Rep. David Friess | File photo
Rep. David Friess | File photo
Rep. David Friess announced in a Mar. 7 Facebook post that three Illinois Universities would be part of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago project.
"The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been chosen to lead the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago – a new biomedical hub – along with the University of Chicago and Northwestern University," Friess wrote.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced the Chicago location of a second Biohub Network on Mar. 2. The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub is expected to develop new technologies for studying and measuring human biology. It will use embedded sensors and probes to collect biological signals from human tissues with the collaboration of the three universities.
Shana O. Kelley of Northwestern University will lead CZ Biohub Chicago and focus on an engineering approach to the study of human biology. The team of scientists will monitor molecular and cellular signals with an unparalleled resolution to reveal how disruptions in these processes lead to inflammation and disease.
The Chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explained that the goal is the advancement of human health.
“Our role in the CZ Biohub Chicago is further evidence that our university is working at the leading edge of advancing human health,” Chancellor Robert J. Jones said.
“When we unite our expertise with the collective strengths of our world-class research university partners, the horizon for innovation in health expands exponentially. The partnership between our three institutions is strong and growing, and that translates directly and rapidly into impact for the people of Illinois.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg are investing $250 million into this project. The State of Illinois will also contribute $25 million.
When announcing the investment, Zuckerburg explained that inflammation is a leading cause of death and it is crucial to study the diseased tissues.
“The Chicago biohub is going to build miniaturized sensors to understand how cells work together and interact within tissues,” Zuckerberg said.
“We’re then going to apply these technologies to measure and understand the inflammation in living human tissues because that plays a big part in our overall health. About 50% of all deaths can be attributed to inflammation-related diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and dementia, so making progress here is pretty critical.”
In addition, Chan who is co-founder and co-CEO of CZI alongside her husband Zuckerburg, added that the understanding will give researchers a better idea of how to resolve the disease.
“This institute will embark on science to embed miniaturized sensors into tissues that will allow us to understand how healthy and diseased tissues function in unprecedented detail,” Priscilla Chan, M.D. said.
“This might feel like science fiction today, but we think it’s realistic to achieve huge progress in the next 10 years."
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