From targeted cancer chemotherapy to the guarantee of successful organ transplants, the21st century may prove to be the age of big ideas in medicine. The drugs themselves, though, will be minuscule. Experts in chemistry, applied physics, materials science, andpharmaceutical science gathered this week for the BASF AdvancedResearch Initiative at Harvard University's symposium onpharmaceutical nanoformulations. The two-day symposium, co-hosted by the Harvard School ofEngineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and leading chemicalcompany BASF, and held at the American Academy of Arts and Sciencesin Cambridge, provided an opportunity for more than 200 leadingresearchers to discuss the challenges of modern medicine and thesearch for innovative solutions in nanotechnology.
Small particles with big potential A great deal of research in engineering and the applied sciencestoday involves the manipulation of materials at the nanometer scaleto achieve particular physical and chemical properties. In the realm of pharmacy science, for instance, many recentlydeveloped drug compounds are strongly hydrophobic, meaning thattheir molecules do not dissolve easily in water - or, therefore, inthe bloodstream. "That problem can be overcome if the drug particles are tinyenough, on the order of a few billionths of a meter," says DavidWeitz, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Applied Physics atSEAS and co-director of the BASF Advanced Research Initiative. The grand challenge in the field of nanoformulations involves boththe creation of precisely tailored, nanoscale particles of drugsand the safe and efficient delivery of those tiny particles totheir exact targets within the human body. BASF supports researchers at SEAS and across Harvard who areexploring a variety of approaches to this problem.
"I have a vision that is inspired in part by the fact that mostpeople say it's impossible," says Weitz. "I think we can makemeaningful quantities of valuable materials using microfluidics asa fabrication strategy. There are people at BASF who believe inthat, and they've been supporting work in my lab." At the symposium, he says, "I'll try to convince people that yes,we can." Attendees will also hear from George Whitesides, Woodford L. andAnn A. Pet Carrier Bags
Flowers University Professor at Harvard; and David Mooney,Robert P. Pinkas Family Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS.(Whitesides and Mooney are also core faculty members at the WyssInstitute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard.) At SEAS, Mooney has been working to develop a therapeutic cancervaccine that enhances the body's immune response by using novelbiomaterials and nanoparticles to deliver signals to the cells thatinitiate adaptive immunity. (The full list of speakers is available here .) Joining competencies: Industry meets academia The BASF Advanced Research Initiative at Harvard Universityrepresents a powerful model for university-industry collaboration,providing direct funding to faculty, graduate students, andresearchers at SEAS and across the University. Created in October2007, the initiative fosters a vibrant and dynamic intellectualexchange and accelerates the adoption of significant newtechnologies. Recycled PET Bag
"Innovations succeed best of all in collaboration with goodpartners," says Jens Rieger, Senior Vice President, PolymerResearch Division, BASF SE, and co-director of the BASF AdvancedResearch Initiative at Harvard. "Our research cooperation withHarvard has not only strengthened our research network in theUnited States, but provided an optimum basis for collectivelyharnessing the innovative potential of new technologies to confrontglobal challenges. Together we have demonstrated that we haveformed the right team to find sustainable solutions for enhancedquality of life." BASF supports research in nine different laboratories at Harvard,involving work in materials science, applied mathematics, appliedphysics, bioengineering, molecular and cellular biology,microbiology and immunobiology, and chemistry and chemical biology.Nanopharmaceuticals represent one thrust of the research; the otherinvolves preventing or removing biofilms - a type of bacterialgrowth that can cause serious diseases in humans and are a majorconcern in industrial processes and water management. BASF has provided Harvard with direct funding since 2007,supporting the careers of 22 graduate students and 32 postdoctoralresearchers. The collaboration has led to a number of patents andpublications. Recycled Shopping Bags
"The partnership works because BASF is an organization that bringsus really intellectually challenging problems, that incorporatesour results into its business, that learns from us, and thatsupports our research," says Weitz. "The value to them, in turn, isthat we bring people who are a little bit removed from theday-to-day pressures of their business, but who can work togetherconstructively to tackle difficult problems in a multidisciplinaryway. "This has become a model for interactions between industry andacademia," Weitz adds. Additional References Citations.
Small particles with big potential A great deal of research in engineering and the applied sciencestoday involves the manipulation of materials at the nanometer scaleto achieve particular physical and chemical properties. In the realm of pharmacy science, for instance, many recentlydeveloped drug compounds are strongly hydrophobic, meaning thattheir molecules do not dissolve easily in water - or, therefore, inthe bloodstream. "That problem can be overcome if the drug particles are tinyenough, on the order of a few billionths of a meter," says DavidWeitz, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Applied Physics atSEAS and co-director of the BASF Advanced Research Initiative. The grand challenge in the field of nanoformulations involves boththe creation of precisely tailored, nanoscale particles of drugsand the safe and efficient delivery of those tiny particles totheir exact targets within the human body. BASF supports researchers at SEAS and across Harvard who areexploring a variety of approaches to this problem.
"I have a vision that is inspired in part by the fact that mostpeople say it's impossible," says Weitz. "I think we can makemeaningful quantities of valuable materials using microfluidics asa fabrication strategy. There are people at BASF who believe inthat, and they've been supporting work in my lab." At the symposium, he says, "I'll try to convince people that yes,we can." Attendees will also hear from George Whitesides, Woodford L. andAnn A. Pet Carrier Bags
Flowers University Professor at Harvard; and David Mooney,Robert P. Pinkas Family Professor of Bioengineering at SEAS.(Whitesides and Mooney are also core faculty members at the WyssInstitute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard.) At SEAS, Mooney has been working to develop a therapeutic cancervaccine that enhances the body's immune response by using novelbiomaterials and nanoparticles to deliver signals to the cells thatinitiate adaptive immunity. (The full list of speakers is available here .) Joining competencies: Industry meets academia The BASF Advanced Research Initiative at Harvard Universityrepresents a powerful model for university-industry collaboration,providing direct funding to faculty, graduate students, andresearchers at SEAS and across the University. Created in October2007, the initiative fosters a vibrant and dynamic intellectualexchange and accelerates the adoption of significant newtechnologies. Recycled PET Bag
"Innovations succeed best of all in collaboration with goodpartners," says Jens Rieger, Senior Vice President, PolymerResearch Division, BASF SE, and co-director of the BASF AdvancedResearch Initiative at Harvard. "Our research cooperation withHarvard has not only strengthened our research network in theUnited States, but provided an optimum basis for collectivelyharnessing the innovative potential of new technologies to confrontglobal challenges. Together we have demonstrated that we haveformed the right team to find sustainable solutions for enhancedquality of life." BASF supports research in nine different laboratories at Harvard,involving work in materials science, applied mathematics, appliedphysics, bioengineering, molecular and cellular biology,microbiology and immunobiology, and chemistry and chemical biology.Nanopharmaceuticals represent one thrust of the research; the otherinvolves preventing or removing biofilms - a type of bacterialgrowth that can cause serious diseases in humans and are a majorconcern in industrial processes and water management. BASF has provided Harvard with direct funding since 2007,supporting the careers of 22 graduate students and 32 postdoctoralresearchers. The collaboration has led to a number of patents andpublications. Recycled Shopping Bags
"The partnership works because BASF is an organization that bringsus really intellectually challenging problems, that incorporatesour results into its business, that learns from us, and thatsupports our research," says Weitz. "The value to them, in turn, isthat we bring people who are a little bit removed from theday-to-day pressures of their business, but who can work togetherconstructively to tackle difficult problems in a multidisciplinaryway. "This has become a model for interactions between industry andacademia," Weitz adds. Additional References Citations.
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