JANUARY FEATURE
Bioscience Boulevard
From the Fluno Center in the east to the Biotechnology Center in the campus center to the Clinical Sciences Center in the west, it really is all here.
The Genetics-Biotechnology Center
“It” is UW-Madison’s figurative “Bioscience Boulevard,” running through the campus’s 933 acres and comprising an extraordinary collection of cutting-edge bio research and development centers fueled in 2005 by $654 million in hard-won federal grants with an additional $300 million coming from other sources.
What does that money mean?
It means that UW-Madison ranks with the likes of Stanford, UCLA and the University of California, San Diego when it comes to award-winning research talent. It allows for innovative collaborations among nearly 750 engineers, biologists, geneticists, neuroscientists, chemists, political scientists and others in the life sciences. It provides state-of-the-art research facilities, with several now under construction. And it includes one of the leading technology transfer organizations in the world to help researchers bridge the gap between discovery and the marketplace.
Bioscience at UW-Madison doesn’t occur solely in the biology department, because there isn’t just one. Just as the study of life involves observing interactions among organisms, the successful pursuit of bioscience requires constant collaboration across a spectrum of colleges, programs, disciplines and centers.
- There’s the College of Letters and Science, home to the brand-new dual degree program in neuroscience and public policy, the first of its kind in the United States.
- There also is the School of Veterinary Medicine, one of the top 10 in the nation, where groundbreaking work in stem cell science is edging toward treatments for multiple sclerosis and other diseases.
- There’s the School of Medicine and Public Health, home to the McArdle Research Laboratory, where the late Howard Temin, the 1975 co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, was based.
- The School of Pharmacy, site of the new Lenor Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station. One mission of the station is to provide early stage drug discovery support services to UW-Madison-based “startups” located in the University Research Park and to the Madison-area pharmaceutical community.
- The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, which contains the Biotechnology Center and its recent offshoot, the Genome Center of Wisconsin. The Genome Center focuses on four main research areas: genome sequencing, functional genomics, comparative genomics and bioinformatics.
- And finally, the College of Engineering, home to Hilldale Professor Emeritus of Chemical and Biological Engineering Edwin Lightfoot, who recently received the 2004 National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest honor for science and technology.
Donna Paulnock, an immunologist-turned-infectious disease investigator who is also an associate Graduate School dean for biological science, thinks that the rise of interdisciplinary bioscience reflects larger changes in the world.
“I think there’s a real tide, a rising tide, in our world to think about connections,” Paulnock says.
“Issues of public policy, public health, are forcing us to think in ways that are multidimensional,” she adds. “And it’s giving rise to scholars who want to work in those interfaces, who are flexible and mobile.”
Welcome to bioscience at UW-Madison. It is all here.
Click on the links below for more information about bioscience centers and facilities available at UW-Madison. Visit again in the coming months to learn more about the breadth and depth of bioscience research at UW-Madison.
Bioscience Research Facilities and Resources
UW Biotechnology Center
425 Henry Mall
The Biotechnology Center is Wisconsin’s catalyst to advance biotechnology
research, education and industry for the benefit of society and the environment.
It provides a variety of services to university scientist, ranging from DNA
sequencing to peptide synthesis.
Genome Center of Wisconsin
425 Henry Mall
The research center exists within the Biotechnology Center. The Genome Center’s
30 faculty members represent more than 17 departments and six schools within
UW-Madison. The center fosters integrative and highly collaborative research
that bridges multiple diverse disciplines.
Wisconsin Stem Cell Research Program
614 Walnut St., 13th Floor
The program includes more than 30 faculty members with research programs
involving embryonic or adult stem cells. These research groups are physically
spread across campus and housed in a variety of organizational units. One
is those scientists is James
Thomson, UW stem cell pioneer, who was recently included in a poster published
by the journal Science listing top milestones in science.
WiCell Research Institute
614 Walnut St., 13th Floor
The WiCell Research Institute provides human embryonic stem cells for research
purposes to scientists all over the world and engages in basic research on
stem cells and their application in prevalent cell-based diseases. WiCell
doesn’t require rights to any discoveries. NIH recently awarded WiCell a four-year, $16.1 million grant to form the country's only National Stem Cell Bank.
