BioScience under the Big Sky |
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Please Join us in Welcoming
New Members:
Glacier Bank
Kalispell, MT
Shodair Children's Hospital's
Department of Medical Genetics
Helena, MT
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Montana BioScience Alliance
Hall of Fame 2020
Our 2020 Hall of Fame inductee is Marshall Bloom, M.D., Associate Director for Science Management, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, and Chief, Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section
When the potential scope of COVID-19 became clear in early 2020, Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton, MT, was one of the premiere research facilities that set aside other work to focus on what became a pandemic. RML is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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Playing a significant role in the RML response is Dr. Marshall Bloom, a world expert in the molecular biology and pathogenesis of parvoviruses and flaviviruses, and an authority in biocontainment. He explains that because of RML’s 100-year history of research in emerging infections, its scientists were well positioned to quickly shift from other projects to COVID-19, and their work has been “productive and important.”
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SiteOne Therapeutics Announces $1.73M Grant from NIH/NHLBI and Adds Respiratory Advisory Team
Press Release
May 11, 2021
SiteOne Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments to address conditions involving hypersensitivity of the nervous system, today announced that it has received a Notice of Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for $1.73 million in grant funding to support the development of an inhaled formulation of SiteOne's drug candidate for chronic cough. In conjunction with the grant funding, SiteOne has added an advisory team to advance the development of its drug candidates for chronic cough and other respiratory disorders.
"The funding from this award will allow us to advance an inhaled formulation of our development candidate for chronic cough through IND-enabling studies and toward the clinic," stated John Hunter, Ph.D., Principal Investigator for the award and chief scientific officer of SiteOne. "Chronic cough is a prevalent respiratory disorder that is often unexplained or refractory, and severely impacts quality of life. We aim to develop a safe and effective local-acting inhaled antitussive to address the hypersensitivity of vagal afferents that is thought to drive chronic cough."
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Tonix Pharma rises on updates of a vaccine manufacturing site
By Dulan Lokuwithana
Jun. 24, 2021
Tonix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TNXP) has added ~14.6% in the post-market after the company said in a regulatory filing that plans are underway to construct a commercial-scale manufacturing site to develop and manufacture vaccines including its experimental COVID-19 shot, TNX-1800.
The Montana facility intended to develop and manufacture Tonix’s vaccine candidates will be a “public/private sector collaboration between Ravalli County and Tonix Pharmaceuticals that will bring more high-tech bioscience jobs to the Bitterroot Valley,” the company said.
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Plans for commercial scale vaccine manufacturing facility moving forward near Hamilton
By Perry Backus
June 24, 2021
Standing next to the grass-covered pasture on the edge of Hamilton that will someday house a commercial-scale vaccine manufacturing facility, Tonix Pharmaceuticals CEO Dr. Seth Lederman said the pandemic offered this country a lot to consider.
“One of the things we learned during the pandemic is that we need more domestic capability to manufacture complex biologics,” Lederman said. “The pandemic really showed how deficient the United States is in that regard.”
Tonix Pharmaceuticals wants to be a leader in helping change that. The facility it plans to build in Hamilton will play a big role in making that happen.
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Lewistown hospital
adds $8.9M cancer center
Billings Gazette
June 30, 2021
Central Montana Medical Center in Lewistown will add a $8.9 million comprehensive cancer center, filling a coverage gap across nine rural counties in central Montana.
The project, funded in large part by a $6 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, will provide cancer care closer to home for nearly 50,000 central Montana residents. The CMMC cancer center will help relieve the stress and burden of patients and families who currently travel up to 220 miles, sometimes five days a week, to Great Falls or Billings for diagnoses, radiation treatments and other services.
“The Helmsley Charitable Trust has a made a distinct commitment to strengthen healthcare in rural locations, and access to cancer care services is a well-documented need in the Lewistown area,” said Walter Panzirer, a Helmsley trustee. “We know how important it is to receive great care close to home where family and friends can provide much needed support. We are excited to see this project take shape.”
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Vibliome Therapeutics
July 14, 2021
Vibliome Therapeutics in Bozeman reported in July the close of a $22mm financing from its current investors. The company develops small molecule therapeutics for oncology and immunology indications. “This is an exciting validation of our approach to drug development,” said Robert Goodwin, Vibliome’s CEO. “We’re ramping up our efforts, will be filling several new positions this summer, and are looking forward to continuing to develop new medicines for the patients who need them the most.”
