Institute of Biosciences and Technology
Encyclopedia
The Institute of Biosciences and Technology (IBT), a component of the Texas A&M Health Science Center
Texas A&M Health Science Center
The Texas A&M Health Science Center, a component of the Texas A&M University System, is an assembly of colleges devoted to educating health professionals and researchers of competence and integrity...
represents the Texas A&M University System
Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States. Through a statewide network of eleven universities, eight state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the Texas A&M System educates over 100,000 students, conducts more than $600...
, one of the two main Texas state university systems, in the state's and world's largest medical center, the Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...
, in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. The institute provides a bridge between Texas A&M University System scientists and other institutions' researchers working in the Texas Medical Center and the biomedical and biotechnology research community in Houston. It emphasizes collaboration between member scientists and others working in all the fields of the biosciences and biotechnology. IBT encourages its scientists to transfer discoveries made in their laboratories to the clinic and marketplace.
History
The IBT was first established as part of the Texas A&M University SystemTexas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States. Through a statewide network of eleven universities, eight state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the Texas A&M System educates over 100,000 students, conducts more than $600...
with the broad goal to expand biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
in the system. Plans for an institutional campus in Houston came to fruition in 1986 under Mr. David Eller (Chairman of the Texas A&M University System
Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States. Through a statewide network of eleven universities, eight state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the Texas A&M System educates over 100,000 students, conducts more than $600...
Board of Regents) and Dr. Richard Wainerdi (Chairman and CEO of the Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...
). Dr. Eugene G. Sander, head of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, or AgLifeSciences for short, is one of ten colleges and schools that are part of Texas A&M University. Agriculture and the Life Sciences have been part of the university since its founding in 1876 as the "Agricultural & Mechanical College of...
(COALS) was named first director of the institute. The Robert A. Welch Foundation endowed a $1 million Robert A. Welch Chair in 1990.
In 1988 the institute administration was moved from the Texas A&M University System
Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States. Through a statewide network of eleven universities, eight state agencies and a comprehensive health science center, the Texas A&M System educates over 100,000 students, conducts more than $600...
to the Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
under the leadership of Dr. Charles Arntzen, Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COALS). Arntzen secured a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
for $12.5 million and other private donations including one from Texas oilman Albert B. Alkek to build the Albert B. Alkek Institute of Biosciences and Technology Building in the Texas Medical Center at a cost of $21.5 million. The 11-story building stands on the former site of the historic Shamrock Hotel
Shamrock Hotel
The Shamrock was a hotel constructed between 1946 and 1949 by wildcatter Glenn McCarthy southwest of downtown Houston, Texas next to the Texas Medical Center. It was the largest hotel built in the United States during the 1940s. The grand opening of the Shamrock is still cited as one of the...
. Under Arntzen’s leadership, Centers for Animal Genetics, Advanced Invertebrate Molecular Sciences and Biotechnology Policy and Ethics were established and funding secured for additional endowed chairs from the Allen, John S. Dunn and Neva and Wesley West Foundations. In 1990, he recruited Dr. Robert D. Wells into the Welch Chair as Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (COALS) and Director of the IBT. Under Wells directorship (1990–1994), Centers for Genome Research, Macromolecular Design, Extracellular Matrix Biology, Crop Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology, Genome Informatics and Cancer Biology were established.
Dr. Fuller W. Bazer was Director from 1994-2001. Under the Bazer administration by agreement between the Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
President Ray Bowen and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston was created by the UT System Board of Regents and supported by the Texas Legislature in 1972...
President Dr. David Low, the University of Texas' Institute of Molecular Medicine for Prevention of Human Disease (Hans Muller-Eberhard, Director) was established on two floors of the IBT building. During this period similar cooperative efforts between Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston was created by the UT System Board of Regents and supported by the Texas Legislature in 1972...
resulted in acceptance of IBT Texas A&M faculty into the UT Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The building became a hub for the Texas GigaPop and similar high speed, broad bandwidth internet activities of the Texas A&M University’s Academy for Advanced Telecommunications and Distance Learning. In 1997 the IBT became a college level unit of the newly established Texas A&M Health Science Center
Texas A&M Health Science Center
The Texas A&M Health Science Center, a component of the Texas A&M University System, is an assembly of colleges devoted to educating health professionals and researchers of competence and integrity...
.
Dr. Richard Finnell served as director 2001-2005 under whose leadership the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine
Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine
The Texas A&M Institute for Genomic Medicine is a research institute of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. It was founded in 2005 under a $50 million award from the Texas Enterprise Fund to pioneer the development of life-changing medical breakthroughs, accelerate the pace of medical discoveries and...
(TIGM) was established. Dr. Robert Schwartz served as director for 2006-2009. In 2007 a self-study called for a strategic plan in which the IBT would be the founding basic research element of a broader Texas A&M Health Science Center Houston Campus representing all components of the Health Science Center in Houston. Currently Dr. David Carlson, the Texas A&M Health Science Center Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies is the interim IBT Director.
Organizational structure
Under its college level status within the Texas A&M Health Science CenterTexas A&M Health Science Center
The Texas A&M Health Science Center, a component of the Texas A&M University System, is an assembly of colleges devoted to educating health professionals and researchers of competence and integrity...
, the IBT consists of thematic Centers (departments) led by a Center Director and tenured and tenure-track faculty, research track faculty and associate and adjunct faculty.
The approximately $10 million operating budget of the IBT consists of about 30% state funds, 50% federal grants and 20% private sources. Current Centers include Cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and Stem Cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
Biology (formerly Cancer Biology and Nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
), Environmental and Genetic Medicine, Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (formerly Extracellular matrix
Extracellular matrix
In biology, the extracellular matrix is the extracellular part of animal tissue that usually provides structural support to the animal cells in addition to performing various other important functions. The extracellular matrix is the defining feature of connective tissue in animals.Extracellular...
Biology)and Molecular Development and Disease.
The IBT Graduate Program consists of students from the Texas A&M Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Texas A&M Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
The Texas A&M Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences was established in 1999 and is headed by David S. Carlson, Ph.D. the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. The goal of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is to prepare future faculty and researchers to...
, other Texas A&M System programs, the The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston was created by the UT System Board of Regents and supported by the Texas Legislature in 1972...
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and other programs in Texas Medical Center
Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the world with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research...
institutions in which faculty have joint graduate faculty appointments. Students do research in IBT laboratories while taking formal classroom instruction at other Texas Medical Center institutions.
In addition to the IBT, the Texas A&M Health Science Center Alkek Building hosts the Houston division of the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine
Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine
The Texas A&M Institute for Genomic Medicine is a research institute of Texas A&M AgriLife Research. It was founded in 2005 under a $50 million award from the Texas Enterprise Fund to pioneer the development of life-changing medical breakthroughs, accelerate the pace of medical discoveries and...
, representatives of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, School of Rural Public Health and Baylor College of Dentistry. Two floors of the building are dedicated to a partnership with the Department of Medicine of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the nation's original three comprehensive cancer centers established by the National Cancer Act of 1971. It is both a degree-granting academic institution and a cancer treatment and research center located at the Texas Medical Center in...
.