Description

Connect with the life sciences in Logan

BioUtah invites members of Utah’s life sciences industry to a luncheon at Utah State University, connecting the industry with USU’s life sciences research, education, and programs and giving both sides the opportunity to build lasting relationships. The event opens with networking, followed by lunch and brief presentations from USU leadership and researchers, including a BioUtah update on its Talent Hub program. Optional tours follow the program, with a choice of USU’s gene editing and animal cloning lab, antiviral lab, or the new veterinary school. 

Optional Tours

Three tours will run concurrently from 1:15 to 1:45 PM. You may indicate your preferred tour when registering.

1. Gene Editing and Animal Cloning Lab

Dr. Irinia Polejaeva’s lab is using gene editing and animal cloning for the generation of livestock animal models for biomedical and agricultural applications. The recent development of gene editing, combined with animal production technologies, provides the potential to accelerate the genetic improvement of livestock, including altering production traits, enhancing resistance to disease, reducing the threat of zoonotic disease transmission, and improving livestock welfare.

2. Institute for Antiviral Research

For over 45 years, the Institute for Antiviral Research (IAR) at Utah State University has been a nationally recognized leader in infectious disease research and rapid response to emerging viral threats. The IAR has secured over $120 million in federal and private funding to advance surveillance strategies, diagnostics, vaccines, and antiviral treatments for COVID-19, influenza, West Nile virus, Zika virus, and more. Its unparalleled expertise and high-level biocontainment infrastructure make it a critical national resource in protecting human and animal health.

3. College of Veterinary Medicine

Utah State University’s new veterinary medical education building is a hub for animal health teaching, research, and extension work, and its graduate programs in Biomedical Sciences train researchers for careers in the biomedical industry. Current research spans niacin deficiency and cellular function, pediatric and congenital bone disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza monitoring in dairy cattle, and botulism-related waterfowl mortality around the Great Salt Lake.