Center for Eukaryotic Structural Genomics
433 Babcock Drive
Supported by the National Institutes of Health’s General Medical Sciences’
Protein Structure Initiative (PSI). PSI is a federal, university and industry
effort aimed at dramatically reducing the costs and lessening the time it
takes to determine a three-dimensional protein structure. The long-range goal
of PSI is to make the three-dimensional atomic-level structures of most proteins
easily obtainable from knowledge of their corresponding DNA sequences.
Biotron
2115 Observatory Drive
Biotron is a controlled environment facility for biological research.
Biology
New Media Center
425 Henry Mall
The center provides resources to assist the entire campus community in integrating
multimedia technology into teaching and research.
W. M. Keck Laboratory for Biological Imaging
1300 University Ave., Room 172
The laboratory offers imaging services on two laser scanning fluorescent microscopes:
a Bio-Rad MRC-1024 confocal microscope and a Bio-Rad Radiance 2100 MP Rainbow
confocal/multiphoton microscope.
Institute for
Molecular Virology
413 R.M. Bock Laboratories, 1525 Linden Drive
This research institute is administered by the Graduate School. Most faculty
are members of an interdisciplinary postdoctoral training program in virology.
Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center
777 Highland Ave., Suite 2233, Rennebohm Hall
The center promotes research that addresses fundamental mechanisms through
which toxicants produce adverse effects; provides ways to assess or predict
the impact of these agents on humans and other species; and develops biological
and physicochemical processes that can control releases or deplete the environment
of these harmful agents.
Center for Neuroscience
The research programs of the more than 170 neuroscientists on the Madison
campus are advancing understanding of the nervous system across levels ranging
from molecular mechanisms to human behavior and include major contemporary
thematic areas such as learning and memory, development, stem cells, sensory
and motor systems, sleep and consciousness, cognition and affect, appetitive
behaviors, plasticity and neurobiology of disease.
General Clinical Research Center
D6/6, 600 Highland Ave.
This is a clinical research center within the UW Hospital and Clinics that
is funded by the National Institutes of Health. The center’s mission is to
offer an optimal setting for medical investigators to conduct safe, controlled,
state-of-the-art research.
Clinical Cancer Center
K5/601, 600 Highland Ave.
UW Clinical Cancer Center members total more than 250 faculty from 51 departments
and nine schools and have access to many shared services and laboratories
that offer cost-efficient, state-of-the-art technology for researchers.
Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute
7818 Big Sky Drive, Suite 215
The institute represents a unique partnership that has been developed to address
a growing need to improve the quality of care and the availability of supportive
services provided to affected persons and their families. The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s
Institute is the only state-supported organization dedicated entirely to advancing
knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease through education, research and service.
Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior
1500 Highland Ave.
The Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior is a state-of-the-art
facility dedicated to affective and cognitive neuroscience research with brain
imaging.
Waisman Clinical BioManufacturing Facility
1500 Highland Ave.
This is a state-of-the-art cleanroom facility that is equipped with experienced
staff and specialized equipment that are necessary for producing experimental
human biotherapeutics. Located at the Waisman Center, the facility provides
services to UW-Madison investigators and their external collaborators in advancing
cutting-edge experimental therapeutics from basic research to testing in human
clinical trials.
Institute on Aging
2245 MSC, 1300 University Ave.
Funded through a grant from the National Institute on Aging, the institute’s
main goal is to train individuals from a variety of disciplines and diverse
backgrounds to conduct biology of aging research.
Wisconsin National Primate Research Center
1220 Capitol Court
The center is one of eight National Institutes of Health-supported national
primate research centers and is the only one in the Midwest. More than 250
center scientists, through competitive grants, conduct research in primate
biology with relevance to human and animal health.
