Cure Aging or Die Trying

Lunch and Lecture- Dr. Bill Andrews, CEO of Sierra Sciences

Friday, November 6th, 2009 (12 pm to 1 pm) at McCormick & Schmick's - 11:30 a.m. Check-in, 12 p.m., Lunch & Lecture ($35)
335 Hughes Center, Las Vegas, NV 89169
Please RSVP by e-mail jlaub@regenmd.org

Can We Slow Down the Aging Process?
Yes - By Reversing the Telomeres Shortening Process

Reno-based Sierra Sciences is a company devoted to finding ways to extend our lifespans beyond the theoretical maximum of 125 years.

Scientific research has shown that this theoretical maximum is limited because of the length of our telomeres which shorten as we get older. Our reproductive cells don't experience this shortening, and thus don't age, because they contain an enzyme called telomerase that re-lengthens the telomeres as they shorten. Sierra Sciences is searching for pharmaceuticals that will induce the production of telomerase in all our cells.

On November 6th, 2007 Sierra Sciences found its first telomerase inducing chemical; called C0057684. This chemical is the first ever discovered that activates the telomerase gene without killing the cells. Efforts are presently underway to learn everything possible about C0057684. But, in addition, C0057684 has provided Sierra Sciences with the first positive control ever for detection of telomerase gene activity in normal human cells. This has served as a very powerful tool for the development of robust high throughput screening assays for finding additional telomerase inducing chemicals. As such, in the last year Sierra Sciences has discovered an additional 62 chemicals that activate the telomerase gene. This now enables the scientists at Sierra Sciences to design better chemicals with increased potency and specificity. Additional screening for even more chemicals is also underway.

As of October 20th, 2009: Sierra Sciences has screened 158,244 compounds. They have found 470 telomerase inducers which represent 33 distinct drug families. The company is screening 4,000 compounds per week.

Science Can Cure Aging

Bill Andrews, Ph.D. - President & CEO of Sierra Sciences

Dr. Andrews leads the scientific research and development function of Sierra Sciences. Under Dr. Andrews' direction, Sierra Sciences has discovered and filed patent applications on many previously unknown, key elements of the regulation of telomerase. Dr. Andrews' team at Sierra Sciences is now pursuing direct molecular approaches to temporarily activate telomerase expression, and is performing high-throughput screening and drug discovery efforts.

While Director of Molecular Biology at Geron Corporation, Dr. Andrews was one of the principal discoverers of the telomerase genes. He was awarded 2nd place as "National Inventor of the Year" in 1997 for this work, with his name appearing on numerous related patents and publications.

Dr. Andrews earned his Ph.D. in Molecular and Population Genetics at the University of Georgia in 1981. He was a Senior Scientist at Armos Corporation and Codon Corporation, Director of Molecular Biology at Codon and at Geron Corporation, and Director of Technology Development at EOS Biosciences.

As of April 2006, Dr. Andrews' name appears on 23+ issued US patents specifically related to telomerase, as well as 10 other patents in molecular biology. He has more than 25 refereed publications and abstracts. At Sierra Sciences, he has been responsible for all aspects of research, all of Sierra Sciences' patent applications, and all R&D facility and equipment matters.

Dr. Robin Herlands, Professor at Nevada State College to Talk - Wednesday, July 22nd - NevBio Mtg

Robin Herlands earned her PhD in Immunology at Yale University and a BS in Biology at Haverford College where she was also the Captain and MVP of the Field Hockey team.

She joined Nevada State College in July 2008 as an Assistant Professor of Biology. In addition to her teaching, she has been mentoring students for graduate school in microbiology, genetics, and immunology. She is currently completing summer research in collaboration with at UNLV with intentions of bringing some undergraduate research opportunities to NSC.


Her presentation "Bringing Biotechnology to the Classroom" will address the necessity of teaching Nevada students experimental approaches and practical techniques in the field.


July 22nd, Wednesday, 11:30 check-in; Lunch & Presentation at Noon. Cost is $35. Make checks payable to NevBio. All credit cards taken at the door or online.

Measuring Metabolic Rate: John Lighton's Presentation to NevBio

John Lighton, CEO of Las Vegas-based Sable Systems, spoke at the May 27th NevBio meeting about measuring metabolic rate. Lighton said that the measurement of metabolic rate can aid future medical and scientific developments in the areas of exercise and fitness, reperfusion injury, suspended animation, discovery science, and obesity and diabetes.

Sable Systems specializes in indirect calorimetry, the best way to determine human metabolic rate. Direct calorimetry, discovered by Antoine and Marie-Ann Lavoisier, is best for measuring the metabolic rates of smaller animals. To calculate metabolic rate, indirect caliometry measures the oxygen consumed and the CO₂ produced by the subject. Studies in indirect calorimetry have revealed that there is a very small range between when the body is burning fat alone vs. when the body is burning carbs alone. If people want to lose weight, they must burn fat deposits in their body; if they are exercising at too high of an intensity, they are subsequently burning only carbs and not exercising in the correct way to lose weight.

Lighton also advocates the use of the fruit fly Drosophila to study reperfusion injury. Strokes are the most common reperfusion injuries, damage that occurs after tissue is cut off from oxygen and then re-exposed. He explained that the lack of oxygen is not the problem, but the reperfusion of oxygen is. 83% of Drosophila genes match human genes, and studying reperfusion in fruit flies makes for accurate and cheap ways to address this problem in humans. Scientists can also use fruit flies to study obesity and fat storage, aging and senescence, diabetes and insulin-related issues, gene expression, cell proliferation and apoptosis, stem cells, heart disease, and psychological disorders.

Metabolic rate measurements are also currently used in experiments in suspended animation at Roth Lab in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute in Seattle. Suspended animation is the slowing down of life processes, such as breathing and heartbeat, through external sources. Suspended animation is induced by adding hydrogen sulfide to air, to produce a semi-hiberation state. In this state, the body temperature and metabolic rate drop. Research is still being developed in suspended animation for humans. Suspended animation would be especially helpful on the battlefield in keeping soldiers alive longer until they can receive the appropriate medical care.

Discovery science in the area of metabolic rate is rapidly developing, exploring the speculative applications of respirometry and osteopathic manipulation. Commissioned scientific research for the Department of Defense, DARPA is exploring much of the open options in relation to metabolic rate.

Measuring metabolic rate is extremely relevant to today's obesity epidemic. These measurements can be used to combat the epidemic. For scientists to understand how fat storage is controlled, they must research animal models other than humans. To halt the epidemic, scientists need to determine the root causes and address biological solutions. Ability to measure the metabolic rate is a helpful tool for balancing energy intake against energy expenditure, better enabling scientists to explore options for slowing down this nation-wide epidemic.

Lou Ruvo Brain Institute and Cleveland Clinic Team Up

In February 2009, the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute and Cleveland Clinic announced their partnership, forming the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The center's goal is to combat degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson, and provide medical care for patients. The center also has a program to provide support for caregivers.

At the February 17th press conference, Dr. Randolph Schiffer, Director of Cleveland Clinic's Center for Brain Health, said "These disorders change the social fabric of these families. The future of brain health clinics is changing. These centers must go beyond the diagnosis, providing ongoing care and support to patients and caregivers. If the Ruvo Center wants to provide quality care, it must evaluate existing programs and integrate the best of the best." Which programs the center will utilize remains undetermined, Schiffer said.

Cleveland Clinic's Center for Brain Health has operations in Cleveland. It is focused on research and will provide an integrated treatment program to about 200 patients and their families at the Cleveland and Las Vegas locations. Cleveland Clinic also has operations in Florida and Abu Dhabi and might expand its brain treatment to those locations also.

Sable Systems: Furthering Biotechnology in Nevada

Sable Systems International was founded by scientists and teachers in 1987. Sable Systems creates products for scientists by scientists, selling general research instrumentation suitable for field work or laboratory research at a low cost. More than three-fourths of their sales comes from instruments that measure the consumption of oxygen in both organisms and inanimate materials. Their instruments, cited in all of the leading scientific journals, are used worldwide and in all the leading universities and research institutes. With only 14 employees, the company is entirely self-funded and headquartered in both Las Vegas and Berlin.

Dr. John Lighton, Sable Systems to Talk - Wednesday May 27th - NevBio Mtg

Dr. John Lighton is the President of Sable Systems International, a local firm that designs and manufactures scientific instruments. He is also an adjunct professor in biological sciences at UNLV.

He is an author of over 80 peer-reviewed scientific papers in metabolic physiology.

Oxford University Press recently published his definitive textbook on metabolic measurement.

He has received over $1.5 in funding for his research from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and the Packard Foundation. His company is currently developing innovative projects for metabolic measurements of animals and humans in several areas of biomedical research.

His presentation is "What's Cool About the Fire of Life: Measuring the Metabolism of Fruit-Flies, Mice & Rats and People Can Impact Basic Science, Biomedicine and Public Policy."

May 27th, Wednesday, 11:30 check-in with lunch & presentation at noon. Cost is $35. Make checks payable to NevBio. All credit cards taken at the door or online.

NevBio Attends BIO's Fly-In into Washington DC

The Director of the Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium, John Laub, traveled to Washington DC for the two-day Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Fly-In, joining 200 other biotechnology advocates.

The 2009 Fly-In started on March 31st with a 4:30 PM briefing on BIO's key legislative issues. On April 1st, NevBio visited the offices of Dean Heller, John Ensign, Dina Titus, Shelley Berkley and Harry Reid. The visit to Harry Reid's office involved a meeting with the office's chief policy advisor. In that meeting, several other biotech companies joined NevBio to brief the staff on the issues facing the industry.

This is the second year that NevBio has participated in the BIO Fly-In. It is important that our legislators know that Biotechnology is important to Nevada's future.

NevBio at UNR Biotech Symposium

John Laub, President of Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium, was one of two speakers at UNR's Annual Biotech Symposium on May 14, 2009.

For the last five years, Dr. David Shintani of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, as organized a Biotechnology Symposium for students graduating from his BS/MS Biotechnology Degree Program.

John Laub opened the Symposium with a talk on the biotechnology industry, followed by Dr. Trent Spencer from Emory University who spoke on starting a biotech company. The students then gave presentations on their research.

Afterwards, a number of students told John that they wanted biotechnology to grow in Reno so that could stay in Nevada. We hope someday all of our Biotechnology and Bioscience students can stay in Nevada.

NevBio Talks Biotech at Board of Regents Meeting

John Laub, Executive Director of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium, gave a twenty-minute talk presentation at the University of Nevada Board of Regents meeting on February 6, 2009.

John gave a brief background on biotechnology and Nevada's role in the upcoming Biotech century.

A good portion of the speech was focused on UNLV's College of Sciences and their research. John made the case that Nevada is building a base for a biotechnology with a strong College of Sciences, well-trained bio-workers from the colleges, and a growing cluster of companies and institutes in Southern Nevada such as DSX Therapeutics, CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Sable Systems, Nevada Cancer Institute, Lou Ruvo Brain Institute and Touro Medical School.

Dr. Joseph Nika, Pre-Health Advisor for UNLV Colleges of Sciences to Talk Friday -January 30th-NevBio Mtg

Dr.Joseph Nika, Pre-Health Advisor will talk about UNLV's program to prepare students to apply for health science professional schools (medical, dental, , veterinary, pharmacy, etc.). Accompanying Dr. Nika will be several pre-med students to talk about their successeses with the Pre-Med Program.

(Pictured Left to right Dr. Ron Gary and Dr. Joseph Nika)

Joseph Nika is part of the UNLV College of Life Sciences (2005). He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Dallas, an MS from University of Texas at Dallas and his BS at the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Nika will give his presentation, "Preparing Students for Health Science Careers" at 12 Noon on Friday, January 30th, Friday, at the NevBio mtg: 11:30 check-in; Lunch & Presentation at Noon. Cost is $35. Make checks payable to NevBio. All credit cards taken at the door.

Since the UNLV College of Sciences started a Pre-Health Science Advisor Program in 2005 to help students with admission to medical, dental and other schools. The admissions to Med Schools in 2006 jumped to over 80% from the 40% in 2005. In 2007 the acceptances stayed over 80%. The national average is approximately 40%.

Dr. Joseph Nika was hired in January 2005. Since then, he has developed a substantial Health Science Pre-Professional Program (HSPP). The HSPP hosts health science professional schools annually which include admissions officers from medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary, optometry, and physical therapy programs.

During these visits, the students have the opportunity to go to lunch with many of these admissions officers and make a favorable impression prior to entry into the application cycle.

In addition to providing the opportunity to interact with the admissions officers for the schools above, HSPP also provides a number of services that allow students to procure all the non-curricular requirements for admission to medical school.

Pre-dental students must acquire a substantial amount of clinical experience and a letter of recommendation from a healthcare provider. HSPP has set up a chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), a pre-health honor society that has both dental and physician shadowing committees.

These committees will arrange dental shadowing experiences for students, thus affording students the opportunity to acquire clinical experience and secure a letter of recommendation from a healthcare provider in one fell swoop.

In addition to this, students need to acquire humanitarian service experience. AED also has a humanitarian service committee that maintains contact with many organizations in the greater Las Vegas Area.

AED students have volunteered worked with Opportunity Village, Shade Tree, the Polycistic Kidney Disease Foundation, Candle Lighters Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

Dr. Mitchell Forman, Dean of Touro University Nevada, Part of Trio to Talk at Thurs, Dec 11th NevBio Mtg

Dr.Mitchell Forman, Dr. Mahboob Qureshi, and Dr. Fred Schaller are speaking about the Touro Medical School in Henderson, Nev. The trio will be speak at the Dec 11th NevBio meeting at McCormick & Schmicks at 12 Noon. Dr. Mitchell Forman is the Dean of the University and will talk about the history of Touro, why they chose Nevada, and the need to train more doctors in Nevada. He, is an Osteopathic physician and the Founding Dean and Professor of Medicine at Touro University - Nevada. He completed his D.O. degree at the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1973. In 1979 he completed a rheumatology fellowship at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center and Kings County Hospital and remained on the teaching faculty of Downstate Medical Center. In 1992 he moved to the University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth in 1992.

In Texas, Dr. Forman was the Director of Rheumatology at the Tarrant County Hospital District and a Consultant in Rheumatology for the Federal Corrections Medical Center. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Dr. Forman has a part - time clinical practice in Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases at Touro University Nevada. He and his wife, Pearl, live in Henderson, Nevada and are founders of the Allegro Guitar Society and the Classical Guitar series in collaboration with UNLV.

Touro University’s Medical School Graduating Class Largest in Nevada

On May 18, 2008 Touro University in Henderson, Nevada held its first graduation and made history with the largest medical school graduating class in Nevada. The 76 students graduating with Doctor of Osteopathy degrees from the College of Osteopathic Medicine began their studies when Touro University Nevada was established in 2004.
Unfortunately, Nevada does not have enough residency programs for the graduates and only eighteen members of the class will stay in Nevada, twelve at Valley Hospital, in a program developed in conjunction with Touro; and six at University Medical Center (UMC) and Sunrise Hospital as part of the University of Nevada School of Medicine’s residency programs.

