DOCSLIB.ORG

Collaborative Drug Discovery's 10 Anniversary Community Meeting

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Collaborative Drug Discovery’s 10th Anniversary Community Meeting April 4th, 2014 8am-6pm UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center 1675 Owens St. San Francisco, CA 94158 Please use this Twitter hashtag for the event: #CDDx14 Agenda 7:45 Registration - refreshments in Foyer and Exhibition room 8:15 Opening Remarks - with UCSF Host, Stephanie Robertson and CDD CEO, Barry Bunin Collaborative Workflow: Basic and Advanced Use Cases of CDD Vault 8:20 Charlie Weatherall (CDD) & Anna Spektor (CDD) 9:10 Morning Sessions - moderated by Sylvia Ernst (CDD) The Rockefeller University Compound Screening Library 9:15 J. Fraser Glickman (Rockefeller University) Recent Progress in De-Orphanization of Nuclear Receptors 9:40 Ruo Steensma (Orphagen Pharmaceuticals) 10:05 Morning Break - located in the Foyer and Exhibition room Large small molecules in a Small large molecule world 10:35 Leanna Staben (Genentech) Linking the Molecular Structure of Medicines to their Biological Effects 11:00 Bob Volkmann (Systamedic & Mnemosyne Pharmaceuticals) Panel: Externalized Research - What Makes a Good Partnership? Wisdom from Experts 11:25 Who've "Been There - Done That," moderated by Sylvia Ernst (CDD) 11:50 Lunch - boxed lunches in the Foyer and Exhibition room Optional: “What if CDD had...” provide feedback to our product team (12:35) Kellan Gregory (CDD) 10 Years Evolving Our Collaborative Drug Discovery Vaults 1:05 Barry Bunin (CDD) CDD Vault: Noteworthy recent enhancements and a preview of things to come 1:30 David Blondeau (CDD) & Kellan Gregory (CDD) 2:20 Afternoon sessions - moderated Christopher Lipinski The Tuberculosis Drug Accelerator: A New Paradigm For Drug Discovery 2:25 Jerry Shipps (Tuberculosis Drug Accelerator) The role of NIAID in the development of therapeutics for Infectious Diseases 2:50 Martin John Rogers (NIAID) 3:15 Afternoon Break - located in the Foyer and Exhibition Room Targeting the Immunoproteasome 3:40 Dustin L. McMinn (Onyx Pharmaceuticals) Hit Generation for the Treatment of Prion Diseases Using Phenotypic Screens 4:10 Joel Gever (UCSF) Exploiting Bigger Data and Collaborative Tools for Predictive Drug Discovery 4:35 Sean Ekins (CDD) Lipinski CDD 10th Anniversary Thoughts on Drug Discovery 5:00 Christopher Lipinski Panel: Perspectives on Drug Discovery Collaborations 5:30 moderated by Christopher Lipinski 5:55 Wine and Cheese Reception - located in the Foyer Program Opening Remarks and Introductions Stephanie Robertson, PhD. Senior Director, Strategic Alliances, Office of Innovation, Technologies & Alliances, UCSF Stephanie Robertson, PhD, is the Senior Director of Strategic Alliances in the Office of Innovation, Technologies & Alliances (ITA) at the University of California, San Francisco. ITA was established in 2011 under the Office of Research with the goal of providing a single interface for external partners of UCSF. Dr. Robertson developed one of the first formal alliance management teams found in an academic setting, allowing her group to provides a constant interface throughout the lifecycle of large partnership relationships, beginning at the start of alliance development, throughout the collaboration and back to the partner for strategic evaluation of expansion, extension and additional alliances. Dr. Robertson joined UCSF in 2009 as Program Director for the Sandler Center for Drug Discovery and also helped in the establishment and oversight of the UCSF Grand Multiple Myeloma Translational Initiative (GMMTI). Prior to joining UCSF, Dr. Robertson worked for ten years at Exelixis, Inc. During her tenure at Exelixis the company grew from start-up to over 700 employees. Her most recent position of Associate Director of R&D held responsibilities that included serving as a scientific project leader for drug discovery programs in cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolism, as well as providing alliance management for several programmatic collaborations with large pharma. She also provided project management as discovery programs progressed into early phase clinical programs. She earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry (Honors) at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Collaborative Workflow: Basic and Advanced Use Cases of CDD Vault Abstract CDD Vault™ is a hosted biological and chemical database that securely manages your private and external data. This session is aimed at introducing the CDD Vault as a data management platform for real-time collaborative research, be it within the confines of your own lab, or with partners across the globe. If you are an advanced CDD Vault user already, you are probably one of the collaborators on such a project. This session will present a 360 degree view of the work-flows that involve all members of