2007Archive

September 24, 2007 - L to R: Dr. Yacov Shamash, Dean College of Engineering & Applied Science and VP Economic Development, Stony Brook University; Dr. Richard Fine, Dean, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University; Edward Reinfurt, Acting Executive Director, NYSTAR; Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny, President, Stony Brook University; New York State Senator John Flanagan; Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director, Center for Biotechnology and Professor & Chair, Dept of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University; Diane Fabel, Director of Operations, Center for Biotechnology (CAT); Dr. Lawrence Weber, Director of Business Development, Center for Sensor Systems (CAT).

The groundbreaking ceremony for the STAR Center in Biotechnology and Bioengineering took place on Monday, September 24th at 11:30 am. Opening remarks were presented by Dr. Shirley Strum Kenny and Mr. Edward Reinfurt, Acting Executive Director, New York State Foundation for Science Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). The STAR Center will house the translational research activities of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Center for Biotechnology.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Center for Biotechnology are already revolutionizing how universities participate in the process of commercializing discoveries and translating basic science to the bedside. They have contributed to more than 20 license agreements, the formation of seven new companies, and an economic impact of more than $500 million. The STAR Center will position Stony Brook University as a global leader in high-tech and biotechnology research and provide the physical and intellectual infrastructure necessary to achieve unprecedented breakthroughs in science and technology in New York State.

The new building will stand south of the Social and Behavioral Science building and adjacent to the Life Sciences Building and Center for Molecular Medicine.

2007 Life Science Summit Highlights New York State's Initiatives in the Bioscience Industry

The 2007 Long Island Life Sciences Summit, held on June 14th at the Hilton Long Island in Melville, New York, was a resounding success. The Center for Biotechnology, in partnership with the Long Island Life Sciences Initiative (LILSI), hosted more than 320 business leaders, representing 100 different organizations.

Statewide Consortium Proposed to Propel New York State to the Forefront of Computational Biology - Academic Leaders Seek Partnership with Industry at Life Sciences Summit

Robert McGrath, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Brookhaven Laboratory Affairs at Stony Brook University, announced today a proposal by a consortium of major universities to take a coordinated approach in the development and application of computational sciences, especially computational biology, to make New York a national leader in this rapidly emerging field. Computational biology has the potential to vastly improve understanding of basic biological processes and accelerate the discovery and development of life saving drugs and diagnostics. The proposed consortium, which currently includes Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Columbia University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University at Albany, University at Buffalo, and Cornell University, will build upon major new supercomputing systems installed at Stony Brook University/Brookhaven National Laboratory and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as well as the world class technical expertise and resources that already exists at the member institutions.

“Our announcement today is targeted toward the bioscience industry and our desire to apply our high performance computational biology capabilities to a broad range of areas of potential commercial interest,” said Provost McGrath. “We are actively seeking industry guidance and support for the Consortium, and the Life Sciences Summit represents a great opportunity to reach out to these companies. The ultimate potential to enhance human health and capture the economic benefit of these activities in New York State is enormous.”

The IBM Blue Gene/L supercomputer provided by NYS to Stony Brook and installed at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the rich heterogeneous computational facility – including a Blue Gene/L supercomputer and Opteron and PowerPC clusters – currently being installed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will have the combined potential to process over 200 trillion computations/second. Together, these systems comprise several of the most powerful supercomputers in the world available for non-classified research. “With this type of capability and the strengths in computational sciences of the consortium partners, New York will emerge at the forefront of computational biology and computational science in general,” said Shirley Strum Kenny, President of Stony Brook University.

“The use of computation in drug design will advance our understanding of important biological processes and dramatically accelerate discovery, and ultimately development, of new therapies. This has tremendous implications for both academic and industrial research programs,” said Samuel Aronson, Ph.D., Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory.

"IBM is proud to be working with these leading universities to help make New York State a center of excellence for a critical and emerging area of science and commercial research -- computational biology," said Dave Turek, vice president for deep computing at IBM. "The use of computation to analyze and simulate biological structures is advancing our understanding of invisible processes and accelerating the pace of discovery. The integrated approach of the Consortium will enhance these efforts and significantly improve the State's ability to compete in a vital area of research."

Future plans for the Consortium include the formation of a Life Science Industry Steering Committee to help guide development. “The biotechnology industry is constantly seeking faster, more efficient means of developing vital therapies, a goal that computational biology promises to accelerate. We look forward to working with the Consortium to advance this important capability, which will further position New York at the forefront of the industry,” said Nathan Tinker, Executive Director of the New York Biotechnology Association.

PDF Version of Press Release

January 19, 2007 - NYSTAR Executive Director Michael J. Relyea (left), Center for Biotechnology Director Dr. Clinton Rubin (middle) and Stony Brook University Dean of College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Dr. Yacov Shamash (right).

The Center for Biotechnology is proud to be a co-organizer of "What Can You Be With a Ph.D.?" a science and technology career conference.
November 2-3, 2007
New York, NY
For more information, please visit the conference website: http://whatcanyoubewithaphd.org/

New York City Information Session: Wednesday, September 26, 2007-6:00pm

“Evening with the Experts”- A Wine and Cheese Reception Hosted by Center for Biotechnology & NatureJobs
Held at NatureJobs New York City Offices

Attendance is free. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Please RSVP online.
NatureJobs is located at 75 Varick Street, 9th Floor - New York City

Stony Brook University Information Session: Monday, October 1, 2007-6:00pm
Health Sciences Center - Level 3, Lecture Hall 6

At the information sessions, Course Directors will present an overview of the program and discuss the benefits and practical applications of the program. Meet Alumni from previous years and hear their first hand accounts of the invaluable experience gained and opportunities provided. Pre-registration is required. Please register online.

2007-2008 Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series
An Interdisciplinary Program of Translational Biomedical Research
Wednesdays at 4:00, School of Medicine, Level Four, Atkins Learning Center
Stony Brook University.
View 2007-2008 Seminar Schedule
Download seminar schedule here. (pdf file)

33rd Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference

The Center for Biotechnology is a proud sponsor of the 33rd Annual NE Bioengineering Conference hosted by the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University on March 10 & 11, 2007. This years conference, Engineering Innovations in Life Sciences and Healthcare, will be covering the broad spectrum of the medical physics, biological and biomedical sciences, and biomedical and clinical engineering. For more information and to register, please visit the conference website: http://bme.sunysb.edu/NEBMES2007/

2007 News + Events