Chinese Delegation Visits IBBR

By Tiffany Stone

A delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs and investors visited the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research as part of a two-week-long tour to the U.S. They were here to visit universities that are leaders in the biotechnology and biomedicine fields.  The group was interested in learning more about cutting-edge scientific research and latest breakthroughs, as well as seeking out potential investment opportunities.

They showed a strong interest in IBBR’s mission and unique ability to leverage technologies and expertise across its partner institutions, to foster integrated cross-disciplinary team approaches to scientific research and education, and to pursue translational programs and projects aimed at advancing innovations to commercialization in real world applications.  The group was initially scheduled to be at IBBR for one hour, but stayed for more than two hours, postponing their next appointment.

Thomas Fuerst, PhD, IBBR Director and Professor, University of Maryland, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, lead the discussion and presentation to the group.  Viqar Aslam, IBBR Director of Business Development, provided insight and answered questions; and Shuwei Li, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland (UMD), organized the delegation’s visit to IBBR.  “IBBR's model is designed to achieve pre-commercial milestones which significantly de-risk programs from both the business and scientific sides and lead to increased value and ability to partner,” said Aslam.  "This model is generating a lot of interest from industry, government and investment groups from the U.S. and China.

In addition to visiting UMD’s IBBR, the delegation toured other prestigious universities:  Duke, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Columbia, MIT, and Harvard, to name a few.  While in the Washington, D.C., area, they also visited the National Institutes of Health, MedImmune, and a few prominent law firms.