the collaboration: synthetic and medicinal chemistry, SAR, biological assay data management and the communications that surround the data. We will also give a sneak-peak at the newest capabilities of the CDD Vault. Charlie Weatherall Strategic Technical Account Manager, Collaborative Drug Discovery Charlie attributes his extreme customer dedication to two things. First, he is a true Southern gentleman who cares greatly about other people. Second, he started his career as an R&D end-user of multiple scientific applications and has never forgotten what it’s like to “be the customer.” Charlie has over two decades of experience working with industry leading scientific software companies such as MDL (dating back to ISIS version 0.9 in ’91), SciTegic, Accelrys, CambridgeSoft, and IDBS. He has traveled extensively installing software, providing training, and leading workshops at customer sites and conferences. Customers throughout the world (including Japan, Australia, Great Britain, France, New Jersey and Illinois) have been known to alter their schedules to match Charlie’s availability for visiting their sites. Charlie is looking forward to being the best customer advocate and trusted advisor for the CDD community. Anna Spektor Customer Success Manager, Collaborative Drug Discovery Anna has extensive experience managing client relationships for top 10 pharma companies, helping to organize and analyze their data efficiently and effectively. Anna also coordinates CDD training, and creates customized data strategies and solutions. Anna began her career as a chem- and bio-informatics consultant and has experience of other software such as IDBS’ ActivityBase. Not only is she proficient in database software and solutions in the pharma sector, she understands the world of academia, having obtained a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, and a degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Chicago, and having spent 10 years as an academic researcher. Morning Session Sylvia Ernst, Ph.D. (moderator) Head of Sales and Sales Operations, Collaborative Drug Discovery Dr. Sylvia Ernst received her Ph.D. in Chemistry in Frankfurt, Germany working in the group of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kaim. At that time her research focused on using computational chemistry to find new catalysts for exploiting energy from sunlight. She has over 20 scientific publications. Interested in Chemical information and technology, she joined the Beilstein Institute and was a member of the core team which launched “CrossFire Beilstein”, a database which today is known and used by almost every chemist in the world. From there Sylvia worked in customer related functions with Beilstein Information Systems, MDL Information Systems, Elsevier MDL, and SciTegic/Accelrys. She joined CDD in 2007. Sylvia’s extensive work with many pharmaceutical and biotech companies as well as academic and government institutions spans the globe, giving her a unique perspective on how the drug discovery and development process is evolving, and how new approaches may impact world health. She joined CDD because she believes that the best response to emerging global health crises is to foster collaborations that join the world’s enormous research capabilities into unified efforts. The Rockefeller University Compound Screening Library Abstract The Rockefeller University High Throughput and Spectroscopy Resource Center (HTSRC) was established in 2003 with a 4000 compound library. Since that time the center has grown to have a collection of 215,000 compounds, a sophisticated LIMS, automated storage and retrieval systems, a broad array of modern assay technologies staffed by 5 technology experts. The Center is used by over 60 laboratories, with 160 visiting scientists, from Rockefeller, Weill-Cornell Medical College and around the globe. In this presentation we will share our experience on the challenges of building-up an academic screening library, the strategies and pitfalls for compound purchase, and the way we have used databases and informatics systems to understand and annotate the library, sharing information across multiple sites. J. Fraser Glickman, Ph.D. Director of the High Throughput and Spectroscopy Resource Center and Research Assistant Professor, Rockefeller University J. Fraser Glickman received his BS in Zoology from Duke University in 1984, his MS in Public Health Parasitology from the University of North Carolina in 1987, and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from University of California, Santa Barbara in 1997. He is currently the director of The High Throughput and Spectroscopy Resource Center at the Rockefeller University and a Research Assistant Professor and member of the faculty of the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences. He has formerly been a research scientist
Recommended publications
  • Freundlich CV

