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June 2019 | Member Newsletter

Camaraderie on the Links plus Happy Independence Day Thank you to everyone who participated in Bio Nebraska’s seventh annual Life Sciences on the Linksgolf scramble at Iron Horse. We had a record number of participants and it was a terrific day to enjoythe camaraderie of other life-sciences professionals. It was a competitive field but the Novozymesteam of Chuck Hankins, Pete Adams, Kevin Conrad and Brent Derby took home first place.

A special thank you to our Life Sciences on the Links sponsors PhRMA, Fisher Scientific, Streck, NeogenGeneSeek and Novozymes. I’d also like to thank Dr. Kelly Lechtenberg and his team at MidwestVeterinary Services/Central States Research Centre for their support of the drink tickets.

"We believe the executive order will expedite innovation and bring solutions to the

market addressing the demands of a growing world population." Thank you to Sen. Deb Fischer for the opportunity to see President Trump sign the executive ordermodernizing the regulatory framework for animal biotechnology. This was a federal priority for BioNebraska, and I was honored to be present during the signing. We believe the executive order willexpedite innovation and bring solutions to the market addressing the demands of a growing worldpopulation. During the visit, the President also touted the significance of E-15. Bio Nebraska joined the Nebraska delegation to represent our state at the BIO InternationalConvention in Philadelphia. BIO International is the world’s largest and most significant biotechnologyevent, drawing global industry and government leaders. It’s important for Nebraska to have a voiceduring the weeklong event. Bio Nebraska is excited to see Dr. Susan Fritz as the Interim President of the University of Nebraska.The University of Nebraska system is critical to the success of our biotech industry and we lookforward to working with interim President-Elect Fritz. Finally, I hope everyone has a safe, enjoyable and patriotic Fourth of July and know that I’ll see manyof you at the BIO World Congress in Des Moines on July 8-11. Best regards

Phil Kozera

BIO World CongressJuly 8-11Des Moines, IA

2019 Governor's Economic SummitJuly 17Lincoln, NE

Screw Press WorkshopJuly 24-25University of Nebraska

Celebrating Women in STEMOctober 16Omaha

Susan Fritz was named the new interim University of Nebraska president. Fritz Named Interim President of NU SystemSusan Fritz was named the University of Nebraska's interim president and will assume the role Aug.15. Fritz, a Nebraska native, first-generation college student, three-time Husker alumna, formerfaculty member and accomplished administrator, is the first woman to lead the NU system. The NUBoard of Regents named Fritz interim president-elect during their May 30 meeting. Fritz will becomeinterim president on Aug. 15 following the departure of NU President Hank Bounds. MatMaCorp Brings Genetic Testing to Veterinary ClinicsMatMaCorp has developed a system that enables veterinary clinics to conduct in-house DNA testingrather than outsourcing tests to labs. Nebraska Medicine Named Best Employer in StateNebraska Medicine is the best employer in Nebraska, according to Forbes Magazine. "This award isrecognition for the culture we want to have at Nebraska Medicine, it is a recognition of all of ourcolleagues," said CEO Jim Linder. The award is based on surveys of workers.

UNK students volunteer at a mobile medical clinic during a recent trip to Panama. UNK Medical Outreach an Eye-Opening ExperienceTwenty-one UNK student volunteers worked in mobile medical clinics that provided free care to morethan 300 Panamanian patients. “A lot of people take for granted what we have here in the States,”said Bailey Premer, a junior from Kearney. “Down there you see all the poverty and the lack ofopportunities they have to get even basic medical care.”

UNMC’s Caroline Ng is involved in a study addressing malaria, which last year infected over 200million people and killed half a million. Multidrug-Resistant Malaria Target IdentifiedA study involving Caroline Ng, UNMC department of pathology and microbiology, found a potentialtarget to overcome multidrug-resistant malaria. The finding was recently published in PLOSPathogens

Jesse Bell says UNMC will help with health studies in Earth system science. UNMC Shares In $175 Million GrantUNMC is part of a national consortium awarded a five-year, $175 million funding agreement from theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study Earth system science. UNMC'sCollege of Public Health will help study how public health is tied to the natural environment, saidJesse Bell, professor of health and environment.

