to rapidly detect radiation exposure
  • $7.4 million for plant-based HIV research
  • $6.9 million to develop a breast cancer vaccine, plus $1.2 million to apply it to other cancers
  • $6.1 million to create an improved integrated micro-fluidic device for criminal forensics
  • $5.5 million to develop a safer smallpox vaccine
  • $5 million for graduate student and post-doctoral education
  • $4.7 million to generate a biodiesel fuel from photosynthetic bacteria
  • $3.2 million to create a rapid test for urinary tract infections
  • $3.2 million for vaccine against Tularemia, a possible biothreat
  • $2.7 million for production of nerve agent antidotes
  • $2.5 million to generate hydrogen fuel using photosynthetic bacteria
  • $2 million for projects with UA targeting asthma and Parkinson’s Disease
  • $1.9 million to create new bioinformatics tools
  • $1.5 million to discover a plant-based treatment for West Nile virus
  • $1.2 million to study impact of space flight on human health
  • $1.1 million to use nanotechnology in improving solar energy
  • $1 million to improve the detection of explosives

Use-inspired Research

Among hundreds of projects underway at the Biodesign Institute are those aimed at preventing, diagnosing and treating the following diseases:

>Autism
>Alzheimer’s disease
>Breast cancer
>Esophageal cancer
>Food- and water-borne illness
>Hearing loss
>HIV/AIDS
>Influenza
>Leukemia/Lymphoma
>Lung cancer
>Pandemic threats
>Prostate cancer
>Pneumonia

This use-inspired research is one of eight design imperatives outlined in ASU's strategic plan.

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