SCIENCE FOUNDATION AWARDS $10 MIL IN GRANTS
BYLINE: Ken Alltucker, The Arizona Republic
Science Foundation Arizona will award nearly $10 million to eight research projects that link Arizona scientists with businesses.
The goal of the foundation's strategic research program is to strengthen ties between Arizona researchers and companies to bolster the state's knowledge-based economy.
"All of these companies are mobile, and they are all companies that can move to another place," said William Harris, the foundation's president and CEO. "We have to create a competitive advantage for the industry and universities. This is the first step to do that."
The foundation will provide a nearly $2.2 million grant to fund a research project for the Critical Path Institute (C-Path) and Ventana Medical Systems, both of Tucson. The researchers' goal is to find a way to link cancer drugs with tests to allow drugs to be administered to patients based on genetic makeup, a concept known as personalized medicine.
"The purpose of the project is to create a national model for development of diagnostic tests to help personalized medicine," said Dr. Jeffrey Cossman, C-Path's chief scientific officer who will oversee the research.
Cossman said C-Path will analyze statistics and Ventana will provide the lab space to test a lung-cancer drug and companion test.
Two foundation will inject at least $2 million into two other research ventures.
University of Arizona plant sciences Professor and Bio5 Institute member Dr. David Galbraith and Tucson's High Throughput Genomics will get nearly $2.2 million to develop a test that could yield many benefits, including finding a less-expensive way to make ethanol, an environmentally-friendly fuel ingredient.
Dr. Robert Penny of Phoenix-based International Genomics Consortium and Ameripath will get $2 million for a cancer-research project.
Arizona State University and University of Arizona scientists secured grants to work on various research projects such as making solar equipment more efficient and producing biopharmaceuticals.
The state provides the money for the foundation's grants, which are vetted by a scientific-review panel. Other foundation programs have awarded grants to small businesses, graduate students and school teachers.