    Freundlich CV

    Joel S. Freundlich Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience Department of Medicine Center for Emerging and Reemerging Pathogens Rutgers University – New Jersey Medical School Medical Sciences Building, I503 185 South Orange Avenue Newark, NJ 07103 [email protected] (973) 972-7165 (office) (609)-865-7344 (cell) ____________________________________________________________________ RESEARCH INTERESTS Dr. Freundlich leads a research group of eleven scientists pursuing the development and application of computational, chemical, and biological platforms to study infectious diseases. • How do antibacterial small molecules leverage the modulation of more than one target to achieve significant cidality? • How are potent antibacterial agents metabolized by the mammalian host or the bacterium in detoxification and/or activation events with a specific focus on achieving a quantitative mass balance? • How may the properties (physiochemical, ADME, biological) of chemical tools be predicted and then evolved via machine learning methodologies? PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-NEW JERSEY MEDICAL SCHOOL, Newark, NJ July 2017 to present Associate professor with Tenure (Department of Pharmacology & Physiology) Associate professor with Tenure (Department of Medicine) Member (Center for Emerging and Reemerging Pathogens) Member (Graduate Program in Medicinal Chemistry) Courses taught: The Chemical Biology of Pathogens GSBS 5160Q – Spring 2015 – 2017 Medical School Foundations II (7 lectures) – Winter 2016 – 2017 Select Agent Biology MSBS N517Q – Spring 2012 - 2013 Pharmacology PHRM 7206 – Spring 2012 - 2018 Advanced Concepts in I3 GSBS 5022Q – Spring 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 Topics in Pharmacology PHPY-N5030 – Spring 2016 – 2017 Introduction to Genomics, Proteomics, and Bioinformatics MBGC 5002Q – Spring 2015, 2017 – 8 University Activities: Faculty Committee on Appointments and Promotions (2017–) Admissions Committee for M.D./Ph.D.
  • Enabling Comprehensive Assessments of Drug–Drug Interaction Risks

    Enabling Comprehensive Assessments of Drug–Drug Interaction Risks

    R&D Solutions for PHARMA & LIFE SCIENCES PHARMACOVIGILANCE Enabling Comprehensive Assessments of Drug–Drug Interaction Risks Summary Dr. Kevin Lustig, President and CEO of The Assay Depot, Inc., and Dr. Maria Thompson, Principal Consultant, look at the dynamics of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters and how an understanding of this critical aspect of biology enables assessments of drug–drug interaction risks. In addition, they comment on PharmaPendium®, which includes the DMPK solution with its DDI Risk Calculator, as an important tool in making these assessments successfully. Thanks to its comprehensive data on METs, PharmaPendium offers a unique platform for modeling advanced drug interactions. Abstract Understanding the dynamics of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters (METs) is critical to successful drug development. MET behavior can significantly impact drug safety. Many factors regulate enzymes and transporters, which in turn affect the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs and mediate drug interactions. Evaluation of drug interaction profiles required detailed in vitro and in vivo studies along with predictive modeling. Thanks to its comprehensive data on METs, PharmaPendium offers a unique platform for modeling advanced drug interactions. This MET data and the ability to predict drug–drug interactions (DDIs) are incredibly valuable for optimized research workflows and accelerated drug development. They enable intelligent, in silico drug design and provide scientists with comprehensive knowledge about drug metabolism, significantly reducing the need for costly and time-consuming lab work and animal models and informing critical decisions on clinical trial design. Introduction Every successful drug discovery and development effort needs to factor in drug efficacy and safety, both of which are intimately linked to drug metabolism.
  • (R&D) Tax Credit

