| RELATED INFO |
| * Discovery Park |
| * Bindley Bioscience Center |
November 11, 2008
Bindley Bioscience Center adds $20 million in life sciences research
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University's Bindley Bioscience Center helped generate $20 million in research for Indiana and nearly doubled its portfolio to 35 active research projects, center officials announced Monday (Nov. 10).The Purdue research center, which is located in a $15 million facility in Discovery Park, has boosted its industrial partnerships to 17 companies in the life sciences, including 11 based in Indiana, an annual report from the center shows.
Thirty-five faculty researchers now lead projects in alternative energy, cancer diagnosis, drug delivery and bionanotechnology. More than 100 undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students and 20 research scientists and visiting scientists assist in collaborations with Purdue's colleges of Science, Engineering, Pharmacy, Agriculture, Technology and the School of Veterinary Medicine.
 |
"Bindley is becoming the foundation for Purdue's large-scale interdisciplinary research efforts to help Indiana and the Midwest grow its bio- and life-sciences industries, improve health and increase the number of physicians trained in Indiana," said Bindley director Richard Kuhn.
"Bindley also has expanded Purdue's life sciences research pipeline to connect more effectively, strategically and even globally with leading life science researchers at Indiana University and the Indiana University School of Medicine and other regional and national research institutions."
Bindley has research partnerships with Eli Lilly & Co., Amgen, Intelimmune LLC, Techshot Inc., LECO Corp., Monarch LifeSciences, Neoclone, iCyt Visionary Bioscience Inc. and Cyntellect Inc. Researchers also are working with Purdue Research Park companies Quadraspec Inc., Seyet Inc. and Kylin Therapeutics LLC.
 |
At Bindley, researchers are developing miniaturized technologies for drug delivery, creating sensor implants for diagnosing diseases, and harnessing genes and proteins from plants and animals to create new medicines and materials. Bindley's proximity to the $58 million Birck Nanotechnology Center also has expanded Purdue research in bionanotechnology, nanomedicine and other areas.
During the past year, Bindley researchers provided leadership in several major interdisciplinary life science initiatives at Purdue, including formation of the:
* Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. Purdue joined with IU to launch the $25 million Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, designed to speed scientific and medical discoveries to commercialization and delivery. Purdue's share is $5 million on this project. A full news release is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/x/2008a/080529CordovaCTSI.html
* Global Research Laboratory. Purdue and the Korean Institute of Science and Technology are collaborating on a $4.5 million, nine-year project to develop molecular imaging and nanotechnology tools to simultaneously diagnose and treat cancer and chronic and infectious diseases. A full news release is available at https://www.purdue.edu/UNS/x/2007b/070710LearyKIST.html
* Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer Initiative. This $7 million project, funded by the National Cancer Institute, pairs Purdue's expertise in mass spectrometry and proteomics technology with expert clinical cancer researchers at the IU School of Medicine. Together, they are focusing on technology to diagnose breast and prostate cancer in blood samples. A full news release is available at https://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html3month/2006/060928RegnierNCI.html
* Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development. This center focuses on development of analytical instruments critical to a wide range of fields, including health care and national security. The Bindley-based center is fostering collaborations among leading institutions in the field, including Purdue, IU, University of Illinois and University of Notre Dame. A full news release is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/x/2008a/080528CooksCAID.html
Bindley also is playing a leadership role in the Purdue-IU efforts to create the Indiana Innovation Alliance, which is requesting a $35 million appropriation in each year of the 2009-2011 state budget from the General Assembly.
 |
In addition, Bindley researchers joined with a northern Indiana biotechnology firm to launch Intelimmune, which is working to improve how to detect marijuana in a person's system.
Led by Tim Woenker, who is president of North Webster-based Chematics Inc., Intelimmune is working to develop a more reliable and accurate diagnostic tool for detecting the presence of tetrehydrocannabinol (THC), which is the active ingredient in marijuana.
"This collaboration with Discovery Park and Bindley is an excellent opportunity as we grow our company," said Woenker, a Purdue graduate. "This also is another example of Purdue's strong commitment to engage with Indiana companies to create jobs and grow the state's economy."
The center, which opened to researchers in October 2005, is named for 1962 alumnus William E. Bindley, who in 2002 contributed $52.5 million to Purdue. Bindley designated $7.5 million of his gift to cover half the cost of the building, with the remainder being funded by earnings from unrestricted endowments.
Writer: Phillip Fiorini, (765) 496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu
Sources: Richard Kuhn, (765) 494-4407, kuhnr@purdue.edu
Connie Weaver, (765) 494-8237, weavercm@purdue.edu
R. Graham Cooks, (765) 494-5263, cooks@purdue.edu
Fred Regnier, (765) 494-3878, fregnier@purdue.edu
James Leary, (765) 494-7280, jfleary@purdue.edu
Tim Woenker, (574) 834-2406, sales@chematics.com
Jiri Adamec, (765) 496-6148, jadamec@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: Journalists interested in interviewing officials at Bindley or researchers affiliated with the major projects led by the Discovery Park center should Phillip Fiorini, Purdue News Service, at (765) 496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
Jiri Adamec, at left, a research assistant professor, discusses the results of an experiment with Fred Regnier, Purdue's John H. Law Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, in the Bindley Bioscience Center's Proteomics Lab. The team studies the detection and prediction of cancer through analysis of blood samples. (Purdue News Service file photo/David Umberger)
A publication-quality file photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2008/regnier-CAID.jpg
PHOTO CAPTION:
James Leary, at left, a School of Veterinary Medicine professor of nanomedicine and professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue, and Michael Zordan, a graduate student in biomedical engineering, prepare samples for a special high-speed cell sorter at Discovery Park's Bindley Bioscience Center. This instrument, located in Bindley's Molecular Cytometry Laboratory, is a key part of a $4.5 million project that combines molecular imaging, cytometry and nanomedicine to diagnose and treat illnesses and diseases at the molecular level. (Purdue News Service file photo/David Umberger)
A publication-quality file photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2007/leary-cellsorter.jpg
To the News Service home page