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When Cells Go Rogue: Controlling Tumor Growth

David Cheresh, Ph.D.
Professor, Pathology
Associate Director, Translational Research
Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego

December 15, 2009

Cancer occurs when a group of cells in the body lose their ability to divide in an orderly fashion. A group of these rapidly dividing cells becomes a tumor, and often, the cells that make up the tumor mutate causing them to become drug resistant. Angiogenesis, or blood vessel growth, induced by the tumor allows it to continue expanding, despite its lack of oxygen and other essential nutrients for cell growth.

Dr. Cheresh’s laboratory studies tumor angiogenesis and tumor cell invasion and metastasis. They have developed a number of inhibitors of tumor angiogenesis that are now being tested clinically in cancer patients. Two of these agents, Vitaxin and Celingitide, show promise for late stage cancer patients and appear safe with little or no side effects.

This lecture will spotlight their research efforts, primarily dealing with the study of molecular mechanisms that regulate tumor cell and endothelial cell survival, migration and invasion. A focus on signaling pathways initiated by extracellular matrix proteins, integrins and growth factor receptors that influence the biology of tumor cells and angiogenic endothelial cells with also be discussed.

In addition, he will discuss the recent developments they have made with small molecule Raf kinase pathway inhibitors to promote endothelial cell apoptosis and serve to disrupt angiogenesis and tumor growth.

Using Stem Cells to Cure Diabetes

E. Edward Baetge, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer
Novocell

November 17, 2009

Type 1 Diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, affects nearly 3 million Americans, with more than 15,000 children being diagnosed each year. It is the single most costly chronic disease, and in 2007, accounted for $174 billion in health-care costs in the U.S. There is no cure for Type 1 Diabetes, and for decades researchers have been searching for ways to replace the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas that are destroyed by a patient's own faulty immune system.

Recent breakthroughs in this field have led Dr. Baetge, and his team at Novocell, to develop and patent an innovative stem cell therapy to produce functional pancreatic, insulin-producing cells using human embryonic stem cells. This therapy is being designed to be injected into the bodies of diabetics to replace cells that no longer produce insulin. He feels their methods of employing stem cells as a renewable source of cell replacement therapy could lead to the first widespread treatment for diabetes. In addition, his team has published very favorable results using this therapy, where they were able to stop diabetes when the cells were implanted in mice. However, the development of a replacement cell therapy product will entail more than just a renewable pancreatic cell source. Both the scale up and delivery of this product will require critical elements, and the incorporation of these additional elements will provide the basis to conduct clinical trials in patients with diabetes.

Novocell is the Recipient of a Disease Team Award for $20 Million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to Develop a Stem Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Diabetes

Inside the Mind of an Internet Criminal:: How Economics Impact Cyber Security

Stefan Savage, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
University of California, San Diego

October 22, 2009

When asked why he robbed banks, Willie Sutton famously responded, "Because that's where the money is."

Today, the same sentiment is widely applied to the Internet as well. The tremendous growth of on-line commerce has made Internet users, their computers and their data a valuable target for criminal actors. Compounding this raw opportunity, the Internet itself provides a uniquely efficient capability for perpetrating these crimes at scale.

Indeed, over the last decade, the ability to easily compromise large numbers of Internet hosts has emerged as the backbone of a vibrant criminal economy encompassing unsolicited bulk-email, denial-of-service extortion, piracy, phishing and identity theft. Both the underlying platform (botnets) and the vertical applications built upon it (e.g., Spam, credit card theft, etc.) are themselves market commodities, bought and sold on the underground, and under constant pressure to innovate.

However, in spite of the fact that virtually all on-line crime is economically motivated, the underlying economics are poorly understood and even more poorly quantified. Absent such knowledge, today's computer security efforts are inherently unfocused -- all the more so due to our inability to evaluate improvements to security on any quantitative basis.

In this talk, Dr. Savage will survey this landscape and what is known about the criminal ecosystem underlying it, describe the fundamental asymmetries that have emerged between attacker and defender, and suggest a way forward for the security community.

Revolutionizing Vaccine Development

Shane Crotty, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Vaccine Discovery
La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology

September 17, 2009

Vaccines are one of the most cost effective medical treatments in modern civilization, and have saved close to a billion lives to date. However, for most people, there are many unanswered questions when it comes to understanding how vaccines work, how we can make new vaccines, and what obstacles are blocking the path to faster vaccine development. Currently, there are twenty-five human vaccines that exist worldwide, and virtually all of them have been developed in a highly trial-and-error manner, without much understanding of how the immune system actually responds to vaccines. To get to where we can have true, rational vaccine design—where new vaccines can be engineered instead of guessed at—it is critical to understand how vaccines actually stimulate the immune system to make strong responses and develop "memory" of the vaccine. One way to do this is to study current successful human vaccines, such as those that protect against smallpox and yellow fever.

Dr. Shane Crotty, whose recent breakthrough has illuminated a pivotal piece of the vaccine development puzzle, will discuss these and other questions, as well as share how his recent discovery (click here to read Science paper) could eventually aide in the development of stronger and more effective vaccines.