The graduating class also included 58 students who have earned a master’s degree in education, nursing, occupational therapy or physician assistant studies. The majority of these graduates are expected to practice in Nevada.

Touro University Nevada is part of Touro College, a private, non-profit, Jewish-sponsored institution, which currently educates approximately 17,5000 students at locations in New York, California, Florida and Nevada, and outside of the United States, in the cities of Jerusalem, Moscow, Berlin and Paris.

Touro’s mission is to provide quality educational programs in the fields of health care and education in concert with the Judaic commitment to social justice, intellectual pursuit, and service to humanity.

"Pre-empted: Will The Supreme Court Gut Product Defect Claims Against Drugs Approved By The FDA?" Joint Mtg w/ NevBio & Boyd School of Law IP Society

Kelly Evans, Partner at Snell & Wilmer, will be discussing the case of Wyeth v. Levine that was argued at the Supreme Court on November 3, 2008 at the November 24th NevBio meeting. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Wyeth in the Levine case then it may result in the preemption of a broad category of mass tort pharma cases that have recently resulted in huge verdicts against pharma companies (i.e. Vioxx). This is a closely watched case for both the pharmaceutical and legal industries.

The meeting will be Monday-November 24th at UNLV's Boyd School Law Bldg Room 102
12:30 P.M.Lunch & Lecture ($20) UNLV at 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV 89154
Please RSVP at 702-839-7222 or e-mail jlaub@regenmd.org

The following is from the Supreme Court of the United States Wiki as of November 6, 2008. Authorship: Michael Blaisdell. (1)

Diana Levine, a bass player and author of children's music in Vermont, visited a clinic to receive treatment for headache-related nausea but wound up developing tissue deterioration and gangrene in her arm, ultimately leading to its amputation. Clinic staff attending to Ms. Levine had administered the antihistamine Phenergen using a delivery technique known as an "IV push," inadvertently injecting the drug into one of Ms. Levine's arteries in the process. Although both Wyeth (the drug's manufacturer) and the FDA were aware that the "IV push" created a risk of inadvertent arterial injection and gangrene, the FDA had nevertheless approved labeling for Phenergen that warned against - but did not prohibit - IV push administration.

Ms. Levine brought a common-law negligence claim in Washington Superior Court against Wyeth, claiming that Phenergen's labeling was inadequate because it did not prohibit IV push delivery. Wyeth countered that because use of the warning label was mandated by the FDA pursuant to its authority under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), Ms. Levine's state tort suit was impliedly preempted by federal law in two ways: (1) it was impossible for Wyeth to satisfy both the labeling requirement of the FDA and the demands of Vermont's common law; and (2) state liability for use of an FDA-approved label would present an obstacle to the federal objectives of the FDCA.

The superior court instructed jurors that they could consider the FDA's approval of the label in making their negligence determination, but that the label's compliance with FDA rules did not establish the adequacy of the warnings therein. At the conclusion of the trial in 2005, the jury found in Ms. Levine's favor, awarding her more than $6 million in damages.

Wyeth appealed, and in October 2006, a divided Vermont Supreme Court upheld the ruling.
This case, Wyeth v. Levine, gives the Supreme Court another chance to mediate the relationship between organic, common-law jury verdicts and the cold machinery of the Supremacy Clause. After its February 2008 decision in Riegel v. Medtronic, in which it held that federal law expressedly preempted common-law suits against manufacturers of FDA-approved medical devices, the Court now considers the scope of federal preemption in the pharmaceutical industry, whose applicable federal regulations contain no express preemption clause.

1. "Wyeth v. Levine." Authorship: Michael Blaisdell. Scotus Wiki. November 2008.

Kelly Evans is a partner at Snell & Wilmer where his practice is focused on product liability defense, employment, and intellectual property litigation. His product liability litigation focuses on defending automotive and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Kelly's employment litigation practice includes representing employers in discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, and contractual matters. His intellectual property litigation concentrates on unfair competition, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and trademark and patent infringement. Kelly has extensive experience in state and federal court, and before administrative agencies.

Happy Hour Tour of Town Square-Fundraiser for UNLV Science Labs

"BIO ON THE VINE & ROCKS" Happy Hour Tour of Town Square

Join NevBio & Friends for a Happy Hour Tour of Town Square as we raise money for UNLV's Science Labs.

Tuesday, October 14th at Town Square- 5 PM to 7 PM

The Happy Hour Tour starts at TOMMY BAHAMA's CAFE for their famous Island drinks and appetizers.

Next, we walk across the square and down to the BRIO TUSCAN GRILL for Italian specialities and drinks on their open air patio.

Finally, we stroll over to the wine bar, THE GRAPE where we finish our tour with wine & cheese.

Please RSVP with Judy Rebholz at 839-7222 or jrebholz@cvbt.com

The Cost is $50. See you Tuesday, October 14th for fun, drinks & food.

Oct 29th NevBio Meeting at Nevada Cancer Institute

"How to Manage Early Stage Drug Development" Dr. Peter Sausen of Covance Labs at the Nevada Cancer Institute
One Breakthrough Way, Las Vegas, NV 89135
Wednesday Oct 29th 11:30 AM Check-in, Speaker & Lunch 12 PM Cost: $35
Please RSVP-Judy at 839-7222 or jrebholz@cvbt.com

Sausen on "Managing Early Drug Development"

Dr. Peter Sausen of Covance Laboratories is focused on early stage drug development. He leads a team of scientists and project managers to help drug companies with their drug development needs from preclinical safety assessment through clinical proof of concept (Phase II) clinical trials. Dr. Sausen received his Doctorate in Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992. He completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology and has worked at G.D. Searle and Eli Lilly, before moving to Covance in 2005. In his article, "Effective Project Management for Multi-Sourced Early Drug Development," he noted the components associated with Investigational New Drugs (IND) and Clinical Trial Application (CTA):

· Genetic and molecular toxicology · Mammalian toxicology
· Safety pharmacology · Bioanalytical
· Drug metabolism · Dose formulations
· Program management · Regulatory strategy
· Pre-IND meetings · Investigator's brochure
· IND/CTA preparation · GMP analytical support
· Pharmacokinetics

He also noted the some of the causes for delays in development nonclinical stages such as:
· Interruption of drug supplies
· Unavailable validated analytical methods
· Lack of process for timely problem resolution
· Lack of process to assess data and interpret for inclusion in summary documents
· Failure to match nonclinical program with clinical goals

In Phases I & II, some of the causes for delays were as follows:
· Failure to prepare suitable formulation for clinical use
· Insufficient stability data to support clinical trials
· Lack of compliance with cGMPs
· Failure to prepare acceptable container label
· Inadequate information for ethics committee
· Inadequate insurance for trial participants
· Inadequate informed consent forms
· Lack of clearly focused clinical endpoints

Sausen summarized the article saying, "A well-designed development strategy is crucial to the success of a drug candidate which also requires developing a team with scientific and regulatory expertise to ensure that a streamlined and comprehensive development pathway is attained. The ability to funnel all phases of a study through a common pathway of data management, analysis, and reporting generates more efficient, consistent, and accurate results. Throughout the process the cumulative applied technical and scientific expertise of the study team is required to meet project requirements. In some cases, no amount of preplanning can predict all of the situations that may arise. The team must respond rapidly to scientific issues and regulatory requirements thereby ensuring the continued progress of the project towards critical milestones."

Sausen will be talking at the October 29, 2008 NevBio luncheon to be held at the Nevada Cancer Institute. The program will be two hours; although those who need to leave early, will be able.

Covance is a drug development services company that provides early-stage and late-stage product development services primarily to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries worldwide. The company has over 8,000 employees and revenues over a billion. Covance believes in supporting growing biotech organizations and has graciously flown Dr. Peter Sausen to Las Vegas for this meeting. NevBio appreciates their support. COVANCE-HELPING TO BRING MIRACLES TO MARKET SOONER.

We also want to thank Nevada Cancer Institute for hosting this meeting.

Dr. Robert Webber of DSX Therapeutics to Present - Friday, September 12th

Dr. Robert J. Webber is the founder and CEO of DSX Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Webber was trained at the UCLA School of Medicine in the Department of Biological Chemistry. He was the founder, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Research & Diagnostic Antibodies®, the parent company of DSX Therapeutics, Inc. He is a pioneer in producing monoclonal antibodies, their use in diagnostic tests, and their utility as highly targeted treatments of disease. Dr. Robert Webber is the inventor or co-inventor of four issued patents and 13 pending US and foreign patent applications.

DSX Therapeutics, Inc. -Going After $19 Billion Sepsis Market

North Las Vegas-Based DSX Therapeutics has developed the first new diagnostic test to identify Sepsis 24 to 48 hours before the symptoms become apparent. In addition, DSX Therapeutics has also discovered a breakthrough therapy to treat this life-threatening problem.

Over 7 million people annually become susceptible to Sepsis and 250,000 Americans die from Sepsis each year. DSX Therapeutics is going after the $864 million diagnostic market and later the $19 billion treatment market for Sepsis. The scientists at DSX Therapeutics Inc. were conducting clinical trials for a new sepsis in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test, when they discovered that iNOS was an early biochemical marker for the onset of sepsis. They also realized that iNOS appeared to be centrally involved in the pathology of sepsis. The initial discovery culminated in the filing of patent applications to protect three novel therapeutic treatment modalities for sepsis and severe sepsis.

Sepsis Kills 250,000 Americans: Tenth Leading Cause of Death

Sepsis is the number one cause of death in Intensive Care Units. Most people believe that Sepsis is an infection. It is not. Sepsis results from an individual's hyperinflammatory response to cell wall components from dead micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. Unfortunately, Sepsis has very low Standard of Care in hospitals and hospital-acquired infections (nosocomial infections) are preventable events that affect approximately 2 million people in the USA every year and result in approximately 250,000 deaths per year. Currently, no early diagnostic test nor effective treatment exists for sepsis and severe sepsis. DSX Therapeutics has identified a biomarker and a treatment.

Chem Society Meeting in Las Vegas Researchers from UNLV & NevCancer

A number of Researchers from UNLV and Nevada Cancer Institute will be presenting at the American Chemical Society - 42nd Western Regional Meeting at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas from September 23rd to the 27th. Some of the topics are as follows:

"Proteomics in Cancer Research" by Dr. Ron Gary, UNLV

"Medicinal Chemistry in Cancer Drug Development" by Dr. Ron Fiscus, NevCancer

"New Developments in Biofuels Research" by Dr.Oliver Hemmers, UNLV

"Biodefense and Emerging Pathogen" by Dr. Ernesto Abel-Santos, UNLV

"Materials for Renewable Energy Applications" by Dr. Clemens Heske

"Lab-on-a-Chip Technology: Microfluidics/nanofluidics, for Chemical and Biochemical Applications" by Dr. Shizhi Qian, UNLV

"Radiochemistry in the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle" by Dr.Ken Czerwinski, UNLV

More information can be found at http://membership.acs.org/W/wrm2008/index.htm
The Southern Nevada Section of the American Chemical Society and the Two Year College Chemistry Consortium (2YC3) are hosting the conference.

Pre-Med Advising Program at UNLV is Outstanding! 87% Acceptance into Med Schools

UNLV College of Science implemented a comprehensive Pre-Health Science Professional Program in January of 2005. As a result of this program, 87.5% of the students, gained acceptance to medical school. UNLV now exceeds the national acceptance percentage for medical school applicants of 48% for the last five years. Pre Med Program

UNLV Genomics Lab is Productive-51 Research Papers So Far

The Genomics Laboratory has enabled UNLV to publish 51 scientific peer reviewed science journals form 2005 to 2007 in the areas of BioMedical, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics, and Physiology.

UNLV's College of Science's Fascinating Research

Ken Czerwinski leads a radiation chemistry program to improve medical treatment for cancer and to improve disposal of nuclear materials.

Frank van Breukelen studies hibernating ground squirrels to improve human organ transplant techniques.

Michelle Elekonich investigates aging and muscle use in honey bees to address human illness.

Ron Gary examines cellular responses to DNA damage with cancer treatment applications.

David Lee applies biomechanics to create robotic equipment with applications for human prosthetics and the repair of knee and ankle joints.

Carl Reiber looks at the physiology of shrimp to improve our knowledge of human cardiovascular functions.

Jeffrey Shen focuses on bioinformatics tools for genome analyses and gene annotations.

Anton Westveild creates mathematical models to spur cancer research investigations.

Helen Wing explores the biology and pathogeneses that causes dysentery in humans.

Clemens Heske studies hydrogen fuel applications and is in charge of a large DOE- funded hydrogen fuel project.

Dong-Chan Lee researches new electron-deficient semiconductors, organic field effect transistors, photovoltaic cells and nanostructured materials.

Brian Hedlund conducts research on unique thermophilic life forms in Nevada's hot springs which has resulted in promising industrial enzymes for use in biomass applications.

Ernesto Abel-Santos explores biotoxins and anthrax remedies.

Steve Roberts studies the biomechanics and aerodynamics of insects to create miniature robotic flying machines.

Adam Simon explores volcanoes to better utilize thermal energy resources in Nevada and around the globe.

Chulsung Bae experiments with energy storage and fuel cell membranes for hydrogen cars.

Balakrishman Naduvalath applies theoretical and computational algorithms to study chemical reaction and processes of interest in the earth's atmosphere with issues for atomic and molecular physics.

UNLV Energy Symposium: BioFuel, Solar, Hydrogen, Algae & More

August 20th at UNLV -Public Welcome

This year's Renewable Energy Symposium will have a number of timely talks:

"Solar Thermal Power" by John O'Donnell, VP of Ausra. Ausra has built a 130,000-square-foot facility in Las Vegas that opened in July 2008 that will eventually employ 50 people, who will be able to manufacture about four square miles of solar-thermal collectors a year, enough to generate 700 megawatts of electricity. (A megawatt can fuel anywhere from 400 to 1,000 homes depending on their energy consumption)

"New Bio-Energy Technologies" by Jay Johnson of Noresco. NORESCO is one of the largest U.S. energy services companies specializing in the development, design and operations of energy efficiency projects. Over the past two decades, NORESCO has implemented more than $2 billion in energy projects at more than 2,000 sites throughout the United States and abroad.

"Micro-Algae Could Play a Significant Role in Achieving Energy Independence" by Thomas Nartker of UNLV. UNLV could become the center of research and development of this promising, bio-fuel. Algae-biofuels could easily replace oil in the United States.

"Solar-Thermochemical Hydrogen Production Project - Progress Toward Industrial Scale Water Splitting" by Dr. Roger Rennels of UNLV. Hydrogen production by thermo-chemical water-splitting is a chemical process that accomplishes the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen using only heat or a combination of heat and electrolysis instead of pure electrolysis. It is a goal of clean, renewable energy to create hydrogen production using only water and clean renewable solar energy.

