MIAMI, Fla. (December 8, 2009) — More than 500 business and community leaders attended “Florida’s Future and the Biotech Vision,” a fascinating luncheon and panel discussion on December 2 at Jungle Island, hosted by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) and Gunster, Attorneys at Law. The event assembled senior executives from the top scientific research institutes from across Florida to discuss the future of the bioscience industry and the impact it will have on the economy, business sector and education in Florida, and within the Greater Miami area. The event included a special video message from Governor Charlie Crist who had to cancel his appearance due to a special legislative session, and featured updates on scientific research by Dr. Stephen J. Gardell of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research; Dr. Claudia Hillinger of the Max Planck Florida Institute; Barbara Noble of Scripps Florida; and Dr. Bart Chernow of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. H. William Perry, chairman and managing partner of Gunster, served as moderator.
“We are at the beginning of a new knowledge-based economy that plays a big part in shaping Florida’s future,” said Perry. “By organizing this discussion, we wanted our guests to appreciate the scope of this exciting industry, and that government, Florida’s business community and its citizens play a role in positioning Florida as one of the world’s leading centers for biotech.”
Burnham Institute for Medical Research, based in La Jolla, California recently dedicated its new campus at Lake Nona in Orlando, initializing a new hub for biotech called the “Medical City” that will also include the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, a University of Florida research and academic center, M.D. Anderson Orlando Cancer Research Center, Nemours Children’s Hospital and the Orlando VA Medical Center. Burnham’s research encompasses cancer; infectious and inflammatory diseases; neuroscience; aging and stem cell biology; diabetes and obesity; and childhood diseases.
“Key elements to Burnham’s success are cutting-edge technology platforms, and translational research that is enabled through collaborations with clinical partners,” said Dr. Stephen J. Gardell, Director of Translational Research Resources and Adjunct Associate Professor. “This is critical as we set our sights on new therapeutic solutions to diabetes and obesity.”
The Max Planck Florida Institute is the first U.S.-based research institute for Germany’s internationally acclaimed Max Planck Society. The planned 100,000-square-foot research facility with laboratories will be a neighbor to Scripps Florida on six acres at Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) MacArthur Campus in Jupiter. Research has begun in a temporary facility with the primary focus to further global knowledge of the way cells interact by using the most advanced techniques to visualize molecular processes in living tissue. Bioimaging provides a critical opportunity to study cells in the highest resolutions possible, with the goal of translating discoveries of basic research into clinical and patient-oriented applications. This will in turn improve medical diagnostics and the quality of care.
“The Max Planck Society was attracted to Florida because of the proximity to Scripps, and the possibility of close collaborations with many of the country’s leading research institutes,” said Dr. Claudia Hillinger, Vice President for Institute Development. “We are also committed to enriching education in the community, and plan programs with FAU and other universities to help foster the growth of future scientists and researchers in our own backyard.”
Scripps Florida is a state-of-the-art nonprofit biomedical research facility also located at FAU’s MacArthur Campus. Using the latest scientific technology, researchers at Scripps Florida – a division of The Scripps Research Institute headquartered in La Jolla, Calif. – focus on basic biomedical research and drug discovery. Additionally, researchers are developing advanced technologies, and applying these tools to the discovery of new therapeutic agents for a variety of devastating human diseases, including HIV/AIDS; Alzheimer’s disease; cancer; depression; diabetes; hepatitis C; leishmaniasis (a tropical and sub-tropical parasitic disease); obesity; prion disease; Parkinson’s disease; drug and alcohol addictions; and schizophrenia.
“Our researcher’s at Scripps Florida have laid the scientific foundation to meet the most complex biomedical challenges to improve human health,” said Barbara Suflas Noble, Director of External Affairs for Scripps Florida.
Founded in 1952, the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine was Florida’s first accredited medical school. It is highly regarded for its research, clinical care, medical education, and biomedical innovations, and provides the medical staff for a large medical complex which includes University of Miami Hospital, Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Miami VA Medical Center. Plans are underway to build the UM Life Science Park, which will add up to an additional two million square feet of space adjacent to the medical campus. The UM Life Science Park will bring together academia and industry for collaboration in bioscience research and technology innovation.
“Biotechnology is important for Florida at so many levels. It may lead us to the development of pharmaceuticals and medical technologies that might improve health care and the quality of life,” said Dr. Bart Chernow, Professor of Medicine and Anesthesiology, Vice- Provost for Technology Advancement and the Vice-President of Special Programs. “UM welcomes other research institutes brought to Florida by state funding because we believe that their success is our success and vice versa. We all need to collaborate to truly succeed.”
Kevin Levy is a technology attorney in Gunster’s Miami office and a member of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s tech committee. “Biotech and technology have already changed the landscape of Florida and its academic communities, and the real excitement has only just begun. This forum gave us all a rare opportunity to hear from these great institutions at one time. This was a watershed event for technology in Florida and we are honored to have presented it to the South Florida community.”
Sponsors of the luncheon included Gunster, Attorneys at Law; Compuquip Technologies; Check Point Software Technologies LTD; Darby & Darby; Novak Druce + Quigg LLP; IBM; Florida Trend; The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; and BioFlorida.
