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New Kansas investments focused on national leadership in five areas of bioscience strengthKansas Kansas' five areas of bioscience strength were supplied with additional resources to grow as the Kansas Bioscience Authority board of directors recently approved more than $4.5 million for the expansion of research and business in animal health, biomaterials, bioenergy, plant biology, and drug development and discovery. At its board of directors meeting Oct. 28, the KBA approved the following investments: --Colwich-based ICM will receive $1 million for a collaborative bioenergy research project to bring cellulosic ethanol solutions to the marketplace using non-food sources such as switchgrass, corn fiber, and sorghum. ICM will work with Edenspace Systems, Diamond Ag, and Kansas State University following the U.S. Department of Energy's recent selection of ICM as one of four small-scale biorefinery companies to lead biomass-to-ethanol research efforts using innovative conversion technologies. --As part of the KBA's development of a strategic plan to advance the state's national bioenergy leadership, Kansas State University in Manhattan was awarded $300,000 to create a county-level inventory of biomass resources such as agricultural crop residues; grain and oilseed crops; and herbaceous energy crops. This data will highlight opportunities for the state as its bioenergy sector expands to help the country meet the National Renewable Fuels Standard, which federally mandates a significant increase in non-corn based biofuel use. --Pinnacle Technology of Lawrence will receive $375,000 for the commercialization of a wireless neurochemical biosensor for laboratory research that supports the pre-clinical development of new pharmaceuticals. The investment will partially match an $840,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institutes of Health. --Prairie Village-based NOWA Technology was awarded $1.5 million to commercialize its patent-pending technology that chemically extracts marketable products such as fuel oil and mineral salts from municipal wastewater and eliminates the need to incinerate or landfill sludge. This proprietary process reduces wastewater treatment costs while providing significant environmental benefits. --An animal-health biotechnology company codenamed Project Broadway will receive $300,000 for the commercialization of a new drug to treat a common equine disorder should it move its headquarters to Kansas. The company is expected to hire seven employees upon relocation. --The University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City was awarded $750,000 and Via Christi Medical Center in Wichita was awarded $327,500 to support their respective research goals in drug development and biomaterials. The KU Cancer Center will hire three researchers to support the work of center director Dr. Roy Jensen as KU seeks National Cancer Institute designation as a comprehensive cancer center. Via Christi's funds will secure a researcher to work with KBA eminent scholar Dr. Paul Wooley as he studies the biocompatibility of composite implants leading to orthopedic surgery applications such as prosthetic joints. KBA president Tom Thornton said the board's actions demonstrated both a strategic investment strategy and the breadth of the state's bioscience economy. "Kansas is tackling big national challenges in areas as diverse as bioenergy and animal health, but we're doing it in a smart way by focusing significant resources on our existing areas of bioscience expertise," Thornton said. "This is building a 21st century bioscience economy in our state that will thrive as we meet marketplace needs with innovation and expertise." The KBA also awarded $5.88 million Oct. 28 to the Wichita Center for Graduate Medical Education for a research program that will lead to the creation of three new research centers. These centers are intended to improve health care delivery and patient outcomes; lead to new drugs, medical products, and intellectual property; and serve as the basis for sustained accreditation of the 14 medical residency programs in Wichita. In September, the KBA executive committee approved up to $250,000 for the development of a long-range strategic plan by WCGME to assure continued research and commercialization activities and sustained, long-term funding. 11/10/08 Date: 11/6/08 Advertisement
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