UNO exercise science team works with a participant during a VO2 max-fitness test, which measures aerobiccapacity.

capacity. Innovation Gets a Workout in UNO’s Exercise Physiology LabAt first glance, UNO’s exercise physiology lab looks like a small fitness center. But this is one of themost innovative research facilities of its type in the U.S., and it's supervised by Dr. Dusty Slivka,winner of the 2019 Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award. Funded primarily by the Department ofDefense, Slivka's research is used in part to help soldiers improve performance in extreme settings. OWH: Nebraska Wins Economic Development AwardGov. Pete Ricketts announced that Nebraska won a Silver Shovel award in promoting economicdevelopment as he accepted the award in Lincoln from Dennis Shea, publisher of AreaDevelopment magazine. ADS Biotec Allies with KuraboADS Biotec announced it has formed a strategic partnership to sell Kurabo’s QuickGene nucleic acidisolation line in North America and Europe.

Teachers participate in a STEM education class at Henzlik Hall as part of the NebraskaSTEM project forsupporting elementary rural leadership. Project Enhances Nebraska STEM ReadinessAs 5G broadband technology access grows, a UNL project is shaping up to maximize its future use inSTEM education. Teachers from 14 rural areas, funded by a NSF scholarship program at the NebraskaCenter for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, are helping build the NebraskaSTEMproject for K-6 students in rural Nebraska. ADVENT Blog – Hemp Trademarks EmergeThe U.S PTO has clarified new guidelines for cannabis-derived products and services trademarks. Theguidelines arose from 2018 Farm Bill exemptions of hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.

UNL scientists are working to halt resistance to an antibiotic that treats serious Staphylococcus aureusinfections in humans. UNL Research Targets Resistance to Staph TreatmentStaphylococcus aureus is one of the more versatile bacteria, said UNL’s Greg Somerville, associateprofessor of veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences, who with colleagues has studied metabolicchanges in staph antibiotic resistance and new treatment combinations.

Eric Le and Vy Doan, students in the department of computer science and engineering, are developing analgorithm that can automatically detect false information on social media. Huskers Use Code to Slow Spread of Fake NewsAs false stories become more widespread on social media, two Huskers are coding their way to asolution. Vy Doan and Eric Le, department of computer science and engineering, are using machine

solution. Vy Doan and Eric Le, department of computer science and engineering, are using machinelearning to detect fake news on Twitter. Doan, a junior from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Le, asenior from Lincoln, are on a summer Undergraduate Creative Activities and ResearchExperience grant under Mohammad Hasan, assistant professor of practice. Advance Could Enhance Vaccine for Respiratory DiseaseUNL’s Eric Weaver, Brianna Bullard and Brigette Corder have developed a strain of Adenovirus, Ad7,that lacks ability to replicate beyond the genetic line of host cells it initially invades. The strainreplicated enough within host cells to generate immunity but was potentially less likely to shed livevirus from vaccinated people. The strain could be a basis for a new vaccine.

A male spotted pardalote, one of Ian Hoppe's study species, is shown outside a nest at a field site atBlanchetown, South Australia. Husker Seeks Crowdfunding Support for Malaria ResearchA crowdfunding campaign may help fund a UNL grad student’s study on birds’ social behavior and theirrisk of contracting malaria. Ian Hoppe, school of natural resources, was using crowdfunding to earn agrant challenge to study avian exposure to blood parasites in Australia. Bayer and Arvinas Form Joint VentureIn a deal worth more than $110 million, Bayer and Arvinas will make the first-ever researchapplication of proteolysis-targeting chimera technology in agriculture. This approach harnesses cell’snaturally occurring protein degradation system to selectively remove target proteins by proteolysis,the breakdown of proteins into amino acids. The joint venture will explore novel molecular targets tocontrol weeds, insects and crop diseases Celerion Webinar: COPD – Tackling Unmet NeedsChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the two largest indications being studied inrespiratory clinical trials and is the currently the fourth leading cause of death. Check out this freeCelerion webinar. CRB’s Matt Decker Details Four Lab-Safety TechnologiesLab technology is constantly in motion. Every industry is under pressure to audit equipment anddecide when to install new solutions. Here is a practical update on ventilation hoods, safety cabinets

decide when to install new solutions. Here is a practical update on ventilation hoods, safety cabinetsand isolation chambers. Tom Merker Explores UAVs in ConstructionDrone technology has found a growing place on construction sites to minimize of legwork and increaseattention to details that speed schedules and increase safety. Ethanol Board Welcomes New AdministratorThe Nebraska Ethanol Board has hired Roger Berry as administrator. Berry is from Nebraska, farmedhere and has served in ag organizations. Most recently, he was Nebraska Corn Board director ofmarket development. Nebraska in Top Quarter of Retirement RankingsIn ranking the pros and cons of each state when it comes to retirement, Kiplinger rates Nebraska asNo. 21.

