World experts gather at Bioprosp 2006 in Norway for sub Arctic marine bioprospecting conference
Bioprosp 2006, the third international conference on marine bioprospecting in sub-Arctic oceans, has announced a strong speaker programme designed to give delegates the opportunity to gain a full understanding of the opportunities offered by recent developments in this major new drug discovery sector.
Over two days, October 11-12 in Tromso, Bioprosp 2006 will look at four major themes - overall resources and their mapping, bioactive compounds, from molecule to market and commercialization challenges and strategies.
The bioactive compounds session in particular will reveal that exciting new cancer and anti-infective leads have already been discovered.
Bioprosp 2006 will begin with the marine resources of the north and planning repositories, sampling, logistics and screening being covered by Ole Jorgen Lonne, Institute of Marine Science, Norway and David Newman, National Cancer Institute, USA.
The bioactive compounds session will then highlight the substantial progress made so far in this area, with presentations ranging from marine bioactivities and drug discovery, by Marcel Jaspars, University of Aberdeen, Scotland and anti-microbial compounds from marine organisms by Tor Haug, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Norway through anti-tumour molecules and mechanisms by Arcadio Garcia de Castro Andrews, PharmaMar, Spain and the search for inhibitors of the HIV-protease by Helena Danielson, Uppsala University, Sweden to the potential of bioactivities in marine lipids by Bjarne Osterud, University of Tromso, Norway.
From Molecule to Market will see Trond Jorgensen, University of Tromso, Norway describing Tromso's access to resources and infrastructure and Dag-Rune Gjellesvik, Biotec Pharmacon, Norway describing his recently listed company's successes with beta glucans and other compounds.
Finally the commercialisation session will look at IPR strategies, the ProBio case study and the creation of an overall vision for the sector.
Bioprosp 2006 will then close with a panel debate entitled Marine bioprospecting; how to mobilise unique local resources in a global business environment.