    (R&D) Tax Credit

    Report toThe the Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department of General Revenue Assembly Bureau of Research on the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Bureau of Research March 15, 2012 Pennsylvania Research and Development Tax Credit Page 1 of 14 The Pennsylvania R&D Tax Credit Statute On May 7, 1997, Act 7 of 1997 created the Pennsylvania research and development (R&D) tax credit. The R&D tax credit provision became Article XVII-B of the Tax Reform Code of 1971 (TRC). The intent of the R&D tax credit was to encourage taxpayers to increase R&D expenditures within the Commonwealth in order to enhance economic growth. The terms and concepts used in the calculation of the Commonwealth’s R&D tax credit are based on the federal government’s R&D tax credit definitions for qualified research expense.1 For R&D tax credits awarded between December 1997 and December 2003, Act 7 of 1997 authorized the Department of Revenue (Department) to approve up to $15 million in total tax credits per fiscal year. Additionally, $3 million of the $15 million was set aside for “small” businesses, where a “small business” is defined as a “for-profit corporation, limited liability company, partnership or proprietorship with net book value of assets totaling…less than five million dollars ($5,000,000).” Over the years, several changes have been made to the R&D tax credit statute. Table 1 lists all of the acts that have changed the R&D tax credit statute, along with the applicable award years, the overall tax credit cap and the “small” business set aside.
  • February 19, 2014

    February 19, 2014

    CANCER PREVENTION AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TEXAS Oversight Committee Meeting February 19, 2014 CANCER PREVENTION AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TEXAS Summary Overview of the February 19, 2014, Oversight Committee Meeting Please find enclosed the meeting packet for the next meeting of the CPRIT Oversight Committee to be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2014, at 10:00 AM. This summary overview of major agenda items provides background on key issues for Committee consideration. CEO Report Wayne Roberts will present the CEO’s report and address issues assigned by the Oversight Committee at the January 24th meeting including reconstituting the University Advisory Committee (UAC) and proposed dashboard metrics for the agency. Chief Scientific Officer Program Portfolio Presentation and Grant Award Recommendations Dr. Margaret Kripke will present the Program Integration Committee’s recommendations for scientific research awards. The research continuation grant recommendations are the first grant applications to be considered under the “new” review process set out by SB 149. SB 149 changed the way that grant recommendations are formally approved. A vote by two-thirds of the Oversight Committee that are present and voting (i.e. not recused because of a conflict of interest) is required to approve each funding recommendation. If two-thirds of the Oversight Committee does not vote to approve an award recommendation, then a statement explaining the reason for not following the PIC’s recommendation must be included in the meeting minutes. Product Development Officer Program Portfolio Presentation and Grant Award Recommendations Kristen Doyle, acting Product Development Officer, and Dr. Jack Geltosky, CPRIT’s Product Development Review Council Chair, will discuss CPRIT’s product development portfolio and present the Chief Executive Officer’s recommendations for product development grant awards.
  • July Updates: People and Places

    July Updates: People and Places

    career news July Updates: People and Places Skills and knowledge transfer alpha-synuclein A53T knock-in model; and commented in a press release, The NC3Rs has awarded a total of £219,339 the continued development of a pre-clinical “The partnership enables Scientist.com this year to three researchers through the model to test LRRk2 kinase inhibitors as a users to easily access innovative rodent 2018 NC3Rs Skills and Knowledge Transfer treatment for PD. models generated with the latest funding competition, designed to promote CRISPR technology.” the post-development uptake of new 3Rs Easi editing approaches. Laura Scullion Hall from The University of Nebraska recently Understanding aging fat the University of Stirling will partner with licensed its Easi-CRISPR gene editing Kristy Townsend, a neurobiologist at the pharmaceutical company GSK to develop technology to Taconic Biosciences. The University of Maine in Orono, has received an online learning platform for research dog CRISPR variant, developed by Masato a three-year $750,000 grant from the handling and welfare. Jonathan Brown from Ohtsuka at the University of Tokyo and American Heart Association to study links the University of Exeter will use the award Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy at the between fat tissue and cardiovascular and to apply the TaiNI wireless EEG recording University of Nebraska, enables the site- metabolic diseases in aging mouse models. technology he developed with scientists at specific insertion of large sequences Recent work from her lab has revealed Eli Lilly through the NC3Rs CRACK IT of DNA, an improvement to previous evidence of “adipose neuropathy”—fat Challenge to dementia research in mice.
  • Drug Discovery Chemistry

