Greetings from the BioIndustry Initiative!

This issue of the Newsletter captures the highlights of a very productive summer for BII. While the Nonproliferation focus of the program is obvious, our Congressional mandate also calls for the use of resources and expertise to combat infectious disease. The larger BII Network, including our implementation partners and partner institutions in Russia and the CIS, continues to have a significant impact in combating infectious disease and promoting public health.

Two years ago, BII, in conjunction with BTEP, identified the need for establishing a Russian flu surveillance system. We developed and funded a top-notch U.S.-Russian collaboration for monitoring flu viruses in migratory birds and poultry in Siberia. Within months of the launch of this program, scientists at VECTOR isolated the highly pathogenic, avian flu virus strain H5NI from birds in Siberia. This ongoing project will serve as an early warning system for public health authorities worldwide, yield valuable information on the transmission of these viruses and aid in the development of novel diagnostics and vaccines.

In May 2005, BII sponsored the Biotechnology and Oncology 2005 Conference in St. Petersburg, bringing together an elite group of Russian and American oncologists, scientists, and pharmaceutical and venture partners to promote collaborative research and commercialize emerging Russian technologies to combat cancer.

We continue to foster the growth of two consortia, TEMPO and Orchemed, bringing together leading Russian biological and chemical institutions respectively, to promote the interests of member institutions within the emerging biotechnology sector in Russia and abroad. BII-funded projects through these consortia, as well as other partner institutions are developing promising new technologies for the diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis of human and animal diseases.

Jason E. Rao, Ph.D.
Director, BioIndustry Initiative