The first International ITN Biotechnology Forum was hosted by Lebanon Valley College (LVC). Speakers presented from LVC, Penn State Harrisburg (PSH), and Powell Law Associates. Researchers from the National University of Singapore and BSES Limited, formerly the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, in Australia also spoke of their work involving in-vitro plant development and sugarcane species commercialization. These visitors were courtesy of Dr. Sairam Rudrabhatla - having that week been guest lecturers in the Research Experience for Undergraduates EU (REU)program at PSH. In attendance were also the cohort of REU students and numerous PSH graduate researchers, biology and chemistry.
Below are a few highlights of the session:
Dr. Courtney M. Lappas, of Lebanon Valley College and formerly with NIH, illustrated how T cells affect inflammatory conditions and the effects that adenosine analogs can have on controlling unwanted responses. She has studied the effects that these compounds along with certain genetic factors can have on the condition. In particular, chronic granulomatous disease and graft-versus-host disease show improvements when the adenosine receptors are controlled.
Dr. Shobha Potlakayala of Penn State Harrisburg illustrated her recent work on providing blight resistance in American Chestnut. This builds on her earlier work in developing a systemic acquired resistance in plants through understanding the effects of expression of particular genes. SAR enables the plant to resist diseases like the blight by accumulating, typically, salicylic acid. Success in genetically creating SAR in Chestnut along with the ability to rapidly culture and test shoots [and then confidently grow multitudes of resistant shoots] will be a great improvement in restoring the population (with genetically pure, rather than back-crossed, specimens) over traditional methods.
Mr. Marvin Powell, former patent attorney for Pfizer Inc. and now of Powell Law Associates LLC spoke on patenting and protecting an invention, and on initial pitfalls in the path toward commercialization. Topics included: precisely defining and documenting the invention along with its history and all of its possible uses and variations; outlining the problems solved and why other solutions are less effective; anticipating how competitors might copy it and the critical features to protect. As an instructor on IP for Lincoln University, he desires to inspire the students along with faculty to bring their work (properly protected, of course) forward into the market.
Dr. Prakash Kumar studies the regulation of shoot development and plant yields at the National University of Singapore. This includes plant hormone (cytokinins and gibberellins) signaling effects on shoot development. An over twofold increase in biomass and seed yield can be obtained by introducing genetic modifications modifying the hormone signaling. These methods show promise in both food and fuel crops. The team was recently awarded a patent covering these developments: Putative Cytokinin Receptor And Methods For Use Thereof.
Prakash Lakshmanan, Program Leader Molecular Breeding at BSES, has studied salinity tolerance and water relations and currently leads the development and delivery of genetically modified (GM) sugarcane from the bench to the field. For more than a century, BSES has led research, development and extension services for Australian sugarcane production - now having 17 stations in Queensland and New South Wales. Rapidly propagating new cultivars, improving yields, better uptake of nitrogen, and extending the harvest season are among the projects underway.
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Guest post by Malcolm Furman.