    Drug Discovery Chemistry

    Save up to $200! Final Agenda Register by February 23 COVER CHI’s 13th Annual CONFERENCE AT-A-GLANCE PLENARY KEYNOTES SHORT COURSES Drug Discovery AGENDA Plenary April 3-4 Conferences »» Protein-Protein Interactions Keynotes »» Inflammation»&»Autoimmune» Inhibitors Chemistry »» Kinase»Inhibitor»Chemistry Optimizing Small Molecules for Tomorrow's Therapeutics »» GPCR-Targeted Drug Design »» Fragment-Based»Drug» Activity-Based April 2-6, 2018 | San Diego, CA | Hilton San Diego Bayfront Discovery Proteomics: April 4-5 Conferences Protein and »» Ubiquitin»Proteasome»System» Ligand Discovery Inhibitors on a Global Scale CONFERENCE PROGRAMS »» Small»Molecules»for»Cancer» Benjamin F. Cravatt, Immunotherapy PhD, Professor and APRIL 3-4 APRIL 4-5 APRIL 6 Co-Chair, Department »» Macrocyclics»&»Constrained» of Molecular Peptides Medicine, The Protein-Protein Ubiquitin Proteasome Biophysical Approaches »» Targeting»Complex» Scripps Research Membrane»Proteins Institute Interactions System Inhibitors for Drug Discovery April 6 Symposia »» Biophysical»Approaches»for» Lead Optimization Inflammation & Small Molecules for Drug»Discovery for Drug Metabolism Autoimmune Inhibitors Cancer Immunotherapy »» Lead»Optimization»for»Drug» & Safety Metabolism»&»Safety » Targeting Ras » Blood-Brain»Penetrant» Kinase Inhibitor Macrocyclics & Blood-Brain Inhibitors and MYC for the Treatment of Chemistry Constrained Peptides Penetrant Inhibitors HOTEL & TRAVEL Cancer Stephen Fesik, SPONSORSHIP PhD, Professor GCPR-Targeted Targeting Complex Plus Short Courses & EXHIBIT
  • Understanding Key Determinants of Drug Activity

    Understanding Key Determinants of Drug Activity

    CASE STUDY Dr. Kevin Lustig, President and CEO, The Assay Depot, Inc. Greater San Diego Area Understanding Key Determinants of Drug Activity SUMMARY This article highlights the increasing role that drug metabolism and transport proteins have in the drug approval process. CASE STUDY: The Assay Depot, Inc. The dynamics of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters is critical to the development of personalized medicine strategies. Abstract / Summary The dynamics of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters is critical to the develop- ment of personalized medicine strategies. A multitude of factors regulate enzymes and transporters, which in turn affect the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs and medi- ate drug interactions. Evaluation of drug interaction profiles is a critical step in drug development and necessitates detailed in vitro and in vivo studies along with predictive modeling. PharmaPendium® via its Metabolizing Enzymes and Transporters Module provides unprecedented depth of data on drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters and offers a unique platform for modeling advanced drug interactions. This Module will prove to be a valuable resource capable of improving workflows and accelerating devel- opment by enabling intelligent, in silico drug design. By providing scientists with all of the available knowledge about drug metabolism, we can significantly reduce the need for costly and time-consuming lab work and animal models. Requiring these only to answer the true unknowns where no one else has gone before. Introduction Every successful drug discovery and development effort needs to factor in drug efficacy Dr. Kevin Lustig, Author and safety, both of which are intimately linked to drug metabolism. Hence knowledge President & CEO, The Assay Depot Inc.
  • Strategic Outsourcing of Pharmaceutical R&D

