Bio-Buzz No.6 / 2006
July 2006

IN THIS ISSUE

• BioApproaches SW calls for national and international business development
• National Awards and International Promotion
• National and international events
• SPECIAL EDITORIAL

HEADLINE NEWS

• BioApproaches SW national business development opportunity . Following the roaring success of the AstraZeneca meeting held in Exeter earlier this year and in response to member requests, BioApproaches SW invites businesses interested in developing opportunities with a major Lifesciences Pharmaceutical company this autumn (September/October) to contact us as soon as possible. BioApproaches SW will be reviewing business development interests from industry and academic partners with an aim to develop new partnership opportunities. Contact Jade Fulbrook-Smith for a copy of the AstraZeneca booklet. Details to follow...watch this space!
• BioApproaches SW and the United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) International Business Development - Market missions to Bio Korea, Japan, China and Bio Brazil along with Ausbiotech. The UKTI are also hosting a five day mission to Boston and Washington DC - Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) Detection, Prevention and Treatment - to showcase the UK's excellence in security technologies. All of these events are taking place September - November 2006.
• Business development 'Beyond Red Biotechnology' The UKTI is also launching its next national event inviting all Agriculture, Food, Industrial, Nutraceutical and Marine companies to make the right business connections on Wednesday 11th of October. Organisations from 18 countries will be present to develop business opportunities. If you would like more information please visit the BioApproaches Events page Financial Aid is available from the UKTI for Eligible companies.
•  New Jersey - The 8th New Jersey Symposium on Biomaterials Science, November 8th - 10th, 2006, Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Brunswick, New Jersey. A distinctive focus of the New Jersey Symposia on Biomaterials Science is advanced materials science as applied to a broad range of medical applications. This biennial event has become an important gathering of biomaterials science leaders in the eastern United States, and it benefits from the great concentration of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies in the Northeast. Session themes are: High Through-put Experimentation and Computational Modelling of Biomaterials; Nanotechnology and Self-assembled Systems; Drug, Gene and Protein Delivery; Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies; Physical Approaches to Characterizing Cell-Material Interactions; Surgeons Report: Biomaterials for Wound Healing and Orthopaedic Applications
  Members of BioApproaches SW in the UK are welcome to register at the faculty rate of $400 (instead of $675 for industrial participants).  For program, registration, or other information, please visit the conference website HERE   or e-mail HERE

INDUSTRY CORNER

REGIONAL

 -  Lab space is available , either a small building or space within a building in Bude, Cornwall - Please contact Janet Heenan, jheenan@tripos.com

 - Innovation in Health Conference and Exhibition , Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro. This event held in July filled an annual slot at Knowledge Spa, sponsored by BioApproaches SW and shared the very best of medical innovation to come from this upcoming quarter of the South West. The event is a must for investors and business development specialists keen on resourcing NHS innovations.  Note. A similar international event will take place in Dublin Castle, Ireland on 22 - 23 January 2007, for details see the Events page HERE  

UKTI

 - UK Biotechnology Entrepreneur Awards 2006 : Celebratory awards held in the historic Locarno rooms at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on Wednesday 12th July 2006 highlighted three young South West Lifesciences and biotechnology organisations, Apitope, Lectus and Syntaxin. These organisations have benefited from national and international level networking and international promotion. Tony Cross, London First and Ian Bunker's team, UKTI are to be applauded for a high profile national level event focusing and marketing the new bio-strengths of the UK sector.
 