Transforming Healthcare through Wireless Innovation

Eric Topol, M.D.
Director, Scripps Translational Science Institute
Chief Academic Officer, Scripps Health

August 18, 2009

Right now scientists are developing non‐invasive sensors, which can be coupled with body area networks via smart phones to transmit patient data over the Internet and, have the potential to transform medicine as we know it. These “Smart band‐aids” adhere to the skin, are typically disposable, and are inexpensive to produce. They have the ability to monitor vital body parameters and movements on a continual basis, and transmit that data from the body to a hospital or doctor in real-time. Areas that can be monitored include, but are not limited to, heart rhythm, respiratory rate, blood pressure, temperature, sleep cycles, calories taken in and expended, pollen count, air quality and activity level. This type of novel remote capability and mobile monitoring has the potential to be transformative in preventing hospital readmissions for illnesses like congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to name a few. Furthermore, using this technology, medications are able to be tagged with micro‐sensors that are digestible and can be activated wirelessly, or drugs can be administered in precise dosages through a polymeric delivery system transmitted via the skin at the moment of wireless activation. These wireless sensor systems provide us with an extraordinary opportunity to provide preventive, consumer‐driven, individualized medicine based on the foundation of the cell phone and current, broadband technology.

However, to validate these revolutionary technologies, further research needs to be performed using randomized clinical trials. Dr. Topol will share how some of this work is being undertaken by the newly dedicated not-for-profit research and education Institute, the West Wireless Health Institute, in La Jolla, California. This organization serves as a “sister” establishment to the Scripps Translational Science Institute, and was conceptually derived via the NIH (NCRR) CTSA program.

Green Innovation: The Emergence of San Diego as a Hub for Biofuel Innovation

Steven Briggs, Ph.D.
Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology
UC San Diego

July 28, 2009

Biofuels, defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuel obtained from lifeless or living biological materials and various plants and plant-derived materials, are positioned to provide a revolutionary new source of energy. They can be produced domestically, at reasonable cost, by re-cycling carbon dioxide from the air so that no pollution is created, and climate change is slowed, which garners them a significant competitive advantage. Biofuels have the ability to mitigate the risks posed to our national security and economy by competition for coal and oil, and by climate change. However, there are formidable obstacles to overcome in order to switch from the use of ancient energy sources to these new, renewable energy sources. Crop plants and trees are currently being used for biofuel production, but don’t grow fast enough to meet existing needs. Photosynthetic microbes do grow fast enough, but the technology and infrastructure required to produce them on a global scale does not yet exist.

San Diego has emerged as a hub for academic and industrial biotechnology research, poised to solve the challenges of biofuel production. Success could ultimately lead to the replacement of fossil fuels by a renewable energy industry, and the transformation of San Diego into a world leader in biofuel innovation.

From Monkeys to Mechanics: The History and Future of Heart Surgery

Dr. Stuart Jamieson
Distinguished Professor and Head, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
UC San Diego Medical Center

May 21, 2009

Dr. Jamieson will describe the historical development of heart surgery and the current state of the field. This fascinating account will highlight the many innovative technologies and companies that have been developed and commercialized from advances in cardiothoracic research, such as Medtronic, a cutting edge technology company whose mission is to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend lives.

Progress in this field is far from over! Dr. Jamieson will explain how San Diego is poised to play a pivotal role in future advances. Smaller incisions and newer, novel approaches have led to the development of innovative instruments and techniques used to improve patient recovery. In addition, transplantation of the heart may advance to the use of mechanical hearts in the very near future.

Advancing America's National Security

Frank E. Gordon, Ph.D.
Head, Research and Applied Science Department
SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific

April 8, 2009

Dr. Gordon of SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) - the Navy's premiere laboratory for Command and Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance or C4ISR - will be presenting several "promising" and "leading edge" technologies that have been spawned through vigorous science and research development and applications initiatives in the areas of nonlinear dynamics, MEMS sensors, low-cost phased array antennas, and low energy nuclear reactions (LENR).

He will also discuss SSC Pacific's continuing efforts to move these and other technologies to commercialization using a variety of tech transfer vehicles, and SSC Pacific's recent signing of the single largest patent license agreement in the history of the DoD and the Navy.

Uniquely qualified with a rare science and research perspective, Dr. Gordon understands the role and benefit of our nation's labs in advancing America's national security through the development of products, capabilities and services needed to support both our war fighters and national decision makers.

Seeing the Ocean through Autonomous Eyes

Russ Davis, Ph.D.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
UC San Diego

March 11, 2009

Despite the significant impact observing the ocean can have on our global climate, only about 10,000 researchers on a few dozen vessels are exploring the world’s oceans right now. Historically, observing the ocean’s surface has been highly successful using remote sensing, but subsurface observations have proved to be economically challenging until recently. One approach to gathering the needed data is autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which operate unattended for several months, and even years. In cooperation with the Webb Research Corporation, Dr. Russ Davis and his team at Scripps have developed a profiling float that forms the foundation of today’s international ARGO program, a program that currently maintains a global array of 3000 floats.

Davis’ group also developed an underwater glider, Spray, which can be navigated over ranges upwards of 1000 miles. Such vehicles allow researchers to monitor climate and ecosystem changes below the ocean’s surface by staying at sea for months at relatively low cost. In addition, these gliders enable scientists to observe large-scale changes under the ocean’s surface that might otherwise go unobserved. These vehicles have opened up a wide range of new possibilities in ocean studies by helping scientists better understand the ocean’s role and influence on global climate change.