"FCAST - The Fuel Cell and Storage Technology Project at UNLV" by Dr. Clemens Heske of UNLV. Dr Clemens is running this million dollar, DOE-funded research to establish develop hydrogen fuel cells and storage. The project includes 12 researchers at UNLV studying fuel cell membranes, nanomaterial fabrication, nanospectroscopy, carbon nanotubes, hydrogen absorption and other areas.

"New Functional Polymers for Alternative Energy Applications" by Dr. Chulsung Bae of UNLV. Dr. Bae is also working Dr. Heske Fuel Storage project. He received a Ph.D. in chemistry at USC in 2002 . In 2002, he moved to Yale University to carry out postdoctoral studies with Professor John F. Hartwig investigating functionalization of C-H bonds in alkanes and polyolefins.

"Saving 35% Electricity by By Improving Efficiency" by Brian Taylor of Power Efficiency Corporation (PEC). Las Vegas-based PEC has a patent pending device that saves up to 35% of the energy of electric motors. PEC has sold three of its units to Las Vegas hotels for their elevators and escalators. Brian Taylor is a Senior VP with PEC

Dr. Hemmers Makes The Case Algae-Based Biofuels -5,000 Gallons an Acre

"One acre of algae can produce 5,000 gallons of biodiesel as compared to corn which produces 420 gallons per acre," said Dr. Oliver Hemmers, the Director of Strategic Energy Programs at UNLV. Dr. Hemmers gave a presentation to the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium at their June 2008 meeting on biofuels.

Asked how long it would take to produce 5,000 gallons, Dr Hemmers went on to say, "One season. The longer and colder a winter is the shorter the period, similar to other crops. In warmer areas the production could be as high as 15,000 gallons per acre just because of the longer warm period." Some of the proposed algae-based fuel projects have suggested building the systems next to coal burning power plants.

The CO2 emissions could be used to feed the algae along with sun. Algae can capture up to 80% of the CO2 output of a plant which on average, produces over 5 million metric tons of CO2. A coal burning plant combined with an algae-pond system could produce 156 million gallons of biodiesel a year, at $2.25 a gallon that would be $351,000,000 in revenue a year.

A number of the researchers at UNLV believe that an algae pond system should be set up next to the Reid-Garnerville plant outside of Moapa, Nevada (90 miles north of Las Vegas) and it could be used to clean up one of the dirtiest per capita coal burning plants in the country and produce millions of gallons of biodiesel.

Dr. Hemmers said that Dr. Thomas Nartker, a Chemical Engineer at UNLV approached him about the potential of algae-based biofuels. A project like this would require scientists and engineers to work together. Because the algae grows exponentially, the challenge would be how to effectively deal with the volume that is produced. These are good challenges especially during these times of rising fuel prices.

2008 Big Events in Science

Las Vegas will host a handful of special events this summer and fall that will be unique and offer a great opportunity for Las Vegans to attend some incredible meetings.



August 6, 2008

Biotechnology Day at UNLV

A full day of displays of undergraduate research, speakers, a joint luncheon with Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience, a special presentation from the National Science Foundation and tours of UNLV’s Genomics laboratory.

See more information at http://www.nevbio.org/

August 19, 2008

National Clean Energy Summit at UNLV

Senator Harry Reid, UNLV and the Center for American Progress Action Fund are putting a day-long clean energy summit at UNLV’s Cox Pavilion. Reid said that he believes Nevada can be a world leader in the renewable energy industry because of its rich solar, wind and geothermal resources. As the Majority Leader, clean energy and Nevada’s central role in this revolution will be a top legislative priority of his for the next Congress. Some of the speakers include luminaries such as former President Bill Clinton, energy developer T. Boone Pickens, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter.

Go to http://www.cleanenergysummit.org/ for more information.

August 20, 2008

UNLV’s 2nd Annual Renewable Energy Symposium

The 2008 UNLV Renewable Energy Symposium will be presented by UNLV’s Office of Strategic Energy Programs and co-sponsored by the Division of Research and Graduate Studies. UNLV faculty will give presentations on hydrogen fuel storage, solar-thermochemical production of hydrogen, catalyst production for the biodiesel industry, micro-algae as a possible solution to capture CO2 from coal burning power plants and turning algae into biodiesel. The US and Nevada Forest Services and a private company will present on Bio-Energy. Nevada Power will talk about meeting the renewable energy requirements of Nevada. The event is open to researchers, educators, students, policy makers, the private-sector and the public. This symposium is one of several events that will take place at UNLV during the week of August 18 to 22.

More details can be found at http://osep.unlv.edu/Esy2008.

September 23-27, 2008

American Chemical Society - 42nd Western Regional Meeting

The Southern Nevada Section of the American Chemical Society and the Two Year College Chemistry Consortium (2YC3) are hosting the American Chemical Society - 42nd Western Regional Meeting. Researchers from around the country, including a large number from UNLV will be presenting on a number of subjects such as Radiochemistry and Radiation Detection, Future Energy Sources and Material Science, Biomedical and Cancer Research, Organic Chemistry/Natural Products, Environment/water research and Chemistry Education to be held at the Riviera Hotel & Casino.

More information can be found at http://membership.acs.org/W/wrm2008/index.htm

October 8-10, 2008

1st Annual WaterSmart Innovations Conference

The Southern Nevada Water Authority, the EPA's WaterSense program and other international organizations are hosting the largest conference of its kind in the world.
The WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition will be the premier venue for showcasing new water-efficiency technology to industry and business from around the globe. The seminars and exhibit hall are open to the public. It will be held Oct. 8-10, 2008, at the South Point Hotel & Casino.See more information at http://www.watersmartinnovations.com/

New Treatment for Congestive Heart Failure in Las Vegas-July 10th Meeting

Dr. Richard M. Sweet, M.D. is the Medical Director of HemoTherapeutics which is opening an outpatient Aquapheresis treatment center. Aquapheresis is a method to safely remove excess fluid and salt from hear failure patients. Once filtered, the clean blood is returned to the body through a second catheter.By using the system, up to four liters of fluid can be removed in an eight-hour period with no significant impact on blood pressure, kidney function or electrolyte balance.He is speaking at the July 10, 2008 NevBio Meeting.

Dr. Edward Philbin, Medical director of the Heart Failure Program at Albany Medical Center told the Daily Gazette of Schenectady, New York that Aquapheresis is an innovative therapy that removes dangerous levels of excess fluid in patients suffering from congestive heart failure.

Congestive heart failure is the most expensive diagnosis in the medicare Program-over $30 Billion. The therapy has proven to be more effective in removing excess fluid than standard treatment and reduces the likelihood of repeated hospitalizations for congestive heart failure, said Philbin.

"The new research coming out and studies we are participating in would suggest that aquapheresis is more effective and safer than diuretics," he added. Aquapheresis is the first major advancement for acute fluid removal in the setting of acute heart failure since the introduction of diuretics more than 50 years ago.

Philbin explained that aquapheresis uses the process of ultrafiltration to remove excess sodium and water from the body. Blood is withdrawn through a catheter and circulated through the filter system that separates the fluids from the blood.

The Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience meeting is Thursday, July 10, 2008 at Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe in Town Square at 6635 Las Vegas Blvd. The cost is $35.

RSVP with Judith at 702-839-7222 or jrebholz@cvbt.org.

Are Bio-Fuels A True Alternative? Yes -5,000 Gallons an Acre

Yes and were not talking corn! It is algae. “One acre of algae can produce 5,000 gallons of biodiesel as compared to corn which produces 420 gallons per acre,” said Dr. Oliver Hemmers, the Director of Strategic Energy Programs at UNLV. Dr. Hemmers gave a presentation to the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium at their June meeting on biofuels. Asked how long it would take to produce 5,000 gallons, he went on to say, “One season. The longer and colder a winter is the shorter the period, similar to other crops. In warmer areas the production could be as high as 15,000 gallons per acre just because of the longer warm period.” Some of the proposed algae-based fuel projects have suggested building the systems next to coal burning power plants. The CO2 emissions could be used to feed the algae along with sun. Algae can capture up to 80% of the CO2 output of a plant which on average, produces over 5 million metric tons of CO2. A coal burning plant combined with an algae pond system could produce 156 million gallons of biodiesel a year, at $2.25 a gallon that would be $351,000,000 in revenue a year.

A number of the researchers at UNLV believe that an algae pond system should be set up next to the Reid-Garnerville plant outside of Moapa, Nevada (90 miles north of Las Vegas) and it could clean up one of the dirtiest per capita coal burning plants in the country and produce millions of gallons of biodiesel.

Dr. Hemmers said that Dr. Thomas Nartker, a chemical engineer at UNLV approached him about the potential of algae-based biofuels. A project like this would require scientists and engineers to work together. Because the algae grows exponentially, the challenge would be to effectively deal with the volume that is produced. These are good challenges.

Hemmers to Speak at NevBio on Biofuels and the Renewable Energy Symposium

Dr. Oliver Hemmers is the Director of the Office of Strategic Energy Programs, UNLV and an Associate Research Professor, Department of Chemistry. Dr. Hemmers will discuss Biofuels and UNLV's 2nd Annual Renewable Energy Symposium at the June 10th meeting of NevBio.

Dr. Hemmers is currently the Project Manager of a DOE-funded biodiesel project that is focusing on new ways to produce sodium methoxide. The project involves eleven graduate students, one technician, eight post-docs, one research professor, five faculty members and one commercial partner.

Dr. Hemmers received his Ph.D. in Atomic and Molecular X-Ray Spectroscopy from the Technical University in Berlin, Germany in 1993. His research includes hydrogen fuel storage with a focus on carbon nano-structures and new materials for renewable energy.

He has published approximately 90 articles, given about 200 presentations at national and international meetings and has secured research grants in excess of six million dollars.

Algae-Based Biofuels to be Discussed at UNLV Energy Symposium

Algae as biofuel can be 20 times as productive as corn or soy, growing year round and harvested daily. Large algae ponds can be grown in Nevada because they need land and a lot of sun but not agricultural land or clean water. In a number of areas in the country they are using coal fired smoke stacks to feed the algae and clean the smoke. It has been estimated that by 2020, algae could be producing as much pollution-free transportation fuel as Saudi Arabia delivers in fossil fuel. Honeywell and several airlines are researching the use of biofuels for commercial aircraft. DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is also funding research in to biofuels. UNR has several projects on algae as a biofuel. A large-scale algae-based biofuels project would be a good for the state.

Over 70 Attended May's NevBio Meeting on the Brain Institute

Dr. Zaven Khachaturian gave an exceptional presentation on the goals and mission of the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. Dr. Kachaturian is looking for new ways to fight brain diseases. He is bringing the best minds in the field to discuss and share their ideas on a regular basis to Las Vegas. He is looking for new ways to treat brain disorders that are not yet part of the orthodox thinking on treatment. He is looking for ways to prevent and delay the onset of Alzheimer's and dementia. He wants to see clinical trials in Las Vegas. He was an inspiring speaker.

UNLV's 2nd Annual Renewable Energy Symposium Receives Support from Senator Reid

US Senator Harry Reid and his staff are strongly supporting UNLV's Renewable Energy Symposium. Senator Reid has a keen interest in renewable energy and his office sees this event as an pivotal opportunity to help shape America's alternative energy policy.

The Symposium will be held on August 20, 2008 at the UNLV's Stan Fulton Building. The program will cover Solar, Wind, Hydrogen and Biofuels. The event is open to researchers, educators, students, policy makers, the private-sector and the public. This symposium is one of several events that will take place at UNLV during the week of August 18 to 22. More details can be found at http://osep.unlv.edu/Esy2008

Hiba Risheg-UNLV College of Sciences’ Alumna of the Year Made Important Gene Discovery

Dr. Hiba Risheg graduated from UNLV's College of Science in 1997 and later earned her PhD in Genetics. Hiba has been credited with discovering the gene that causes a form of mental retardation. Researchers have been searching 40 years for this gene.

It was the birth of Hiba Risheg's cousin, Zied which led to a breakthrough career in genetics. Zied was born with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a genetic disorder characterized by developmental delay or mental retardation, seizures, and lesions of the skin and nervous system. Hiba wanted to understand the genetics behind the disorder. Years later, she had her answer. TSC can be inherited, but most often results from a spontaneous genetic mutation. "It's something that just happens. Just by chance," Risheg says. With the causative gene isolated, the syndrome can be better defined and diagnostic testing can be offered. UNLV's College of Sciences has awarded Hiba Risheg its 2008 Alumna of the Year Award.

University of Nevada, Reno Holds Their 4th Annual Biotech Symposium

University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources held its 4th annual Biotech Symposium on May 14, 2008. The event is set up to allow students to showcase their research. UNR's five year BS/MS program for Biotechnology is being run by Dr. David Shintani.

This year seven students competed with posters and presentation. The students were also judged on the Best Research Presentation. In addition, the symposium also had speakers from Sierra Sciences, Charles River Laboratories and AFG Biosolutions. John Laub and Judith Rebholz from NevBio attended this year's event. "It's an impressive event. The students are the stars of the program and they have done some incredible, cutting edge research. Dr. Shintani is to be commended for putting on this program," said John Laub.

Father of Alzheimer’s Research to Speak at NevBio May Mtg

Dr. Zaven Khachaturian is widely recognized around the world as the father of Alzheimer’s research in the United States. Dr. Khachaturian is speaking at the May 8, 2008 lunch meeting of the Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) at the Panevino Restaurant on Sunset and Via Antonio Rd (246 Via Antonio).

Dr. Khachaturian is also President and CEO of the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute and Keep Memory Alive, Inc., a Nevada based not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding cures for memory, mood and movement disorders associated with diseases related to dementia, including such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and other neurodegenerative conditions.

He is responsible for planning, staffing and developing the medical and scientific programs of the Institute, which will be housed in the Frank Gehry-designed building in Las Vegas.

Dr. Khachaturian is best known as the architect of most scientific programs of research on brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease supported by the U.S. Government.

Dr. Khachaturian maintains a full schedule as an author and public speaker on such topics as: Aging, Alzheimer’s disease, Politics of Science, Prospects of Preventing Disabilities of Aging, Barriers to the Development of Effective Treatments, and Revolutions in Models of Care and Future trends in Research.

He is also the ‘Senior Science Advisor’ to the Alzheimer’s Association and serves as the Editor-in-chief of Alzheimer’s Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer’s
Association

He serves on the editorial boards of several publications and the advisory committees of many organizations. He provides guidance to universities, foundations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and nursing homes in formulating strategies for: program evaluation, planning, legislative initiatives, development/fund raising and media relations.

