I always thought scientific research a noble pursuit—working for the greater good of society, curing diseases, patenting findings to make the world a healthier place. And even though I have never ventured into a lab at the UW-Madison, I was proud to attend one of the top-ranked research universities in the country, for good reasons.
UW-Madison's WiCell Research Institute was selected by the National Institutes of Health last October as the site of the federal government's first and only National Stem Cell Bank. Last week, $150 million in private-public funds was donated to the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery. The University takes these accomplishments in its arsenal of scientific qualifications as it heads to the BIO2006 conference on commerce and the biosciences in Chicago this week.
I was excited that UW-Madison sought international recognition for its unprecedented achievements. Then I heard about WARF and stem cell patents, and my view toward this research shifted.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation declares in its mission statement that it is dedicated to moving inventions arising from the university's laboratories to the marketplace for the benefit of the university, the inventors and society.\ While the organization has certainly upheld the first two points of its credo, it is imperative that WARF explore the way its restrictive patents on the stem cell research developed at the University hinder the advancement of subsequent research efforts throughout the country.
Current federal policy limits federally funded research to research conducted on embryonic stem cell lines created before August 2001. Local patent lawyer Colin Fairman postulated a rather interesting point in The Daily Cardinal last week: ""If the government is not going to allow a generation of new stem cell lines, then that means you can't develop new methods for creating stem cells ... you're relying on what's already available.""
The restrictive patents are not in place solely to protect the groundbreaking research made in 1998 by professor and researcher Jamie Thomson, but to capitalize upon the limited federally funded expansion on stem cell development and create power for WARF. The organization should not be so concerned with protecting its own status.
According to its website, WARF in the past year has developed more than 400 invention disclosures made by UW-Madison researchers, filed 300 U.S. patent applications for UW-Madison technology, obtained nearly 80 issued U.S. patents, gave $55.5 million to the UW-Madison to support research, signed 210 new license and option agreements and took equity in four new UW-Madison spin-off companies.
Associate Dean of Research Policy William Mellon claims WARF is protecting both their interests and the University's and that Stanford, Berkeley or Harvard would be ""acting the same way.""
Yet why must the UW-Madison follow exclusively in the footsteps of these top research universities? Can we not, as the fifth-ranked public research university in the United States, become the top altruistic research university, sharing our knowledge for the betterment of society?
The University and WARF must look into their consciences to find which purpose of biomedical research is most vital to humanity. Glory for the University's singular research efforts must not outweigh the obligation to medical advancements.
These advancements would be better served if UW and WARF engaged in collective efforts with other leading research universities. It has always been said that two heads are better than one. Wisconsin has the opportunity to establish precedent not only in stem cell research, but for inter-university relations in research. What discoveries await multiple teams of the best biomedical research brains in the nation, working together for common goals, can only be imagined.
Kelly Schlicht is a sophomore studying journalism. Send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
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