In this lecture, Dr. Davis will describe the uses, both civilian and military, the technical challenges, and the realities faced in improving these devices. In addition, the status of future scientific and commercial applications of these un-manned, robotic vehicles will be discussed.

Groundbreaking New UCSD Institute Partners Engineering, Medical, and Pharamcy Schools to Improve Health Care Delivery

Shu Chien, M.D., Ph.D.
Institute for Engineering in Medicine
UC San Diego

January 29, 2009

Learn how the world’s top engineers, physicians and scientists are joining forces to conceptualize, develop and bring to reality the future tools and treatments of 21st century health care through UC San Diego’s new Institute of Engineering in Medicine. Nanoparticle bombs to kill cancer, molecular-sized bridges to repair damaged hearts, and scarless surgery techniques, are now on the frontier of medical innovations in California with the new Institute leading the way.

The Institute of Engineering in Medicine (IEM) was established in July 2008 to bring combine the strengths in the Jacobs School of Engineering (JSOE) with the School of Medicine (SOM) and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS). The mission of IEM is to translate creative ideas into next generation therapies and devices that will transform patient care. The Institute of Engineering in Medicine will intersect broad areas of research and focus on new approaches to disease identification, genomic medicine, clinical testing and monitoring, and the discovery of new drugs and therapies.

Among the examples of projects underway at UC San Diego:

• Engineers, physicians, and scientists have identified cells that may be capable of regenerating damaged or lost heart muscle in patients with cardiovascular disease.
• The Nanotechnology Center of Excellence has developed nanoparticle drug delivery systems to fight cancer. These tiny ‘smart bombs’ specifically target spreading cancer, delivering cancer-killing drugs, while sparing healthy tissue.
• The Center for the Future of Surgery is developing visualization technologies and other minimally invasive devices to make scarless surgery a reality.
• State-of-the-art stroke care is being delivered to remote sites, proving that patients can receive potentially life-saving interventions any where in the world, thanks to wireless telemedicine applications developed in collaboration with the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2)

In addition, members of the new Institute are currently examining the roles of inflammation and blood flow in the progression of several diseases. The Institute will foster interactions among these schools, as well as other units in UCSD and neighboring institutions, to enhance our health-related research and translation by leveraging on engineering principles and techniques. The Institute will work with various units on campus concerned with technology transfer and entrepreneurism, the vibrant industry in San Diego area and beyond, and San Diego’s unique organizations CONNECT and BIOCOM to achieve the goal of translating the fruits of scientific research from bench to bedside.

IEM is applying technologies such as imaging, nanotechnology, medical devices, computation, biomarker identification, and phenotyping-genotyping, which are at the interface of engineering and medicine. The Institute is also leveraging on scientific foundations such as genomics, stem cells research, inflammation, vascular dynamics such as angiogenesis, and others. The scientific foundation and technological advancement will be applied to create innovative and insightful strategies to enhance the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases, with the ultimate goal of improving the health and wellbeing of humankind.

Quantum Dots: New Tools for Biological Research

Martin Hetzer, Ph.D.
Hearst Endowment Assistant Professor, Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory
Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Sept 25, 2008

Bioconjugated semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are nanometer size fluorescent nanocrystals with great potential in molecular, cellular and in vivo imaging. QDs are under intense research and development, because they exhibit superior photo-physical properties when compared to organic fluorophores or fluorescent proteins. In comparison to organic dyes and fluorescent proteins, QDs have unique optical and physical properties such as size-tunable light emission, exceptional brightness, resistance against photobleaching, and simultaneous excitation of multiple fluorescence colors. These properties make QDs particularly powerful fluorophores for single molecule and multicolor imaging in real-time. What are the advantages of using QDs instead of fluorescent proteins for live imaging? A trend in current fluorescence microscopy is the emphasis on single-molecule techniques. By studying individual proteins or protein complexes one at a time using QDs, it is possible to observe heterogeneity among molecules and to yield information about molecular motion, behavior and fluctuations over time and space.

Dr. Hetzer will also present a miniaturized pull-down method for the detection of protein-protein interactions using standard affinity chromatography reagents. Binding events between different proteins, which are color-coded with QDs, are visualized on single affinity chromatography beads by fluorescence microscopy. The use of QDs for single molecule detection allows the simultaneous analysis of multiple protein-protein binding events and reduces the amount of time and material needed to perform pull-down experiments.

Science of Anxiety

Nadar Amir, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
San Diego State University

Aug 14, 2008

Dr. Amir's primary research interest is experimental psychopathology with an emphasis on anxiety disorders. Specifically, he is interested in studying informationprocessing biases that may lead to the maintenance, and possibly the development of, anxiety disorders. To this end, he has used various paradigms that examine cognitive disturbances (e.g., attentional bias, implicit and explicit memory bias, interpretation bias) in anxious patients and normal individuals with elevated trait anxiety. The focus of Dr. Amir's recent research has been on the application of the findings from experimental psychopathology to devise interventions for these disorders. For example, he has found that a computerized intervention designed to change attention bias in individuals with social anxiety is as effective as medication or cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) in ameliorating symptoms of social phobia.