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MSU to offer new Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering
By Marshall Swearingen, MSU News Service
June 14, 2021
As medicine increasingly involves sophisticated technologies and an aging population creates more demand for health care, a new academic program at Montana State University will prepare students for the rising opportunities for biomedical professionals.
Starting this fall, MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering will offer a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, which will prepare students to create new diagnostic devices, prosthetics, pharmaceuticals and more.
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"We've been getting more and more engineering students who want to help people by improving health care," said Jeff Heys, the degree coordinator and a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. "We're also hearing increased demand for workers in the industry, and we're excited to offer this new opportunity to students."
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MSU undergraduates Kaylan Wait, left, and Hanna Nyquist, will be among the first students to enroll in the biomedical engineering program. MSU Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez |
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MSU researchers develop CRISPR-based coronavirus rapid test
By Marshall Swearingen, MSU News Service
June 1, 2021
While the coronavirus pandemic has proven once more that the tiniest germ can upset global civilization, a Montana State University team has responded by illustrating that ancient strategies used by bacteria to battle viruses can be repurposed into transformative technologies.
Leveraging his lab's expertise in the bacterial immune system called CRISPR, MSU researcher Blake Wiedenheft turned the urgency of the first wave of COVID-19 last spring into an opportunity to develop a more rapid and sensitive virus test. Now, roughly a year later, his team has demonstrated that the new diagnostic tool can accurately detect even relatively small amounts of coronavirus in patient samples in less than 30 minutes and sometimes in as little as one minute. The work was recently published the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
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"The coronavirus revealed the limitations of our standard diagnostic tools, which are relatively slow and expensive," said Wiedenheft, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology in MSU's College of Agriculture. "The fact that a bacterial immune system could be repurposed to address those shortcomings is remarkable."
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Researchers in the Blake Wiedenheft Lab, from left, Laina Hall, undergraduate research assistant, Andrew Santiago-Frangos, postdoctorate fellow, and Pushya Krishna, undergraduate research assistant, helped repurpose a CRISPR system to make rapid, accurate COVID-19 test. MSU Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez |
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UM Student, Researchers Analyze Montana Childhood Undervaccination
By Courtney Brockman, UM News Service
June 21, 2021
The map of Montana Kayla Irish pulls up is peppered with red circles, each cluster providing details behind one of today’s timely topics – childhood vaccination.
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Kayla Irish, a history and math undergraduate at UM, helped conduct a spatial scan analysis examining childhood undervaccination in Montana. |
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The project, led by Dr. Sophia Newcomer in the University of Montana’s Center for Population Health Research, is the first spatial scan analysis to identify hotspots of undervaccinated children across Montana and evaluate whether they are due to social or geographic barriers.
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MSU team publishes coronavirus vaccine and antibody research
By Reagan Colyer, MSU News Service
June 24, 2021
A team of scientists from Montana State University’s Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology published research earlier this month evaluating the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and seeking to learn more about how long the resulting antibody protection may last.
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The National Institutes of Health awards MSUB professors grant for science program
By Maureen Brakke, director of University
Communications and Marketing
July 7, 2021
Montana State University Billings professors Matthew Queen and Amanda Obery recently received a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue the youth-based science program known as the Atomic Circus.
Queen and Obery’s project promotes STEM education through the Circus and was selected for the NIH’s highly competitive Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA). The grant will extend for five years and will aid in funding the Atomic Circus as part of the Authentic Community Engagement in Science (ACES) project.
The Atomic Circus launched in 2018 to an audience of fifth graders from around Billings and features chemistry experiments alongside live music and dancers to create a show that captures the attention of all those in attendance while educating about STEM and associated career opportunities.
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FDA grants accelerated approval for ADUHELM™ as the first and only Alzheimer’s disease treatment to address a defining pathology of the disease
June 7, 2021
Investor Relation
Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Eisai, Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval for ADUHELM™ (aducanumab-avwa) as the first and only Alzheimer’s disease treatment to address a defining pathology of the disease by reducing amyloid beta plaques in the brain.
The accelerated approval has been granted based on data from clinical trials demonstrating the effect of ADUHELM on reducing amyloid beta plaques, a biomarker that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, in this case a reduction in clinical decline. Continued approval for ADUHELM’s indication as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease may be contingent upon verification of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).
