AIR Option 2: Research Alliance - Ecosystem for Biophotonic Innovation (EBI) Building Sustainability

该PFI：AIR研究联盟项目的重点是在生物光子学领域建立一个可持续的创新生态系统，教育下一代企业家，并加速由NSF科学技术中心（STC），生物光子学科学技术中心（CBST）开发的关键生物医学技术的翻译和转让。与我们的合作伙伴合作的商业化技术将填补以下领域的技术空白：1）用于生物学和医学的超分辨率细胞成像，2）用于细胞动力学成像的新型非光漂白标记，3）监测细胞对癌症药物的反应，以及4）用于疾病检测和监测的自动血液病理学。这些技术具有以下市场价值的特点：1）在分辨率至少高出8倍的情况下，（体积方面）比衍射极限更高的光学显微镜技术，当与领先的光学显微镜技术相比时，其在更低的照明强度下提供示例性性能，并且因此更宽容; 2）提供使用非光漂白Sers的能力（表面增强拉曼散射）标记，用于细胞动力学的细胞成像，用于监测用其他技术尚不能监测的独特生物标志物; 3）通过使用拉曼细胞计数术几乎实时地并且以与其他实验策略相比更有效的方式监测细胞对癌症药物的反应的能力;以及4）自动化、实时、即时血液测试系统，当与基于阻抗的、大型的、熟练的劳动密集型的和昂贵的商业上可获得的血液病理学系统相比时，其提供巨大的成本节约。 生物光子学创新生态系统通过与研究伙伴合作并向他们转让技术，或通过衍生产品，从而创造新的就业机会，（学术界的创业研究员，工业界的科学家合作者，以及初创公司的科学家），生物学和医学的商业产品，它有可能推进研究，帮助病人，同时也能培训有创业精神的科学家，产生许可和版税收入。致力于将技术转移到市场领域的合作伙伴包括：1）通用电气医疗保健公司的应用精密公司-将商业化下一代超分辨率显微镜的软件算法; 2）BD Biosciences -将商业化用于研究细胞动力学的新型Sers标签; 3）基顿·拉斐尔纪念基金会-将投入财政资源，推进儿科癌症的诊断和治疗技术，并成立一家创业公司，将最有前途的技术商业化; 4）SARTA -将提供与该地区企业家的联系和教育机会; 5）Tahoe农村健康研究所-将使自动血液病理学系统商业化。潜在的经济影响预计将通过以下方式实现：1）雇用高技能和生产力的创业研究员，教师以及我们合作组织的科学家; 2）在分拆公司雇用高技能的科学家; 3）技术许可;以及4）通过产品销售（例如，下一代超分辨率光学显微镜、用于细胞成像的标记和分析、用于监测细胞对癌症药物的反应的分析以及自动病理学系统）。所有这些活动将最终有助于美国在生物医学技术市场空间的竞争力，通过确保尖端技术在美国商业化，而不是由来自其他国家的科学家和公司，并通过提供优秀的专业发展机会，我们希望有才华的创业研究员谁将有创新和足智多谋的职业生涯超越他们的任期与EBI。在短期内，社会影响包括先进技术更接近商业化，以及为下一代科学家和企业家提供实践培训和学习，无论企业家研究员是在学术界还是在私营部门寻求职业生涯。从长远来看，社会影响包括通过尖端仪器，医疗设备，技术和分析，更好地理解生物物理现象，并最终改善患者护理来促进科学发现。EBI还将通过加强促进创新和教育潜在企业家的基础设施来造福社会，同时也使大学能够更有效地与私营企业合作。

This PFI: AIR Research Alliance project focuses on building a sustainable innovation ecosystem in biophotonics, on educating the next generation of entrepreneurs and on accelerating the translation and transfer of key biomedical technologies developed by an NSF Science and Technology Center (STC), the Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology (CBST). The technologies proposed for commercialization in collaboration with our partners will fill technology gaps in the following areas: 1) super-resolution cellular imaging for biology and medicine, 2) novel non-photobleaching labels for imaging of cell dynamics, 3) monitoring cellular response to cancer drugs, and 4) automated blood pathology for disease detection and monitoring. These technologies have the following market-valued features: 1) outstanding image quality at resolutions that are at least 8 times higher (volume-wise) than the diffraction limit, that provide exemplary performance at lower, and thus more forgiving, illumination intensities when compared to leading optical microscopy technologies; 2) provide the ability to use non-photobleaching SERS (surface enhanced Raman scattering) labels for cellular imaging of cell dynamics, for monitoring unique biomarkers that cannot yet be monitored with other techniques; 3) capability to monitor cellular responses to cancer drugs in almost real-time by using Raman cytometry and in a more efficient manner compared with other experimental strategies; and 4) automated, real-time, point-of-care blood testing systems that provide enormous cost savings when compared to impedance-based, large, skilled labor-intensive and expensive commercially-available blood pathology systems. The Ecosystem for Biophotonics Innovation accomplishes this transfer to the market either by working in collaboration with research partners and transferring technologies to them, or via spinoffs, resulting in creation of new jobs (Entrepreneurial Fellows in academia, scientists collaborators in industry, and scientists in startup companies), commercial products for biology and medicine, with the potential to advance research and help patients while also training entrepreneurial scientists and generating licensing and royalty revenues. The partnerships engaged to transfer the technologies to the market domain include: 1) Applied Precision Inc, a GE Healthcare Company - will commercialize software algorithms for next generation super-resolution microscopes; 2) BD Biosciences - will commercialize novel SERS labels for studying cell dynamics; 3) Keaton Raphael Memorial foundation - will invest financial resources to advance technologies for diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancers and to launch a startup company to commercialize the most promising technologies; 4) SARTA - will provide links to entrepreneurs in the region and educational opportunities; and 5) Tahoe Institute for Rural Health Research - will commercialize the automatic blood pathology system. The potential economic impact is expected to be realized through: 1) employing highly skilled and productive entrepreneurial fellows, faculty, as well as the scientists at our partnering organizations; 2) employing highly skilled scientists in spinoff companies; 3) licensing of technologies; and 4) through product sales (e.g., next generation super-resolution optical microscopes, labels and assays for cellular imaging, assays for monitoring cellular response to cancer drugs, and automated pathology systems), in the next one-to-five years. All these activities will ultimately contribute to the U.S. competitiveness in the biomedical technology market space through ensuring that cutting-edge technologies are commercialized in the U.S. instead of by scientists and companies from other countries and through providing excellent professional development opportunities to talented entrepreneurial fellows who we expect will have innovative and resourceful careers beyond their tenure with EBI. In the short term, the societal impact includes the movement of advanced technologies closer to commercialization, as well as hands-on training and learning for the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs regardless of whether entrepreneurial fellows pursue careers in academia or in the private sector. In the long term, the societal impact includes enhancement of scientific discovery enabled by cutting-edge instruments, medical devices, techniques and assays, better understanding of biophysical phenomena, and ultimately improved patient care. EBI will also benefit society by strengthening an infrastructure to promote innovation and to educate would-be entrepreneurs, while also enabling universities to more productively partner with private industry.