Protein Networks in Cancer

Trey Ideker, Ph.D.
Department of Bioengineering
UC San Diego

July 31, 2008

With the appearance of large networks of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions as a new type of biological measurement, methods are needed for constructing cellular pathway models using interaction data as the central framework. The key idea is that, by comparing the molecular interaction network with other biological data sets, it will be possible to organize the network into modules representing the repertoire of distinct functional processes in the cell. Three distinct types of network comparisons will be discussed, including those to identify:

1. Protein interaction networks that are conserved across species
2. Networks in control of gene expression changes
3. Networks correlating with systematic phenotypes and synthetic lethals

Using these computational modeling and query tools, we are constructing network models to explain the physiological response of yeast to DNA damaging agents.

A BioScience Smorgasbord: Research at SDSU and Future Possibilities

Roberta A. Gottlieb, M.D.
Director, BioScience Center
San Diego State University

April 1, 2008

The SDSU BioScience Center is dedicated to studying the connections between infection, inflammation and heart disease. Dr. Gottlieb will present an overview of the research going on at the BioScience Center and some possibilities for partnership opportunities with the biotech community. Research efforts include the study of cell biology of coronary artery disease, how pathogenic infections contribute to heart disease and the role of stem cells in heart failure after pediatric doxorubin exposure.

Genomic Advances on a Grand Scale: New Energy Sources

J. Craig Venter, Ph.D.
Founder, Chairman, President
J. Craig Venter Institute

March 20, 2008

For more than two decades Dr. J. Craig Venter and his research teams have been pioneers in genomic research. Regarded as one of the leading scientist of the 21st century and founder of the J. Craig Venter Institute, Dr. Venter and his team work in the arenas of environmental and plan genomics and synthetic biology and bioenergy, among others. At the JCVI, discoveries are being made to create a range of organisms that will reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. Dr. Venter will address the pioneering research being completed to find new energy sources that will help mitigate our negative impact on the planet.

Can Plankton Tell Us When the Ocean is Sick?

David Lapota, Ph.D.
SPAWAR/San Diego
and
Bryan Bjorndal
President and CEO, Assure Controls

Feb 28, 2008

Every year the levels of harmful substances present in water pose challenges to both ecological health and water availability. Naturally occurring marine phytoplankton that glow when agitated (bioluminescent dinoflagellates) can be used as an indicator of contaminants. The US Navy has discovered that this blue green glow seen at night in the ocean can be easily measured; and provides a correlation to toxins. A novel combination of biology and optoelectronics to measure this relationship was patented, and then commercially licensed. The emerging use of biosensors to provide important insights into the practical application of additional measurements, or define specific course of action will be discussed.

Climate Change, Renewable Energy and the Promise of Biotechnology

Aristides A. N. Patrinos, Ph.D.
President, Synthetic Genomics

Jan 31, 2008

The ever increasing use of fossil fuels to power the global economy is a major threat to the global climate that is already showing signs of dangerous change. The response to the challenge of global climate change needs to be international, well-organized and sustained. Clean, renewable energy and carbon capture and sequestration are at the heart of the solution to the global climate change problem. Modern biotechnology offers the tools to provide the world with renewable energy and the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere below the levels where the effects could be catastrophic.

Design of Green Buildings

Paul F. Linden, Ph.D.
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
UC San Diego

Jan 17, 2008

Buildings are responsible for about 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, most associated with heating and cooling. Dr. Linden will discuss the design of modern low-energy buildings and some of the challenges they raise. He will illustrate these challenges with examples from new buildings in San Diego, San Francisco and New York.

From Algae to Bio-Engery: Concepts for Use, Scale Up and Commercialization

Greg Mitchell, Ph.D.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
UC San Diego

Nov 27, 2007

Algae are more efficient at producing photosynthetic biomass than any terrestrial plant. Importantly, algae can be grown in systems built on non-arable land using saltwater or wastewater. Therefore, algae are a promising option for growing biomass for biofuels, and protein for agricultural animals, using marginal or desert land and water that is not suitable for irrigation. UCSD scientists, and regional partners in the private sector, are collaborating on research, development and demonstration of algae as a possible alternative biomass feedstock for fuel that does not compete with food crops and that can be scaled up in regions like Southern California where water resources are very limited.

The potential of algae as a biofuel feedstock, and concepts for scale-up in Southern California will be discussed.

Visual Analytics: The Power of Pixels in the Pursuit of the Big Picture

Falko Kuester, Ph.D.
CalIT2
UC San Diego

Sept 25, 2007

The ability of humans to visualize and conceptualize structure in complex, multidimensional data is remarkable and remains unmatched by computational and information technology despite the recent advances in data processing and visual analytics. However, producing quantitative results requires combining the qualitative human intuition with novel quantitative techniques to develop high-level visualization methods. This is a challenging task in particular when the data is associated with physical phenomena that exhibit irregular structure and dynamics over wide dimensions and time scales.

This talk will will provide a set of case studies from medicine, engineering and the arts focussing on visual analytics and cyberinfrastructure research that caters towards the human desire to "see the big picture." The diverse set of case studies will address visual analytics challenges in schizophrenia research all the way to cultural forensics techniques being developed in support of the search for a long-lost Da Vinci masterpiece.