“This historic moment is the culmination of more than a decade of groundbreaking research in the complex field of Alzheimer’s disease. We believe this first-in-class medicine will transform the treatment of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and spark continuous innovation in the years to come,” said Michel Vounatsos, Chief Executive Officer at Biogen. “We are grateful for the contributions of thousands of patients and caregivers who participated in our clinical trials, as well as for the dedication of our scientists and researchers. Together with the healthcare community, we are ready to bring this new medicine to patients and begin to address this growing global health crisis.”
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The quest for a pill to fight viruses gets a $3.2 billion boost
Antiviral drugs could help bring this pandemic to a close —
and prepare for the next one
By Carolyn Y. Johnson, The Washington Post
June 17, 2021
Before this pandemic is over, scientists are preparing to fight the next one. Borrowing from the model used to create drugs that transformed HIV from a death sentence into a manageable disease, the Biden administration announced Thursday a $3.2 billion plan to stock the medicine cabinet with drugs that would be ready to treat future viral threats — whether a hemorrhagic fever, influenza or another coronavirus.
Anthony S. Fauci, chief medical adviser to the administration, and David Kessler, chief science officer for the covid-19 response, began brainstorming the idea late last year. With remarkably effective vaccines rolling out, their initial focus was on drugs that could make the next pandemic less devastating. But as virus variants emerged and it became clear that even a historic vaccination campaign wasn’t likely to eradicate the coronavirus, they accelerated the deadline.
“The focus was to reinvigorate the nation’s antiviral program over the next three to five years. What’s become more clear, as the pandemic has come into focus, is we have to do it this fall,” Kessler said. “We need this set of tools to close out this pandemic. … The hard thing is to recognize with all the success, there’s still several hundred deaths a day.”
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States Step Up Push to Regulate Pharmacy Drug Brokers
By Katheryn Houghton
June 30, 2021
Under pressure to rein in skyrocketing prescription drug costs, states are targeting companies that serve as conduits for drug manufacturers, health insurers and pharmacies.
More than 100 separate bills regulating those companies, known as pharmacy benefit managers, have been introduced in 42 states this year, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy, which crafts model legislation on the topic. The flood of bills comes after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling late last year backed Arkansas’ right to enforce rules on the companies. At least 12 of the states have adopted new oversight laws. But it’s not yet clear how much money consumers will save immediately, if at all.
The companies are powerful, together administering medication plans for more than 266 million Americans. A handful of the companies, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRX, control the vast majority of the market while also operating national pharmacy chains. PBMs say they use all that power to negotiate lower prescription prices. But the inner workings of the deals — and how much of the savings the companies pocket — happen largely behind a curtain that lawmakers are trying to pull back.
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By Carl Zimmer, The Ne York Times
June 23, 2021
About a year ago, more than 200 data entries from the genetic sequencing of early cases of Covid-19 in Wuhan disappeared from an online scientific database.
Now, by rooting through files stored on Google Cloud, a researcher in Seattle reports that he has recovered 13 of those original sequences — intriguing new information for discerning when and how the virus may have spilled over from a bat or another animal into humans.
The new analysis, released on Tuesday, bolsters earlier suggestions that a variety of coronaviruses may have been circulating in Wuhan before the initial outbreaks linked to animal and seafood markets in December 2019.
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© Xiong Qi/Xinhua, via Associated Press Doctors at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan attend to a Covid patient in January 2020.
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Employment and Funding Opportunities |
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The Montana Bioscience Cluster Initiative 4th F fund
The objective of the 4th “F” Fund (4FF) is to provide direct assistance to Montana Bioscience entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses in need of money for travel to key conferences, small equipment purchases, or temporary staff assistance in relation to proposal development, etc. This fund is designed for maximum flexibility in support of new and established businesses and entrepreneurs in the Bioscience industry.
For the link to the 4th F Fund Application, Click Here!
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Careers at Montana Molecular
Montana Molecular develops fluorescent biosensors and reporters for drug discovery and research in living cells. Our products help scientists observe and measure cell processes that are important in maintaining health and treating disease. Our team is focused on creating breakthrough innovations that empower scientists and lead to better therapeutic treatments for disease. The company is committed to building a sustainable biotech industry in the state of Montana, providing good jobs in a safe and healthy environment.
