生技產業社群報：[第二號]

看板Biology (生物學)作者ipromise.時間24年前 (2000/10/09 07:55)推噓0(0推 0噓 0→)

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******** 專題文章 ******** 莫等到億萬在手才談創業 admin 在生技產業談創業，你會想到什麼？實驗室裡穿著白色實驗衣，忙碌的在培養皿與大小儀器間轉來轉去的研究人員？先進的實驗設備，每一樣都要你咋舌許久？還是開發一種新藥需要兩億美金的驚人資金需求以及因為這樣而被打消的乍現靈光？去年，台灣工業銀行創業大賽首次舉辦，吸引了上百支隊伍報名參加，然而，相較於網路、軟體等組別呼朋引伴、相擁而至的盛況，作為八組之一的生化組卻僅有六隊參與，而環保、精密機械等相關組別，也不見生技人的蹤影。是生物技術先天上就受到客觀條件的限制？還是學生物的人都太含蓄？幾個星期前，第二屆工銀創業大賽正式展開，出於對這項活動一貫的支持，我把消息轉到了電子布告欄生物版上，並且提出了上述的疑問，幾天之後有了一篇回應，作者認為：沒有長期的博士後研究經歷，沒有上億的資金，僅憑著創業競賽主辦單位所發給的獎金，就想要成立生技公司，是不切實際的夢想。作者並強調生技產業與網路、軟體等產業有別，不能放在創業大賽裡一概而論，少人參加是正常的。這篇回應必然出自一個專業技術背景的人之手，因為他所提出的論點符合單純典型的技術觀點。然而，我所要指出的一點是，即便要開發一個生技產品，需要上億的資金才能完成，而這筆錢可能無論如何也省不了，但是並不代表沒有足夠資源的眼前，你就不能著手去開發這個想法。就技術上來說，我們不能否認，少了研究經驗紮實的研究人員和充裕的資金，就算是只差了那麼一點點，你還是做不出東西來，人員、技術、設備、資金，樣樣都要配合，最後才會有夢寐以求的結果。可是一個普遍而嚴重的誤解是：在這些條件都具備了，才開始做，才會成功。要求所有資源同時到位才談創新才談創業的想法，是創意走向真實的最大障礙。我們總是容易震懾於生技產業的高資金與高技術門檻，但是國衛院的許明珠主任，在一堂大學的課程中提到她在默克藥廠開發抗癌新藥的經驗時卻也指出，在進行新藥的篩選時，一直到臨床實驗之前的所有程序完成，其實並沒花到什麼錢。這雖然是一個我們都看得到的事實，但是卻很少人能理解到這之中隱藏著策略應用的空間，這些門檻並不是無所不在的，而是一個階段一個階段出現的，在你達到一個階段性目標之前，其實你並不需要那麼樣充分的資源。相反的，如果一直抱持著一億元握在手上才開始的想法，很可能你永遠都沒有開始的機會，因為，大概永遠都沒有人會給你一億元。是的，沒有人會給你一億元，但是，很可能有人願意給你五百萬元，換取你百分之二十的未來，五百萬元能夠做什麼？五百萬元足夠讓你累積實力去爭取下一筆五千萬的資源。舉例來說，日前與博微共同發表ＤＮＡ防偽技術的優勢科技，其資本亦不過此數，雖然嚴格說起來，這項技術很可能不是某些人所認同的生物技術，然而該公司已經展現了實力，並且擁有利基，而向其下一個五千萬元奔去。據了解，在新技術發表後，原本其籌措資金困難的局勢已經完全扭轉，找上門來尋求投資機會者絡繹不絕。這個例子告訴我們，科技人應該試著以更務實的觀點來看待產業的發展，而不是只能解決存在於實驗室裡的問題。創業不需要從一億元開始，同時，生物科技也不盡然都要做治療癌症，開發新藥的大玩意。仔細觀察網路產業的興衰起落，我們可以得到某些啟發，在整個技術環境成熟到可以大量產生應用性產品之前，生技產業的的築路工與軍火商將如同在網路產業中一樣，會在這一段時間內扮演著越來越重要的角色，特別是握有關鍵性平台技術的築路工。公元兩千年MIT50K的首獎由EyeGen獲得，EyeGen的得獎作品是新型的DNA 染料，可以由肉眼觀察的到，不需要昂貴的偵測儀器，但是依然具有所需的高靈敏度，而且更安全、省時與省錢，該隊估計這樣的技術可以廣泛的應用在價值約一百五十億美元的市場中。各位做實驗都不用DNA染料嗎？沒有人曾經想過可以對其做改良或是尋求替代品嗎？一定有，因為想過這個問題的人我至少認識一個。但是指導教授不會讓你有機會去解決這個問題，因為這跟你的論文沒有必然關係，而沈悶的大環境也讓這樣看似瘋狂的主意在被審慎評估之前就早早夭折。如果我們仔細想想，必然會想到一些我們曾經忽略的、曾經略過腦海的、思索過而至今耿耿於懷的點子，就隱藏在我們的椅子上、書桌上、實驗室的培養基裡、一小瓶幾萬元的抗體裡。DNA染料是個很偉大的新點子嗎？不是，但是只要能夠做的更好、更方便、更有用，那麼就是一個了不起的創業起點。切莫，想著億萬在手之後，才來討論生技產業創業這個主題，因為最有可能的兩種狀況是，你永遠拿不到億萬，或是你拿到手後已經年華老去。當優勢科技由一個小技術開啟新事業，當MIT的學生找到了一個小地方做出大突破的時候，同樣是讀英文書的你，有什麼道理說：sorry,I can't. ******** 他山之石 ******** 以下是2000年MIT50K競賽中，晉級隊伍的名單、聯絡資料及作品摘要，其中Amtek 及EyeGen獲得決賽資格，EyeGen並是最後首獎的得主。資料摘錄自MIT 50K的網頁網址http://50K.mit.edu/ Amtek Amy Smith, mmadinot@mit.edu Amtek designs and develops innovative laboratory and medical equipment that expands the capabilities of health workers in developing countries. We develop hardware to meet the unique demands of remote clinics and field laboratories in these countries. Our first product is a laboratory incubator that does not require electricity which is used for water quality and medical diagnostic. With our products, health care workers can perform laboratory tests that are currently impossible to conduct under existing conditions. EyeGen Zoran Zdraveski, zzz@mit.edu EyeGenRed is a dye that makes DNA visible to the naked eye. Because it doesn't require expensive equipment for detection and still offers high sensitivity measurements, EyeGenRed is a safer, cost-reducing and time-saving alternative to the currently used radioactive and fluorescent probes for diagnostic and biological imaging. Since DNA manipulation is at the core of most genomic, medical and biotech research, EyeGenRed has broad applications as an invaluable tool in an expanding $15 billion dollar annual market. Angstrom Medica Edward Ahn, eon@mit.edu ?ngstrom Medic? (?M) develops and commercializes novel biomedical products based on nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the emerging field focused on engineering functional