New Drug Treatments and the Future of Stem Cells for the Aging Brain and Alzheimer’s Disease

Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Del E. Webb Center for Neuroscience and Aging Research Burnham Institute for Medical Research

June 5, 2007

Stuart A. Lipton, MD-PhD is currently Professor and Scientific Director of the Center for Neuroscience & Aging at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, with co-appointments at The Salk Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, and UC San Diego, where he is also a neurologist. He completed his clinical and scientific training at Harvard, as well as a postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Torsten Wiesel when Wiesel won the Nobel Prize. Dr. Lipton then spent 25 years on the faculty at Harvard before moving to La Jolla in the fall of 1999. He is best known for developing the latest FDA-approved treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, the drug Memantine (also called Namenda). His group also recently characterized the molecular pathways for protecting nerve cells by Erythropoietin (also known as EPO, Procrit, or Epoetin).

Additionally, they were the first to clone and characterize the transcription factor MEF2C as a master switch triggering neurogenesis (the generation of new nerve cells) from embryonic stem cells. In 2004, Dr. Lipton won the Ernst Jung Prize in Medicine, considered one of the top four or five medical prizes worldwide, for his discovery of the mechanism of action of Memantine.

How Computers are Changing Biology and Medicine - What are the Opportunities?

Phil Bourne, Ph.D.
Professor, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Co-director, Protein Data Bank
UC San Diego

May 24, 2007

A term much used these days is "computer enabled genomic medicine" which speaks to the impact IT is having from the laboratory bench to the bedside. What will be real in the near future and what is hype? What are some examples of what is being done today? What holds promise for the future? These questions will be addressed through my own experiences in medical informatics, pharmacy informatics and bioinformatics.

Cross-Talk Between Stem Cells and the Neurodegenerative Environment

Evan Snyder, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Stem Cell and Regeneration Progam
Burnham Institute for Medical Research

April 26, 2007

An intriguing phenomena with possible therapeutic dividends has begun to emerge from our observations of the behavior of neural stem cell (NSC) clones in various mouse and primate models of CNS injury & degeneration. During phases of active neurodegeneration, factors seem to be transiently elaborated to which NSCs may respond by migrating (even long distances) to degenerating regions & attempting to restore homeostasis.

This may include differentiating towards the replacement of degenerating neural cells of multiple types, not only neurons but also requsite non-neuronal “chaperone” cells, all of which are essential for the proper development and reconstitution of function. These "repair mechanism" may reflect the re-expression of basic developmental programs (particularly during temporal "windows" following injury) that may be harnessed for therapeutic ends.

There is an enormous amount of “programmed” cross-talk between stem cells and the milieu that add complexity but also enrich therapeutic promise to the system. In addition, NSCs in their native state (as well as following genetic-engineering) may serve as vehicles for protein delivery allowing for the possibility of simultaneous cell replacement & gene therapy (e.g., with factors that might enhance differentiation, neurite outgrowth, connectivity, neuroprotection, anti-inflammation, anti-scarring, and angiogenesis,). For example, multiple model approaches to most neurological conditions are likely required. The stem cell may serve as the “glue” for these. When combined with certain synthetic biomaterials, NSCs may be even more effective in "engineering" the damaged CNS towards reconstitution. Not only gene expression programs, but also an epigenetic chromatin modification programs seem critical for dictating plasticity and potency.

Protecting our Infrastructure against Terrorist Attacks

Frieder Seible, Ph.D.
Dean, Jacobs School of Engineering
UC San Diego

March 29, 2007

Validated Simulations for Blast Effects and their Mitigation: Terrorist bombings of critical infrastructure worldwide have demonstrated the nation’s vulnerability and created a mandate for research on the deployment of blast resistant new construction as well as hardening techniques. Validated simulation tools that can predict load effects and the effectiveness of hardening technology must be developed and integrated into the design and assessment of critical or important facilities.

These tools must be validated under full scale blast loads. To develop and verify blast mitigation and hardening optimization technologies and to validate computational blast physics codes and models, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) has built the world’s first hydraulic blast simulator that can simulate full scale live explosive loads up to 3000 psi-msec without the use of explosive materials and without a fireball. Energy deposition, which takes place in time intervals of 2 to 4 ms, is accomplished via an array of ultra-fast, computer controlled hydraulic actuators with a combined hydraulic/high pressure nitrogen energy source.

The blast simulator is the key element of the Explosive Loading Laboratory Testing Program at UCSD, a multiyear program funded by the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) through their Blast Mitigation Focus Area for counter terrorism and forward force protection. Hardening technologies developed under the TSWG program have been applied and are applicable to DoD forward force protection, US embassies worldwide, critical infrastructure facilities, bridge structures, important commercial facilities, as well as federal buildings and courthouses.

Cheating Death: Novel Targeted Therapies for Controlling Cell Life and Death

John C. Reed, MD, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Burnham Institute for Medical Research

March 20, 2007

Dr. Reed will summarize current therapies in or nearing clinical development that target the cellular machinery that controls all life and death decisions. These novel therapeutics either prolong cell survival or promote cell death, finding applications for a wide variety of degenerative diseases and cancers, respectively.

