The Center for Biotechnology maintains an aggressive effort at working directly with Corporate sponsors in the conduct of contract research and development projects. Representative efforts have included or include the following groups.
Projects in association with Revco/Lindberg, Inc. in Ashville, NC in validation of the use of their ultra-low temperature mechanical freezers in storage of living tissues. Through research conducted at the Center, Revco's freezers have been demonstrated to maintain a stable ultra-low temperature which contributes to retention of cellular viability of tissues as well as not contributing to stress fractures in the solidified matrices which can contribute to microfractures in frozen tissues.
Projects in association with LifeNet Transplant Services, in Virginia Beach, VA where the biomechanics of allograft bone grafts have been demonstrated to provide required load bearing properties necessary for clinical applications; where cryopreservation of cardiovascular tissues, for example allograft heart valves, can lead to transplantable heart valves which are superior in many respects to bioprosthetic and/or mechanical heart valves; where sheets of cultured human keratinocytes can be used in the clinical treatment of severely burned patients; and where bone allografts can be cleaned of residual bone marrow further reducing the potential for disease transmission and immunogenicity; and where demineralized bone allografts can be optimized for the induction of new bone formation when used in orthopaedic and periodontal applications.
Projects in association with Advanced Tissue Sciences, Inc., in La Jolla, CA where tissue products can be engineered, for example their Dermagraft-TC, to provide for products used in the successful treatment of burns and non-healing skin ulcerations.
Projects in association with BioEnhance, Inc., in Norfolk, VA where bioprocessing technologies are applied in the production of commercializable quantities of protein-based products, for example monoclonal antibodies, and where sponsorship of scientific meetings, information can be dissiminated to the biotechnology industry.
Projects in association with Immudyne, Inc. in Houston, TX where improved production protocols can lead to improved production of commercializable products used in cosmetics and the aquaculture industry.
Last update: July 8, 1998