Biomedical Research Reaches New Heights in Texas
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE NATUREJOBS TEXAS, UNITED STATES Biomedical research reaches new heights in Texas SPOTLIGHT ON TEXAS SPOTLIGHT The Lone Star State has a strong culture of collaboration in biomedical research, and its links to the US space programme o er unique opportunities. “It’s likely that the WHILE MANY biomedical Astrogenetix’s use of space ight billion each year on research. researchers work on new vaccines as an experimental protocol might But it’s not just about size — landscape of biomedical in laboratories scattered across the seem unorthodox in biomedicine, biomedical institutes in Texas globe, one Texan biotech company but it is emblematic of the bold are also big on collaboration. research in Texas will sends its experiments to a laboratory approach to the eld in Texas. orbiting 300 miles above it. e e state is home to one of the Not so lone be forever changed.” lab is the International Space world’s highest concentrations Collaboration in the region is Station (ISS) and the company is of top-tier biomedical research, encouraged by the Gulf Coast Peter Davies, University of Texas Astrogenetix, an Austin-based rm with extraordinary clusters of Consortia for uantitative Health Science Center at Houston that examines microorganisms in talent working across institutional Biomedical Sciences (GCC). weightless conditions. Microgravity and disciplinary boundaries. e Since 2001, it has united scientists is known to increase the virulence growth of these hubs is nourished with shared research interests at of certain bacteria, and researchers by the state’s unique combination six member institutes — Baylor hope that the biomarkers involved of funding, institutional support, College of Medicine, Rice will guide them to new vaccines entrepreneurship and synergies University, University of Houston, and drugs. Over the past two-and- with both the US space programme UT Health Science Center at a-half years, Astrogenetix has and military — and the gures Houston, UT Medical Branch at sent experimental packages on show it is a successful formula. Galveston and UT MD Anderson 11 space missions as part of its Cancer Center — with the stated work on candidate vaccines for Big business goal of creating “a cutting-edge Salmonella and methicillin-resistant According to Texas Biotechnology collaborative training environment Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Business Report, in 2010 Texas and research infrastructure”. anks When the space shuttle Discovery received US$1.1 billion in funding to the GCC, more than 500 blasted o for its nal mission on from the US National Institutes of faculty members are now engaged February 24, 2011, Astrogenetix’s Health — making it the h largest in studies involving a range of latest scienti c payload was on state recipient. e biotechnology disciplines from bioinformatics board. “ e laboratory conditions sector employs more than 100,000 to translational pain research. present on the ISS do not exist people in the state at an average Collaboration is also rife anywhere else,” company boss John annual salary of US$67,000, and the beyond the GCC. e Texas Heart Porter said at the time of the launch. industry’s impact on the economy Institute (THI), for example, “ e use of this unique environment is estimated at US$75 billion. is working with the UT MD is leading to amazing discoveries.” Houston is a hotbed of Anderson Cancer Center on the biomedical research. e city is relationship between cardiovascular home to the Texas Medical Center activity and cancer, and with Rice (TMC) — the largest medical University on nanomedicine and Oklahoma centre in the world. Founded other nanotechnologies. Such Arkansas in 1945, TMC today contains interdisciplinary, multi-institutional New Mexico 49 institutions, including two e orts represent the future, says medical schools (Baylor College Robert Shade, associate scienti c Texas of Medicine and the University director of the Texas Biomedical Austin Louisiana of Texas (UT) Medical School Research Institute. “It’s the direction San Antonio Houston at Houston), most within a biology is going,” he says. short walk of each other on its ese strengths mean biomedical 1,000-acre-plus campus. It employs research and biotechnology in Texas more than 20,000 physicians, are well positioned to participate Mexico researchers and other life science in the fast-moving sciences in professionals and spends US$1.8 which some of the most important 2 | NATUREJOBS | 28 APRIL 2011 APRIL 28 | NATUREJOBS | 2 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE assist devices by infusing them Neurological Research Institute with stem cells. “I think there’s (NRI), a pioneering research a big future for putting together institute dedicated to childhood NATUREJOBS RICHARD PAYNE these