An Innovative Technique for the Fabrication of Advanced Composite Materials (with potential applications in electronic circuitry, bio-implants and bulk nano-structured materials)

Eugene Al Olevsky, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Director of Powder Technology Laboratory, College of Engineering
San Diego State University

March 1, 2007

A novel technique for the fabrication of complex shape composite materials with functionally distributed properties will be presented. The technique is based on the electrophoretic deposition of powders which allows continuous manufacturing of three-dimensional objects - particle-by-particle, layer-by-layer. The developed technological approach enables the net-shape production of functionally-graded components which have potential applications in thermal management of electronic circuitry, bio-implants’ manufacturing, fabrication of bulk nano-structured materials, etc.

From Data to Discovery - Creating Information Infrastructure to enable Innovation

Fran Berman, Ph.D.
Director, San Diego Supercomputer Center
Professor and HPC Endowed Chair
UC San Diego

February 8, 2007

The most prevalent driver for new discovery today in science and engineering is data. Today's researchers draw from a rich spectrum of data sources -- sensors, personal devices, telescopes, microscopes, computer simulations, experiments, databases and data collections, and more. The increasing deluge of data creates the potential to achieve unprecedented results -- from targeted drug design to building-level eismic analysis -- but also yields new challenges in the management,understanding, and preservation of that data.

A novel therapy for Type 1 diabetes

Alex Strongin
Professor, Burnham Institute for Medical Research

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Our goal is to find a cure for type I diabetes by inhibiting the trafficking of the diabetogenic T cells into the pancreatic islets and by inducing the regeneration of the insulin-producing beta cells. Recently, we determined a means to achieve this goal by using the inhibitors of metalloproteinases. These inhibitors block the homing of autoimmune diabetogenic T cells into the pancreatic islets. These readily available and highly potent inhibitors have been widely tested in clinical trials in cancer patients. Overall, we have identified a mechanistic rationale for clinical trials of low dosages of metalloproteinase inhibitors in the therapy of type I diabetes in humans.

Technological Development and Tech Transfer in the U.S. - an historical perspective

Michael A. Bernstein
Professor of History, Dean of Arts and Humanities
UC San Diego

Monday, December 11, 2006

This lecture surveyed the history of public policy with respect to technological development and tech transfer in the U.S. case – with a particular focus on the land-grant university strategies pursued in the mid-nineteenth century; the process of “technological convergence” in major US manufacturing industries in the late 1800s; long-term growth patterns in the U.S. economy and their impact on patterns of technological change; the continuing evolution of the university as a site of technological change; and future prospects regarding the patterns of technological change in the U.S. case. Speaker Bio A native of New York City, Michael Bernstein earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in economics at Yale University. He has held faculty appointments at Cambridge University, Mills College, and Princeton University, and he served briefly as a Staff Economist in the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. He is now Professor of History and Associated Faculty-Member in Economics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Bernstein’s research and teaching interests focus on the economic and political history of the United States, macroeconomic theory, industrial organization economics, and the history of economic theory. His publications explore the connections between political and economic processes in modern industrial societies, as well as the interaction of economic knowledge and professional expertise with those processes as a whole.

Deep Ocean Bacteria as a New Resource for Antibiotic Drug Discovery

William Fenical, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, UC San Diego
and
Victor Nizet, M.D.
Chief, Division of Pharmacology & Drug Discovery, UC San Diego School of Medicine

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Entering its seventh decade, the era of antimicrobial therapy has greatly reduced the morbidity and mortality of infectious diseases. However, the emergence of resistant microorganisms has now reached epidemic proportions and poses great challenges to the medical community. An urgent need exists for discovery of novel approaches to address this genuine public health crisis.

For the past 50 or more years, soil-derived actinomycete bacteria have provided a major pharmaceutical resource for the discovery of antibiotics and related bioactive compounds. The oceans, representing >70% of the Earth’s surface, were never seriously considered as a source for actinomycete diversity. During the last 3-4 years, we have examined tropical marine sediments from the deep ocean and undertaken a systematic approach to cultivate and chemically examine these strains. Our studies have revealed that bacteria never seen before can readily be isolated in culture. More than 15 new biological groups have been observed. In culture, we are now observing the production of a diversity of bioactive secondary metabolites. One recent study identified Salinosporamide A, a potent proteasome inhibitor from the new genus “Salinispora”, that is scheduled for clinical trials in 2005 for the treatment of cancer. Given the rich history of antibiotic drug discover from this class of bacteria, a new program has been initiated to exploit this major discovery.

The Future of Surgery

Mark A. Talamini, M.D.
Professor and Chairman, Department of Surgery
UC San Diego School of Medicine

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Dr. Mark A. Talamini is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at The University of California at San Diego School of Medicine. He also serves as the Director of The Division of General Surgery at UCSD. Dr. Talamini currently maintains an active surgical practice focusing on gastrointestinal surgery (particularly inflammatory bowel disease) with a particular emphasis on the use of minimally invasive technology to minimize pain and scarring. He has an active laboratory pursuing the advancement of minimally invasive surgery and it’s applications at a number of levels. His lab is involved in the development of robotic surgery and telemedicine with robotics. Further clinical research interests are inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulceratore colitis), gastro-esophageal reflux disease, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer and colon cancer.

Biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of "Smart Dust"

Michael J. Sailor, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
UC San Diego

Thursday, May 25, 2006

The use of porous photonic materials made from nanostructured silicon in pharmaceutical, medical diagnostic, and microfluidic applications will be described. With a large free volume (50-90%) and an infinitely tunable nanostructure, these micron-sized "Smart Dust" particles have been found to be an excellent platform for the capture and controlled release of nanoparticles, small molecules, proteins, and enzymes. Impregnation of the particles with the various payloads can impart unique functions to the nanomaterials. For example, incorporation superparamagnetic nanoparticles provides a means to remotely manipulate, image and actuate the materials with an external electromagnetic field. Various in-vitro and in-vivo applications will be presented.

A Novel LED Technology

Prof. Charles W. Tu and Vladimir Odnoblyudov, UC San Diego

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Charles W. Tu and Vladimir Odnoblyudov present a technology for yellow-amber-red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on a novel class of materials, dilute nitrides, in particular, indium gallium nitride phosphide (InGaNP) light-emitting layers grown on transparent gallium phosphide (GaP) substrates. InGaNP/GaP has superior properties as compared to the conventional material used for yellow-red LEDs, aluminum indium gallium phosphide (AlInGaP) grown on light-absorbing gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrates. Our patent-pending technology brings to market yellow-amber-red LEDs that will see one order of magnitude more lumens per dollar in an extremely price sensitive market. More importantly, substantive conversion costs are not required to integrate this new technology with existing production lines, and subsequent improvement with the average industry-wide growth rate is expected, based on the history of the industry. The most logical market entry points for the technology are cellular backlighting, signage and signaling, and automotives, the market of which totals $3.5 billion in 2006. As for the long-term, this technology may play one of the key roles in the “holy grail” market for LEDs – $40+ billion white-light illumination market.

In-Silico Biology for Medicine and Surgery

Andrew McCulloch, UC San Diego

Feb 28, 2006

As knowledge of biological complexity, the costs and time-frames for developing new therapeutics, and computing power all continue to grow rapidly, the potential for computational models of medically important biological systems has never been greater. Dr. McCulloch will describe computational models and techniques developed in his laboratory over the past 15-20 years at UCSD for integrating functionally across interacting biological processes and structurally across scales of biological organization. Examples of his laboratories research on the normal and diseased heart will be used. He will also introduce Insilicomed, headed by Dr. Lewis Waldman, a computational bioengineering company that applies these technologies to medical and surgical problems, especially in relation to medical device analysis.

Knocking on Avogadro’s Door: Ultrasensitive Laser-Based Atomic Fingerprinting Methods

Dr. William Tong, SDSU

January 26, 2006

Prof. William Tong has developed novel laser methods for chemical analysis with zeptomole-level (10-21 mole) or sub-parts-per-quadrillion-level detection sensitivity (analogous to one second in 500 million years). These patented wave-mixing methods can distinguish not only atomic species, but also isotopes of them. His nonlinear laser-based detectors are more compact and less expensive than currently available isotope-capable mass spectrometers. Wave-mixing laser methods yield hyperfine profiles, i.e., atomic fingerprints, and hence, unambiguous isotope and chemical information.

Oncodevelopmental Biology at the Burnham Institue

Nov 10, 2005

For this lecture, CONNECT partners with The Burnham Institute of Medical Research to present research conducted by Dr. Xiao-Kun Zhang, Associate Professor in Oncodevelopmental Biology at the Burnham Institute. Dr. Xiao-kun Zhang studies the chemopreventive and therapeutic effect of Vitamin A and its synthetic analogs in various cancers and diseases. Dr. Zhang discovered a new vitamin A signaling pathway through RXR protein complexes. An agent that modulates RXR activities has been approved by the FDA for treating lymphoma patients and now in phase III clinical trial for lung cancer. Dr. Zhang found that a gene called RARb that binds Vitamin A acts as a tumor suppressor and is studying how RARb prevents tumor development.

Recently, Dr. Zhang discovered a new paradigm for destroying cancer cells by using a protein called TR3 or Nur77. TR3 is often present at high levels in cancer cells to promote their growth in an intracellular compartment called nucleus. Dr. Zhang recently showed that he is able to move TR3 from the nucleus to another intracellular organelle called mitochondria. In mitochondria, TR3 binds to Bcl-2, a protein that maintains the growth of tumor. The binding converts Bcl-2 from a tumor protector to a tumor destroyer. Dr. Zhang is now exploring the possibility of using a class of specific agents that induce TR3 migration for treating cancer patients. Xiao-kun Zhang earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Vermont in 1989. Dr. Zhang spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Burnham Institute prior to his appointment to the faculty in 1992.

Two Research Projects Funded by CCAT

July 25, 2005

For this lecture, CONNECT partners with CCAT to present two research projects currently being funded by CCAT. The funding aims to accelerate the commercialization of these technologies bringing benefit to both the military and commercial markets. Gregory S. Naeve, PhD, President and CSO of Parallax Biosystems described his company’s efforts to commercialize a novel molecular detection platform that can alleviate critical drug development bottlenecks within the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Todd Mlsna, PhD, Founder, President and CTO of Seacoast Sciences, described his company’s research efforts in the field of chemical sensor developed specifically for applications requiring highly reliable detection of hazardous and toxic chemicals.