Formerly, he was Director of the Ronald & Nancy Reagan Research Institute of the Alzheimer’s Association. He was also the former Director of the Office of Alzheimer’s Disease Research, which coordinated all Alzheimer’s disease-related activities at the National Institutes of Heal in Bethesda, Maryland. During the same period he also served as the Associate Director of the Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program at the National Institution on Aging at NIH. During nearly twenty years of government service, he occupied progressively more responsible positions dealing with a broad range of national scientific and technical issues concerning the development and funding of national research programs/initiatives on: brain aging, neurological disorders, diagnostic criteria and standards, research infrastructure for clinical trials, drug discovery programs, intellectual property rights, regulatory issues and cultivation of human resources.

The Thursday, May 8th NevBio meeting will be at the Panevino Italian Restaurant at 246 Via Antonio. Check-in and networking start at 11:30 AM and the meeting will start at 12 PM. The cost is $30. Pay at the door or online at nevbio.org. Credit cards, cash, checks accepted. Please RSVP to Judith Rebholz 839-7201 or jrebholz@cvbt.com

UNLV has new Technology Transfer Director

Dr. Robert Sweitzer is the new Director of the Office of Technology Transfer at UNLV and will be focusing on increasing UNLV’s patents and licensing opportunities. This is an area that can generate big revenue for UNLV. Dr. Sweitzer will help faculty and students with patent and copyright procedures, licensing, venture capital, business incubation and starting companies.

Dr.Swietzer told Linda Rubinson, Director of Development for NevBio, that he is especially exited about UNLV’s Genome Center. He believes that it has great promise for new research and patenting opportunities.

Dr. Stan Smith, Associate Vice President for Research said that UNLV is firmly behind technology transfer at UNLV. He said in press release, “President Ashley’s desire [is] to advance UNLV’s research agenda, we are committed to taking technology transfer to a new level of activity.” UNLV College of Sciences has been doing their part by pushing new research and hiring new talented researchers.

Sweitzer had worked with Technology Ventures Corporation in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where from 2005 to 2007 he was Director of Project Development and Business Assistance and concurrently served on the marketing faculty at New Mexico State University. From 1993 to 2005 he was founder and president of The Matrix Group in Redlands, Calif., where he developed marketing strategies and business development programs for southern California companies. He also served on the faculty of Pepperdine University in 2004-2005 and Claremont Graduate University from 1989 to 2004. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Purdue University and an MBA and Ph.D. from Michigan State University.


1. “UNLV Appoints Technology Transfer Director.” Press Release. UNLV’s Division of Research and Graduate Studies. January 30, 2008.

NevBio Goes to Washington DC

Seven members of Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium traveled to Washington DC to promote Biotechnology in the State of Nevada. See more at NevBio in DC

Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) sponsored seven members of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium to be in Washington DC on April 15th and 16th to attend several briefings on issues concerning the industry and to provide an opportunity to discuss biotechnology with the Nevada Congressional Delegation

The industry is concerned about proposed changes in patenting, the need to increase funding to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), opening up the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) programs to companies that have taken venture capital funding and to provide broader support of Biofuels initiatives.

The Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium group included: John Laub, Nev Bio Executive Director; Linda Rubinson, Nev Bio Development Director; Ron Yasbin, Dean of the College of Sciences at UNLV; Carl Reiber, Associate Dean of the College of Sciences at UNLV; Oliver Hemmers, Director of Strategic Energy Programs at UNLV; Jennifer Von Tobel, Executive Director of the Von Tobel Bio-Medical Institute and Trish Williamson, Marketing Director of the Von Tobel Bio-Medical Institute.

The delegation met with the following:

Senator Reid’s office included Jason Unger, Brittany Blanchard, Neil Kornze, Carolyn Gluck, Michael Castellano and Mark Wetjen.

Senator John Ensign’s office included Jason D. Mulvihill, Andrew Shaw, Brooke Allmon and John Lopez

Congresswoman’s Shelley Berkeley’s office included Congresswoman Shelly Berkeley, Matthew R. Coffron and Jeremy Kadden.

Congressman’s Jon Porter office included Congressman Jon Porter, Stan Olsen and John Minn.

Congressman Dean Heller office included Congressman Dean Heller, Leeann Walker and Stewart "Mac" Bybee.

NevBio President is Health Care Headliner

By Danielle Birkin, Contributing writer In-Business

John Laub believes the transition from the information age to the biotech age is afoot, and as executive director of the Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) — a volunteer, nonprofit organization comprised of companies, institutes, academia, researchers, scientists and individuals interested in biotech and life sciences — Laub is poised to disseminate information, encourage business development and promote scientific investigation and education. Laub is a native Nevadan who has a background in accounting finance and is also executive director of the Regenerative Medicine Organization. He said NevBio was founded a year ago when he and a group of colleagues attended the Regenerative Medicine Conference. Impressed with new research and opportunities, they decided to create an organization to bring a focus and create a synergy to the advancements made in life sciences. “The mission of the group is awareness,
education and partnership,” said Laub, one of the four co-founders. “We need to make Nevadans aware that we are entering the biotech century,” he said, adding that our kids need to learn and understand biology because it will be as important to the younger generation as knowing computers and the Internet was to the previous generation. “And
it takes education and business to work together. … This will help Nevada by providing
economic development, new treatments and an increased number of clinical trials for Nevadans and better health care as doctors in Nevada are exposed to new treatments and more resources.” “In one short year, we’ve had a tremendous impact because Las Vegas and Nevada are ready for this,” Laub said.

“The advances that are occurring in science and medicine are exciting and I feel like I have a front-row seat to some of the greatest discoveries that are going to change mankind. Craig Venter, who helped bring about the making of the first synthetic bacterial genome, said that the science is important, but getting the word out about the science is just as important, so we all have a role.”

Laub said science and math education are strongly emphasized in Southern Nevada
— thanks, in part, to a push from parents, teachers and the Clark County School District — which will help prepare young people for the biotechnology revolution.

“But we need to make people aware of what’s going on in biotechnology so we can start attracting developing companies and encouraging research,” he said. “Right now, we have students graduating from the college of sciences at UNLV who can’t find jobs here and we want to change that. We’d like to keep them here … because this is our best and our brightest. We can become more than a tourist destination. We can become a center for biotechnology and I think we will because people in Las Vegas think out of the box and they are risk-takers, and that’s what’s going to make a difference in becoming a biotech center.”

Health Care Headliners
SUPPLEMENT TO IN BUSINESS LAS VEGAS April 11, 2008

BioProspecting Nevada’s Geothermal Ecosystems: Dr. Hedlund's Talk at March Mtg

Brian Hedlund, Ph.D, a microbiologist and Associate Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, spoke at the March 12, 2008 Nev Bio Meeting.

Five years ago, UNLV had a vision to build a world class Microbiology Department. According to Carl Reiber, Ph.D., Associate Dean of the College of Sciences this department’s second hire was Brian Hedlund, Ph.D. Brian is a remarkable teacher and researcher, who according to Dr Reiber produced leading edge microbial studies coupled with extraordinary discoveries of new species. Brian’s innovation and accomplishment contributed to his wining the First NSF Career Award. This 5 year, $800,000 award has supported the development and continued studies of microbes found in the hot springs peppered across the state of Nevada. Since many of these hot springs are found on sacred American Indian sites, a natural extension of the projects became the collaboration with tribal schools to study the integration of cultures, ecological development, geochemistry and environmental impact.

The State of Nevada has hundreds of hot springs, each with diversified chemical composition. These hot springs are the result of a very active tectonically active zone where rifting plates cause the hot springs closer to the surface. In the northwest corner of our state there are three areas that are especially active: Surprise Valley, Great Boiling Springs and Long Valley Caldera. Long Valley is the second largest caldera in the country, with Yellowstone being the first.

The microbes that live in these hot springs are sustained through a number of processes that assimilate carbon for nutrition in temperatures up to 73 degrees Celsius. At this excessively high temperature, no life can exist. It is not completely clear how these organisms work, survive or feed. The variety and diversity of organisms found in these sites is enormous and seasonal changes impact this diversity. There is suspicion that the many hot spring sites are fully independent, contributing to the distinct difference in species in each location. The largest challenge to identifying the many species of microbes found in the hot springs is the hundreds of contaminants from air, water, precipitation and soil.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reactions) techniques provide fundamental tool in identifying the DNA fingerprint of the hot spring microbes. Thermophilic enzymes, produced by these organisms, are very desirable. These enzymes are stable, especially at high temperatures and high pH, and work quickly to produce the desired effects.

Thermophilic enzymes are used in oil wells to make the oil easier to pump out. They are also used in feed pellets to allow cows to grow faster, building more muscle and milk. They enhance ethanol production and build biomass in plants. A significant usage is the production of alternative fuel. A five way collaboration to break down carbon in sugar is being studied. In Brazil 95% of their fuel comes from sugarcane.

In summary, “There is Gold to be found in Nevada’s Hot Springs”. Geothermal bacteria and viruses are contributing to the development of biofuels, enhanced growth of food and food products, support for ecosystems and possible biomedical usage in the treatment of disease. The opportunities are endless, the collaborations and partnerships are vital and the impact on enhanced quality of life is significant.

Linda Rubinson, Director of Market Development & Strategic Alliances for Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium

NevBio Joins BIO

The Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium announced on March 31, 2008 that it has accepted an invitation to join the Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA), an autonomous council of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). John Laub, Executive Director of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium, said, “Our affiliation with BIO is very important to help us meet our goals of enhancing biotechnology education and development in Nevada. The BIO partnership will allow us to access resources for Nevada universities, organizations and companies that we would not have had before. BIO has invited the Board of Directors to attend the national conference in San Diego and waived the fee.”

BIO is the largest organization in the world in biotechnology. More than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations are part of BIO. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO’s annual convention is the world’s largest. BIO expects 25,000 to attend the San Diego Convention from June 17th through the 20th, 2008.

UNLV Co-Sponsors Science Bowls for High School & Middle School Students

UNLV’s Office of Strategic Energy Programs (OSEP) will be a co-organizer and co-sponsor for this year’s National Science Bowl Event for Middle Schools in Las Vegas, on April 4 and 5, 2008. OSEP is involved in the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge. Nate Tannenbaum and Jeff Gordon will be hosting the event and the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Race.

The following schools will participate (some schools have more than 1 team taking part): Faith Lutheran, Las Vegas Day School, Hyde Park Middle School, Bob Miller Middle School, Cortney Middle School, Garrett Middle School, Keller Middle School,Grant Sawyer Middle School, Coral Academy of Science. For more information: Middle School Science Bowl

High school students competed in the Nevada Regional Science Bowl on February 8-9, 2008. Thirty-two teams from high schools in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah competed in the seventeenth Annual Nevada Regional Science Bowl, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Las Vegas schools that competed are: Advanced Technologies Academy, Bonanza High School (2 teams), Centennial High School, Cheyenne High School (2 teams), Clark High School (2 teams), Faith Lutheran High School (2 teams), Legacy High School, Palo Verde High School, Shadow Ridge High School, The Meadows High School, Valley High School (2 teams). Boulder City High School will also have a team in the tournament. And a team from Henderson's, Coronado High School will compete as well.

A team from The Meadows School in Las Vegas came in first, Palo Verde High School of Las Vegas placed second, followed by Coronado High School of Henderson. More than 30 schools in four states competed in the 17th Annual Nevada Regional Science Bowl.

David Lee, PhD to Discuss Biomechanics in Robotic Locomotion

David Lee, PhD, College of Sciences at UNLV will be discussing biomechanics in robotic locomotion in a talk titled, “Bio-Robotics” on April 9th, 2008 at the UNLV Foundation Room at 12 PM at the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium luncheon. The public is welcomed. Dr. Lee has been studying the mechanical principles of legs and joints in animals. His work has contributed to the mechanical design and control of BigDog, the world's most advanced, four legged robot built by Boston Dynamics. The video of the four legged mechanical robot has become one of the most-watch videos on the internet.

It was his research in comparative biomechanics of running, jumping, and climbing in legged animals, primarily in quadrupeds but also in bipedal birds and humans that helped the designers of BigDog. Comparative biomechanics can show the complex dynamics that underlay animal movement in terrestrial environments.

The musculoskeletal mechanics that make animal movement possible are described by high-speed motion capture or high-speed x-ray imaging during locomotion. These force (kinetic) and movement (kinematic) data are combined to describe the dynamics of locomotion.

Dr. Lee reports, “As legged walkers and runners ourselves, the underlying dynamics are often taken for granted - yet the achievement of dynamic stability in legged robots on a smooth floor, let alone in real-world environments, has proven a formidable engineering challenge. We model the action of muscle-tendon system(s) about a given joint as a serial actuator and spring. By this technique, the experimental joint moment is imposed while the combined angular deflection of the actuator and spring are constrained to match the experimental joint angle throughout the stance duration. The same technique is applied to the radial leg (i.e., shoulder/hip-to-foot). The spring constant that minimizes total actuator work is considered optimal…” Watching the video of BigDog, one can see the complexity of a walking robot.

Dr. Lee is also interested in relating leg and joint mechanics to muscle function as a promising approach to understanding joint dysfunction in osteoarthritis. He will be speaking April 9,2008 at the next meeting of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium at UNLV campus. For more information or to RSVP, you can eamil Jrebholz@cvbt.com or call Judy Rebholz at 702-839-7222.

UNLV Researcher’s Work Part of World’s Most Advanced Quadruped Robot

UNLV Assistant Professor, Dr. David Lee's research on comparative biomechanics of animal movements has contributed to the mechanical design and control of BigDog, the world's most advanced, four legged robot.

Boston Dynamics was the leader of a team of companies that won the bid for a $10 million grant to build a biologically inspired, multifunctional, dynamic robot which became BigDog.

In 2006 Boston Dynamics first released video of BigDog which shows a four-legged mechanical monster that can negotiate icy terrain, leap like a deer and keep its balance when kicked.

The video has become one of the most-watched on the internet; the headless BigDog picks its way across a pile of bricks, runs through snow and executes a series of nimble jumps

In 2008 Boston Dynamics has released new footage of a newer version of the BigDog which shows even more improvements. It has been viewed over 1 million times.

Dr Sam Cubero, a lecturer in robotics at the University of Southern Queensland, said that BigDog was "pretty hi-tech." Cubero went on to say, "The robot knows how to stay upright or stable because of its plethora of onboard sensors like tilt sensors, rate sensors, position sensors for each joint and foot sensors."

It is an impressive video to watch. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

1. “BigDog Delivers on Robotic Promise.” National Nines News. (ninemsn). Tuesday Shaun Davies. March 18, 2008

2. http://www.bostondynamics.com//

3. “Compliance, Actuation, and Work Characteristics of the Goat Foreleg and Hindleg During Level, Uphill, and Downhill Running. “ David V. Lee, M. Polly McGuigan, Edwin H. Yoo and Andrew A. Biewener. Journal of Applied Physiology. October 18, 2007.

Nevada Cancer Institute Researcher has Drug Accepted for Human Trials

Dr. Nam Hoang Dang, the Chief of Hematological Malignancies at Nevada Cancer Institute, learned that his drug, which is an antibody to CD26, was accepted by the FDA for Phase1 Human trials. The drug is a humanized monoclonal antibody which targets solid tumors and hematological cancers. During Dang’s 20 years of research, he discovered a molecule called CD26 that plays a crucial role in the development of certain cancers. He then worked on developing its antibody. He told the Las Vegas Sun that the drug has been effective in the lab and in animal tests for a variety of cancers, including kidney cancer; mesophelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs most commonly caused by asbestos; and T-cell lymphoma, a rare blood cancer.

Dang pioneered the study of CD26 over twenty years ago when he was pursuing his Ph.D. and M.D. at Harvard University. Dang was the first researcher to target CD26 to fight cancer. Dang continued his work at MD Anderson Cancer Center where he filed his patent in May 2002, “Anti-CD26 monoclonal antibodies as therapy for diseases associated with cells expressing CD26.” The patent was issued on April 3, 2007.

In 2003 he partnered with Dr. Chikao Morimoto, a researcher in Tokyo, to start a Japan-based pharmaceutical company, Y’s Therapeutics, which has raised the investment capital to help bring the drug to market.

Dang hopes that the Phase I trials will take place at Nevada Cancer Institute. The Phase I clinical trials should start in April 2008 and the results of the trial are expected to be completed in March 2010.

Sandra Murdoch, President of the Nevada Cancer Institute, told the Las Vegas Sun that Dang’s work is a “major breakthrough” which she hopes will help attract more world-class researchers. The institute has 27 researchers on its faculty, but hopes to have 80 within five years.

Dang immigrated to the United States from Vietnam with his family as a 12-year boy in 1975 and learned to speak English while listening to sports talk radio. After spending time in refugee camps off the coast of California, he and his family moved to Dallas, Texas with the support of a church located in Highland Park. He graduated as Valedictorian from Highland Park High School and went to Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, where he graduated with top honors, earning his B.A. (magna cum laude), M.D. (magna cum laude), and Ph.D. degrees. He continued his medical education in the Harvard system with residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital, and fellowship training at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, becoming board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. In 2005 he became the Chief of the Department of Hematologic Malignancies at the Nevada Cancer Institute and also in
2008, he became a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine.


1. “Las Vegas Doctor’s Cancer Drug Accepted for Human Testing.” Marshall Allen. The Las Vegas Sun. February 22, 2008.

2. “Y's Therapeutics Announces FDA Acceptance of IND to Conduct Phase I Clinical Trial for YSCMA in the USA.” Company Press Release. February 13, 2008.

3. “Anti-CD26 Monoclonal Antibodies as Therapy for Diseases Associated With Cells Expressing CD26.” United States Patent # 7198788.

4. http://www.nevadacancerinstitue.org/

NevBio Meeting-Dr.Brian Hedlund-March 13th-Thursday

“How Research on Thermophillic Microbes in the Great Basin Hot Springs has Biomedical Applications.”

SPEAKER: Brian Hedlund, Ph.D.; UNLV College of Sciences
DATE: March 13, Thursday
TIME: 11:30 am Check-in/Networking 12 PM Lunch & Program
PLACE: UNLV Foundation 4505 S. Maryland Parkway

COST: $20 (Pay at the door, credit cards, cash, checks accepted)
R.S.V.P. Judith Lynn Rebholz 839-7201 or jrebholz@cvbt.com

ABOUT THE TOPIC:

Photosynthesis does not occur in geothermal systems above ~73ºC, so energy for primary production within these systems must come from chemolithotrophy. Although it has been asserted that H2 is the most important reductant for these ecosystems, this has yet to be experimentally determined. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene libraries from many hot springs in the Great Basin are dominated by unknown groups of Archaea and Bacteria. Therefore, the important energy conserving metabolisms in these ecosystems are unknown.

2008 Nevada Biotech Awards Luncheon at the Wynn Hotel. February 18th, 2008.

From Left to Right: Senator Reid, John Laub & Glenn Christenson.

Next picture: Daniel Montano, Amy Gordon, Senator Reid, John Laub & Dr. William Li.

John Laub, Senator Harry Reid & Steven Zak, Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium

2008 Nevada Biotech Awards Luncheon at the Wynn Hotel, February 18th, 2008. From left to right, Judith Rebholz, John Laub, Senator Harry Reid, UNLV President David Ashley, Linda Rubinson and Dean of the College of Sciences, Dr. Ron Yasbin.

2008 Nevada Biotech Awards-February 18th

Over 250 people attended the inaugural Nevada Biotech Awards Luncheon on February 18, 2008 honoring Senator Harry Reid and UNLV’s College of Sciences at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. Eight researchers from the College of Sciences had displays demonstrating some of the research that is taking place at UNLV. In addition, a number of biotech and life science companies had material at the luncheon. The luncheon was a sign that Las Vegas is becoming a center of biotechnology.

Senator Harry Reid arrived at noon and promptly introduced himself to the volunteers checking in the attendees. Later, John Laub, President of Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) escorted Senator Reid around the room and introduced him to each table. Reid had enough time to meet roughly half of the attendees before he had to sit down for his lunch.

The luncheon honored Senator Harry Reid and UNLV’s College of Sciences for their contributions to biotechnology in Nevada. Senator Harry Reid has secured more than $100 million for Nevada Universities. He is arguably the State’s leading supporter of higher education. UNLV's College of Sciences was selected because they have become on par with any school in the country in biotechnology and life sciences. They have increased the number of research grants, published papers, programs, awards, laboratories and students in just a few short years.

John Laub, President of NevBio opened and chaired the meeting. He brought up Daniel Montano, Chairman of the Board of the Regenerative Medicine Organization, the joint sponsor of the luncheon. Glenn Christenson of Velstand Investments, LLC spoke on behalf of the Nevada Development Authority. Linda Rubinson, Board Member of NevBio, gave the reasons that the NevBio Board selected UNLV's College of Sciences for the award. Jennifer Von Tobel of the Von Tobel BioMedical Institute presented the award. Dr.David Ashley and Dr. Ron Yasbin of UNLV accepted the award. NevBio Board Member, Judith Rebholz gave the reasons the board selected Senator Harry Reid. Dr. Maurizio Trevisan presented the award to Senator Reid. Senator Reid thanked the organization for the award and promised to continue to work hard for Nevada and to fund medical research.

In attendance from education were Michael Wixom, Chairman of the University Board of Regents, Dr. Maurizio Trevisan, CEO of University of Nevada Health Sciences System, UNLV President Dr. David Ashley, UNLV Dean of the College of Sciences Dr. Ron Yasbin, Dr. Michael Richards, President of the College of Southern Nevada, Judi Steel, Public Education Foundation and Ms. Jhone M. Ebert, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Clark County School District.

In attendance from industry and institutes, Dr. Thomas Stegmann, Co-Founder of CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc., Daniel Montano, Co-founder & President of CardioVascular BioTherapeuetics, Inc., Sandra Murdock, President and COO of the Nevada Cancer Institute, Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang, Executive Director of the Nevada Cancer Institute, Dr. David Ward, Deputy Director of the Nevada Cancer Institute and
Dr. Wilson Xu and Dr. Hui Zhang.

In attendance were several politicians, Jim Gibson, Mayor of Henderson, State Controller Kim Wallin and assemblyperson Valerie Weber.

In attendance from the community were Jennifer Von Tobel, Von Tobel Bio-Medical Institute; Dave Archer, Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology and Claudine Williams of the UNLV Foundation.

Also, in attendance were ten UNLV students.

The event was a tremendous success and a sign that Las Vegas has become a center for biotechnology and life sciences.

Senator Harry Reid’s Support for Higher Education to be Recognized at the Nevada Biotech Awards Luncheon

“Having secured more than $100 million for Nevada universities, Senator Reid has arguably been the State’s leading supporter of higher education in Nevada,” said John Laub, President of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium.

Laub said, “Biotechnology and bioscience are very research dependent. They require highly trained employees and obviously, higher education is crucial to the growth and expansion of biotechnology. Senator Reid’s strong belief in finding cures has been invaluable to the biotechnology discipline in Nevada and we are pleased to honor one of our State’s and one of the nation’s great leaders who has done so much to advance the biotechnology sector. It is for that reason that we have chosen to name this honor “The Harry Reid Biotechnology Award” and to present the Senator with the first award. U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) is the recipient of the 2008 inaugural Harry Reid Award for Biotechnology in Nevada.

Additionally, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas’s College of Sciences will receive the organization award for Biotechnology in Nevada.

Thomas A. Thomas to Present Nevada Biotech Award

Thomas A. Thomas, son of E. Parry Thomas, an early supporter of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, has agreed to help present the 2008 Nevada Biotech Awards. Mr. Thomas will be presenting the award to UNLV’s College of Sciences which is receiving the award for the Organization that has Advanced Biotechnology in Nevada. Mr. Thomas’s father, E. Parry Thomas and Jerry Mack helped secure a portion of the land that UNLV now occupies. The Thomas and Mack Center is named after E. Parry Thomas and Jerry Mack. The Thomas and Mack families continue to be strong supporters of the university.

Senator Harry Reid is receiving the Nevada Biotech award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to Biotechnology in Nevada. The award is being presented by Dr. Maurizio Trevisan, CEO of the University of Nevada Health Sciences System.

Eight UNLV Scientists Displaying Latest Research at Nev Biotech Awards Luncheon

Eight scientists from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) will be displaying their research at the Nevada Biotech Awards luncheon on February 18th. UNLV Research Projects on Display:

“Identification of an In Vivo Inhibitor of Bacillus anthracis Stern Spore Germination”
Ernesto Abel-Santos, Associate Professor, Chemistry Department

Spore germination is the first step in anthrax pathogenesis. Inhibition of germination implies no development of vegetative bacteria, no toxins and no death. There are seven putative germination receptors encoded by tricistronic operons and five germination pathways.

“A Mathematical Model for Polymorphism Within and Between Two Related Species”
Amei Amei, Assistant Professor, Mathematics Department

Characterizing the various forces that shape patterns of genetic polymorphism within and between species is a goal of population genetics (Hartl and Clark 2007). Statistical inference using Poisson random field models can provide powerful likelihood and Bayesian methods for quantifying some of the forces, such as mutation and directional selection.

“Life is Hard Then You Die: Age, Flight Behavior and Senescence in the Honey Bee”
Michelle Elekonich, Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences

Foraging bees produce the highest mass-specific metabolic rate ever measured while flying. Conservative estimates suggest these hard working flight muscles contract over 4 million times per day. Thus foragers’ flight muscles may experience high levels of oxidative stress during normal daily activities. An average lifespan of bees is 3 -4 weeks.

“Effects of GSK-3B Inhibitors on Stabilization of p53 and B-Catenin”
Ron Gary, Associate Professor, Chemistry Department

B-catenin is a bifunctional protein. It associates with cadherins as part of a membrane-cytoskeletal linkage in cell-cell adhesions, and it acts as a transcription factor for cell proliferation in the Wnt signaling pathway. Levels of B-catenin are controlled mainly by glycogen synthase kinase 3B (GSK-3B), a constitutively active kinase that suppresses B-catenin. There appears to be a regulatory feedback mechanism that connects GSK-3B activity and B-catenin to changes in the p53 tumor suppressor protein.

“Thermodynamic Modeling as a Predictive Tool for Determining Energy Availability in Great Basin Hot Springs” Brian Hedlund, Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences

Photosynthesis does not occur in geothermal systems above ~73ºC, so energy for primary production within these systems must come from chemolithotrophy.. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene libraries from many hot springs in the Great Basin are dominated by unknown groups of Archaea and Bacteria.

“Transferring Biomechanics Research to New Technologies in Robotic Locomotion”
David Lee, Associate Professor, School of Life sciences

Comparative biomechanics can elucidate the complex dynamics that underly animal movement in terrestrial environments. Solutions have led to the locomotor principles which have informed the mechanical design and control of BigDog (Boston Dynamics, Inc.), the world’s most advanced legged robot, and continue to promote our understanding of mechanical design in animals.

“Insect Flapping Aerofoil Propulsion in Variable Density Atmospheres: A Model for the Design and Function of Micro Aerial Vehicles”
Stephen Roberts, Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences

The success of current efforts to develop micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) will depend on the ability of MAVs to vary aerodynamic forces during operation in variable-density atmospheres and exploration of novel, irregular landscapes. Flapping aerofoil propulsion (vs. fixed-wing design) is amenable to MAVs due to enhanced lift generation, drag reduction, and maneuverability.

“Roles and Regulation of the Shigella Outer Membrane Protease, IcsP”
Helen Wing, Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences

Omptins are a family of proteases that are found associated with outer membranes of a number of gram negative bacteria. In Salmonella, the omptin PgtE has been shown to provide resistance against cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) [1]. The overall aim of this study is to determine whether PgtE and IcsP can functionally substitute for each other.

John Laub, President of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium said, “It’s exciting to see a portion of the research that is going on at UNLV and it's a great opportunity mort importantly, attendees will have a chance to talk to the scientists.”

The Nevada Biotechnology Awards luncheon will be held Monday, February 18, 2008 at the Wynn Hotel. Tickets for the luncheon are $75 and $125. The luncheon starts at 11:30.

NevBio to Honor Reid & UNLV College of Sciences at Awards Luncheon- Harry Reid

The Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium’s (NevBio) annual Nevada Biotechnology Awards Luncheon will be honoring Senator Harry Reid for his contributions to the advancement of biotechnology and bioscience in Nevada. The award will be presented at the NevBio and Regenerative Medicine Organization joint luncheon on Monday, February 18th, 2008 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. The UNLV College of Sciences is the honoree for the organization award. See http://www.nevbio.org/meetings.htm for registration information.

Senator Reid “has secured more than one hundred million dollars for the Nevada Universities and Colleges for curriculum development, research activities, technology advances, outreach and cultural programs.”

During the 109th Congress he played an instrumental role in the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, and in the 110th congress he continues his efforts to see this enacted. Senator Reid believes that this “will open new doors in the scientific world and generate hope for thousands of Nevadans and millions of Americans suffering from debilitating diseases.”

Throughout his career Senator Reid has supported increased funding for life-saving medical research in a belief that “we need to continue to invest in medical research that will lead to immeasurable contributions in the fight against a number of serious illnesses, including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.” Senator Reid believes that “at a time when we are on the verge of major new breakthroughs and the burden of chronic disease continues to grow, we should not shortchange a priority as important as promising medical research.” Senator Reid has made it clear that he is “committed to making the investments necessary to accelerate the pace of current progress and to spur on new discoveries.”

And to that end, he has worked hard to garner federal support for initiatives to further expand Nevada’s biotechnology sector.” He had secured $300,000 for the Biotechnology Center at UNLV to develop new biotechnology initiatives that will add to the diversity of Nevada’s economy with high-paying, science based careers.”

He has “supported legislation to provide tax breaks for businesses that train workers here in American and provide scholarships for technical training. Such initiatives will not only strengthen the American workforce but also cement America’s global leadership in high technology.”

Senator Reid has secured millions of dollars in federal funding for the Nevada Cancer Institute in Las Vegas. This leading edge cancer center is designed to provide Nevadans close access to certain clinical trials that would otherwise be unavailable in the state. Senator Reid and the Nevada Delegation introduced legislation that provided federal land for an additional facility for the Nevada Cancer Institute “to ensure that all Nevadans have access to the latest in cancer prevention, education, detection, and treatment options.”

In 2007 he introduced two bills that helped to improve the health care for Nevadans. The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2007 will enable Nevada to be eligible for an additional 93 physicians in training positions. The Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007 which will fund critical research to study the links between the environment and breast cancer.

The UNLV School of Public Health’s Environmental and Occupational Health Lab, “was able to fund the construction of the new lab with help from a $500,000 federal appropriation secured by Senator Reid." Senator Reid stated that “Universities stand at the forefront of confronting illnesses and fostering our knowledge of public health.”

Senators Reid and Harkin secured funding of $900,000 in fiscal year '06 and $900,000 in fiscal year ’07 so the Center for Disease Control may begin pilot programs that will aid in the development of a National ALS registry.

For these and other countless contributions throughout his career the NevBio Organization is pleased and proud to announce the first ever recipient of The Harry Reid Award for Biotechnology and Bioscience Achievements to its namesake - Senator Harry Reid.

Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium’s annual Nevada Biotechnology Awards Luncheon will be Monday, February 18th at the Wynn Hotel. Check-in/Networking is at 11:30, 12 PM lunch. The tickets are $75 for general seating and $125 for VIP seats. RSVPs must be received by February 14th. Pay online at http://www.nevbio.org/meetings.htm or call Judith Rebholz at 839-7222 or email her at jrebholz@cvbt.com. Tables and sponsorships are available.

List of references:

1. Senator Harry Reid Website. Issues. Health Care.
http://reid.senate.gov/issues/health.cfm
2. Senator Harry Reid Website. Issues. Medical Research.
http://reid.senate.gov/issues/medicalresearch.cfm
3. Senator Harry Reid Website. Issues. Education.
http://reid.senate.gov/issues/education.cfm
4. Senator Harry Reid Website. Issues. Technology.
http://reid.senate.gov/issues/technology.cfm
5. Senator Harry Reid Website. Clark County.
http://reid.senate.gov/nevada/clark.cfm
6. Senator Harry Reid Website. News Releases.
http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/index.cfm

7. “Vying for Research Grants. New Lab Brings High Hopes: UNLV Facility to Widen Testing for Poisons.” Lawrence Mower. The Las Vegas Review Journal. April 5, 2007.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/6881967.html

8. “Delegation Pursuing Federal Land Transfer for Nevada Cancer Institute Las Vegas Facility.” Press Release. Senator Harry Reid. December 7, 2006.
http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=266620

9. “Reid Introduces Two Bills to Improve Health Care in Nevada.” Press Release Senator Harry Reid. February 14, 2007. http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=269286

10. “Reid Reintroduces Legislation to Create ALS Registry: Bill to Help in Fight Against Lou Gehrig's Disease.” Press Release Senator Harry Reid. May 14, 2007.
http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=274199

11. “Reid Hails Passage of Appropriations Bill.” Appropriations in Energy, Education and Research, Health, etc. Press Release Senator Harry Reid Office. December 19, 2007. http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/records2.cfm?id=289534&

12. “Harry Reid UNLV Research and Technology Park to Open Near I-215.” Lora Griffin. The Rebel Yell. August 29, 2005. http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/article/2005/08/29/rebel-science/

13. “Reid's Leadership Delivers Additional Millions for Nevada As Democratic Leader, Reid Secures Record Funding in Appropriations Bill.” Appropriations for in Nevada in Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Office of Science, Nuclear Energy, etc. Press Release. Senate Democrats. June 16, 2005. http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=239036&

14. "Senator Harry Reid was also Instrumental in Bringing the Supercomputer to Nevada and to UNLV." Supercomputing in Nevada. SCENE. October 29, 1992.
http://www.nscee.edu/Publications/Newsletters/Scene_Oct92/

UNLV's College of Sciences Chosen for Nevada Biotechnology Award

Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) has chosen UNLV's College of Sciences to receive its first annual Nevada Biotechnology Award for an organization in recognition of the achievements they have made in contributing to the advancement of biotechnology and life sciences in Nevada. The award will be given at the NevBio and Regenerative Medicine Organization joint luncheon on February 18, 2008 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. Senator Harry Reid is the honoree for the individual award. See http://www.nevbio.org/meetings.htm for registration information.

John Laub, President of NevBio, said “Most of the advancements in biotechnology have occurred at universities which become the basis of new treatments for disease, economic diversification and improvements in the quality of life. The Board of NevBio is pleased to honor UNLV's College of Sciences in recognition of their impressive accomplishments they have made in the last few years.”

Some of UNLV Colleges of Sciences’ notable achievements:

1. Increase in research grants

UNLV’s College of Sciences brought in over $20 million in research grants in 2007 with the vast majority being in peer–reviewed grants. It is an increase in funding of over 267% since 2001. The amount is more than their state-supported funding. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, 2007 has proven to be the UNLV College of Sciences' most successful year for receiving competitive federal grants.

In addition, the College has recently been awarded a National Institute of Health postdoctoral fellowship for Dr. Jason Williams, a very prestigious and difficult award to obtain. Also, the College has received a National Science Foundation post-doctoral fellowship for Dr. Jennifer Utz, another prestigious fellowship.

2. Increase in published papers
The College of Sciences has increased its published articles by nearly 60%. In 2000 the College had Peer-Reviewed Publications of 200. In 2006 the number of articles increased to 317. In the August 3, 2007 issue of Science magazine, UNLV was listed as the 4th largest growing research university in the quantity of scientific and engineering publications since the 1990's.

3. Increase in programs – new and improved
In 2004 the Forensics and Biotechnology Center was opened, the School of Public Health was established and the School of Nursing began a Doctorate program to train badly needed nursing professors.

In 2007 the College of Sciences has began graduating students with a Doctorate of Chemistry.

Two of the units of The School of Life Sciences –Integrative Physiology and Microbiology have obtained national recognition for their recent success in obtaining National Science Foundation (NSF) grant support.

Students participating in the pre-medical program designed by Dr. Joseph Nika are now being admitted into Medical Schools at a rate of 84% of the time (almost double the national average) and into Dental School at 90% of the time.

In 2007 the College of Sciences started offering an MCAT preparatory course (Medical College Admissions Test). The course provides a significant tuition reduction over the commercial products that are available to UNLV students and UNLV is the only school in Nevada, and one of the few in the West that offers such a course.

The College of Sciences in conjunction with the School of Dental Medicine offers a course to prospective dental students to prepare them for the application process as well as inform them on what is expected from dental students and practicing dentists. UNLV is the only school in the West offering such a course.

Many of the departments and programs at the college are offering Tutoring Clinics (first pioneered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences) and Learning Centers (Physics and Astronomy) to help their students succeed. These programs are unique to UNLV’s College of Sciences.

4. Reaching out to the Community
The College of Sciences has set up educational/research centers in all of its departments that are available to the community that can support the growth of diversity in Nevada’s economic base.

The college has actively partnered with the Nevada Development Authority (NDA) and similar organizations to help attract new businesses to Nevada. The College is working to provide the trained work force necessary for these new businesses to prosper.

The Center for Math and Science Education is working in partnership with the Clark County School District (CCSD) to enhance math and science education as well as to provide support for the teachers. The College is working with CCSD in offering college-level courses in the high schools.

The college and its students participate in various community activities:

The Beal Savings Bank Southern Nevada Regional Science and Engineering Fair is open to students in the Clark County School District.

Southern Nevada Regional Science Bowl is a competition for high schools and gives students a chance to meet UNLV professors and graduate students and attend scientific presentations.

Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED), the pre-health honor society for undergrads, has initiated at UNLV an organ donor program, a bone marrow donor program and blood drives that take place each semester. The bone marrow donor registration drives are a coordinated effort with the College of Sciences’ Undergraduate Council. AED participated in several projects with Habitat for Humanity, the Community Food Bank and the Candle Lighters Organization.

5. Building for the Future

In 2005 construction was started on the Science and Engineering and Technology Building which will have 207,000 square feet of teaching space, laboratories and hi-tech conference rooms scheduled for completion in December 2008.

The College has built a genomics laboratory and is partnering with the University of Nevada in Reno to conduct Biomedical Research. In addition UNLV and University of Nevada are working together on Bioinfomatics.

In 2006 the College of Science reached closed to 1,700 undergraduate students, a growth of nearly double from 900 in 2000. UNLV has its first student accepted as a Harvard Postdoctoral fellow.

The College continues to retain and attract professors and researchers to UNLV.
Some of the new additions:

• Enesto V. Abel-Santos, – Ph.D., Washington School of Medicine
• Dentaro Nagamine – Ph.D., Princeton & Tokyo Universities
• Dennis Bazylinski – Ph.D., Univ. of New Hampshire
• Monika Neda – Ph.D., Univ. Pittsburgh
• Anton Westveld – Ph.D., Univ. Washington
• Kaushik Ghosh – Ph.D., Univ. Calif. Santa Barbara
• Amei Amei – Ph.D., Washington Univ., St. Louis
• Pamela Burnley, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
• David Vincent Lee, Ph.D., University of Utah
• Pengtao Sun, Ph.D., Institute of Mathematics (Academia Sinica, Beijing, China)
• Hongtao Yang, Ph.D., University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada)

Two Life Sciences Professors received CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation of $840,000 and $745,000.

In addition the college continues to strengthen its research infrastructure by improving its research laboratories, information technology and core equipment laboratories.

UNLV’s College of Sciences has been building its programs on the dedicated work of many committed individuals. They have laid the groundwork for the future in which Nevada can become a center of biotechnology, research and top medical care.

NevBio's annual Nevada Biotechnology Awards Luncheon will be Monday, February 18th at the Wynn Hotel in conjunction with the Regenerative Medicine Conference. Check-in/Networking is at 11:30, 12 PM lunch. The tickets are $75 for general seating and $125 for VIP seats. RSVPs must be received by February 14th. Pay online at http://www.nevbio.org/meetings.htm or call Judith Rebholz at 839-7222 or email her at jrebholz@cvbt.com. Tables and sponsorships are available.

UNLV’s College of Sciences plans to have a number of poster presentations on their current research projects at the luncheon.

List of references:

1. College of Sciences: UNLV Gets National Attention. Lawrence Mower. The Las Vegas Review Journal. August 13, 2007. http://www.lvrj.com/news/9121541.html

2. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. August 2006.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2006/aug-2006.html
3. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. January 2006.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2007/jan-2007.html
4. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. March 2007.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2007/march.html
5. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. April 2007.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2007/april.html
6. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. May 2007.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2007/may.html
7. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. June 2007.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2007/june.html
8. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. September 2007.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2007/september.html
9. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. November 2007.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2007/november.html
10. College of Sciences E-Newsletter. January 2008.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/enewsletter/2008/january.html

11. "High Pressure Research at UNLV. Melissa L. Denzler. The Rebel Yell.
September 5, 2002.
http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/article/2002/09/05/high-pressure-research-at-unlv/

12.“Star Trek Science Meets UNLV. Work in Tiny Nanotechnology Can Pay Huge Dividends." Christina Littlefield. The Las Vegas Sun. May 28, 2006.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2006/may/28/566647041.html

13. "Henderson Woman is First in Her Class. Chemistry Student Earns Doctorate From New UNLV Program." Amanda Llewellyn. Anthem View. July 31, 2007
http://www.viewnews.com/2007/VIEW-Jul-31-Tue-2007/anthem/15686968.html

14. “UNLV Seeks To Wield Economic Clout: New Direction Seen for Valley University.” Jennifer Robison. The Las Vegas Review Journal. July 13, 2007.
http://www.lvrj.com/business/8483227.html

15. "UNLV College of Sciences: Research and Teaching for Nevada." 2007 PowerPoint.
http://sciences.unlv.edu/advising/pdf/Counselor-College_Days_2007.ppt

16. “Vying for Research Grants. New Lab Brings High Hopes: UNLV Facility to Widen Testing for Poisons.” Lawrence Mower. The Las Vegas Review Journal. April 5, 2007.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/6881967.html

17. Nevada IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (Nevada INBRE).
http://www.unr.edu/inbre/default.asp

Viktoriya Montano to Give Presentation on Epigenetics at Las Vegas Future Salon

Viktoriya Montano, Board Member of the Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium is giving a talk on "Epigenetics" to the Las Vegas Future Salon on Friday, January 11, 2008 at 6:30 at UNLV’s Continuing Education –Paradise Campus, Room 100.

DNA Is Not Destiny: The new science of epigenetics rewrites the rules of disease, heredity, and identity.

Epigenetics is the study of reversible heritable changes in gene expression that are not actually encoded in the DNA of the genome. These effects are mediated by the covalent attachment of chemical groups to DNA and its associated proteins, histones and chromatin. A major current focus in epigenetic research has been the significant role of DNA methylation and multiple histone modifications in biological processes and their effect on gene expression.

Ms. Montano earned her Master Degree in Architecture from the State University of Kiev, Ukraine in 1996. She speaks five languages Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, English, French and some Greek. In 1996 she started her business career as an Architect for the city of Kiev government.

In 1998, because of her knowledge in foreign languages, she joined Phage Biotech in Kiev to assist in the technology transfer to the biological manufacturing processes to Phage Biotechnology in USA.

Ms Montano has continued as an Adviser to the Phage Biotechnology Corporation in their development of biological drugs, such as Human Growth Hormone, Interferon Alpha, Interferon Beta, Fiberblast Growth Factor, and more.

Ms. Montano has been an advisor to biotechnology investments of over $100 Million dollars.

From her in-depth exposure to biological research, she has developed an avant-garde understanding of the new Era of Epigenetics. Many leading experts in biotechnology area consult her on the dynamic area of biological mechanisms and potential medicines possibilities due to Epigenetics.

In 2004 she joined Regenerative Medicine Organization and 2007 to Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium as Member of the Board. She is 35 years old, married and has two kids

For more information, email Gilda Cabral at gcabral@korns.com

Varian Medical Systems is Expanding in Las Vegas

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. of Palo Alto, California, the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices for treating cancer with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy is expanding its Las Vegas operations. The company is building the LV-5 Test Cell. The 85,754 square-foot project consists of four concrete test cell vaults, a production area and administrative offices. The project is slated for completion in the second quarter of 2008. The estimated construction costs for the project are approximately $12 million. Rob Silecchia of SR Construction announced that their company had been awarded the contract. The Las Vegas-based SR Construction has built numerous healthcare facilities in Las Vegas such as Valley Hospital’s two story expansion, Summerlin Hospital‘s 3 story addition, Spring Valley Hospital’s Remodel and the facilities for Nevada Oral & Facial Surgery, among others. Palo Alto-based Hoover Associates will serve as the architect for the project.

