有远见的企业家
Innovative faculty make their mark
As recognition of their pioneering advances in biotechnology, the 美国发明家学会 (NAI) has welcomed five BioFrontiers faculty to its ranks in the last three years. Caruthers马文 和 拉里·金 现在加入他们的同事 莱斯利雷旺德 (2016), 克里斯托弗•鲍曼 (2016)和 克丽丝蒂Anseth (2015)在这个专属俱乐部.
These distinguished faculty are recognized not only for their leadership in forging new frontiers in biosciences, but also for their noteworthy impacts on quality of life, economic development 和 welfare of society. All of these BioFrontiers trailblazers have a prolific spirit of discovery, innovation 和 entrepreneurship that drives them. Implementing their inventions in creative ways to solve real-world problems, they have generated dozens of patents 和 built numerous biotechnology powerhouses that have transformed the l和scape of bioscience research 和 treatments.
Caruthers马文
Pioneering discoveries in DNA 和 核糖核酸 biochemistry, Caruthers Marv leveraged his insights to develop automated DNA synthesis techniques. These technologies have made bioscience what it is today, by enabling modern genetic analysis techniques. 来自DNA测序, to genome mapping 和 everything in between, Marv gave researchers the tools required to underst和 the genetic material that underlies all life.
With the explosion of genetic research tools, the pace of bioscience advances has accelerated exponentially. By laying the foundation for these technologies, Marv has empowered academic 和 industry researchers alike to explore the basis of human health 和 disease. 这样做时， his discoveries facilitated innumerable scientific 和 clinical advances across all fields of medicine. From the Human Genome Project to next-generation cancer treatments 和 personalized medicine approaches, Marv’s work has a h和 in it all. 现在, making similar advances in 核糖核酸 synthesis, he promises to continue to unravel this new class of biochemical messages that orchestrate biology 和 disease processes.
作为 安进公司 及应用生物系统, Marv has deployed his inventions to break new ground against bioscience challenges 和 push the boundaries of biosciences. “My career is devoted to developing new approaches for solving important biological problems using synthetic DNA, 核糖核酸, 以及它们的类似物,他说. Among the many honors for his lifetime of achievements, he has received the 国家科学奖章, 美国国家科学院 (NAS) Award for Chemistry in Service to Society, 和 is an NAS member.
"My career is devoted to developing new approaches for solving important biological problems using synthetic DNA, 核糖核酸, 以及它们的类似物."
——Caruthers Marv
拉里·金
拉里·金 has called CU Boulder home since the 1970s when he struck out on a career path that has taken him to the frontiers of biotechnology 和 beyond. At a time when the mysteries of DNA 和 核糖核酸 were just
beginning to be unraveled, Larry opened the world’s eyes to whole new dimensions. While the world of these molecules was assumed to be flat, Larry demonstrated that world was in fact round. Discovering that these linear str和s folded into complex 3D structures, he exposed biological roles far beyond the genetic messages for which they were known.
有了这个启示, Larry 和 his graduate student Craig Tuerk—who Larry says “did the work”—envisioned manipulating 和 designing these structures, 他称之为“适体”,以生物科学为目的. “We imagined a future in which 核糖核酸s were shapes, not tapes,” says Larry. Turning his dream into a reality, Larry spent the rest of his career developing innovative technologies to shape 核糖核酸 和 DNA into tools for medical discovery. Founding biotechnology companies NeXstar 和 SomaLogic, he channeled his academic discoveries into pioneering medical advances that have had widespread impact.
Developing libraries of synthetic “aptamers” to bind cellular proteins, Larry generated high-throughput screens for biomarker 和 drug discovery. These biochips have proven instrumental in studying, 诊断, 和 finding treatments for diverse diseases, from cancers to bacterial infections. They have even led to new classes of drugs against untreatable illnesses, 包括NeXagen自己的Macugen. A first in treating blindness, Macugen binds to 和 blocks proteins that cause macular degeneration. Even now, Larry continues to dream up new directions. “The future of aptamers is limited only by our imaginations, as is always the case. Already they are used for proteomics, 细胞分类, 病理, 亲和纯化, 和药品. 而这仅仅是个开始.他说. To drive further innovations, he has created the GoldLab基金会, which aims to solve today’s healthcare challenges by leveraging biotechnology advances in inventive ways.
Larry’s visionary career has earned him an impressive collection of accolades. 的成员 美国国家科学院, he has also received Merit 和 Career Development Awards from the 美国国立卫生研究院 和 the Lifetime Achievement Award 和 Chiron Prize for Biotechnology from the 科罗拉多州生物科学协会.
"We imagined a future in which 核糖核酸s were shapes, not tapes."
——拉里·戈尔德