They exploit cutting edge materials science and MEMS technology to create lightweight, low power, badge size, and battery operated units that can detect most hazardous industrial chemicals and well as chemical warfare agents (CWA) such as nerve and mustards gases. They have created and licensed a powerful IP position in this space. Todd will outline the Seacoast Science commercialization strategy for their gas sensor product platforms for a variety of niche detection markets including solvent leak detection, chemical warfare agent detection, air quality monitoring, and emission gas detection.

SPAWAR: 2 Research Teams

May 23, 2005

Two research teams from SPAWAR talked about technologies that present outstanding opportunities for licensing and commercialization in the commercial sector.

The first research group described an ultra-high sensitivity MEMS displacement sensor that is capable of measuring displacements as small as 1/1000th of the size of an atom. The audience learned the underlying device physics and its sensitivity, as well as a wide array of potential applications, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and acoustical sensors. A prototype device, currently in 2nd-generation fabrication and awaiting packaging and dynamic testing, has an attractive performance to cost ratio, and an easily adoptable design.

The second research group described a Dynamic Threshold and Change-Point Detection scheme that provides the ability to detect statistically significant deviations and trends in data as they occur in real time, unlike current methods that detect anomalies after the fact. This technology is currently being used successfully in government hospitals to monitor patient health, along with troop health during combat exercises. The audience heard other potential applications that range from system monitoring to market/trend reporting.

Nanotech Materials and Processes

Prof. Sungho Jin

May 3, 2005

Biotechnology and nanotechnology are two of the most exciting and rapidly advancing technical fields. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend toward a convergence of these two fields for the benefit of biotechnology and eventual healthcare practices. Advances in some exciting nanoscale materials such as quantum dots, magnetic nanoparticles, nanowires and nanotubes allow exploration of new biotech device designs, more convenient and accurate imaging and diagnosis, and improved therapeutic processes. In this talk, some examples of potential applications of nanotechnologies for biotech fields such as bio-imaging, cancer treatment, drug delivery, DNA analysis, study of ion channels and related diseases, and modification of cell behavior, were discussed.

Micro-Fluidic Lenses, Prof. Yuhwa Lo (UC San Diego)

March 1, 2005

The first lecture in this series featured Yuhwa Lo, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at UCSD. His talk focused on his research into micro-fluidic lens and their application the huge cell phone market. Professor Yuhwa Lo received his PhD in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley in 1987. He worked at Bellcore (now Telcordia) from 1988-1990 and at Cornell from 1991-1999 before joining UCSD. He has done research on optoelectronic devices and materials for telecommunications. His recent research efforts are focused on devices for quantum communications, microfluidics, biosensors, biophotonics, and bio-nanosystems.

Implantable Biochemical Sensors, Prof. David Gough (UC San Diego)

January 25, 2005

Professor Gough described his research in the development and application of implantable biochemical sensors for the continuous monitoring of glucose, oxygen, lactate, and other metabolites. Professor Gough is working to create state-of-the-art implantable glucose sensors. To achieve his objectives, he conducts research on glucose and oxygen transport through tissues, sensor biocompatibility, and glucose gradients in the bloodstream. In addition, his research interests include control theory applied to metabolic regulation and dynamic models of the natural pancreas, insulin islet, and beta cell. He is also interested in machine learning applications to predict protein-protein interactions and dynamic physiologic processes. Prof. Gough discussed current efforts to commercialize this research.

UC San Diego TransMed, 2 Translational Research Projects

November 8, 2004

Through UCSD Transmed, funding is sought for translational research projects which are still laboratory-based, but are directed toward pre-clinical testing and application. The projects showcased by the TransMed program have been peer-reviewed for scientific and clinical merit, and commercial feasibility by a UCSD faculty committee composed of both basic science and clinical scholars. Additional TransMed projects, and further information on UCSD TransMed can be found at http://invent.ucsd.edu/TransMed.

The projects discussed during this lecture were:

Development of Novel MMP Inhibitor Compounds Through Rational Drug Design and Testing:

Dr. Seth M. Cohen, Dr. Francisco J. Villarreal

Self-reporting Nano-material for Sustained Intraocular Drug Delivery:

Dr. Michael J. Sailor, Dr. Sangeeta N. Bhatia, Dr. William R. Freeman, Dr. Lingyun Cheng

UC San Diego AP4 Cancer Center, Dr. Stephen Howell

September 27, 2004

The Rebecca and John Moores UC San Diego Cancer Center has recently been awarded a planning grant from the National Cancer Institute to evaluate the feasibility of establishing an Academic Public Private Partnership Program (AP4) Center at UC San Diego. The AP4 initiative was developed in response to the National Cancer Institute’s growing concern about the small number of New Drug Applications being filed for new molecular entities directed to novel targets.

The AP4 Center at UC San Diego will assemble multidisciplinary teams of academic investigators to work on projects deemed industrially relevant and important by the companies who join the Center as members. Dr. Stephen B. Howell, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cancer Pharmacology Program at UC San Diego will direct the Center. Dr. Howell was selected to lead the Center because of his substantial experience with cancer and drug development in both the academic and industrial environments. Dr. Howell discussed the AP4 Center.

Program Contacts: