The Center for Bioanalytic Metrology announced the launch of 10 new research projects to be carried out in 2021 by 13 faculty members and their students across the campuses of the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University and Indiana University. The projects were chosen by, funded by, and will be carried out in close collaboration with CBM’s Industry Advisory Board, which is comprised of AbbVie, Agilent, Bristol Myers Squibb, Corteva Agriscience, ExxonMobil, Genentech, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, Lilly, Merck, Pfizer, Sartorius and Takeda.
CBM, a National Science Foundation-sponsored Industry-University Cooperative Research Center, is a joint venture that focuses the innovative problem-solving capabilities of faculty and students on the key measurement science concerns of industry members. The funded projects emerged from a yearlong process in which industry members defined urgent needs and faculty members proposed potential solutions.
The ten new projects launched by the center span a wide range of topics including innovations in biomass characterization, development of autonomous analytical instruments, new process analytical technologies for monitoring synthetic chemistry or therapeutic protein manufacturing and new applications of mass spectrometry in studying isolelectric focusing, aggregation of biomolecule therapeutics and high-resolution chemical imaging.
“We’re very pleased to see how the center can adapt to the ever-changing measurement science needs of our industry members” commented Notre Dame professor and Center Director Paul Bohn. “The CBM is building important collaborative bridges between academia and industry. We are familiarizing our faculty and students with the key problems and unmet needs of industry in the measurement science arena, while tackling challenging problems with significant ‘real world’ importance.”
Lane Baker, Indiana University Site Director, added, “CBM has been coming together nicely since our launch in 2019. Over this past year, despite interruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has developed a productive and friendly atmosphere that is mutually benefitting industry and university participants alike.”
“Our students are loving the CBM”, noted Garth Simpson, Purdue University Site Director. “Our first crop of Ph.D. students with experience on CBM projects are finding great positions in industry. They feel that working closely with industry scientists gives them a better sense of what to look for in a career outside of academia.”
At the center’s recent national meeting, held online because of travel restrictions, CBM industry members expressed similar enthusiasm at the opportunity to hire talented new Ph.D. scientists with experience that applies directly to their measurement science problems.
For those interested in learning more about CBM, please visit cbm.nd.edu.
Contact: Paul Bohn, Center Director, pbohn@nd.edu