Biomedical Engineering Center
1550 Engineering Drive
Research topics include bioinstrumentation, biomaterials, bioMEMS and micro
fabrication, biomedical imaging (e.g. magnetic resonance, optical, molecular,
radiological), biometrics, cardiovascular mechanics, cellular engineering,
orthopedic biomechanics, ergonomics, rehabilitation and disabilities, neural
engineering and tissue engineering. This fall, the Biomedical Engineering
Center won a $580,000 per year Wallace
H. Coulter Award to further “translational research,” the development
of practical solutions to address particular clinical problems or unmet clinical
needs.
The Synchrotron Radiation Center
3731 Schneider Drive, Stoughton, Wis.
This National Science Foundation-funded national research laboratory uses
an electron storage ring (nicknamed Aladdin) to produce the light that is
used to conduct a diverse range of experiments.
Food Research Institute, Department of Food Microbiology and Toxicology
1925 Willow Drive
The Food Research Institute is both a research institute and an academic department,
the Department of Food Microbiology and Toxicology. It occupies its own building,
operates its own laboratories and administers its own research and service
programs.
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
Room 4631, 1415 Engineering Drive
Established by the National Science Foundation to carry out research in the
formation, characterization and exploitation of materials at the nanoscale
(the scale of individual atoms). The research extends the center’s work to
investigations at the crossroads of advanced inorganic materials, polymers
and biological systems, which are areas of rapidly increasing technological
significance. NSF recently awarded this center a six-year, $14.8 million grant to continue its leading-edge research on the interfaces of materials at the nanoscale.
Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center
1415 Engineering Drive
Established by the National Science Foundation to address the self-assembly
of complex materials and building blocks at the nanoscale with an exquisite
level of detail.
The Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center assembles a diverse group comprised
of established, world-renowned senior faculty and promising junior faculty
from more than 10 fields. The research program is organized into four interdisciplinary
thrusts that explore the concept of self-assembly at the nanoscale from four
different angles.
Polymer Engineering Center
1513 University Ave.
In October 2002, the Polymer Engineering Center joined the Center for Applied
Polymer and Composites Engineering at The Ohio State University and the Florida
Advanced Center for Composite Technologies at Florida A&M University and
Florida State University and became a multi-University Industry/University
Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) sponsored by the industrial consortia
of these three centers and the National Science Foundation.
Rheology Research Center
1513 University Ave.
Rheology, the study of the flow and deformation of matter, is an old discipline
undergoing a renaissance. In its widest sense, it includes classical fluid
mechanics and elasticity that treat the flow of Newtonian liquids, such as
water, and small deformations of hard solids, such as wood and steel. In practice,
the word “rheology” normally refers to the flow and deformation of “nonclassical”
materials such as rubber, molten plastics, polymer solutions, slurries and
pastes, electrorheological fluids, blood, muscle, composites, soils and paints.
These materials can exhibit varied and striking rheological properties that
classical fluid mechanics and elasticity cannot describe. The current value
of all open rheological research projects exceeds $4 million. These funds
support 35 graduate and postdoctoral students and their rheology research
projects.
Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics
545 Science Drive
This center is an interdisciplinary research center founded to develop and
commercialize technologies, products and processes to meet the needs of NASA
for space-based research and the needs of industry for terrestrial-based applications.
Efforts have shifted from traditional plant life science research to biotech
research. Active projects include the development of biosensor and plant-based
antidotes targeting major biothreats such as ricin, botulinum and Staphylococcus;
functional foods and nutraceuticals focusing on bone health, enhanced immunity
and micronutrition intervention.
Lenor Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station
777 Highland Ave.
The station provides fundamental research in various aspects of drug development,
including the sciences of drug discovery, drug action and drug delivery. It
also provides early stage drug discovery support services to UW-Madison-based
“startups” located in the University Research Park and to the Madison-area
pharmaceutical community.
Unique Educational Opportunities
Program in Neuroscience and Public Policy
7225 Medical Sciences Center, 1300 University Ave.
A joint initiative of the Neuroscience Training Program and the Robert M.
La Follette School of Public Affairs, the program offers students the opportunity
to earn a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience and a master of public affairs degree,
typically in five years.
Master of Science in Biotechnology Program
510 Charmany Drive, Suite 171
Drawing on the resources of a world-class university, the master of science
in biotechnology is intended for practicing scientists, technical professionals,
attorneys and business strategists seeking a cross-functional understanding
of biotechnology without having to interrupt their careers to pursue studies
full time.
