A Message from the Director, Harris Lewin
Shaping the Future of Science and Society
As gas prices rise and fall, and talk of the slumping economy continues to make headlines, I'm more conscious than ever of the importance of our mission here at IGB. The institute's core goals-to advance life sciences research and to stimulate bioeconomic development in the state of Illinois-show our commitment to improving people's lives and enhancing the security of our economic system.
One of the most pressing issues we face globally is the dependence on fossil fuels to fulfill our energy needs. The Energy Biosciences Institute housed in the IGB is leading the movement away from that reliance, working to make biofuels not only environmentally sustainable but also economically viable. The visionary program funded by BP-$500 million over the course of 10 years-has given EBI researchers the resources to revolutionize the biofuels industry. And although the EBI's research program was announced just a few months ago, under Steve Long's leadership and with our partners at the University of California Berkeley, great strides have already been made in achieving the EBI's early objectives.
IGB scientists are also changing the landscape of medicine as they work on developing new antibiotics to combat resistant strains of bacteria. As anyone who has recently had a stay in the hospital knows, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a national health problem. The research theme led by Bill Metcalf has initiated a search for novel phosphonate antibiotics encoded in bacterial genomes. Theme members have already been awarded $7 million by the National Institutes of Health for this work. Results from this theme have already led to an invention disclosure, thus fulfilling a goal of the IGB to accelerate the transfer of technologies that show great potential to benefit mankind.
Like Metcalf's team, Brenda Wilson's Host-Microbe Systems theme is making important advances in biomedical research. With a new grant from the National Science Foundation, Wilson's team strives to understand the relationship between the vaginal microflora and susceptibility to cervical cancer and other pathological disorders of the female reproductive system. The group's external collaborators, which include Carle Foundation Hospital and the J. Craig Venter Institute, demonstrate the importance and promise of this area of investigation.
As the IGB themes move forward in their work, the scientific world is taking note. Along with the rest of the campus, I am proud that two of our colleagues were appointed Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators-one of the most prestigious honors in biomedical science. Phillip Newmark, an affiliate in the IGB Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering theme, was selected based on his extensive work on stem cell biology in freshwater planarians. Wilfred van der Donk, a member of the Mining Microbial Genomes for Novel Antibiotics theme, was chosen for his work in antibiotic discovery. They join Taekjip Ha, a physics professor in the Precision Proteomics theme, as HHMI investigators. Having all three campus HHMI investigators under one roof tells you something about the quality of the people that have been attracted by the IGB vision.
The IGB is dedicated to research that can transform society - which is why we are helping to develop the next generation of scientific leaders. In early August 26 middle school kids-campers from the Girls' Adventures in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (G.A.M.E.S.) program- were welcomed to the IGB for a special course in bioimaging. Organized by Glen Fried, Director of IGB Core Facilities, these budding young scientists got to experience the IGB first hand. They learned about genomic research, conducted experiments, used cutting-edge bioimaging equipment, and designed scientific presentations describing their results. In the process, these gifted girls discovered the excitement of science and the role that scientists play in shaping the future.
I'm pleased to report that during the past year, we hosted two historic conferences and brought many distinguished scholars and government officials from around the world to the IGB. In November 2007, the IGB hosted The Archaea Conference, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the Archaea, made famous by Carl Woese, who first recognized this group of microorganisms as a "third domain" of life. Woese, a member of the IGB Biocomplexity theme, was joined by his many disciples and admirers, as well as pioneers in their own right, in recounting the history of the Archaea and their prominent role in modern biology. In March, an NSF-sponsored Conference on Biology and Politics organized by Gene Robinson and Ira Carmen was held at the IGB. This path breaking meeting broke down the walls between the disparate fields of political science and genomics, addressing once taboo subjects such as the role of genetics in political partisanship. Such activities clearly demonstrate that the IGB is at the cutting edge of the scientific and social revolutions brought about by genomics.
The coming year will be pivotal to our long-term future. Please take the time to visit us and learn more about our accomplishments, goals and dreams. Surely, you will be inspired by what you see and hear at the IGB.
Harris
