Life Sciences: Universities and Institutes
Universities and Institutes in Israel
Biotechnology requires rich academic soil in which to grow. More than any other high-tech industry, it must be nurtured carefully by the often long, arduous and expensive process of research. This characteristic makes Israel well placed to succeed in biotechnology with 35% of the country's researchers involved in the life sciences. There have already been some remarkable university-driven commercial applications for Israeli biotechnology research.
Universities
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem also allocates major resources to the Life Sciences. The University's Biotechnology and Fermentation Laboratory is often held up as a model for a new generation of Precompetitive Industrial Research Centers (PRIC), in which industrial and academic scientists can work together on problems of scaleup and feasibility testing. Among successes in recent years a team of HU researchers has created a new material - bioactive sol-gel glass - for immobilizing enzymes and other bio-organic molecules. The immobilized enzymes can even acts as biosensors in medical or environmental applications. Another HU success is in the area of steroids. Researchers in Jerusalem have encapsulated steroids in microscopic vesicles where they are more accessible to chemical interactions. Yissum Technology is the University's technology transfer company. One recent biotechnology commercial success in the area of bio-informatics based on HU know-how is Keryx. This Jerusalem start-up has developed a mathematical formula that harnesses raw genome data.
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University's Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology also conducts prolific research in these disciplines. Recombinant microbial biopolymers have been developed for treating oil pollution and metal contamination in natural water, while new classes of antibacterial and antifungal drugs have been devised based on novel pathogen biochemistry. Another key link between the University and industry is exemplified by studies in bioprocessing in which enzymes are used for the controlled degradation of cellulose. In diagnostics research cell sorting technologies are used to enable rapid identification of human microbial pathogens. Tel Aviv's technology transfer company is Ramot.
Ben Gurion University
One of the country's youngest biotechnology centers is at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva. The Institute of Applied Life-Sciences (scheduled to become the National Research Center for Biotechnology) specializes in bio-materials, bio-sensors and bio environmental projects. Among projects sold to industry by the University's technology transfer company - B.G. Negev Technologies and Applications are a polysaccharine compound sold to Frutarom, a sugar compound acquired by global cosmetics firm Esti Lauder as an additive and the development of coral as a bone substitute.
Bar Ilan University
Bar Ilan University has developed, among many projects, a drug delivery system for Alzheimer's disease. Bar Ilan University has its own technology-transfer company -Bar Ilan Research & Development Co. Ltd.
The Technion
The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa is also one of the country's leaders in creating new industrial biotechnologies and moving them into industry. Among recent endeavors a process has been developed for the elimination of toxic metals for drinking water and industrial effluents. The Technion R&D Foundation is responsible for technology transfer agreements at the university has been Rademate Ltd., which is developing RBHM - a hydrophobic, strong, inexpensive and fully compostable, biodegradable composite material that is environmentally friendly.
The Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot pioneered biotechnology in Israel and continues to do so today. InterPharm's leading product, bulk recombinant human interferon-beta-1a for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, was developed the Weizmann Institute's Department of Molecular Genetics. As a result of the Weizmann Institute's endeavors, the neighboring Kiryat Weizmann Science Park has become the national center of the country's biotechnology industry with the largest companies based there. Today the Weizmann Institute is contributing to the international Human Genome Project. One of the contributions of the Bioinformatics Unit in the Department of Molecular Genetics is the study of mutated genes which cause such disorders as Down's Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. Weizmann Institute has its own technology-transfer company - Yeda Research and is also associated with the Pamot Venture Capital Fund, which holds right of first opportunity over any project under development by the Institute. Current biotechnology investments include Gamida Cell, developing technologies for ex-vivo expansion and manipulation of stem cells in bone marrow and BALM Pharmaceuticals, developing a proprietary platform technology utilizing diasteriomeric peptides.
The Vulcani Institute (Agricultural Research Organization)
The Ministry of Agriculture's Vulcani Center - Agricultural Research Organization near Tel Aviv. Vulcani has its own technology-transfer company - Kidum.
Tel Hai Academic College/Migal
Tel Hai Academic College has its own mini biotechnology incubator. Start-up companies include Galim, which has developed platform generic technologies for libraries of monoclonal anti-bodies, Sensis (together with Tel Aviv University), which is developing sequencers for DNA which are smaller, cheaper and more portable than existing devices, and
Bioview, which is developing diagnostic equipment which uses image processing. Migal Galilee Technological Center is a part of the Tel Hai Academic College, is an applied research institute, specializing in biotechnology, agriculture and environmental sciences. Migal has developed recombinant vaccines for the treatment of Gambero disease in poultry, which is being sold by Abic. Migal's technology transfer company is GAVISH(Gavish Galilee Bio applications Ltd.) GAVISH is a Management and Holding Company that holds the exclusive rights to commercialize intellectual property developed at MIGAL Research Institute for biotech innovation.
Universities and Institutes in The Netherlands
Eight of the 15 universities in The Netherlands are engaged in biotechnology research shared between the research schools and the Centre for Biomedical Genetics. A number of public research institutes are also active in this field, among them being the Wageningen, Utrecht, Groningen, Leiden and Maastricht.
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Advanced Technologies from Israel |
