NIBN Establishing Why the NIBN NIBN Prof
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REPORT Highlight on NIBN Establishing Why the NIBN NIBN Prof. Varda Shoshan-Barmatz Prof. Irun R. Cohen, MD, Director Deputy Director Prof. Sir Aaron Klug, OM, FRS Many have asked how Israel might succeed The National Institute for Biotechnology in in achieving greater returns in intellectual the Negev (NIBN) is proud to publish this Chair of the International NIBN REPORT. Advisory Committee property and biotechnology products for a The purpose of the NIBN REPORT is to given investment in basic research in the summarize the progress and achievements It is now five years since we first made life sciences. Or to be more specific, why of the NIBN, which is at the spearhead of the approach to the Government for do I think the NIBN will be more effective the University's efforts to promote excellence funding a National Institute of than previous efforts in launching successful in research. The NIBN, made possible biotechnology. I shall answer that question Biotechnology in the Negev at BGU. through the magnanimous support and by summarizing the problems inherent in vision of Dr. h.c. Edgar de Picciotto of The basis was to be the Institute of Applied the relationship between university research Switzerland, brings together scientists from Biosciences which had been built and and biotechnology to clarify the rationale different disciplines with medical personnel funded with the generous support of of the NIBN model and its implementation. and professional consultants to create a Dr. h.c. Edgar de Picciotto of Geneva. front-line interdisciplinary institute focusing University and Biotechnology on biotechnology. It was his vision that this Institute could in Conflict of Interest Revolutions come in stages, and we have and would form the nucleus of a future now advanced from the first stages of National Center for Biotechnology. The University adoption of new ideas, tools and methods. Although there was a generally favourable Classically, universities have been designed We would like to express our thanks and to fulfill two primary functions: research recommendation from the Government appreciation to Prof. Sir Aaron Klug OM and teaching. University research in its FRS, who served as Acting Executive departments and acceptance in principle, broadest sense extends beyond laboratory Director of the NIBN, and members of the no money was forthcoming. experimentation to include the convocation International Advisory Committee: Prof. We nevertheless continued to plan that it Yehudit Birk, Prof. Aaron Ciechanover. of scholars and the provisions they need to Prof. Raymond Dwek FRS and Prof. Philip would eventually happen, and were very advance and disseminate collective Needleman, all of whom represent a fortunate to gain generous support from knowledge and understanding in the reservoir of experience, information and the Morris Kahn Humanitarian Fund, humanities, arts and sciences. University authority and have an important impact on teaching prepares coming generations of originally for a program in the Faculty the development and achievements of the professional scholars and educates the non- of Health Sciences initiated by Professor NIBN. professional members of society as well. The strong point of the NIBN has been Rivka Carmi on the genetic approach to The pursuit of research and teaching has its ability to recruit outstanding young human health. This was later expanded dictated the organization of universities into scientists. These talented researchers are to recruit outstanding young researchers specific departments and faculties and has supported by NIBN's overall commitment led to the prevalent operational machinery to invest in the technical infrastructure for in cognate subjects and to provide new sophisticated state-of-the-art biotechnology instrumentation. (department heads, deans, committees, laboratories. This combination has made Two years ago,these two funding senate, rector, and so forth) for academic decision-making regarding funding, the NIBN one of the most attractive research initiatives came together, and, as Chair centers in Israel today and this REPORT appointments, evaluations, advancement, contains a brief summary of some of their of the International Advisory Committee, and tenure. This university structure oversees exciting and innovative achievements I took up the position of Acting Executive the responsibility of the staff for teaching, This issue includes an article by NIBN's Director while we searched for a Director scholarly achievement and publishing. newly appointed director, Prof. Irun Cohen, of NIBN. We were able to attract who 30 years ago was a member of the team Biotechnology that founded BGU's Faculty of Health Professor Irun Cohen to that position, Biotechnology strives to fulfill a different Sciences. The article, focusing on "Why with his deputy, Professor Varda Shoshan- agenda: Biotechnology focuses on the Biotechnology and Why in the Negev" Barmatz, who throughout the years has discovery and development of technologies, addresses very important questions and their worked indefatigably towards our aim. devices, and reagents that tend to the answers in one line: this is the right time, I also wish to thank my fellow members biological needs of humans for sustenance, the right place and the right decision. health, and enlightened economic welfare. of the International Advisory Committee, We believe that NIBN will create a Biotechnology has little or no interest in significant impact on the economic particularly Professors Raymond Dwek university teaching or research – except for prosperity of the Negev region and and Philip Needleman, who brought their throughout Israel. NIBN will fuel spin-off the specific research or teaching that is part wide ranging expertise to the project. companies, incubator programs and of a defined product goal. Biotechnology accelerator corporations will be established We look forward to the event this week is not interested in professorships, to commercialize the novel ideas and which highlights NIBN and at which publications, or the operational machinery technologies at the NIBN. The interaction Dr. h.c. de Picciotto and Minister Ehud of university departments, deans, and combination of academic merit with committees, senates, and rectors. Indeed, Olmert will formally announce long term economic prosperity will attract scientific much of the university activities carried out excellence and serve as a hub for research, funding for NIBN, enabling the Institute 2 by the researcher can interfere with his or development and teaching in the Negev. to enter a new phase of development. her participation in the biotechnology enterprise. But despite the conflict of performance. Affiliates outside the advanced position. The key issue is interest, biotechnology still depends on university are recruited to join the various implementation. university researchers and their ideas, NIBN groups as needed. Networks, local Implementation expertise, technical staff and research to and international, are established to further The success of the NIBN model will depend thrive. University researchers are the the programs. The NIBN is situated within on three factors: excellence, collaboration innovators of most successful biotechnology BGU and staffed by BGU scientists, but it and resources. products. In short, biotechnology needs the is significantly independent of the traditional Excellence. The success of the NIBN university. university department/faculty structure. depends greatly – perhaps entirely – on the Universities too, until recently, have shown NIBN Programs continuing recruitment of outstanding no interest in biotechnology, which is usually The biotechnology programs being scientists from among the talented young foreign to the pursuit of teaching and basic, developed at the NIBN embody the concept Israelis returning from advanced training disinterested research. Despite the conflict of multidisciplinary convergence. NIBN abroad. The NIBN will continue to attract of interest, however, universities have biotechnology, like converging technologies such talent only if it can compete with other discovered the economic value of intellectual being developed in the USA, the European institutions in Israel and abroad in providing property developed at the university; Union and elsewhere, cuts across academic opportunity, and not only in offering a successful university biotechnology can boundaries. The NIBN staff is rich in challenge. It is especially gratifying to note provide funds much needed by the university multidisciplinary expertise: that the NIBN has succeeded in recruiting to carry out its traditional agenda of The Human Genetic Diseases program talented young Israelis who have been education and scholarship. The university mixes clinical and molecular technology to offered staff positions abroad at frontline benefits from biotechnology. discover novel genes and generate gene institutions. These scientists share an Interdisciplinary and converging products that promise to lead to therapies appreciation for the importance of the NIBN technologies for several health problems; model. Indeed, in the past month, the NIBN Not only is biotechnology at variance with The Glycobiology program is based on has been joined by an Israeli scientist the teaching and basic research missions of advanced carbohydrate chemistry and returning from two years as the head of a the university, biotechnology is inherently proteomics, and hosts the National Center central systems biology unit at