******** 专题文章 ******** 莫等到亿万在手才谈创业 admin 在生技产业谈创业，你会想到什麽？实验室里穿着白色实验衣，忙碌的在培养皿 与大小仪器间转来转去的研究人员？先进的实验设备，每一样都要你咋舌许久？还是 开发一种新药需要两亿美金的惊人资金需求以及因为这样而被打消的乍现灵光？ 去年，台湾工业银行创业大赛首次举办，吸引了上百支队伍报名参加，然而，相 较於网路、软体等组别呼朋引伴、相拥而至的盛况，作为八组之一的生化组却仅有六 队参与，而环保、精密机械等相关组别，也不见生技人的踪影。是生物技术先天上就 受到客观条件的限制？还是学生物的人都太含蓄？ 几个星期前，第二届工银创业大赛正式展开，出於对这项活动一贯的支持，我把 消息转到了电子布告栏生物版上，并且提出了上述的疑问，几天之後有了一篇回应， 作者认为：没有长期的博士後研究经历，没有上亿的资金，仅凭着创业竞赛主办单位 所发给的奖金，就想要成立生技公司，是不切实际的梦想。作者并强调生技产业与网 路、软体等产业有别，不能放在创业大赛里一概而论，少人参加是正常的。 这篇回应必然出自一个专业技术背景的人之手，因为他所提出的论点符合单纯典 型的技术观点。然而，我所要指出的一点是，即便要开发一个生技产品，需要上亿的 资金才能完成，而这笔钱可能无论如何也省不了，但是并不代表没有足够资源的眼前 ，你就不能着手去开发这个想法。就技术上来说，我们不能否认，少了研究经验紮实 的研究人员和充裕的资金，就算是只差了那麽一点点，你还是做不出东西来，人员、 技术、设备、资金，样样都要配合，最後才会有梦寐以求的结果。可是一个普遍而严 重的误解是：在这些条件都具备了，才开始做，才会成功。要求所有资源同时到位才 谈创新才谈创业的想法，是创意走向真实的最大障碍。 我们总是容易震慑於生技产业的高资金与高技术门槛，但是国卫院的许明珠主任 ，在一堂大学的课程中提到她在默克药厂开发抗癌新药的经验时却也指出，在进行新 药的筛选时，一直到临床实验之前的所有程序完成，其实并没花到什麽钱。这虽然是 一个我们都看得到的事实，但是却很少人能理解到这之中隐藏着策略应用的空间，这 些门槛并不是无所不在的，而是一个阶段一个阶段出现的，在你达到一个阶段性目标 之前，其实你并不需要那麽样充分的资源。相反的，如果一直抱持着一亿元握在手上 才开始的想法，很可能你永远都没有开始的机会，因为，大概永远都没有人会给你一 亿元。 是的，没有人会给你一亿元，但是，很可能有人愿意给你五百万元，换取你百分 之二十的未来，五百万元能够做什麽？五百万元足够让你累积实力去争取下一笔五千 万的资源。举例来说，日前与博微共同发表ＤＮＡ防伪技术的优势科技，其资本亦不 过此数，虽然严格说起来，这项技术很可能不是某些人所认同的生物技术，然而该公 司已经展现了实力，并且拥有利基，而向其下一个五千万元奔去。据了解，在新技术 发表後，原本其筹措资金困难的局势已经完全扭转，找上门来寻求投资机会者络绎不 绝。这个例子告诉我们，科技人应该试着以更务实的观点来看待产业的发展，而不是 只能解决存在於实验室里的问题。 创业不需要从一亿元开始，同时，生物科技也不尽然都要做治疗癌症，开发新药 的大玩意。仔细观察网路产业的兴衰起落，我们可以得到某些启发，在整个技术环境 成熟到可以大量产生应用性产品之前，生技产业的的筑路工与军火商将如同在网路产 业中一样，会在这一段时间内扮演着越来越重要的角色，特别是握有关键性平台技术 的筑路工。公元两千年MIT50K的首奖由EyeGen获得，EyeGen的得奖作品是新型的DNA 染料，可以由肉眼观察的到，不需要昂贵的侦测仪器，但是依然具有所需的高灵敏度 ，而且更安全、省时与省钱，该队估计这样的技术可以广泛的应用在价值约一百五十 亿美元的市场中。 各位做实验都不用DNA染料吗？没有人曾经想过可以对其做改良或是寻求替代品 吗？一定有，因为想过这个问题的人我至少认识一个。但是指导教授不会让你有机会 去解决这个问题，因为这跟你的论文没有必然关系，而沈闷的大环境也让这样看似疯 狂的主意在被审慎评估之前就早早夭折。如果我们仔细想想，必然会想到一些我们曾 经忽略的、曾经略过脑海的、思索过而至今耿耿於怀的点子，就隐藏在我们的椅子上 、书桌上、实验室的培养基里、一小瓶几万元的抗体里。DNA染料是个很伟大的新点 子吗？不是，但是只要能够做的更好、更方便、更有用，那麽就是一个了不起的创业 起点。 切莫，想着亿万在手之後，才来讨论生技产业创业这个主题，因为最有可能的两 种状况是，你永远拿不到亿万，或是你拿到手後已经年华老去。当优势科技由一个小 技术开启新事业，当MIT的学生找到了一个小地方做出大突破的时候，同样是读英文 书的你，有什麽道理说：sorry,I can't. ******** 他山之石 ******** 以下是2000年MIT50K竞赛中，晋级队伍的名单、联络资料及作品摘要，其中Amtek 及EyeGen获得决赛资格，EyeGen并是最後首奖的得主。资料摘录自MIT 50K的网页 网址http://50K.mit.edu/ Amtek Amy Smith, [email protected] Amtek designs and develops innovative laboratory and medical equipment that expands the capabilities of health workers in developing countries. We develop hardware to meet the unique demands of remote clinics and field laboratories in these countries. Our first product is a laboratory incubator that does not require electricity which is used for water quality and medical diagnostic. With our products, health care workers can perform laboratory tests that are currently impossible to conduct under existing conditions. EyeGen Zoran Zdraveski, [email protected] EyeGenRed is a dye that makes DNA visible to the naked eye. Because it doesn't require expensive equipment for detection and still offers high sensitivity measurements, EyeGenRed is a safer, cost-reducing and time-saving alternative to the currently used radioactive and fluorescent probes for diagnostic and biological imaging. Since DNA manipulation is at the core of most genomic, medical and biotech research, EyeGenRed has broad applications as an invaluable tool in an expanding $15 billion dollar annual market. Angstrom Medica Edward Ahn, [email protected] ?ngstrom Medic? (?M) develops and commercializes novel biomedical products based on nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the emerging field focused on engineering functional structures at the atomic and