Our History
Creation of HBC
The HBC was established in 1989 as a —Center of Centers— engaged in multidisciplinary biomedical research at the University of Kansas (KU). It was formed by merging the functions of the Center for Biomedical Research and the Center for Bioanalytical Research. The merging of the two centers into a single administrative unit allowed for economies and better utilization of shared research space in the then existing buildings on west campus, the Smissman Laboratories, the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratories, and the McCollum Laboratories.
Takeru Higuchi's Inspiration
The Higuchi Biosciences Center is named for the late Takeru Higuchi, the legendary "father of physical pharmacy" and KU Regents Professor from 1967 until his retirement in 1983. Known internationally for both his scientific brilliance and extraordinary interpersonal skills, Tak Higuchi brought to bear the creation of partnerships between the university and pharmaceutical industry. He was committed to marrying pure, theoretical research with life-saving drug production. During his tenure at KU, he was responsible for the creation of INTERx and Oread Laboratories, pharmaceutical companies that served to redefine the standard relationship between industry and the university.
With the initial mission of basic research and economic development, the Higuchi Biosciences Center could not have a more appropriate namesake or model than Tak Higuchi who, during his career, published more than 300 scientific papers and was awarded more than 50 patents.
Timeline
From the period between 1989 and 1995, the HBC grew as a result of increased funding by the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) as well as by federal agencies and private industry. During that period, two new KTEC-supported centers were established within the HBC, the Center for Drug Delivery Research and the Center for Neurobiology and Immunology Research. These centers were developed in order to capture more fully the scientific advances being made by HBC Investigators, advances that might fuel technology transfer and commercialization. In fact, during that period, scientific advances in the fields represented by these HBC centers led to the launching of seven biotechnology or early stage pharmaceutical companies in Kansas.
After 1995, the level of support by KTEC did not change substantially, while the funding received by HBC Investigators from Federal agencies, primarily from the the National Institutes of Health (NIH), continued to increase. In other words, the basic and applied scientific research component of the HBC was growing at a faster rate than the technology transfer and commercialization component. Following the formation of KU Center for Research (KUCR), the HBC became one of the Designated Centers for Research at KU.
In 2007, the University of Kansas Office of Research/KUCR recommended the separation of the KTEC-funded component from the rest of the HBC research activities and the establishment of a facility focused totally on technology development and technology transfer. The Biotechnology Innovation and Optimization (BIO) facility was created in 2007 to receive the funding from KTEC and to perform technology maturation and commercialization. From 2007 onward, the sole focus of the HBC has been the enhancement and success of programmatic research efforts in biomedical research of the scientists affiliated with the HBC, the HBC Investigators.
