Preeminent engineering researcher takes part in national summit on biotechnology and biomanufacturing

Preeminent engineering researcher takes part in national summit on biotechnology and biomanufacturing

Cynthia Reinhart-King, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering and professor of biomedical engineering, was amid a handful of national specialists invited to take part in the White Property Summit on Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing on Sept. 14 in Washington, D.C. 

Cynthia Reinhart-King
Cynthia Reinhart-King

The party, co-led by the Nationwide Economic Council, marked the start of an initiative to produce bio-based mostly alternatives to world-wide difficulties ranging from food items safety and weather change to well being stability and provide chain disruptions. 

Heads of U.S. governing administration businesses and members of Congress, as perfectly as leaders from business, tutorial institutions and nongovernmental organizations—representing a variety of bio sectors and regions—attended the summit. The panel will come on the heels of two significant federal initiatives: the signing of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which offers billions of dollars in new funding to enhance domestic analysis and producing of semiconductors in the U.S. and the creation of State-of-the-art Investigation Projects Company for Well being at the Countrywide Institutes of Health and fitness, which will fund higher-risk, high-reward, use-motivated biomedical and biotechnology research.  

“The considerable financial commitment this administration is making in biotechnology and the bioeconomy is a landmark and will make sure that the U.S. proceeds to direct in technological and manufacturing innovation,” ssupport Reinhart-King, who is also senior affiliate dean for investigate at the School of Engineering. “I look forward to ongoing discussions and partaking in bio-primarily based investigate that added benefits all People in america and addresses the world wide troubles we face today.” 

Reinhart-King, a mobile bioengineer who is president-elect of the Biomedical Engineering Culture, has contributed to scientific breakthroughs in knowledge tumor formation. She was one particular of the first to clearly show how the matrix, or the noncellular glue in all tissues and organs, can stiffen when a tumor types, endorse tumor progress and interfere with the efficiency of cancer treatments.  

Padma Raghavan, Vanderbilt’s vice provost for investigation and innovation, said Reinhart-King’s invitation to choose aspect in the summit speaks to her higher standing in the area and presents recognition of her pathbreaking study.   

“In the final calendar year by itself, Vanderbilt has committed around $60 million pounds to progress bioscience and biotechnology remedies with sizeable investments on the horizon to push Vanderbilt’s transformative nationwide design for bio-based mostly innovation,” Raghavan stated. “Vanderbilt’s investments display the power of universities to create reducing-edge biotech and biomanufacturing exploration with superior economic and social influence, addressing world problems in well being safety, countrywide defense and local climate modify.”