Strategic Management in the Life and Engineering Sciences MBA program
School of Business, 2296 Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave.
This program produces the founders, leaders and advisers of organizations
seeking to bring new technologies to market in ways that improve the quality
of life for the world's peoples. The program’s aim is to solidify UW-Madison’s
global leadership role in fusing leading-edge science, strategy and policy-making.
Under the program’s umbrella, students specialize in agribusiness, engineering
or science.
Business/Technology Transfer Resources
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
614 Walnut St., 13th Floor
Since its founding in 1925, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
has served the UW-Madison scientific community by patenting the discoveries
of UW-Madison researchers and licensing these technologies to leading companies
in Wisconsin, the United States and worldwide. In this way, WARF also facilitates
the use of UW-Madison research for the maximum benefit of society. WARF distributes
the income from commercial licenses to the UW-Madison, the inventors and their
departments. Each year, WARF contributes more than $45 million to fund additional
UW-Madison research. In 2005, WARF was the recipient of the National Medal
of Technology, which is the nation’s highest award for technological achievement.
Center for Quick Response Manufacturing
1513 University Ave., Suite 253
Quick response manufacturing (QRM) is a companywide strategy to cut lead times
in all phases of manufacturing and office operations. It can bring products
to market more quickly and secures business prospects by helping to compete
in a rapidly changing manufacturing arena. At Invitrogen,
the life sciences company, the recent application of QRM principles helped
to halve the company’s protein purification time, from nine-and-a-half days
down to only five.
New Business Startup Initiative
Office of Corporate Relations, Suite 1215, 610 Walnut St.
In collaboration with other entrepreneurial services on campus, this program
provides multidimensional support for faculty, staff and students who want
to start companies based on their work at UW-Madison.
Fluno Center for Executive Education
601 University Ave.
The Fluno Center connects the university’s vast resources to the professional
community. Every year, thousands of professionals from industry, government
and nonprofit organizations participate in continuing education programs taught
by the university’s faculty. Through its Technology
Business Development Institute, the center offers seminars and counseling
for those interested in starting a technology business.
Small Business Development Center
975 University Ave.
Partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the UW-Madison
Small Business Development Center is a leader in offering seminars and other
programs specially designed for researchers interested in taking their ideas
to market.
Initiative for Studies in Technology Entrepreneurship
School of Business, 2020J Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave.
The initiative facilitates, creates and transmits fundamental research related
to technology entrepreneurship. It includes new venture creation, new venture
financing, strategic management of technology, legal and regulatory
influences on innovation and venture creation, and related policy issues.
University Research Park
510 Charmany Drive, Suite 250
The mission is to encourage partnerships between businesses and university
researchers. Located 3 miles west of UW-Madison, the University Research Park
is the home of 110 companies employing more than 5,300 people.
There is more in store
New research facilities under development at UW-Madison include:
Interdisciplinary Research Complex
Adjacent to UW Hospital and Clinics
The building will be designed to encourage unique gatherings of scientists
from different disciplines to address urgent health problems of common concern.
Cancer research laboratories will be the anchor of the the complex’s first
tower. Neuroscience and cardiovascular research also will be featured in phase
one, as will work on stem cells and regenerative medicine. In addition, molecular
medicine will be a major thrust of the research taking place in the building.
Microbial Sciences Building
UW-Madison’s three core microbiology departments — bacteriology, food microbiology
and toxicology and medical microbiology and immunology — have joined to create
an international center of excellence in the microbial sciences. The Microbial
Sciences Building, a 330,000-square-foot, $120.5 million complex now under
construction, will house the three departments.
Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
The proposed institute would occupy the 1200 and 1300 blocks of University
Avenue and become a massive interdisciplinary research center that would
combine biology, bioinformatics, computer science, engineering, nanotechnology
and other fields in one setting.
In coming months, we will publish stories on the breadth and depth of our bioscience research, as well as interviews with some of the researchers themselves to discover their own vision of where all this research is leading.
Visit our archives to read articles from previous issues of the UW Business Wire.