Wisconsins governor unveils $750 million
investment for stem cell and
health research
Wisconsin Institute for Discovery to be located on UW-Madison
Campus
Laptop Battery By WTN News • 11/17/04
Madison, Wis. Governor Jim Doyle announced today on the
University of Wisconsin campus a strategy for the state to maintain
its leadership in the fields of biotechnology, health sciences, and
stem cell research. The governor said that almost $750 million
would be spent in the state over the next several years, and he
outlined a series of
investments, including a new
Wisconsin Institute for Discovery on the UW-Madison campus.
- Read the latest updated coverage of the governors speech
& plan.
"Wisconsin leads the world in groundbreaking biomedical research,
but we need to continue to move forward," Governor Doyle said. "The
state, in partnership with the university and our other private
partners, has an aggressive and comprehensive strategy to ensure
that we remain at the forefront not only of scientific discoveries,
but of creating thousands of new high-tech jobs."
Four years ago, President Bush restricted federal funding for embryonic stem cell research to a limited number of existing stem cell lines.
Thinkpad The governor said that Wisconsin is already well ahead of
California, which recently approved a plan to borrow $3 billion for
stem cell research, and that California is now trying to play
"catch-up" and build from scratch what Wisconsin has been
developing for years. Over the past 15 years, he said, Wisconsin
has invested nearly $1 billion in high technology facilities.
In August 2001, President Bush limited federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research to a relatively small colony of existing cells. He reasoned that to allow research on new cell lines would be tantamount to creating human life in order to destroy it. This, embryos used in stem cell research are donated by couples who undergo fertility treatments to have babies, and that none of those leftover cells could survive or grow into a person unless implanted in a womans womb. If these cells werent used for research, they would be thrown away.
Microsoft "Wisconsin can't match California dollar for dollar, but
California can't match what Wisconsin already has - including the
best scientists in the world and first class research
institutions," Doyle said. "This is not a competition where someone
wins and someone loses. What California does will not diminish
Wisconsin's role; if anything, there will be a synergy between our
two states."
In an article published on the Web site of the research journal Science, researchers Chad Cowan, grown embryonic stem cells they have been able to " program" those genes into a human skin cell, creating a new embryonic stem cell. All stem cells used are approved for federally funded research.
Laptop Computers Doyle made the announcement at the Genetics/Biotechnology Center
on the UW-Madison campus, where he was joined by university
Chancellor John Wiley, UW-Madison biologist James Thomson, and
scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and biotech
stakeholders.
About the IBM Research Division IBM Research is the world's largest information technology research organization, with about 3, 000 scientists and engineers in eight labs in six countries. IBM has produced more research breakthroughs than any other company in the IT industry. For rmation on IBM Research, //www.research.ibm.com. IBM
Laptop Computer "This investment will give the university the resources it needs
to make new discoveries, ones that treat disease, save lives, and
establish Wisconsin as the leader in innovation," said Thomson, who
became the first person to isolate and culture human stem cells six
years ago.
Falwell has attacked stem cell research in order to divert Congress attention from the real issue of passing a bill that would greatly reduce the price of prescription medications.
Desktop Computer Doyles strategy includes the following:
- A new $375 million research institute - called the Wisconsin
Institute for Discovery - on the UW-Madison campus
- The removal of bureaucratic hurdles for faculty members who
want to become entrepreneurs
- Providing venture capital through the Department of Commerce to
start-up
businesses through legislation
the Governor signed earlier this year
- A new $134 million HealthStar Interdisciplinary Research
Complex near the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
dedicated to innovation and rapid transfer of medical science
discoveries into clinical applications
- A new $132 million research facility at the Medical College of
Wisconsin and Children's Hospital that will focus on infectious
disease control, cardiovascular illnesses, and bioengineering
- $1.5 million annually to support a new Alzheimer's research
initiative
- Investments of $105 million over the next five years in
research, education, and public health efforts at the University of
Wisconsin Medical School and the Medical College of Wisconsin to
make progress in areas such as regenerative medicine, stem cell
research, molecular medicine, neuroscience, and cancer
research.
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