MINNEAPOLIS, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally recognized bioscience and biotechnology researchers will gather June 23-25, 2004, at the Minneapolis Convention Center to share new developments in research and product creation at Medical Alley’s(R) new MedEdge(TM) International Conference.
“MedEdge is the first conference of its kind,” said Don Gerhardt, Medical Alley’s president and CEO. “No other venue today brings together this wide range of international experts to exchange leading-edge advancements in bioscience, biotechnology and health care.”
The three-day conference will feature keynote presentations by four leaders in bio and health technology:
Dr. Peter Agre, M.D., winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and professor of biological chemistry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Joseph M. Smith, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Guidant CRM.
Dr. Doris Taylor, M.D., Medtronic and Bakken chair of medicine and physiology and director of the Center for Cardiovascular Repair at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Bill Thomlinson, Ph.D., executive director of the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Conference attendees will have opportunities to learn in more than 50 different educational sessions covering trends and emerging technologies, academic research, bioscience, biomedical engineering, management issues, quality assurance, regulatory affairs and clinical research.
The eclectic curriculum will include significant focus on issues in bioscience and biomedical engineering:
Humanized Monoclonal Antibodies/Bioartificial Liver System: Daniel Miller, Ph.D., president and CEO, Excorp Medical, Inc., will discuss the company’s recent demonstration of its bioartificial liver system, which was developed in association with the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. The system was designed to provide temporary metabolic support for patients whose livers are failing while they wait for liver transplants.
Proteomics Analysis and Separations/Photochemical Coupling Applications in Genomic and Proteomic Studies: Madhusudan Raghavachari, Ph.D., chemical engineer, 3M, will review applications of 3M’s(TM) Empore(TM) Affinity 96 well plate system used in sample separations. Muhammad Lodhi, Ph.D., director of diagnostics and drug discovery, Surmodics will discuss the company’s Photolink(R) technology to achieve high-quality surface modification needed for sensitive high-throughput bioassays.
Strategies for Nucleic Acid Purification: John Syverud, Ph.D., biotech marketing for R&D Systems, covers the contributions new biotech tools make to basic research. Heather Meehan, Ph.D., staff scientist, Gentra Systems, reviews latest trends in nucleic acid purification tools.
Bioscience in the Clinical World/Expanding Opportunities in Bioscience: Dr. Robert Schwartz, medical director, Minneapolis Heart Institute, will focus on the role of creativity in advancing technology and cardiac patient care. Dr. Robert Elde, Ph.D., dean, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, will discuss opportunities to “engineer” at the cellular and molecular level posed by the completion of the human genome project.
Creating Value in Microbial Biotechnology: Mervyn de Souza, Ph.D., principal scientist, Biotechnology Development Center, Cargill, Inc., will provide insights on how this organization develops new products and improved processes by using advances in biotechnology.
Synchrotron Research Applications: Colleen Christensen, Ph.D., life sciences industrial liaison scientist, Canadian Light Source, will describe a variety of synchrotron research applications, challenges and commercial applications involving high-volume protein structure determination and crystallography-based drug design.
Key Issues in Biotech Patenting: Legal experts Paul Busse and Don Cha from Faegre & Benson LLP, Ron Lindquist and Mark Ellinger from Fish & Richardson, and Randy Wenthold, director of business development for the Filtration Technologies Group at Minntech Corporation, will review the latest developments in biotech intellectual property and state-of-the-art patent enforcement drawn from recent court decisions and practical experience.
The Medical Alley region is one of the top areas of the world for healthcare discoveries and medical technology. Minnesota has been acknowledged in several studies as the number one knowledge/tech-based business source in the country, ranks in the top 10 for business and medtech patents, and is consistently rated as one of the top states for producing entrepreneurs and start up companies.
Conference highlights include half-day tours of Beckman Coulter, a leading supplier of laboratory instruments, and University of Minnesota Academic Health Center that will feature presentations from academic researchers on the latest medical science research. The conference will offer a full-day tour of Mayo Clinical Trial Services in Rochester, including opportunities to visit the main campus and hear a presentation about the institution. And, a full day tour of the Minneapolis Life Sciences Corridor will include visits to the Minneapolis Heart Hospital, the Midtown Exchange, and the Elliot Park Lifesciences Institute. The half-day and full-day tours will be offered on Tuesday, June 22, the day prior to the conference and provide a special opportunity for out of state and out of country visitors to tour world class facilities.
About MedEdge
Medical Alley’s MedEdge(TM) International Conference is a three-day educational conference and two-day trade show that has been developed for professionals in health care, medical technology and bioscience industries to showcase leading-edge technology and promote collaboration and innovation in health care and medical technology.
MedEdge International will unite a diverse range of top education, research, and corporate professionals working in the medical technology, life sciences, and biosciences industries. International participation includes speakers, attendees and sponsors from Canada, Great Britain, Israel, China, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden and Wales.
Industry-leading organizations, including Medtronic, Inc., Boston Scientific, St. Jude Medical, Guidant, and the Mayo Clinic, will participate in the conference, delivering presentations on new developments in medical treatments and technologies. In addition, top research institutions including the University of Minnesota will present academic research.
The conference content is enhanced through its partnerships with associations including the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and MNBIO. In addition, ASQ will chair different tracks on quality and technology.
About Medical Alley
Medical Alley(R) is a non-profit trade association that supports the healthcare industry in Minnesota and beyond. The goals of the association are to promote the interest and investment in Minnesota as a major center of health care achievement, research and innovation, focus on legislative issues, and provide members with educational opportunities. Member organizations are world leaders in medical devices, medical technology, life sciences, biosciences, education, research, and health care delivery.
Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are available at http://www.mededgeinternational.com/ and http://www.medicalalley.org/ .
Medical Alley
CONTACT: Liz Rammer of Medical Alley, +1-952-542-3077,lrammer@medicalalley.org ; or Glenn Smith of MedEx Partners, LLC,+1-763-475-1116, info@mededgeinternational.com