molecular levels. By operating on the length scales of biomolecules and cells, ?M enables applications for preventative medicine, in vitro and in vivo diagnostic testing, therapeutic treatment, and noninvasive methods to replace surgical procedures. ?ngstrom Medic? is at the forefront of the successful merging of nanotechnology and biotechnology into nanobiotechnology. Cell Programmers Thomas Knight, [email protected] As reported in the New York Times and Boston Globe, this MIT team will engineer DNA and sell the DNA to researchers, who will modify the DNA to create "smart medicine" the next frontier for pharmaceuticals. The ultimate smart medicine could, for instance, cause a cell to sense a glucose surplus in a diabetic patient and instruct the cell to produce the exact amount of insulin to correct the surplus. Similar smart medicine applications are also anticipated. helmholtz Alex Micu, [email protected] In the United States alone, 50,000 to 80,000 people suffer from sickle cell disease.It has been shown that individuals affected by the disease and who naturally have high levels of fetal hemoglobin show reduced complications and increased life span. Helmholtz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has been created to develop and bring to market a drug that will increase the levels of fetal hemoglobin in individuals affected by the disease. We are looking to raise $1 Million in private placements. iCuratio Jennifer Shin, [email protected] Of the 25 million patients seeking better quality healthcare, most are looking for two things: better access to healthcare providers, and access to trusted, reliable information. iCuratio is the answer. At iCuratio, patients can schedule appointments, request refills, and ask their physicians questions in a secure online environment. They can also search health information links ranked by the number of physicians who trust the content, and view a library of links approved by their own physician. iCuratio: Tomorrow's healthcare solutions today. MedBasket Huamao Lin, [email protected] MedBasket will be an online distributor of medical supplies. Ultimedica, Inc. Azhar Hashem, [email protected] With the human genome project, nearing conclusion, there will be a flood of information concerning an individual's genetic predisposition to ailment. This unique unparalleled information, quantifies risk, and may be applied towards preventative medical care. Lifestyle modification will become an important and more acceptable mode of risk-reduction, of which nutrition will constitute an essential component. Ultimedica will empower individuals to manage their health by integrating individual health-related data with already existing patient medical records held by the health care provider. Ultra Viral Technologies, Ltd. Deborah Kopald, [email protected] UVT's ultraviolet technology promises to improve the safety of blood derived products and biopharmaceuticals and drastically reduce the odds of viral contamination for millions of people who receive these products. UVT has developed a patent pending process demonstrated to kill up to 8 logs of virus in a single cycle without damaging blood product proteins. UVT has discovered the necessary wavelengths for optimal viral inactivation and can target specific viruses using computer modeling that predicts optimal absorption wavelength/ frequencies. ******** 联络资讯 ******** 对本报有任何意见或建议，请与[email protected]联络 -- ☆ [Origin:椰林风情] [From: ibms.ibms.sinica.edu.tw] [Login: **] [Post: 62]