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* February 6, 2014 press release…
Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by J.B. Pritzker and key civic and business leaders to announce MATTER - a new startup center for next-generation healthcare technology companies. A priority in the Governor’s 2014 State of the State address, the not-for-profit BioHub will drive entrepreneurship in the rapidly expanding medical and biotechnology fields. Supported by a $4 million state investment, MATTER is part of Governor Quinn’s agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois’ economy forward.
“We are committed to taking our medical technology industry to the next level,” Governor Quinn said. “MATTER will serve as a central location to empower entrepreneurs and spur economic growth, while advancing Illinois’ role as a national leader in life sciences and health innovation.”
As a not-for-profit organization, MATTER will be located in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. Its collaborative workspace will allow interaction among entrepreneurs, academics and investors in order to create and grow new companies in healthcare information technology, medical devices, medical diagnostics and biopharmaceuticals. 1871, the digital startup hub what will be MATTER’s neighbor in the Merchandise Mart, has followed that same recipe for success, resulting in more than 200 start-ups and creating more than 1,000 jobs since its launch in 2012.
That organization is still alive and kicking today.
* But a very different biohub concept is now on the way…
A group founded by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and his wife will spend $250 million to create a new biomedical research hub in Chicago where scientists from Northwestern University, University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will study human disease.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, named for Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, plans to invest $250 million in the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago over a decade. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has also committed $25 million in state dollars to support the project. […]
The biohub will also have its own dedicated staff of scientists and researchers. Leaders hope to start operations in April.
Northwestern, UChicago and UIUC beat out proposals from about 60 other teams across the country to win the funding. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative spent about a year narrowing down the applicants, until the Chicago universities emerged as the winner, said Steve Quake, head of science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Pritzker committed the $25 million in state capital funds during that selection process.
* More from Forbes…
To lead the Chicago Biohub, Chan and Zuckerberg selected Shana O. Kelley, a professor of chemistry and biomedical engineering at Northwestern who has focused on sensors and sensor technology, and has cofounded four companies based on technologies that have come out of her research. (One, Geneohm Sciences, was acquired by medical technology firm Becton Dickinson in 2006 for a reported $230 million.) Her expertise on sensors is tied to the groundbreaking work that the Chicago Biohub aims to tackle.
“The idea is to take human tissues and embed thousands of sensors into them, to make a completely new kind of measurement,” Kelley says via Zoom from Chicago. The experiments will use small samples of human tissue collected with consent during surgical procedures. Next, says Kelley, they will “watch what’s happening with cells and tissues–watch them communicating with one another to understand what happens when a tissue goes from being normal to being inflamed,” with the goal of comprehending how inflammation works and how it drives disease. More than 50% of deaths are attributed to diseases with some form of inflammation, she points out. The first experiments will start with skin tissue.
The three universities each contribute an area of expertise to the Biohub, says Kelley: Northwestern is strong in sensing, University of Chicago excels in inflammation and in quantum sensing, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers have developed microfabrication systems and the ability to make miniaturized devices, which will be needed for making the ultra-tiny sensors.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 10:34 am
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We have all known for some time that Illinois has been blessed with three of the outstanding research universities in the country. Individually they have few, if any, peers but when they combine their resources and expertise great things can happen.
When you add DPI to the mix it tells everyone that Chicago, and Illinois, are quickly becoming known as the hub of cutting edge research and innovation in many fields.
Comment by illini Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 11:00 am
This is another huge win for Illinois and for JB and his team. We are competing with other states and winning. I’m sure it makes the IPI/GOP crowd crazy when the facts no longer fit their narratives. Way to go Illinois.
Comment by New Day Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 11:28 am
Good for the City and State. Too often the economic development teams try to make Chicago into Silicon Valley or somewhere else. This seems like building on our advantages rather than trying to start something from scratch.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 11:35 am
Interested to see where this locates, could be a huge boon for The 78 project. Right next to where the DPI is going.
Comment by supplied_demand Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 11:56 am
Pretty impressive. I’m glad Zuck still wants to invest in Illinois after getting whacked for $650 million on that BIPA settlement.
Comment by SAP Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 12:06 pm
Tough to say Illinois isn’t on the heading edge of innovation and research … with our higher education leading the way.
The problem with spelunking for misery is you can’t reap this good news as part of being one who touts Illinois’ great education, research, and innovation brought in by a state willing to encourage these endeavors.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 12:29 pm
For some reason it doesn’t get the attention it should but Chicago is a major life sciences/med tech hub. We have had the Illinois Medical District and Matter, but coming on-line soon will be the ARC Innovation Center at the old Michael Reese Hospital site, the Discovery Partners Institute in the new “78″ development and the Lincoln Yards development will have a heavy life science focus. The Zuckerberg project is just jumping on a bandwagon that has already taken off.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 12:33 pm
JB and his team are doing well. They absolutely need a battery announcement or something big with electric vehicles. But look at where they are compared to where things were just a few years ago.
Comment by Hopper Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 12:34 pm
The state encourages some endeavors and neglects others.
The 5th largest auto plant in the world that in 2019 employed over 5,000 is idle and could be closed forever.
In large part because of failures of state government the company is investing elsewhere.
Go on with your carnival barker, spelunking for misery nonsense
Comment by Lucky Pierre Thursday, Mar 2, 23 @ 1:49 pm