    Strategic Outsourcing of Pharmaceutical R&D

    CHEMSITRY TODAY Vol 31(4) P. 14-17 / CROS/CMOS Strategic outsourcing of pharmaceutical R&D - Bringing pharma and drug discovery into the information age KEVIN LUSTIG Assay Depot, Inc Corresponding Author KEVIN LUSTIG: Assay Depot, Inc, email: [email protected] KEYWORDS: Outsourcing; innovation; lean; drug; research; discovery ABSTRACT: The centralized model of pharmaceutical development that was used successfully through most of the last century is no longer a good fit. Advances in modern molecular research have changed the playing field to such an extent that the old model is no longer viable. If drug companies can solve the problems of pre-clinical development and deliver a steady stream of new, high- quality compounds to the clinic, then the challenges currently facing pharma will become a thing of the past. The single most likely route to success is through the application of strategic outsourcing, which if done correctly, can dramatically reduce research costs while simultaneously improving research quality. Utilizing new online tools such as research exchanges, a “lean” pharmaceutical company can find and manage a large number of specialist scientific service providers and experts that can bring exactly the right skill set to bear at the right time in the project cycle. INTRODUCTION Few would argue that the Pharmaceutical Industry has been languishing in the doldrums now for well over a decade. Pharmaceutical companies are having to face three major issues involving drug approvals, development costs and patents expirations. Any of these alone would prove a tough nut to crack, but the fact that they are all converging at the same time is creating a perfect storm! • A paucity of new drug approvals: 2010 was one of the worst years on record, with the European Medicines Agency showing only 41 finalized applications, compared to 125 in 2009.
  • Drug Repositioning: Extracting Added Value from Prior R&D Investments

    Drug Repositioning: Extracting Added Value from Prior R&D Investments

    Drug Repositioning: Extracting Added Value from Prior R&D Investments Hermann A.M. Mucke, Ph.D. InsightPharmaReports.com Drug Repositioning: Extracting Added Value from Prior R&D Investments Hermann A.M. Mucke, Ph.D. Published in July 2010 by Cambridge Healthtech Institute • www.InsightPharmaReports.com • Reproduction prohibited i Insight Pharma Reports is a division of Cambridge Healthtech Institute, a world leader in life science information and analysis through conferences, research reports, and targeted publications. Insight Pharma Reports focus on pharmaceutical R&D—the technologies, the companies, the markets, and the strategic business impacts. They regularly feature interviews with key opinion leaders; surveys of the activities, views, and plans of individuals in industry and nonprofit research; and substantive assessments of technologies and markets. Managers at the top 50 pharma companies, the top 100 biopharma companies, and the top 50 vendors of tools and services rely on Insight Pharma Reports as a trusted source of balanced and timely information. Related Report Data Mining in Drug Development and Translational Medicine by Hermann A.M. Mucke, Ph.D. General Manager: Alfred R. Doig, Jr. 781-972-1348, [email protected] Editorial Operations Director: Laurie Sullivan 781-972-1353, [email protected] Design Director: Tom Norton 781-972-5440, [email protected] Production Director: Ann Handy 781-972-5493, [email protected] Marketing Manager: James Prudhomme 781-972-5486, [email protected] Customer Service: Rose LaRaia 781-972-5444, [email protected] Corporate Subscriptions: David Cunningham 781-972-5472, [email protected] Global Report Sales: Jack Valeri 781-972-1355, [email protected] Insight Pharma Reports, 250 First Ave., Suite 300, Needham, MA 02494 www.InsightPharmaReports.com ii • www.InsightPharmaReports.com • Reproduction prohibited Drug Repositioning: Extracting Added Value from Prior R&D Investments Hermann A.M.
  • Marketplaces for Sharing Scientific Data and Outsourcing R&D Activities: the Case Study of the Pharmaceutical, Life Sciences and Bio-Medical Industries

    Marketplaces for Sharing Scientific Data and Outsourcing R&D Activities: the Case Study of the Pharmaceutical, Life Sciences and Bio-Medical Industries

