James Broach, PhD, a professor at Princeton University, was sworn in as a member of the UMDNJ Board of Trustees at the Board's April 16 meeting.
Dr. Broach currently serves as Associate Director of the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton’s Department of Molecular Biology; he is also Associate Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology.
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The pace of new scientific discoveries at UMDNJ and the commercialization of those discoveries have increased dramatically according to statistics released by the University's Office of Patents and Licensing. Overall, 2006 saw a 38 percent increase in license-related activity over the previous year and a 70 percent increase over the number of license and option agreements signed in 2004. Notable among the licensees are a German company that is working on the production of a genetic diagnostics kit for the detection of autism and a local company that is working on novel cancer therapeutics.
The increase in the number of licensing agreements mirrors the growth of research collaborations and activities at UMDNJ. The University secured $143.2 million in federal research funds in the last fiscal year, placing UMDNJ among the top 10 percent of all schools nationally and first among New Jersey universities.
At the recent topping-off ceremony for the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) that is under construction on the Newark campus, it was reaffirmed that the facility is on track to open on time by June 2008. The RBL is a $39 million facility where scientists will conduct research on infectious diseases and diseases caused by agents of bioterrorism. When completed, the two-story facility will contain almost 15,000 square feet of Biosafety Level 3 laboratory and support space for more than 200 scientists in the Northeast Biodefense Center. The facility is adjacent to UMDNJ’s International Center for Public Health.
All diesel-powered vehicles on the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's Newark campus have switched to a blend of diesel and agricultural oils for power, joining a nationwide trend in shifting to so-called "biodiesel fuel." According to UMDNJ's Logistical Services Group, the University's buses, ambulances, and rescue trucks burn about 100,000 gallons of diesel annually in Newark alone. The group is partnering with the New Jersey Board of Utilities and receiving a rebate to offset the increased costs of biodiesel over regular diesel fuel.
Biodiesel is a blend of regular diesel fuel and either a soy or used vegetable oil based solution. Emissions are greatly reduced, and UMDNJ will be reducing its dependence on fossil fuel by using a percentage of renewable fuel. The blend – B20 – is 20 percent soy or vegetable oil. UMDNJ is the frontrunner in the use of biodiesel in New Jersey, as no other facilities are currently storing and using this fuel.