structures at the atomic and molecular levels. By operating on the length scales of biomolecules and cells, ?M enables applications for preventative medicine, in vitro and in vivo diagnostic testing, therapeutic treatment, and noninvasive methods to replace surgical procedures. ?ngstrom Medic? is at the forefront of the successful merging of nanotechnology and biotechnology into nanobiotechnology. Cell Programmers Thomas Knight, tk@mit.edu As reported in the New York Times and Boston Globe, this MIT team will engineer DNA and sell the DNA to researchers, who will modify the DNA to create "smart medicine" the next frontier for pharmaceuticals. The ultimate smart medicine could, for instance, cause a cell to sense a glucose surplus in a diabetic patient and instruct the cell to produce the exact amount of insulin to correct the surplus. Similar smart medicine applications are also anticipated. helmholtz Alex Micu, alexmicu@mit.edu In the United States alone, 50,000 to 80,000 people suffer from sickle cell disease.It has been shown that individuals affected by the disease and who naturally have high levels of fetal hemoglobin show reduced complications and increased life span. Helmholtz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has been created to develop and bring to market a drug that will increase the levels of fetal hemoglobin in individuals affected by the disease. We are looking to raise $1 Million in private placements. iCuratio Jennifer Shin, jjshin@student.med.harvard.edu Of the 25 million patients seeking better quality healthcare, most are looking for two things: better access to healthcare providers, and access to trusted, reliable information. iCuratio is the answer. At iCuratio, patients can schedule appointments, request refills, and ask their physicians questions in a secure online environment. They can also search health information links ranked by the number of physicians who trust the content, and view a library of links approved by their own physician. iCuratio: Tomorrow's healthcare solutions today. MedBasket Huamao Lin, hlin88@yahoo.com MedBasket will be an online distributor of medical supplies. Ultimedica, Inc. Azhar Hashem, ahashem@mit.edu With the human genome project, nearing conclusion, there will be a flood of information concerning an individual's genetic predisposition to ailment. This unique unparalleled information, quantifies risk, and may be applied towards preventative medical care. Lifestyle modification will become an important and more acceptable mode of risk-reduction, of which nutrition will constitute an essential component. Ultimedica will empower individuals to manage their health by integrating individual health-related data with already existing patient medical records held by the health care provider. Ultra Viral Technologies, Ltd. Deborah Kopald, neversay@mit.edu UVT's ultraviolet technology promises to improve the safety of blood derived products and biopharmaceuticals and drastically reduce the odds of viral contamination for millions of people who receive these products. UVT has developed a patent pending process demonstrated to kill up to 8 logs of virus in a single cycle without damaging blood product proteins. UVT has discovered the necessary wavelengths for optimal viral inactivation and can target specific viruses using computer modeling that predicts optimal absorption wavelength/ frequencies. ******** 聯絡資訊 ******** 對本報有任何意見或建議，請與service@bioterprisers.com聯絡 -- ☆ [Origin:椰林風情] [From: ibms.ibms.sinica.edu.tw] [Login: **] [Post: 62]