Montana Molecular is growing. We have openings for scientific staff with a desire to bring cutting edge fluorescence technology to the market place. This will involve working with a team to combine experience in molecular biology, live cell imaging and fluorescence microscopy to create new tools for discovery. The people who work here are passionate about science and dedicated to building the next generation of biosensors for drug discovery and cell biology.
Open Positions:
To find out more about the current open positions and about Montana Molecular, Click Here!
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Careers at FYR Diagnostics
FYR Diagnostics is a fast growing Missoula, MT-based biotechnology company developing a powerful portfolio of PCR-focused solutions. FYR Diagnostics’ mission is to commercialize novel detection technologies to help eliminate human suffering by better diagnosing human disease states and to eliminate vast inefficiencies in the agricultural industry.
Those who work with FYR Diagnostics are members of a community that seeks to respect and celebrate all the qualities that make each of us unique. Each of us is empowered to be ourselves within this community, which cultivates and promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion at all levels. FYR Diagnostics is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Workplace and Affirmative Action Employer.
Open Positions:
To find out more about the current open positions, Click Here!
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Careers at BioScience Laboratories
Open Positions:
-General Consideration
If you did not see anything that you are interested in at this time, please send us your resume and cover letter anyways! We would like to see how you could help BioScience Laboratories.
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Two Bear Capital provides a job board with the different job openings from
the following companies:
-Expesicor
-FYR Diagnostics
-Inimmune
-pulseData
-Spiral Genetics
-TileDB
-Truwl
-Verafi
-XIX
For Open positions with Companies you'll love to work for, Click Here!
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Work for a great company in beautiful Bozeman, MT
At Golden Helix, we are committed to accelerating ground-breaking research in genetics, drug discovery and predictive analytics, to our purpose of dramatically improving human health, our great culture, personal development, and strong values.
We are always seeking self-motivated individuals who strive for excellence and have the drive to help us on our journey. We offer competitive wages, benefits and the opportunity to live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world.
Open Positions:
-Fiance Manager
-Genomic Curator for Cancer
-Sales Representative
General Employment Inquiries
Interested in a position that we're not actively hiring? Submit your resume for our files! We will archive your information and if a position becomes available that matches your qualifications, we'll contact you.
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2021 FAST Micro-Grants are here!
The Montana Innovation Partnership (MTIP) powered by MSU TechLink Center will utilize some of our 2021 FAST funds to provide financial assistance to Montana small businesses that are actively preparing SBIR/STTR proposals in the federal fiscal year 2021.
MTIP will award 10 FAST Microgrants to eligible SBIR/STTR applicants of up to $1,500 per year. Prospective SBIR/STTR applicants may apply to MTIP to receive Microgrants to attend conferences, travel to speak with agencies or commercialization partners, to acquire consulting services from an approved service provider for assistance with preparation of Phase I or Phase II proposals, to develop supporting project data, and to undertake other activities directly related to their SBIR/STTR proposal.
For more information and to access the application
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GSK Hamilton
The Hamilton site is located on a 35-acre campus in the heart of the scenic Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. It started in 1981 as Ribi ImmunoChem Research, Inc., a company focused on research and development of vaccine components capable of stimulating the immune system. GSK purchased the site in 2005 to acquire its proprietary adjuvant technology which is used to help make vaccines more effective. GSK Hamilton currently employs over 185 professionals and is expanding its job base with the addition of a new adjuvant manufacturing facility.
To review current openings at the GSK Hamilton (GlaxoSmithKline) site, Click Here!
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Open Solicitations From Techlink and MTIP
Dates are subject to change. Please refer to each agency site for up-to-date information.
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NIH omnibus program announcement. The next submission due date is September 2021.
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NIH Targeted funding announcements have varying release and due dates. Find a list of currently open program announcements and requests for applications here.
Reach out today for no-cost consulting and proposal reviews from one of MTIP's SBIR
experts.
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Montana SBIR/STTR Matching Funds Program
What do you do after you have received Stage 1 SBIR/STTR matching funds from the
Montana Department of Commerce, have satisfactorily completed your Phase I work, the
Phase I final report has been accepted by the Federal SBIR/STTR agency, and you have
submitted your SBIR or STTR Phase II proposal?
