CROMWELL, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biological Industries USA (BI-USA), a division of Biological Industries Beit Haemek Israel (BI) and providers of premium cGMP cell culture media and media manufacturing services to the academic, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries, announces the initial winners of its MSC Research Award, which was unveiled in January. The winners are scientists advancing the fields of cellular therapy and mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC)-based research. The awards, totaling over $65,000 worth of BI-USA products and services, will fund studies aimed at creating xeno-free cGMP MSC Master Cell Banks, isolating and expanding MSCs from novel sources, manufacturing MSCs with increased immunomodulatory efficacy, and modifying MSCs to improve their ability to avoid immune cell attack and eventual rejection after transplantation.
The award recipients for the current round of funding include: Darren Hickerson, MS, MDiv, Associate Director of Manufacturing, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM); Jennifer Chain, PhD, Science Officer for Cellular Therapies, Oklahoma Blood Institute; James Ankrum, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa; and Yan Li, MD, Project Staff, Cleveland Clinic.
“The BI-USA MSC Award program recognizes the importance of using mesenchymal cells to advance much-needed translational research, which we feel can be accelerated by using defined, xeno-free, serum-free systems,” said Tanya Potcova, CEO of BI-USA. “We are very excited to watch the progress and are pleased to support each award winner’s important research as they move forward.”
About Biological Industries (BI)
Biological Industries (www.bioind.com) is one of the world’s leading and trusted suppliers to the life sciences industry, with over 35 years’ experience in cell culture media development and GMP manufacturing. BI’s products range from classical cell culture media, to supplements and reagents for stem cell research and cell therapy applications, to serum and serum-free media products. BI is committed to a Culture of Excellence through advanced manufacturing and quality-control systems, regulatory expertise, in-depth market knowledge, and extensive technical customer-support, training, and R&D capabilities.
About Biological Industries USA (BI-USA)
Biological Industries USA (www.bioindusa.com) is the US commercialization arm of BI, with facilities in Cromwell, Connecticut. Members of the BI-USA team share expertise and a history of innovation and success in the development of leading-edge technologies in stem cell research, cellular reprogramming, and regenerative medicine.
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