Biozona Weekly: Innovation Challenge winners announced; Boy receives cord blood transplant; Science Foundation Arizona commits $15M to rural STEM education

June 13, 2013

By hammersmith

Arizona Commerce Authority names Innovation Challenge winners
6/12/13 | Phoenix Business Journal | Hayley Ringle

The Arizona Commerce Authority announced the six winners of its Spring 2013 Arizona Innovation Challenge at the inaugural Innovation Arizona summit in Tempe, which included two bioscience firms poised to benefit from $250,000 each to help grow their business.

Stem-cell transplant in Gilbert a first
6/12/13 | Arizona Republic | Submitted by Corey Schubert (Banner Health)

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert has successfully performed its first stem-cell transplant, benefiting a 65-year-old San Tan Valley area man with multiple myeloma.

3-year-old boy will be first in Arizona to get cord blood transplant
6/11/13 | Phoenix Business Journal | Angela Gonzales

Noah Swanson, a 3-year-old suffering from a relatively rare disease in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells, will be the first Arizona patient to receive a cord blood transplant through the Arizona Public Cord Blood Program, a program run by the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission.

Knowledge-based work in short supply in metro Phoenix
6/10/13 | Arizona Republic | Ronald J. Hansen

The Phoenix area ranked 54th among the 100 largest metro areas in 2011 for the percentage of jobs requiring knowledge in science, technology, engineering and math, a new report by the Brookings Institution found, although a narrower standard of STEM workers ranked the area 28th in the country.

Vision 20/20 at Old Main brainstorming session
6/7/13 | Peoria Times | Carolyn Dryer

A brainstorming session on the future of Peoria High School’s Old Main that included university presidents, business leaders, teachers, educational program administrators, an economic development services director, and architects offered thoughts about a new bioscience academy or center that could be housed in the historic building.

Foundation to give $15M to help rural schools
6/6/13 | Arizona Republic | Amy B. Wang

Science Foundation Arizona will commit $15 million over the next three years to help improve math and science education in the state’s rural schools, using funds from an anonymous donor who asked the Phoenix nonprofit to examine the needs of educators in the state’s rural counties.

AZ Furnace companies pitch their business plans at demo day
6/6/13 | Phoenix Business Journal | Hayley Ringle

Using existing technologies and intellectual property from the three major state universities, 10 startup companies making their public debut pitched their business plans, expected revenue and investment needs at the inaugural AZ Furnace Demo Day.

Yulex pays back UA with $3M grant
5/21/13 | Phoenix Business Journal | Angela Gonzales

Jeff Martin, founder, president and CEO of Phoenix-based Yulex Corp.—which started in 1997 when it was incubated at University of Arizona’s Maricopa Agricultural Center in Maricopa—is providing the university a $3 million grant in an effort to produce a higher yielding rubber crop.