Arizona Bioscience News: Mayo Clinic buys 228 acres for biotech hub; GPEC earns $500K for health innovation project; Omicron found in Phoenix area

December 16, 2021

By Matt Ellsworth

Mayo Clinic buys 228 acres for north Phoenix expansion / Phoenix Business Journal

The Mayo Clinic purchased 228 acres of land adjacent to its north Phoenix campus at an Arizona State Land Department auction with plans for a future biotechnology hub.


Phoenix coalition wins $500,000 federal grant for business incubator, health care innovation project / Phoenix Business Journal (AZ Inno)

An 18-member coalition led by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council was awarded a $500,000 grant for its proposed health care innovation project from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and as a finalist will compete for an award of up to $100 million.


First cases of omicron COVID-19 variant detected in metro Phoenix / KTAR
The first six cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 have been detected in metro Phoenix as three clusters of cases were found in ages ranging from late teens to people in their 60s. Read more: Number of COVID-19 omicron variant cases grows in Arizona 


Expert urges testing as overtaxed hospitals face COVID-19 surge / KJZZ

Joshua LaBaer, executive director of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, says the highly infectious, rapidly spreading omicron variant makes it even more urgent for people to know if they’re infected.


Some Banner Health hospitals are now at 100% capacity — and crisis standards loom / KJZZ

Banner Health has reached its highest inpatient levels since the pandemic began, with several of its hospitals now operating above 100% capacity, and models projecting cases and utilization rates rising into mid-January. Read more: Dignity Health’s Arizona hospitals halting some elective surgeries as beds fill


Northern Arizona University joins Arizona cohort of national long COVID study / Arizona Daily Sun

Northern Arizona University will participate in a nationwide initiative to study long COVID, funded by the National Institutes of Health, by recruiting northern Arizona residents to better understand, prevent, and treat the disease.


Valley doctor fearful COVID-19 pandemic could cause spike in cancer cases / KTAR

In the past year, COVID-19 has taken over cancer as the leading cause of death in the U.S., but it also could be the catalyst for a spike in cancer deaths because people have delayed going to scheduled cancer screenings.


Researchers repurpose wastewater treatment greenhouse gases to grow algae, make useful products / KJZZ

Arizona State University Biodesign Institute researchers are partnering with a Mesa wastewater treatment plant to study how to repurpose biogas byproducts to grow algae and convert it into fuels, feeds, and food additives.


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