    MARKETPLACES FOR SHARING SCIENTIFIC DATA AND OUTSOURCING R&D ACTIVITIES: THE CASE STUDY OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL, LIFE SCIENCES AND BIO-MEDICAL INDUSTRIES In the present document, we aim to review the main protagonist companies in the field of the outsourcing of biomedical R&D research and in the sharing of scientific data and contract- research consultancy services. This effort is part of a longer-term objective aimed at assessing the current state of the R&D outsourcing market via “marketplace” type of websites, in order to estimate the existing potential competition to the core areas of interest of the VIMMP project. Even though, under the current state of affairs, no direct competitors of VIMMP presently exist (within the restricted field of materials modelling coupled with marketplace and data/software sharing type of functionalities), marketplace websites active in other branches of science and technology can still provide invaluable insight in demonstrating how such R&D commercial operations can be implemented and exploited successfully and profitably. 1. General Introduction to R&D Outsourcing Services Advances in science, technology, and engineering impact our daily lives and fuel economic growth and prosperity. Investment in innovation and R&D drives these advances, and it is the hi-tech companies and their respective industries that dominate global R&D spending. Hardware/software, electronics, automotive, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, and pharmaceutical/biotech all feature as the highest R&D spending industries. The pharmaceutical/biotech industry has the highest levels of R&D outsourcing across hi-tech industries, with its outsourcing growth rate outstripping internal investments. Some large pharmaceutical companies suggest that 40% or more of their R&D spend will be outsourced in the near future, and that clinical operations functions will eventually be outsourced entirely.
  • Motility of Acta Protein-Coated Microspheres Driven by Actin Polymerization

    Motility of Acta Protein-Coated Microspheres Driven by Actin Polymerization

    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 96, pp. 4908–4913, April 1999 Biophysics Motility of ActA protein-coated microspheres driven by actin polymerization LISA A. CAMERON*, MATTHEW J. FOOTER†,ALEXANDER VAN OUDENAARDEN‡, AND JULIE A. THERIOT†§¶ *Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020; †Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5307; ‡Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5080; and §Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5124 Communicated by James A. Spudich, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, March 1, 1999 (received for review January 12, 1999) ABSTRACT Actin polymerization is required for the gen- moving endosomes (J. Heuser, personal communication) and eration of motile force at the leading edge of both lamellipodia phospholipid vesicles (11). Although much is understood and filopodia and also at the surface of motile intracellular about the biochemical mechanisms of catalyzing actin filament bacterial pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes. Local polymerization in several of these systems (12–14), relatively catalysis of actin filament polymerization is accomplished in little is known about how this local surface catalysis results in L. monocytogenes by the bacterial protein ActA. Polystyrene comet tail formation, force generation, and motility. It is beads coated with purified ActA protein can undergo direc- striking that a variety of biochemical mechanisms for cata- tional movement in an actin-rich cytoplasmic extract. Thus, lyzing local actin polymerization on the surface of a small the actin polymerization-based motility generated by ActA can object (bacterium, virus, or membrane vesicle) all result in the be used to move nonbiological cargo, as has been demon- same type of actin self-organization and movement.
  • (R&D) Tax Credit

    (R&D) Tax Credit

    Report to theThe Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department General of Revenue Assembly Bureau of Research on the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Bureau of Research March 15, 2010 Pennsylvania Research and Development Tax Credit Page 1 of 15 The Pennsylvania R&D Tax Credit Statute As part of the Fiscal Year 2009-10 budget, Act 48 of 2009 reduced the amount of tax credits available under several tax credit programs that can be awarded during the following two years. Act 48 reduced the total amount of R&D tax credit available in FY 2009-10 from $40 million to $20 million and in FY 2010-11 from $40 million to $18 million. Starting in FY 2011-12, the total amount of R&D tax credit the Department can award returns to $40 million per year. ******** On May 7, 1997, Act 7 of 1997 created the Pennsylvania research and development (R&D) tax credit. The R&D tax credit provision became Article XVII-B of the Tax Reform Code of 1971 (TRC). The intent of the R&D tax credit was to encourage taxpayers to increase R&D expenditures within the Commonwealth in order to enhance economic growth. The terms and concepts used in the calculation of the Commonwealth’s R&D tax credit are based on the federal government’s R&D tax credit definitions for qualified research expense.1 Over the years, several changes have been made to the R&D tax credit statute. On December 23, 2003, Governor Edward G. Rendell signed Act 46 of 2003 into law.