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>> >>PEGGY: FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 53 YEAR HISTORY THE SALK INSTITUTE IS ASKING THE PUBLIC
FOR HELP. JOINING ME WITH DETAILS ABOUT THE RESEARCH
FACILITY'S FISCAL STRUGGLE IS UT SAN DIEGO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY REPORTER GARY ROBBINS.
GARY, THANKS FOR TALKING WITH US TODAY. SALK INSTITUTE IS A NON PROFIT RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1960 BY JONAS SALK, THE MAN WHOOP DEVELOPED THE POLIO VACCINE.
WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH ARE THEY DOING NOW? >> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: THEY DO BASIC.
>> >>GARY ROBBINS: THEY'RE TRYING TO FIG FIGURE OUT THINGS LIKE THE BASIC NATURE OF THE CELL,
WHAT LEADS TO DISEASE SH. BASIC PHYSIOLOGY, BASIC MEDICINE, BASICALLY
JUST LOOKING AT THE NATURE OF LIFE. >> >>PEGGY: WHAT'S' SALK FINANCIAL SITUATION
RIGHT NOW? >> >>GARY ROBBINS: I TALKED TO IRWIN JACOBS
WHO'S THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD. HE SAYS THEY'RE IN THE BLACK.
THEY HAVE A BUDGET OF ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR A YEAR.
THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT CUTS IN THE BUDGET THAT MAY BE COMING COULD REDUCE THEIR BUDGET
BY ABOUT $10ÊMILLION. >> >>PEGGY: THEY USED TO HAVE TWO THIRDS OF
THEIR FUNDING CAME FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, THE NIH, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY
THE CASE RIGHT NOW. HOW COME?
>> >>GARY ROBBINS: THE NIH HAS GROWN SOME, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE.
THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE APPLYING FOR GRANTS. THE LIFE SCIENCES HAS GROWN IN THE UNITED
STATES, AND YOU CAN SEE IT ACROSS THE STREET. UC SAN DIEGO WAS OPENED AT APPROXIMATE THE
SAME TIME AS THE SALK INSTITUTE. NOW UC SAN DIEGO RANKS IN THE TOP 10 IN FUNDING
IN THE US. THEY HAVE TO COMPETE WITH PLACES LIKE UCSD.
>> >>PEGGY: THERE'S A LOT HERE IN SAN DIEGO. WE HAVE A CLUSTER WELL RESPECTED AND WELL
KNOWN INSTITUTIONS THAT DO RESEARCH. DOES THAT COMPETITION REALLYÊ ARE THEY KIND
OF CYPHENING OFF OR IS IT DIVERSIFYING THAT FUNDING?
>> >>GARY ROBBINS: IT CREATES MORE PRESSURE ON THEM.
THEY'RE SIMPLY A LOT MORE PEOPLE SEEKING THE SAME KIND OF GRANTS THAT THEY WANT.
THEY DO BASIC RESEARCH. THEY DON'T DO A LOT OF APPLIED RESEARCH.
THEY DON'T TAKE THE BASIC RESEARCH AND TRY TO TURN IT INTO A TREAT M OR A DRUG.
OTHER PEOPLE DO THAT. SO THEIR FOCUS IS MORE LIMITED.
THAT CAN EXPOSE A LOT MORE PRESSURE. >> >>PEGGY: WELL, IT'S CERTAINLY APPLIEDÊ
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT APPLIED RESEARCH. THAT'S WHERE YOU DO RESEARCH FOR A SPECIFIC
DRUG OR A SPECIFIC TREATMENT, TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC.
BUT THEIR RESEARCH OVER AT SALK IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OTHER SCIENTISTS.
YOU CAN'T DEVELOP A DRUG IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE BASIC RESEARCH BEHIND IT.
TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THAT. I KNOW THEY WERE REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN GLEEVEC,
A CANCER DRUG. >> >>GARY ROBBINS: TONY HUNTER WHO HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 200 DRUGS N CLUING GLEEVEC.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT MOLECULES AND PROTEINS AND HOW THEY WORK.
OTHER SCIENTISTS WHO DO APPLIED RESEARCH OR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES TAKE THAT AND TRY
TO TURN IT INTO A DOUG OR A TREATMENT. THEY'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL IN DOING
THAT WITH CANCER TREATMENTS INCLUDING GLEEVEC THERE ARE OTHERS FRED GAUGE WHOSE WORK HAS
LEAD TO DIRECTLY TO TREATMENT. SO THEY'RE DOING THE BASIC.
>> >>PEGGY: THAT MUST PUT SOME PRESSURE ON THEM FINANCIALLY.
IT'S HARDER TO FUND THAT TYPE OF RESEARCH; CORRECT?
>> >>GARY ROBBINS: IT IS HARDER TO FUND THAT. IN THE PAST THEY LIVED OFF THE NIH WHICH HAS
BEEN FINE. BUT OVER TIME THE NIH BUDGET PLAT N FLAT NED
OUT, SO THAT CREATED PRESSURE. THEY REALIZED THEY HAD TO GO TO THE PUBLIC
SECTORING TO DONORS TO SAY HELP US MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE'RE DOING BASIC RESEARCH
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO FUND APPLIED RESEARCH. >> >>PEGGY: HOW MUCH HAVE THEY RAISED SO FAR?
>> >>GARY ROBBINS: 140ÊMILLION DOLLARS OF THE 300ÊMILLION THEY'RE GOING FOR.
THEY HAVE A QUIET PHASE WHERE THEY LINE UP A LOT OF GIFTS AND BILTD BUILD MOMENTUM.
NOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS GOING TO TAKE BETWEEN NOW AND 2015 TO TRY TO RAISE THE OTHER $160ÊMILLION.
THEY LIKELY CAN DO THAT. BUT I ASKED BILL BRODY, THE HEAD OF THE SALK,
DO YOU HAVE TO REINTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE COMMUNITY, THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH GROWTH THERE
WITH THE CALIFORNIA REGENERATIVE CENTER, WITH UCSD GLOW GROWING, IT CAN GET EASY GETTING
LOST IN THE CROWD IN LA MESA. >> >>PEGGY: WHOLE BUNCH OF CELL REGENERATIVE
RESEARCH GOING ON UP THERE. THEIR NEWS COVERAGE OR PRESS COVERAGE DOESN'T
GET AS MUCH BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING AT THAT CELLULAR LEVEL.
YOU DON'T GET THE HEAD LINE OF A NEW CANCER DRUG IS BEING TESTED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WHO'S BEHIND THEIR CAMPAIGN FUND RAISING? >> >>GARY ROBBINS: IRWIN JACOBS.
I HAD A LONG TIME WITH HIM. HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT INSTITUTION STAYS
IN THE BLACK. THERE WAS A SITUATION WHERE COLD SPRING HARBOR
IN NEW YORK EXPERIENCED FINANCIAL PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T GETTING ENOUGH PRIVATE
DONATIONS. JACOBS WANTS TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T GET TO
THAT POINT. SO THEY'RE SOLID NOW.
>> >>PEGGY: JACOBS ALSO SUPPORTS KPBS, I ALWAYS LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT.
GARY ROBBINS OF UT SAN DIEGO THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> >>GARY ROBBINS: YOU'RE WELCOME.