PVLSI Announces New Translational Research Collaboration with Seahorse Biosciences

June 17, 2011

Contact:

Daniel Fitzgibbons 413/545-0444

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI) and its Center of Excellence in Apoptosis Research (CEAR), has entered into a new Translational Research Collaboration with Seahorse Biosciences of North Billerica and Chicopee, Mass. Dr. Nagendra Yadava will be the principal investigator for the program at the PVLSI and will receive the title of John Adams Investigator, in appreciation of support from the John Adams Innovation Institute to create CEAR. Alejandro Heuck, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a collaborator of Yadava on this project, will also be named a John Adams Investigator.

The program is designed to foster shared research between PVLSI scientists and industry partners, to accelerate new products to the market and foster regional economic development. The new project utilizes intellectual property developed at the PVLSI to create a new reagent kit aiding scientists in quantifying cellular bioenergetics using Seahorse’s XF Analyzer, an instrument which measures of different aspects of cell metabolism.

"I am delighted to extend our relationship with Dr. Yadava, the PVLSI, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst," stated David Ferrick, chief science officer for Seahorse. "The collaborative research and development performed under this agreement will simplify mitochondrial assays, and expand our understanding of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and disease. "This agreement sets the stage for PVLSI scientists to leverage their intellectual discoveries into new products, fulfilling the institute’s mission for translational research," said D. Joseph Jerry, science director for the PVLSI.

Patrick Larkin, director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s John Adams Innovation Institute added his support, stating, "This is exactly the type of project we were hoping for when we invested in the PVLSI. It demonstrates the importance of the Institute to the region in providing an interface for the life sciences with local advanced manufacturers."

Yadava was also named the western Massachusetts Mitochondrial Champion by the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, and he will serve as an expert on mitochondrial function to researchers and clinicians in our area. Yadava and his team recently published a paper entitled "Mitochondrial dysfunction impairs tumor suppressor p53-expression/function" in the J Biol Chem. It is currently available online, and expected to appear in June 10, 2011 issue of JBC. The paper documents how p53, a common tumor suppressor gene, is repressed by defects in cells’ energy producing machinery. The data represent a fundamental change the scientific understanding of how p53 works, and is the first study to demonstrate a reversible suppression of p53 by decreases in cellular energy. The Yadava lab is now investigating the potential relationship between the increased risk of cancer as one ages and declining mitochondrial function.

About Seahorse Bioscience
SEAHORSE XF ANALYZERS are the new standard in cellular bioenergetic measurements. Scientists worldwide use these tools to advance their research in understanding the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer, neuroscience, immunology, obesity, diabetes, ageing, cardiovascular function, and safety toxicity. Founded in 2001, Seahorse is headquartered in North Billerica, Mass., with manufacturing facilities in Chicopee, Mass. For more information, go to: www.seahorsebio.com.

About the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is an independent, statewide economic development agency based in Westborough that is focused on strengthening the state's high tech industry clusters. The John Adams Innovation Institute, MTC’s economic development division, strives to improve Massachusetts’ competitive edge in the innovation economy, supporting industry clusters and institutions in efforts to stimulate new job creation and job retention in knowledge-and technology-based companies. For more information, visit the agency’s website: www.masstech.org.

About the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute
PVLSI was created in 2002 as a joint venture of Baystate Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Amherst with the dual missions of biomedical research and economic development. Drawing on each of the founders as well as its own researchers, the Institute brings together physicians, scientists, and engineers to create interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams focused on the molecular mechanisms of disease and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. For more information, go to www.pvlsi.org.

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