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Four Life Sciences Trends You Can't Afford To Ignore
By: Henry DeVries
Release Date: 09/24/08
Four Life Sciences Trends You Can’t Afford To Ignore
By Henry DeVries
Scientist and biotechnology executive Hugo Villar, who joined UC San Diego Extension in 2008 as the new director of life sciences programs, sees four trends emerging over the next several years that cannot be ignored.
Villar’s technical interest over the past 20 years has been in the application of computers to diverse problems in the life sciences. As a result Villar has published articles in over 80 technical peer-reviewed publications and holds more than 18 patents in different aspects of drug discovery.
Now he gets to shape life sciences continuing education at UC San Diego Extension to respond to impending industry trends.
Info Tech Meets Biotech
Since the start of the year Villar has been busy talking to industry leaders and recruiting new instructors to make sure UC San Diego Extension courses offer relevant, up-to-date content for those seeking new directions for their life sciences career.
As a result, Villar is rolling out a new certificate in Life Sciences Information Technology (LSIT) to meet the growing trend of unique biotechnology IT needs. The new certificate is more comprehensive and robust than the previous certificate in bioinformatics.
“This highly regulated, research-driven industry has unique needs not easily transferable from other industries. With the new certificate we intend to develop a knowledgeable workforce, with a comprehensive view of the challenges.” Villar says.
Outsourcing is becoming more common in the industry, and clearly demonstrates the critical need for qualified IT life science professionals .
“When you have a remote workforce, information technology becomes critical and you need real time access to share information and resources,” says Villar. Like a growing number of life science professionals, Villar is bullish on the value of outsourcing to U.S. companies, as well as to continued job growth in San Diego.
“Outsourcing isn’t just closing some doors, it is opening other doors,” says Villar. “Because drug discovery projects are more complex and the regulatory agencies impose additional controls, outsourcing speeds up the process of discovery and development of new medicines. Accelerated drug approvals will strengthen the industry and support new areas of research leading to new companies. These new small companies have been the bread and butter of the San Diego biotech industry.”
It has become apparent that one of the biggest growth opportunities for skilled workers is in life sciences is LSIT, which is used in many areas of life sciences such as drug discovery, molecular medicine, microbial genome applications, agriculture, comparative studies and others.
Villar, who began his career at IBM, says about 15 percent of all life sciences industry spending is related to information technology. The application of LSIT in drug discovery and development is expected to reduce the annual cost of developing a new drug by one-third. Before founding Altoris in 2003 to provide new informatics tools for the life sciences industry, Villar developed drug discovery technologies for a San Diego biotechnology company, including patented bioinformatics techniques.
Stemming The Tide
Another trend to watch is the emerging plan by four of San Diego's premier research centers to collaborate through a single institution centered on stem cell studies holds the promise of medical advances on a much wider scale.
Villar has duly noted the stem cell consortium's proposal to build a $115 million headquarters lab on Torrey Pines Mesa. The structure would house the San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, a joint initiative by UC San Diego, the Salk Institute, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, and the Scripps Research Institute.
“The voter approved stem cell research is creating tremendous growth opportunities for California,” says Villar. “We are responding by adding courses in cell biology and immunology to provide a solid foundation for the workforce.”
UC San Diego, with more than $700 million in annual research funding, is playing a leading role in stem cell research to help develop cures and therapies for a wide range of diseases and disorders utilizing embryonic stem cell research.
“This university is playing a significant role in the basic research that is needed before we are able to use these cells to develop new therapies,” says Villar. “This will translate into increased career opportunities for those who are properly prepared.”
Not Easy Being Green
“Another trend is the potential for dramatic change in the way we impact greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels,” says Villar. “But forget covering the country with cornfields as the biofuel solution.”
However, algae and several plants are other potential sources of biofuels, says UC San Diego Dean of Biological Sciences Steven Kay. Ethanol is not a sustainable solution because corn requires large amounts of fertilizer and water to grow, says Kay.
So, UC San Diego researchers are working today on turning what Kay jokingly called “pond scum” into tomorrow’s clean fuels. University biologists are working with Scripps Institution of Oceanography researchers to find algae that can be grown on a large scale on land that can’t be used for crops, Kay added.
To prepare the local life sciences workforce, UC San Diego Extension is sponsoring a full-day workshop in the fall on the industrial uses of biotechnology, including biofuels.
Many opportunities are very close to home. UC San Diego is aiming to become the leading user of renewable energy among U.S. universities within the next few years. A wide range of collaborative efforts by faculty, students and administrators have already helped create a campus dedicated to environmental sustainability.
“Our changing climate and especially global warming is a growing problem that needs to be addressed now,” Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said. “We need to ensure a sustainable future, for our community, our nation and our planet.”
The Business of Life Sciences Is Business
The third trend is business related. Villar thinks the time has come for San Diego to stop thinking only about the lab and start thinking about the supply chain and the roll-out of new ideas.
“Historically, the problem with the San Diego biotechnology cluster is that we rarely generate the powerhouse companies like the East Coast and San Francisco have,” says Villar, who has both a Ph.D. in Chemistry and a Master’s in Business Administration. “Innovation happens here but then companies are sold, merged or disappear after selling internal projects.”
For seven years UC San Diego Extension has offered courses on the business of biotech. Villar is expanding the offerings to include courses on biostrategy. The objective is to provide managers, entrepreneurs, investors and scientists with a comprehensive view of the business environment and the strategic management tools to thrive.
“Instead of being the engine capable of great bursts of speed and then sputtering out, we want to help create the powerhouse companies that will drive the local economy for years to come,” adds Villar.
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