technologies and trying to neurological diseases, at the Texas make them work better,” he says. Children's Hospital. “We see real Stem cells also feature opportunities for growth and prominently in studies at the development in the neurosciences Institute for Regenerative Medicine and neuropsychiatric disease,” says at the Texas A&M Health Science Peter Davies, provost and executive Center (TAMHSC). Such work vice president for research at UT is one of the centre’s top priorities, Health Science Center at Houston. says David S. Carlson, the centre’s SPOTLIGHT ON TEXAS SPOTLIGHT vice-president for research, and it is Spaceflight and strong in the use of adult stem cells military might to regenerate bone, cartilage and e presence of NASA’s Johnson ocular tissues. Investigators are also Space Center in Houston has had looking beyond the human body many advantages for biomedicine for breakthroughs in understanding in Texas over the past 60 years. cancer. “e natural linkage Astrogenetix, for example, is a spin- between cancer and developmental o from Astrotech Corporation, an biology is the environment,” says aerospace company whose Spacehab Carlson. TAMHSC is expanding research modules and cargo carriers its programmes in environmental ew aboard more than 20 space health and functional genomics, shuttle missions. Texas Biomedical which will also benet the Research Institute has also worked study of birth defects. with NASA on investigations of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is one of six members of the Research into aging and bone density and osteoporosis. Such Gulf Coast Consortia for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (GCC). neuroscience is also expanding opportunities for collaboration in Texas. e Barshop Institute should only increase since the for Aging and Longevity at the announcement in September 2010 medical progress will be made in the the genes and metabolites of UT Health Science Center at San that the National Space Biomedical coming decades, such as genetics, microorganisms aect a variety Antonio is a regular recipient of Research Institute and Baylor stem cell research, cardiovascular of health conditions in humans. grants from the National Institute College of Medicine’s Center disease and neuroscience. Combining dierent research of Aging and it is establishing a for Space Medicine will relocate is also proving fruitful for new clinical geriatrics programme to Rice University's BioScience Crossing disciplines cardiovascular disease. Richard in the UT Center for Healthy Research Collaborative (BRC) by e complex nature of many Dixon, director of THI’s molecular Aging. Similarly, work on preserving mid-2011. e 477,000-square- diseases demands a multidisciplinary research laboratory, says the institute brain function and psychological foot, 10-storey BRC was carefully approach. Baylor College of is continuing to build on its stem well-being in neurodegenerative designed to foster teamwork Medicine is building on its strengths cell research to treat cardiovascular disorders is of considerable interest between its resident researchers in cancer research with a new disease. His research focuses on to scientists throughout the state. — even the elevators’ walls can microbiomics and metagenomics chemically coaxing the body’s Paediatric neuroscience is also be scribbled on so ideas can be centre. Adam Kuspa, dean of stem cells to repair cardiovascular growing in stature, as shown by shared in between oors. research at the college, says the damage, while other projects are the opening in December 2010 Another boost to Texan science centre’s scientists will study how looking at improving cardiovascular of the Jan and Dan Duncan was the opening in San Antonio in January 2007 of the Center for the Intrepid, a rehabilitation facility that helps US soldiers who suered amputations or severe burns in Iraq or Afghanistan. According to Brian Herman, vice president TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER for research at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, this new facility will create new research opportunities and hugely expand the patient population in clinical studies related to rehabilitation and recovery, including post-traumatic stress disorder, prosthetics, and tissue and limb regeneration. e centralization of military medical training and patient care programmes at the San Antonio Military Medical Center expands the opportunities The Texas Medical Center in Houston is the largest medical centre in the world. still further, says Herman. ❯❯ | NATUREJOBS | 28 APRIL 2011 APRIL 28 | NATUREJOBS | 3 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Fonts of funding In addition, the publicly funded Biotechnology-related Texas Enterprise Fund awards Texas has several unique sources Cancer Prevention and Research * of funding to help support its Institute of