By Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO — The Arkansas Biosciences Institute at ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-Jonesboro and Harding University in Searcy have formed a partnership.

The two universities have signed an agreement to partner in the development of pharmaceutical research opportunities.

Dr. Carole Cramer, executive director of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute at ASU, said ABI has several factors to contribute to the agreement, which will make pharmaceutical research better for both campus communities.

Arkansas State ABI develops bioactive molecules, Cramer said, and there’s lots of work at ABI focusing on anti-malarial, anti-Parkinson, and antioxidants, such as vitamin C, at the plant side of the facility.

“We’re creating the strengths to support it,” she said.

ABI also has the ability to conduct rodent research under National Institutions of Health compliance.

“It ensures all animal research is done with justification and approved protocol to minimize discomfort to animals,” Cramer said. “It’s heavily regulated.”

ABI’s third area of expertise is in neurobiology. Dr. Roger Buchannan’s center of interest is on neurophysiology, with special attention to addictive drugs and the brain, and Malathi Srivatsan’s areas of expertise include cell biology, microscopy, neuron-regeneration and neurotoxicity.

“There is a lot of interest in interfacing with them,” Cramer said.

Timeliness

The partnership between the two institutions is timely because Harding has a new College of Pharmacy and will be accepting students this fall, Dr. Beth Hood, director of research and technology transfer, said. The new director of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Bill Yates, is also professor and chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Yates said he believes it is an important partner with ASU ABI because of its animal care facility, Hood said.

ABI is registered with the Public Health Service, a federal agency that provides grant funding to institutions that submit assurance that animals will be treated ethically and humanely.

“We can create effective research opportunities for their faculty and students,” Hood said.

Another area where ABI has strengths is in analytical instrumentation, including high-end immunology machines able to monitor such things as hormonal response and to measure small amounts of molecules.

Cramer added there is much interest in pharmacokinetics.

For example, one microscope has the ability to fluorescently tag a small molecule, a drug, and watch it move inside a cell; it has the capability to see whether the drug has changed into something else.

It helps researchers gain valuable information about a drug before it is submitted to the Federal Drug Agency.

Cramer added she is hopeful Harding students can participate in summer research projects at ASU-Jonesboro so they can get hands-on experience in the ABI laboratories.

Some 60 students are expected to make up the inaugural class at Harding’s College of Pharmacy. Most of them have been interviewed and have accepted enrollment, beginning in August. More than 350 applications were submitted for consideration. Dr. Julie Hixson-Wallace is the dean of the College of Pharmacy at Harding.

Many of Arkansas’ young adults with a pre-pharmacy emphasis go to Memphis to work on pharmacy degrees.

Yet Cramer said the agreement between ASU and Harding may “keep some of the best and brightest students in Arkansas. In addition, the agreement will provide opportunities for joint grant proposal submissions.

The ABI opened on the ASU campus in 2004. The molecular biosciences graduate program is in operation and has about a dozen students enrolled and is expecting another half a dozen in the fall.

One hundred thirty people work in the secure facility daily, including 20 faculty researchers.

sherry@jonesborosun.com