Varian has located logistics, training, technical support and certain manufacturing in Las Vegas. In June 2004 Varian moved all classroom training from Milpitas, CA to Las Vegas. The Las Vegas facility offers classroom and hands-on training using the latest hardware and software available. Over 500 clinical and technical courses are offered annually, training 200+ students per month.

Varian manufactures SIP linear accelerators and certain radiographic products at its Las Vegas facilities which cover 147,071 square feet of floor space and 8 acres of land. Varian is another example of the medical and life businesses that are coming to Las Vegas.

1. NAIOP Southern Nevada Chapter website. NAIOP Newsbites. Company: SR Construction. December 2007.

2. Varian Medical Systems Inc. Form 10-K. Filing November 26, 2007.

3. www.varian.com

MAKING UNIVERSAL BLOOD

Walter Goldstein, PhD., MBA, P.E. will talk about his patented method of creating a universal blood supply using bioreactors. He has co-founded a company, TransCyte, Inc. to develop the technology,

Tuesday, December 11th at 11:30 AM Check-in/Networking 12 PM Lunch
McCormick & Schmicks: Lunch $30. 355 Howard Hughes Parkway, Las Vegas, NV
R.S.V.P. Judith Lynn Rebholz 839-7201 or jrebholz@cvbt.com

Dr. Walter E. Goldstein is the former Coordinator of the UNLV Biotechnology Center. He is the co-founder of TransCyte, Inc. (a company formed to produce red cells from stem cells) as well as the President of Goldstein Consulting Company. He has led a research and development organization of 140 persons (35 Ph.D.'s) at Bayer (Miles, Inc.), a leading firm in biotechnology, clinical diagnostics, therapeutics, food ingredients, materials, chemicals, and consumer products. He led 35 persons (10 Ph.D.'s) at ESCAgenetics Corporation, which was a leading developer of plant-based technology for food, food ingredients and pharmaceuticals. He designed and developed cryogenic processes and equipment for Union Carbide Corporation. At the UNLV Biotechnology center he developed programs in forensic DNA profiling, microbiological identification, food safety, genetic basis for biotechnology improvements, and prevention of nosocomial infections.

Dr. Walter Goldstein holds a BS in chemical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, an MS and PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and an MBA from Michigan State University, with emphasis in finance, marketing, business law, and business organization. He is a Registered Professional Engineer. He has held faculty and research appointments in both the University (Notre Dame, UNLV) and private sectors.

Dr. Goldstein holds a number of patents including the process for producing a transfusable, oxygenating composition of human red blood cells by the ex vivo culturing, expansion and differentiation of human primitive hematopoietic cells. The process involves expansion of primitive hematopoietic cells in a first bioreactor containing one or more growth factors, differentiating the cells into erythroid progenitor cells in a second bioreactor containing one or more differentiation factors and effecting maturation of the erythroid progenitor cells into mature erythrocytes in a third bioreactor containing one or more maturation factors. The invention also provides a process for producing a transfusable, oxygenating composition of red blood cells by expansion and differentiation of primitive hematopoietic cells in a bioreactor containing a nutrient medium which includes perfluorocarbons which improve the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the cells and the nutrient media.

NevBio Luncheon Showcases UNLV College of Sciences

NevBio showcased the UNLV College of Sciences at its November luncheon. The audience included a large number of local business people and a wide range of UNLV administration, faculty and students, including University Regent, Mark Alden who briefly spoke about his support for the university.

Dean Ron Yasbin provided an overview of the College of Sciences’ many accomplishments and previewed the new Science and Engineering Building now under construction.

UNLV EVP and Provost Neal Smatresk briefed the attendees on the challenges and opportunities facing UNLV. Dr. Helen Wing and a number of other researchers explained their research work on large posters that surrounded the room. (Thanks to Dave Archer who wrote this post from Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, a sponsor of NevBio.)

NevBio to Present at MedExpo at UNLV

Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium will be presenting at the 2007 MedExpo trade show on Friday, November 9, 2007 at the UNLV Student Union building.
The MedExpo Trade Show starts at 11AM and runs through to 5 PM and the admission is free. At 1:30 the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium will make a presentation on “Building the Biotechnology Marketplace in Nevada, A Community Collaboration.” MedExpo 2007 targets medical professionals including physicians, nurses and health care professionals and is sponsored by M.D. NEWS Magazine, Southern Nevada Edition. Free parking for MedExpo 2007 is in the UNLV Parking Garage located off of Maryland Parkway on Cottage Grove Avenue (adjacent to Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall).

Cutting Edge Bisocience Research at UNLV Luncheon

The November 7th lunch meeting of Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium will be hosted by the UNLV College of Sciences. The program will start with opening remarks from Executive Vice President and Provost Neal Smatresk and a powerpoint presentation on the College of Sciences from Dean Ron Yasbin and Associate Dean Carl Reiber. Faculty and students from the College of Science will have large posters that summarize their current research projects in bioscience and biotechnology fields.

Check in and networking will start at 11:30 AM and the program with lunch will start at 12 noon. The meeting will be in the Blasco Events Wing of the UNLV Foundation Building which is close to the corner of Cottage Avenue and Maryland Parkway, next to the Judy Bayley Theatre.

Parking for the event will be in the lot adjacent to the UNLV Foundation Building (Lot Y) and metered parking is also available in a nearby parking garage.

NevBio-Mission, Vision & Goals

The Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) is an organization of institutes, companies, and academia in Nevada engaged in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceutical research and production, medical devices, and health science research.

The mission of the NevBio is to foster and support biotechnology and life science-related businesses in Nevada and to promote and elevate the presence of life science research in Nevada.

GOALS:

1) To create forums for non-profit and for-profit entities that allow business networking and the opportunity to exchange ideas that will move Nevada forward in the field of biotechnology and life sciences research.

2) To support life science businesseses in all aspects of moving a potential product from the laboratory, through the approval process, to the marketplace.

3) To provide a centralized data resource for all health science-related research entities and companies in Nevada.

4) To work with universities to enhance the knowledge transfer to the community to create new companies and new partnership opportunities for Nevada companies.

5) To promote the study and understanding of science for all Nevadans, with an emphasis on elementary, middle, and high school students

Chancellor Jim Rogers Pushes for Applied Medical Programs and State of the Art Research

Chancellor Jim Rogers gave his 2007 State of the System Address in which he said that the Nevada Health Sciences System will develop quality medical care and state of the art research. The eight institutions have 150 related health programs which the system is expanding to create more nurses, doctors, and health care professionals. The institutions are forming partnerships with doctors, hospitals and researchers to raise the quality of health care in Nevada. Rogers said that Nevada is ranked 45th for doctors, 49th for nurses and 39th in state health status.

Rogers also believes that the university need to develop business partnerships which will help drive the economic engine of Nevada. Rogers believes that a key part of Nevada’s economic future requires 1) research and technology transfer and 2)workforce development and training. Rogers is committed to increasing the number of kids that finish high school and complete a college education which is an area that Nevada can improve.

Rogers would like to see more businesses and individuals invest in education. He believes that a great university system cannot be built alone by legislators; 75% of the funding must come from the private sector. Although he believes it is crucial in 2009 that the legislature increases its funding of higher education.

Health Sciences are definitely a priority for Chancellor Rogers.



1. Nevada’s State of Education October 2007. Copy of speeches by Chancellor Jim Rogers, Superintendent Walt Rulffess, et al. October 10, 2007.

NeoStem to Hold Press Conference at Nevada Biotechnology Meeting

NeoStem, an adult stem cell collection and storage services firm, will announce its plans to open a facility in Las Vegas at the October 23, 2007 meeting of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NevBio). Dr. Denis Rodgerson, Ph.D., Director of Stem Cell Science for NeoStem and a co-founder of NeoStem will speak at the meeting on “Using Our Own Stem Cells for Therapeutic Purposes.” After the program, NeoStem and the Nevada Development Authority will have a press conference to announce NeoStem’s plans for a facility in Las Vegas. Carl Reiber, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for UNLV's College of Sciences was excited to hear that NeoStem was coming to Las Vegas, “the School of Life Sciences at UNLV has a fully functioning Genomics Laboratory and is developing a tissue laboratory. Our faculty and students welcome the opportunity to develop public-private research partnerships and we look forward to working with the expanding number of businesses in southern Nevada who are applying this technology.” NeoStem currently has one facility in California and is licensed for one in New York.

NeoStem is the first company to provide adult stem cell collection and bank services to the general adult population. Previously, stem cells had to be collected from the bone marrow under a procedure known as “bone marrow aspiration” which could be painful. NeoStem uses a procedure called mobilization which involves two injections that temporarily cause a person’s stem cells to move from the bone marrow into the blood. NeoStem then uses use a procedure known as apheresis. It is procedure that is similar to donating blood in which a person’s blood is collected, the stem cells removed and the blood is returned to the person’s body. The process takes several hours. The stem cells are stored in a cryo-preservation tank. NeoStem says studies have shown that 3% of stem cells off every 30 years.

According to NeoStem, adult stem cells have been used as treatments in humans for over 30 years to treat cancer and certain blood disorders. Storing one’s own stem cells, autologous, has many advantages such as there are no issues with immune rejection, the stem cells are readily available and autologous cells are less costly than allogeneic.

Currently, adult stem cells are used in the treatment of Leukemia, Neuroblastoma, Lymphoma, Anemia, Multiple sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritits, Oteochondrosis, Retinoblastoma and radiation sickness. In the future, it is hope that adult stem cells can be used to treat Heart Disease, Diabetes, Renal Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Stroke, Spinal Cord injury and wound healing.

John Laub, Executive Director of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) said, “We are very pleased to welcome NeoStem to Las Vegas. We look to help them integrate with our growing biotechnology community.” The NevBio meeting is October 23rd at 12 PM noon, 11:30 AM check-in at Panevino Restaurant (E.Sunset & Gilepsie) 246 Via Antonio Avenue. The public is welcomed. The cost is $30 which includes lunch. All payments are taken at the door. To guarantee a seat you must RSVP with Judith Rebholz at jrebholz@cvbt.com or call 702-839-7222. A press conference will follow at 2 PM.

The Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium is a non-profit, educational organization with the purpose of advancing life science research and promoting the biotechnology and life science-related industry in Nevada. www.nevbio.org

Linda Rubinson Joins the Board of NevBio

Linda Rubinson has joined the Board of Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NevBio).Ms.Rubinson brings over 20 years of biotech, scientific, pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing experience for several global companies. Her work repeatedly captured top market share position. With extensive experience in developing affiliations, strategic alliances and partnerships, Ms. has built marketplaces, products, programs, services and new businesses. As a product manager she has directed eleven products, in Healthcare, Life Science and Information Technology, launching eight and shutting down six. Her work with academic and government labs has facilitated collaborations, technology transfer and the seeding of several start-up companies. She has spearheaded three development stage companies, as well as worked for and with several global enterprise operations. Her work with the pharmaceutical industry resulted in her earning an Achievement Award given by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She has worked for Stanford Health Services, Digital Equipment Corporation, Memorial Hospital, New England Deaconess Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Ms. Rubinson earned her Bachelor of Arts at Northeastern University, Boston, MA with degrees in biology and chemistry, and specialty training in medical technology. Ms.Rubinson said that she joined the board of NevBio because, “As a new resident of Nevada, I feel compelled to offer my assistance in building a world class biotechnology and bioscience marketplace here.” John Laub, Executive Director, said, “Linda is great addition to our board. She has great experience, drive and contacts. She has quickly made a very positive impact on our group.”

Operating Costs for Regional Clusters:A Closer Look at 34 Major and Emerging Biotech Hubs

By John H. Boyd, Genetic Engineering News: Biobusiness:Sep 1 2007 (Vol. 27, No. 15)

This article in Genetic Engineering News notes the development of Las Vegas as an emerging Biotechnology area.

A new corporate location study compares the cost of doing business for the bioscience industry in 34 U.S. and Canadian cities. The study, prepared by the The Boyd Company (www.theboydcompany.com), focuses on all the major cost drivers for this sector. These include salaries for employees with advanced degrees in the life sciences, wages for workers in other laboratory and administrative support positions, fringe benefits, utilities, lease rates, construction costs, and other geographically variable operating costs.

Comparative locations in the Boyd analysis include major market centers of current and emerging life sciences industry activity. The survey included U.S. metropolitan areas with populations of approximately two million or greater. It also looked at current industry clusters within or proximate to metropolitan areas that employ at least 15,000 bioscience workers, according to latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Emerging bioscience centers are those major market locations identified in “Bioscience 2007, Growing the Nation’s Bioscience Sector: A Regional Perspective” published by Battelle Memorial Institute and the Biotechnology Industry Organization. They are situated within metropolitan areas having bioscience sector employment ranging from 500 to 5,000 and job growth rates exceeding 20% during the recent four-year period.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative Factors
Comparative locations featured in the study include long-standing centers of bioscience industry such as Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, and Montgomery County, MD, as well as emerging hubs of investment like Las Vegas, Palm Beach County, FL, St. Louis, MO, and Sacramento, CA. The study also looks at New York City, which is striving to capture a greater share of commercial life sciences activity.

Today, operating costs are the white hot issue in the boardrooms of bioscience companies. Owing to the competitive forces of global free trade, rising energy and drug production costs, soaring civil litigation and regulatory expenses, and a lean and mean message being sent by the post dot-com crash venture capital community, quantitative factors focusing on the cost of doing business are trumping qualitative lifestyle factors when it comes to siting new bioscience facilities. For many firms, start-ups especially, the only way to improve the bottom line is by reducing expenditure, and there is little help on the revenue side of the ledger.

Operating cost differentials between an acceptable city and an optimum bioscience site can be very substantial, running into the millions of dollars per year.

In the Boyd study, annual operating expenses under a new construction assumption in the U.S. range from a high of $11.4 million in New York to a low of $9.7 million in Las Vegas. In Canada under the same assumption, annual operating costs range from a high of $8.1 million in Vancouver to a low of $7.3 million in Saskatoon, home of the University of Saskatchewan and a flourishing agribio sector.

Under a lease assumption in the U.S., annual operating costs range from a high of $10.9 million in New York to a low of $9.6 million in Las Vegas. In Canada under this assumption, annual operating costs range from a high of $8 million in Vancouver to a low of $7.1 million in Saskatoon. All amounts are scaled to a hypothetical 22,000-sq-ft bioscience laboratory employing 110 workers.

States like Texas, Florida, and Nevada that have no state personal income tax provide additional relocation benefits to biotech transferees and start-ups by enabling them to keep more of what they earn. Lowest cost Las Vegas has neither a personal nor a state corporate income tax.
Canada continues to offer a low-cost environment for the bioscience industry, even with the double digit rise in the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. greenback during the past year. Biotech companies enjoy lower labor expenses in the area of fringe benefits due to Canada’s nationalized healthcare system.

