>newground
Synergism: The action of two or more forces or conditions so that the total effect is greater than anything the individuals alone could achieve.
The individual forces: Indiana University, Purdue University, and Eli Lilly and Co.
The result: Inproteo, a revolutionary partnership that could radically advance our knowledge of an individual’s wellness or disease through the field of proteomics—the study of proteins and their interactions.
Central Indiana is home to two of the top three analytical chemistry departments in the world, at IU and Purdue. Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis is one of the largest developers of protein therapeutics in the pharmaceutical industry. Inproteo, formerly know as the Indiana Proteomics Consortium, was created last year as a way to capitalize on the collective strengths of each.
And that action could well result in the development of technology and medicine to make life easier or even save lives.
“Synergy has taken a while to develop,” says Dr. John G. R. Hurrell, president of Inproteo, “But we are now starting to see that happen.”
Dr. Hurrell notes that, over the next year, Inproteo plans to spin off at least two companies based on the research, and may offer several licensing agreements to other businesses.
Proteomics, in a nutshell, is the study of proteins in cells, which in turn leads to better understanding of disease and its causes. Dr. Hurrell likens proteomics to an orchestra: The genes are the sheets of music the musicians use to play. The proteins are the music that results. Like the various interpretations of a single piece, there are variations in the way the proteins are structured, function, or interact.
And so, he notes, “When a disease is not genetic, the study of proteomics gives us another level of functioning in which to find how healthy cells differ from diseased ones.”
This information, says Dr. Hurrell, can have great implications for both the economy and the well-being of this state and beyond.
Inproteo is part of the statewide initiative to promote the life sciences in a public-private partnership that benefits the people of Indiana. While both IU and Purdue are recognized for their top analytical chemistry departments, the connection between the two was made through Eli Lilly.
Housed on the IUPUI campus, Inproteo’s goal is to go beyond the traditional academic/industry partnership model to create an innovative setting for breakthroughs in the study of cellular chemistry. With the help of Lilly’s “real-world testing,” researchers from both universities are focusing on the questions that most need to be answered.
The cross-institutional projects are designed to enable the consortium to produce innovative technologies that can be licensed or spun off into new companies.
And that is good news for Indiana, says Dr. Hurrell. Not only will the new spin-off companies provide top-level jobs for scientists; they will attract and retain business school graduates in Indiana as well.
For instance, Inproteo worked this summer with an intern from the Kelley School of Business to create a business plan for one of its proposed spin-off companies. And students from the Krannert School of Management in West Lafayette will intern with Inproteo to do in-depth analysis this fall. “The benefit goes both ways,” Dr. Hurrell notes. “We’ll need business graduates as we build these companies.”
The vision: to get a successful cycle going. Research takes place; licensing and other revenues are brought in and put back into more research that results in even more business and licensing activity.
“It all comes together in one coordinated package,” says Dr. Hurrell.
It couldn’t be done at this level by any of the individual partners. But by combining resources, the state of Indiana will benefit many times over, for years to come.
Synergism.
>Jana Wilson
Get more information about Inproteo.