Video: Life Sciences in action
IU and Purdue collaborate in the Life Sciences
Neal Moore: Indiana University and Purdue…fierce competitors on the field as teams strive to add their school’s letter to the chain of victories held by the Old Oaken Bucket.
But it’s a different story off-the-field. IU and Purdue often combine strengths…to solve problems…create new products…improve health…and increase opportunities for Hoosiers.
Competition is a good thing, of course…but we thought that perhaps it would be in the spirit of the Old Oaken Bucket tradition to look at how Indiana University and Purdue University also work together. The obvious manifestation of this ongoing partnership is here in Indianapolis…the IUPUI campus. But the fact is…there are many such relationships between the two universities all over the state.
Hoosiers benefit regularly from the expertise these schools bring to the table. Purdue…with its credentials in Engineering…and Agriculture. Indiana University’s prowess in computer technology…and the life sciences. The state certainly profits from each school’s strengths…and the benefits are magnified when Purdue…and IU…work together.
IU and Purdue are committed to using research to create jobs…and improve the quality of life for Hoosiers. IU and Purdue researchers founded Inproteo…a company that combines the analytical and chemistry expertise of Indiana and Purdue with the commercial and therapeutic know-how of Eli Lilly. Inproteo designs new instrumentation and diagnostic methods that can improve human health.
The two schools also worked together to create a company called InCAPS. The venture became a success with the help of Biocrossroads, an organization dedicated to funding Indiana life-science initiatives. Chemistry professors from IU and Purdue formed InCaps to offer research to companies seeking more efficient ways to analyze the proteins in our bodies that are critical to health.
Projects like these have been so successful that Purdue and IU’s School of Medicine have forged a ongoing collaboration to identify biomedical research projects that will draw federal and private funds to Indiana.
In the future…mastering mathematics will make it possible for many Hoosiers to find better jobs. IU and Purdue professionals in the fields of Education…Mathematical Sciences…and Computer and Informational Science… have joined forces with several middle schools in Indianapolis. The group wants to find out how teachers can improve math instruction using computers and other high-tech tools. Results suggest that middle-school students’ ability to reason and solve problems are enhanced when teachers are trained on how to actively use this technology in the classroom.
Sometimes college students take matters into their own hands. IU and Purdue students in Analytical Chemistry meet at Turkey Run State Park each year to present their research and share ideas between the two university programs. This year’s group explored how students can take their ideas to market and create start-up companies. The Chemistry Departments at both IU and Purdue are among the best in the country.
Indiana University sponsored this car in the summer’s Grand Challenge. The Deptartment of Defense held the competition as a way to inspire technologies that will allow vehicles to drive themselves. IU and Purdue researchers are on the Indy Robot Racing Team…and have contributed expertise in software and robotics. The team’s mission is to build the world’s first fully autonomous driving machine.
Scott Jones: The Silcon Valley of the automobile could happen in Indiana if we make the right move.
Indiana’s future depends on our ability to create and share information. IU and Purdue are partners in the National Science Foundation Teragrid project. Using the high-speed I-Light computer network that links Purdue University in West Lafayette, the IUPUI campus, and the IU campus in Bloomington, researchers can tap into unprecedented amounts of computing power…allowing them to collaborate on research and create new knowledge that benefits all of us.
Breast cancer’s days may be numbered thanks to several research developments here in Indiana. Together…IU and Purdue faculty are trying to develop new drug compounds for women whose breast tumors have developed resistance to tamoxifen, the standard of care for women with certain types of breast tumors.
In another project, these researchers are trying to learn why cancer tumors eventually develop a resistance to drug therapies. This involves looking deep inside the cell nucleus using cutting edge technology and computer software…also developed by IU and Purdue scientists.
Dr. Merv Yoder: When we can combine the strengths of those two institutions…we can now accomplish research that we could not accomplish before.
Sometimes IU and Purdue collaborate…and compete…at the same time! For several years IU and Purdue alumni…students…and fans have competed in the Blood Donor Challenge. The drive is sponsored by the IU and Purdue alumni associations…the Indiana Blood Center…and the American Red Cross. Over four thousand people participated this year…and the winner is Purdue…with 2268 pints…to IU’s 2074. The lives of hospital patients all over Indiana will be saved by blood donations like this one.
Of course…when it comes to world-class research institutions like IU and Purdue, the real winners are Hoosiers and people all over the world who benefit from a stronger economy…better health care…effective community leaders…and an enhanced quality of life.
While we’ll cheer for our favorite team during today’s game…remember that it’s what these two universities build together that will have a lasting impact on us. In a very real sense…Indiana's future depends on the partnership between these two fine institutions. I’m Neal Moore.