Boyd biotech clients in the U.S. typically shell out about 35–40% of their payroll toward benefits, mostly healthcare-related. In Canada, however, companies spend between 15% and 20%. This cost disparity facing U.S. multinational firms, both in and out of the life sciences industry, will likely be a key talking point as the U.S. once again revisits the topic of national healthcare during the upcoming election cycle.

Redevelopment through Bioscience: New York and Las Vegas
In both the highest and lowest cost cities in the Boyd study—New York and Las Vegas—strong mayors are leveraging public-private partnerships to spur bioscience investment in their urban centers. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is championing the East River Science Park located on the Bellevue Hospital campus on the east side of Manhattan. Long term, over 800,000 sq. ft. of laboratory, office, and conference space is planned for the Park.

In and around the Park’s location are a number of renowned healthcare institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Medical Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, Beth Israel Medical Center, and Rockefeller University. High operating costs, space limitations, housing constraints for entry-level researchers, and a difficult business climate have historically hampered New York’s efforts to capture its fair share of commercial life sciences investment despite the city’s tremendous scientific and medical assets. The city’s East River Science Park initiative is being developed to overcome these hurdles.

In Las Vegas, bioscience as a redevelopment tool has seen early success with the attraction of two major research institutions to this high-growth metropolitan area. Ground breaking on the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute took place in February within Las Vegas’ 61-acre Union Park urban development zone, a project being led by Mayor Oscar Goodman aimed at revitalizing downtown Las Vegas and diversifying its economy.

The five-story Lou Ruvo Brain Institute was designed by architect Frank Gehry and will house clinical, research, and outpatient exam rooms for brain disease patients. The Keep Memory Alive Foundation, a nonprofit that supports research into Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other brain disorders, is funding the $70-million construction. The project builds on the city’s emerging biomedical research community led by the $52-million Nevada Cancer Institute and ongoing research initiatives at the UNLV Medical School funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

John H. Boyd is founder and president of The Boyd Company. Email John Boyd

Las Vegas-based Phage Biotechnology Corporation Receives Approval from CA

Phage Biotechnology Corporation with headquarters in Las Vegas received word from the State of California Department of Public Health that Phage was approved for a license to manufacture drugs at its San Diego facility. The approval came in August, 2007. Phage Biotechnology manufactures bio-similar proteins. The company will use the facility to make Interferon Alpha, Beta-interferon, Human Growth hormone, Parathyroid hormone, Neupogen and Fibroblast Growth Factor. Phage manufactures protein pharmaceuticals that utilize a proprietary process in which recombinant proteins can be produced relatively rapidly and at low cost utilizing the Phage manufacturing process.

John Laub is the New President of NevBio

John Laub has accepted the position as the Executive Director of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NevBio). John was one of the founders of NevBio and stepped in to replace Dr. Jennifer Montague, who had to resign due to her husband’s relocation to North Carolina. John is also the Executive Director of the Regenerative Medicine Organization, which is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of regenerative medicine. The Regenerative Medicine Organization holds its annual conference in Las Vegas each year. John has lived in Las Vegas for over forty years and is dedicated to developing the Life Science community in Las Vegas.

Dr. Chris Comfort of CR Ventures will Speak on Starting a Biotech

Dr. Chris Comfort will speak on Thursday, August 16, 2007, on “Starting a Biotech? What You Need to Know.” Dr. Comfort is the director of Mountain Crest Holdings, and the Managing Director of CR Ventures, LLC, a firm that matches funds, investment expertise, and engages in venture management for emerging technology companies. Dr. Comfort is involved in the start-up world of both biotechnology and software companies and actively participates on several boards of directors in both fields. He holds several United Sates patents and is a resident of Las Vegas.

The meeting will be at held at 12 PM at McCormick & Schmick's, 355 Hughes Center Drive. The cost of the luncheon is $30.00. You can RSVP with Dr. Jennifer Montague at 702-869-8830 or email jmontague@nevbio.org

Las Vegas based-CardioVascular BioTherapeutics Okayed for Phase II Trial

Las Vegas-based CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc.was approved by the FDA to enter into Phase II of its clinical trials for its heart drug. The approval by the FDA for Phase II is a major accomplishment for CVBT. In the first Phase I trial, the company demonstrated, as required for a Phase I study, that there were no side effects of the drug. Although the Phase I trials are solely focused on toxicity of the drug, the patients in Phase I saw a marked improvement in their severe heart disease. CVBT’s heart drug FGF-141 was injected into the hearts of no-option heart patients to grow new blood vessels. Eligible patients must have had at least a double by-pass operation and not have any other options available for treatment. The patients in Phase I reported feeling better and showed marked improvements in their SPECT tests. Many of the patients said that they could resume their normal activities, such as walking, going up stairs, shopping and even, returning to work. At a reunion of patients from the US Phase I trials in Cincinnati in 2006, patients and family members thanked the team from CVBT. Some of the patients’ stories:

Constance Donley, age 51, of Cold Spring, Kentucky was the first patient in the
United States to receive the FGF1 injection in November 2003. Donley began
suffering severe angina following the first of three open-heart procedures in
1998. A medical records clerk at Deaconess Hospital, Donley found it hard to
work a full day, crippled by her constant chest pain. Now, twelve weeks later the
results are promising. "I feel great," said Donley. The mother of five smiled as
she reported, "I am back at work full time and doing more and more everyday."
Claudia Robertson, age 54, of Kettering, Ohio, near Dayton was the second
patient to undergo treatment. Robertson developed severe angina a few months
after her 1999 emergency quadruple bypass. The mother of three, grandmother
of three, is now back to playing trivia on Wednesday nights and shopping
around town.

James Duke, age 57, of Forest Park, Ohio was the third patient to receive
treatment. Duke developed severe angina also after a quadruple bypass in
June 2002. The father of three, he is delighted to have received the option of
angiogenesis treatment. "I am glad it was available to me," said Duke. He is
now happy to be back at work for the Winton Woods School District. [1]

CVBT will now enter Phase II with its heart drug. In this phase they plan on treating 100 patients at sites in the United States and Europe. In Phase II the company will use a catheter to deliver the drug to the heart instead of cutting the chest open to deliver the drug. A small incision in the leg will be made and a catheter will be inserted through the arteries to the heart. The new procedure required two approvals from the FDA, one for the drug and another for the device. CVBT hired a clinical research organization, Kendle International, to help with its application and the Phase II trials. Kendle is among the world's leading global clinical research organizations and is the fourth-largest provider of Phase II-IV clinical development services.

Disclosure: John Laub wrote this article and owns shares of CVBT.


1. “Growth Factor Protein Succeeds in Growing New Coronary Arteries.” News-Medical.Net March 26, 2004.

Nevada Cancer Institute to host Biotech Meeting-Friday-July 20th

The Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium meeting in July will be at the Nevada Cancer Institute. The meeting will be on Friday on July 20th and will be open to all interested parties. The lunch is $20 which includes the meeting and a presentation on tea before the meeting. Kathy VanWagenen, Program Administrator of the Nevada Cancer Research Foundation (NCRF) will be speaking on the number of cancer trials that are taking place in Las Vegas. According to Clinical Trials.gov, there are 578 on-going clinical trials in Las Vegas with 192 recruiting new patients.

The NCRF’s goal as a Community Clinical Oncology Program is to introduce the latest clinical research findings into a community. This program allows Las Vegans to take part in trials with some of latest advancements in cancer treatments.

The Nevada Cancer Institute (NCI) is a Nevada-based research and clinical facility. NCI opened its new facility in Summerlin on September 23, 2005 to much fanfare. NCI’s clinical side focuses on treating patients and their caregivers with the upmost care and in an uplifting environment. The building and the interior design are as beautiful as any of the top strip hotels.

The luncheon will start at 11:30 for a pre-meeting talk and demonstration on the beneficial health effects of tea and the actual meeting will start at noon. NCI is located at One Breakthrough Way at 10441 W. Twain Avenue which is off of the 215 and S. Town Center Drive. You will need to register for the meeting by Thursday, the cost is $20 and to RSVP you may contact Jennifer Montague at 702-869-8830 or email jmontague@nevbio.org.

NevBio Meeting: Dr.Gardner to Discuss New Medical Approach to Back Pain

Dr. Vance Gardner, board certified orthopedic surgeon and associate clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, will speak at the June 21st meeting of the Nevada Biotechnology & Bioscience Consortium (NevBio) on his research to study the vascular status of the lumbar spine in patients with chronic low back pain. This research was commissioned by a grant from a Nevada-based biotechnology company, CardioVascular BioTherapeutics.

Dr. Gardner will discuss his on-going research in which 50 subjects with chronic low back pain undergo a very detailed angiography using a 3.0 Tesla research scanner to show dynamic perfusion of the vertebral bodies and disc diffusion. According to a number of research studies, spinal ischemia (lack of blood flow) is believed to be a contributor to lumbar disc disease. Gardner’s study is looking to determine whether decreased blood flow affects the vertebral bodies and the discs. Gardner believes that by using these techniques, a sub-population will emerge that derives its etiology more to ischemia and disc nutrition than to mechanical and genetic factors. If this population can be defined, then new treatments for lower back pain can be developed.

Dr. Jennifer Montague, Executive Director of the Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium (NB2C) said “Dr. Vance Gardner grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and through his ties to Nevada is now performing research for a Nevada-based biotechnology company, CardioVascualar BioTherapeutics, Inc. In addition to speaking at our meeting, Dr. Gardner plans on taking a tour of the facilities at the Nevada Cancer Institute. He believes that there might be projects that they could collaborate on in the future.” Dr. Montague continued, “Biotechnology is happening in Las Vegas and the more we can come together as a community of researchers and supporters, the more we can build up the biotechnology industry in Nevada.”
The Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience Consortium’s meeting is June 21st (Third Thursday) at 12 PM noon at McCormick & Schmicks Seafood Restaurant at 355 Howard Hughes Parkway.

Nevada Biotechnology & Biosciences Meeting: Using Proteins to Kill Cancer Cells

UNLV Biochemistry Professor, Dr. Bryan Spangelo spoke at the first meeting of the Nevada Biotechnology & Biosciences Consortium (NevBio) about his research on a specific protein that could be helpful to fight certain types of cancer, such as leukemia. The protein is part of thymosin fraction 5 (TF5) which is derived from the thymus gland.

Dr. Spangelo’s research indicates that a thymic hormone immune surveillance mechanism may suppress neuroendocrine and hematopoietic tumor formation. Thus, certain thymic peptides act to suppress leukemia as well as neuroendocrine tumor cell proliferation. The active peptide is small and may enhance apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death. The isolation of the active component of TF5 that inhibits neuroendocrine and hematopoietic tumor cell proliferation will provide a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these tumors.

Dr. Spangelo made his presentation on May 25th to the members of the Nevada Biotechnology and Biosciences Consortium, which is an organization dedicated to advancing life science research and promoting the biotechnology and life science-related industry in Nevada.

Dr. Jennifer Montague, Executive Director of the Consortium, said “Dr. Bryan Spangelo’s research is a perfect example of the exciting work being performed in the fields of biotechnology and science in Nevada, and which our organization will continue to highlight.”

Dr. Montague continued, “Our first meeting of NB2C had 27 attendees, including 8 Ph.D.s with representatives from the Nevada Cancer Institute, the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, the University of Southern Nevada-School of Pharmacy, Cardiovascular BioTherapuetics, Inc. and the Regenerative Medicine Organization. We also had support from the Nevada Development Authority, the University of Nevada Health Science System and the economic agencies from Henderson, Las Vegas and the State of Nevada. The enthusiasm for a group such as this is summed up well by one of the attendees who stated, “We’ve all been doing our own thing. This is a great way for all the research groups to come together..”

The Nevada Biotechnology and Biosciences Consortium’s next meeting is June 21st (Third Thursday) at 12 PM noon at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant at 335 Howard Hughes Parkway. The speaker is Dr. Vance Gardner with the Orthopaedic Education and Research Institute of Southern California. He will discuss his research work for a Nevada-based biotech company, CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc. This work involves studying the vascular status of the lumbar spine in patients with chronic low back pain. Dr. Gardner is using a 3.0 Tesla research scanner at the Irvine Center for Functional Onco Imaging to examine 50 subjects with chronic low back pain.

The Nevada Biotechnology and Biosciences Consortium is a non-profit, educational organization with the purpose of advancing life science research and the biotechnology industry in Nevada. The meetings are open to researchers, educators, students and public and private-sector health care professionals, as well as interested citizens. For more information on the meetings, please visit the website of Nevada Biotechnology and Bioscience is www.nevbio.org or call Dr. Montague at (702) 869-8830.

Biotechnology and Bioscience Non-profit Group to Start in Las Vegas

The Nevada Biotechnology & Biosciences Consortium (NevBio) is having its inaugural luncheon on May 17th at McCormick and Schmick’s restaurant. The speaker will be Dr. Bryan Spangelo of the UNLV Chemistry Department. The title of his speech is “Certain Peptides Can Kill Cancer Cells: Characterization of Thymosin Fraction 5.” You can RSVP to Dr. Jennifer Montague at jmontague@nevbio.org or call her at (702) 869-8830. The cost is $30 which can be paid at the door.

Dr. Jennifer Montague is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the NevBio, along with John Laub, Steven Zak and Judith Rebholz. The purpose of the NBBC is to foster and support biotechnology and life science-related businesses in Nevada and to promote and elevate the presence of life science research in Nevada.

Dr. Montague believes that there is enough activity in Las Vegas in the fields of biotechnology, medical devices, and life sciences to start bringing scientists, researchers, doctors and companies together to network with one another, with the goal of sharing information, encouraging business development and enhancing scientific investigation. “Las Vegas has several biotechnology companies such as Cardiovascular BioTherapeutics, Inc. and Phage Biotechnology, and several research institutes such as the Nevada Cancer Institute and the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. In addition, UNLV has started a biotechnology center, Touro University provides a medical campus in Henderson, and The University of Southern Nevada has a pharmacy school. There are also a number of medical device companies, such as Kloehn Ltd and Non-Invasive Medical Technologies, as well, non-profit groups, such as the Regenerative Medicine Organization, are located in Las Vegas. The Regenerative Medicine Organization holds their annual conference in Las Vegas, and many other scientific and medical conferences are held throughout the valley, too. Many other states have an organization that provides a voice to those in the biotechnology and bioscience fields. It’s time for Nevada to have one too,” said Dr. Montague.

Dr. Montague went on to say, “through the NevBio, we plan to create forums in which different groups can exchange ideas that will move Nevada forward in the field of biotechnology and life sciences research. We also plan to work with our local universities to enhance the knowledge transfer to the community, which will help create new companies and new partnership opportunities for existing Nevada companies. In addition, the NevBio will provide a centralized data resource for all health science-related research entities and companies in Nevada. Another one of our goals is to promote the study and understanding of science for all Nevadans, with an emphasis on elementary, middle, and high school students.” Dr. Montague would like to see anyone who shares these goals to join her at the inaugural meeting on May 17th. You can reach her at jmontague@nevbio.org or (702) 869-8830.