The Biodesign Institute

Can a biofuel derived from microscopic bacteria run your car? Is it possible for waste to provide a clean energy source? What secrets can we learn from organisms living in the deepest parts of the ocean? Could they be instrumental in helping to clean up pollutants? The latest Eight production, ASU Spotlight: The Biodesign Institute, will answer these questions and more in the premiere episode showcasing Arizona State University’s groundbreaking research facility.

Opened in December 2004, the Biodesign Institute challenges the rigid structures of conventional science with an outcome-driven approach that engages hundreds of researchers from highly diverse fields of science. With a goal of tackling urgent, large-scale challenges affecting human health, the environment, and national security, Biodesign researchers form teams to address these problems in a comprehensive fashion.

Each segment of ASU Spotlight: The Biodesign Institute will explore two research topics with an in-depth background report followed by a panel discussion led by world-renowned scientist and policymaker George Poste, director of the Biodesign Institute. An Eight/KAET production, ASU Spotlight: The Biodesign Institute will air Sundays at 2 p.m. Oct. 14, 21 and 28 and Nov. 4, 2007 on Eight/KAET.

“The breadth of our research makes it difficult to share with the community the full picture of our efforts,” said Poste. “This series offers a superb opportunity to illustrate for viewers the full potential of our research to positively affect the lives of not just Arizonans, but people around the world.”