You submit your Stage 2 application to the Montana SBIR/STTR Matching Funds
Program. You do not have to receive notification of a Phase II award before submitting this
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BIO Digital virtually convened over 6,000 participants for an incredible 7 days of programming, networking, and BIO One-on-One Partnering to connect biotech innovators across the globe. The on-demand Education sessions were amazing and are available on bio.org/bestofbio. We were able to hear from Jennifer Doudna, PhD, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry; Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, University of California, Berkeley, and Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, on Building Access and Equality for Rural Families.
Montana BioScience Alliance was a Global Marketplace sponsor for the BIO Digital 2021 Conference. With that sponsorship we were able to provide registrations to 15 enterprises in Montana. Participating in the conference and representing Montana were: DermaXon, Inimmune, FYR Diagnostics, McLaughlin Research Institute, Microbion, Montana Molecular, MSU Techlink, Nanovalent, Rocky Mountain Biologicals, Saje Pharma, SiteOne Therapeutics, Truwl, Two Bear Capital, University of Montana, Vibliome Therapeutics, and the Montana BioScience Alliance.
During BIO Digital, the 2021 Life Science Workforce Trends report, in which Montana participated was presented. This year the participation was at an all time high. The themes and trends that emerged in the report included industry resilience, shifting to remote work, diversity and inclusion, and industry-academic partnerships. The full report released is available at: https://www.csbioinstitutes.org/workforce-development
Sharon Peterson participated in the Council of Bioscience Associations (CSBA) Virtual Annual Summer Meeting June 23 and 24. BIO congratulated the affiliates for their work during Covid and for representing the industry during very challenging times. Information sharing and collaboration were priorities at the meeting.
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You can now register to ITHS annual Introduction to Clinical Research Boot Camp. This year we will once again offer:
- Online seminars
- 1 hour/day for 5 days
- Free of cost!
This workshop is designed to introduce you to the design and management of clinical trials. Whether you identify as faculty, research staff, or as a post-doctoral fellow, we have a track to fit your needs. Register now! Make sure you first sign in to your ITHS account before you register.
*Final agendas and speaker information available at registration.
RESEARCH STAFF TRACK
July 19-23, 2021 | 12-1pm PDT
This track is designed for individuals interested in learning about clinical research from a research staff perspective, featuring content covering the following topics:
- Gaining cultural sensitivity
- Coordinator responsibilities
- Research results reporting
- Study operations
- Engaging the research team
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INVESTIGATOR TRACK
July 26-30, 2021 | 12-1pm PDT
This track is designed for individuals interested in learning about clinical research from an investigator's perspective. This track's featured content is based on best practices in the following areas:
- PI responsibilities
- Physician vs. Physician Scientist
- Study design and methodology
- Building an interdisciplinary team
- Engaging diverse communities
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Competing for Tech Talent in a Job Seeker’s Market with
Raleen Gagnon of Experis
Tuesday, July 20, Noon to 1pm
What: Free webinar hosted by the Montana High Tech Business Alliance and Experis
When: Tuesday, July 20, noon to 1:00 pm Mountain Time
Where: Virtual via Zoom (Link to participate will be emailed to all registered event attendees.)
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Remote work, evolving needs, and workforce migration have shaken up Montana’s hiring landscape.
Join the MHTBA and Experis VP of Global Market Intelligence Raleen Gagnon to discuss workforce and recruiting within Montana’s technology sector.
Raleen will discuss nationwide market trends and how local workforce movement and migration data correlate to housing pressure points and hiring challenges.
Learn how to adapt your hiring practices to better address the current moment and prepare for the future of work, exploring questions such as:
- Which roles within your organization could be better performed remotely?
- Could your eligibility requirements hold back great applicants?
- Are your organization’s open positions titled accurately?
- What local market factors should your business consider?
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BIO Business Solutions®, the largest cost-savings program for the life sciences industry, is FREE with your company’s membership in BIO or Montana BioScience Alliance. Receiving savings from our lab and office partners is incredibly simple. We’ve already vetted the suppliers and negotiated discounted pricing and favorable end-user agreements.
Click on the company name to learn more.
There is no fee for MBA members to participate.
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The Montana Bioscience Alliance serves as a hub for Montana's biotechnology companies,
entrepreneurs, laboratories, hospitals, clinics and universities to commercialize, grow and sustain
globally competitive bioscience companies -- ultimately to create high-quality jobs and economic
opportunity in Montana.
Sharon Peterson
Executive Director
Montana BioScience Alliance
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