Amgen Calls for Healthcare that Will ‘Predict and Prevent’ IllnessAmgen CEO Bob Bradway told a gathering of business leaders that world healthcare systems need tomove from “fixing what is broken to predicting who is at risk of a serious health event and interveningto prevent that event from occurring in the first place” and center care on patients’ needs. ADM Creates New Business UnitADM is creating a new business unit called Ag Services & Oilseeds, which combines its origination andoilseed operations into a single structure. The Future of Science is HereGenentech’s innovative new STEM education support is intended to use many tools, from 5th gradementorships to college scholarships, to inspire future scientists. Evonik Joining Carbon Footprint ChallengeEvonik is supporting the Carbon Footprint Challenge of UNITECH, a long-term partner network fortalented engineers. Student teams compete on ideas that reduce the carbon footprint ofmanufacturing, industrial processes and products. GSK, University of California to Advance Genomics, Drug DiscoveryGlaxoSmithKline announced a five-year collaboration with the University of California to establish astate-of-the-art laboratory for CRISPR technologies, the Laboratory for Genomics Research. The newlab will explore how gene mutations cause disease and accelerate the discovery of new medicines. Novozymes Launches Updated StrategyNovozymes announced a plan to focus on better utilization of its core capabilities, prioritize high-impact projects, free up cash for re-investing in longer-term strategic opportunity areas and drivestronger commercial execution. Zoetis Closing Gender Gap in AfricaZoetis’ African livestock productivity and health advancement plan, which aims to improve livestockhealth and farmers’ livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa, is increasing access to animal-health education.Following success in Uganda, Nigeria and Ethiopia, the project will run until 2022 and expand intoTanzania. The initiative emphasizes equal access to training for women and is funded by a $14 milliongrant from the Gates Foundation. New Executive Order to Fast Track Agricultural TechnologyA new regulatory framework for agricultural biotechnology products announced by the White Houseand USDA is intended to streamline the regulation of genetically modified organisms. “Our current

and USDA is intended to streamline the regulation of genetically modified organisms. “Our currentregulatory framework has impeded innovation instead of facilitating it,” said Secretary of AgricultureSonny Perdue. See related coverage. Merck Acquiring TilosMerck & Co. plans to acquire Tilos Therapeutics for up to $773 million. Tilos focuses on antibodiestargeting latency-associated peptide of transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ), a potent cytokinebelieved to play an important role in the development of cancer and fibrotic diseases. Genentech Gets Accelerated FDA Nod on New Lymphoma TreatmentThe FDA granted accelerated approval to polatuzumab vedotin-piiq in combination with bendamustineplus rituximab for treatment relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Biofuel Mandate Nearly ReadyThe EPA is close to releasing its proposal for how much biofuel refiners must blend into the U.S.transportation fuel supply next year, adding that a final version remains on track to be released byCongress' November 30 deadline. Value of Cancer-Therapy Firms RisesShares of cancer-therapy companies shot up after Pfizer announced it would acquire cancer drugmaker Array BioPharma in a deal worth up to $11.4 billion, signaling a bidding war in the category. Amgen unveils five-year survival data for BlincytoAmgen has revealed “compelling” long-term survival data for its acute lymphoblastic leukemia drugblinatumomab. More than half of patients who achieved a complete minimal residual disease (MRD)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia response following the first cycle of treatment were alive atfive years, the firm said. GSK Pharma Head Flags Need for Speed in High-Pressure Drug MarketDoing things one at a time is not a luxury that GlaxoSmithKline can afford, the head ofpharmaceuticals told Reuters. Luke Miels said picking fewer, more promising projects and developingthem faster now takes precedence over spreading the risk of failure across many drug candidates. Giants Sign Up for FDA Blockchain ProjectIBM, Merck and Walmart have been chosen for an FDA pilot program that will explore using blockchaintechnology to improve real-time security of prescription-drug supply and distribution. Bayer To Invest $5.6 Billion In Herbicide ResearchBayer sought to repair its reputation after damage caused by U.S. litigation over claims its glyphosateherbicide causes cancer, saying it would invest $5.6 billion in herbicide research. Bayer’s shares hitseven-year lows after a California couple was awarded more than $2 billion in the largest-ever U.S.jury award over claims that glyphosate causes cancer. (The U.S. EPA has said glyphosate is not acarcinogen and presents no risk to public health when used as directed.) BIO: Biotech Companies Going Public EarlierMoney in biotech has been ballooning. And those companies will eventually need an exit, leading toincreasingly pricey IPOs. What’s more, there appears to be a spate of biotechs going public earlierand earlier — some with only preclinical programs.