MicroRx - Global Health Solutions

Infectious Disease Supercluster™

Global challenges transcend conventional academic organizational structure, thus the method of bringing university discoveries and expertise to face global challenges must follow suit. That’s where Colorado State University’s new model of public-private partnering is leading the way. Offering answers to far-reaching questions, the Supercluster concept unites experts of various
disciplines in bringing the University’s considerable capabilities to rapidly dispatch real-world solutions.

The Superclusters emulate proven business practices to harnesses the creative energies of Colorado State University’s academic research community. Each Supercluster has a Chief Scientific Officer who focuses
on developing product-driven strategies with the academic research community. The Chief Operating Officer runs a business enterprise arm that advances emerging products by partnering with private and public
sector organizations. Patents, licenses, partnerships and startup companies are the focus of the business arm as specialists of both marketplace and university research work to translate discoveries into products.

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. About 2.1 billion airline passengers traveled in 2006, a fact that has the World Health Organization saying that infectious diseases spread faster and further than ever before. Addressing this global challenge, Colorado State University’s Infectious Disease Supercluster brings together scientists and scholars at the forefront of research from multiple departments and colleges. In addition, unique university infrastructure and capabilities, such as biosafety level-3 laboratories and specialized animal model expertise are optimally leveraged. Scholarly excellence in this extraordinary research environment fosters creativity in promoting product and policy development with potential for global impact.

MicroRx is the enterprise arm of the Infectious Disease Supercluster and is a division of CSU
Ventures, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation. It is charged with developing transformative research
collaborations, and efficiently moving discoveries to market through creative technology licensing
and formation of startup companies. Its overarching goal is to rapidly translate research discoveries
into products that alleviate the human and economic burdens caused by infectious diseases.

Main Features

•	150 faculty and research staff
•	$40 million in annual research funding
		- Internationally Recognized Research
		- Mycobacteriology
		- Vector-borne Diseases
		- Prion Diseases
		- HIV/AIDS
		- Food Safety
		- Plant Pathology
		- Biodefense and Emerging Pathogens

Specific Resources or Capabilities

	•	Rocky Mountain Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Pathogens Research (CSU is the lead institution)
			- Animal Models Core (BSL-2 and BSL-3)
			- Proteomics and Metabolomics Core
			- Genomics Core
			- Product Development and Manufacturing Core (GLP and cGMP)
			- Rocky Mountain Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (BSL-3)
			- Select Agent and Patriot Act Compliant

	•	Arthropod-borne Infectious Disease Laboratory

	•	Mycobacteriology Research Laboratories

	•	Prion Research Group

	•	Animal Population Health Institute

	•	Food Safety Program