 - US launch of Boston Healthcare report Overview of Medical Device Distribution in the US. The report identifies the various medical device distribution channels in the US including national and regional distributors. It also provides advice on how to navigate the roles of distributors, dealers and manufacturers in distribution, contracting and pricing; and discusses how the disease area and the sophistication of the technology will impact distribution channel requirements. The report is available to businesses electronically or in hard copy for a nominal fee of £50.00. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact Charles Ikem T: 020 7215 8071 charles.ikem@uktradeinvest.gov.uk

BBSRC INDUSTRIAL CASE STUDENTSHIPS

 - Applications are invited for BBSRC 3-year studentships to start on 1 October 2007 - BBSRC Industrial CASE studentships are awarded to UK-based industrial companies who wish to support postgraduate research in areas relevant to their operations. The company is expected to define the research project and to establish a partnership link with an eligible academic institution. Applications are invited from companies for one or more project based studentships in the scientific areas covered by BBSRC. Closing date for applications: 29 September 2006. Number of awards available: 45
To apply see click HERE  
For eligibility see: HERE

SMEs GO LIFESCIENCES

- An initiative supporting successful participation of Small and Medium sized Life Sciences Enterprises in EU funded projects whose goal is to foster and raise the successful involvement of Small and Medium sized Enterprises and SME groupings in Life Sciences related research projects of the 6th EU Framework Programme (FP6). Visit www.smesgolifesciences.be to find out more about the programme.

BIA

- BioProcessUK and NIBSC survey for the requirements for workshops and training in the UK to support biopharmaceutical manufacturing development as it relates to quality and regulatory approval. To help prioritise your needs, please complete the 10 minutes survey online: HERE

INTERNATIONAL

- Ohio State University (OSU) announces plans to invest $100 million over five years to support 10 research projects deemed "high-impact." though a competitive program called 'Targeted Investment in Excellence', or TIE. Many of the projects are interdisciplinary in design, e.g.; Public Health Preparedness Program; Advanced Materials Initiative; Population and Health Initiative; Translational Plant Sciences; Micro-RNA Project. BioApproaches SW has key contacts in the University if referral leads are required.

SPECIAL EDITORIAL

A new driving force behind leading-edge research for industry in South West England - Great Western Research .

Are you a forward-thinking Life Science business based in the South West of England that would benefit from access to the latest research techniques, equipment and ideas? Do you have an important, strategic, problem which could be best solved by collaboration with a leading University in the South West? Would you like a full-time, first-class, science graduate based at a leading University in the South West dedicated to your research project for 3 years, 50% funded by GWR?

If the answer is yes to any of the above questions, then Great Western Research (GWR) could be able to help.

Innovation - The GWR programme is a 5-year, £14m initiative which aims to stimulate and embed research collaboration between South West Universities and South West businesses. Life Science businesses can benefit from research in any of the five themes (Materials, Applied Mathematics, Sustainability, Psychology and the Creative Arts) but will most likely focus on Sustainability, Materials and Psychology. Did you know, for example that there is an existing neuro-imaging centre in Exeter, and one planned in Bristol.
Discovery GWR have 130 PhD studentship grants available to support graduates on projects of interest to businesses (large and small) in the South West, which will have a positive economic benefit on the business and the South West economy. These projects can be focused on developing products, new systems and techniques and gathering new information.
Fusion - Each research project is jointly supervised by a pair of leading academics based in the South West, and is funded in partnership; 50% by GWR and 50% by the business. GWR have approved over 50 projects for funding, and details of these are available on our web site. A second call for project proposals is underway, with a deadline of 11th September 2006.
Connecting - If you have a research need in one of the five themes above, are based in the South West, and would like us to pick up 50% of the cost of having two top academics and a full time researcher working on your project. Contact Dr Paul Hudson GWR T: 01392 269103 support@gwr.ex.ac.uk ; www.greatwesternresearch.ac.uk

Do you have something you want to share with your peers? Exciting new discovery, abstract, request or other information to disseminate? Send an E-mail to Jade@bioapproaches.co.uk by 15th of the month to be included

Contact Us

For further information on any of these items, please visit our website: www.bioapproaches.co.uk or contact us directly.

Jade Fulbrook-Smith - BioBuzz Editor
Tel: 0117 9008250 Email: Jade@BioApproaches.co.uk

Dr. Pauline Lee - Network Manager
Tel: 0117 9008250 Email: Pauline.Lee@BioApproaches.co.uk

BioApproaches SW is funded by the South West of England Regional Development Agency to support the professional and business development of the South West of England Lifesciences and Biotechnology Industry.