Daily Business Report/Dec. 16, 2016
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Salk Scientists Able to Reverse Aging
In Mice Using Gene Reprogramming
Times of San Diego
Scientists at the Salk Institute in La Jolla announced Thursday they have been able reverse aging in laboratory mice and increase their lifespans by 30 percent.
“Our study shows that aging may not have to proceed in one single direction,” said Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in Salk’s Gene Expression Laboratory and senior author of the paper published in the journal Cell. “It has plasticity and, with careful modulation, aging might be reversed.”
The scientists used cellular reprogramming techniques to rejuvenate mice with premature aging disease, countering signs of aging, and also were able to make human skin cells in a dish to look and behave young again,
The early-stage work provides insight into both the cellular drivers of aging and possible therapeutic approaches for improving human health and longevity.
Cellular reprogramming is a process in which the expression of four genes known as the Yamanaka factors allows scientists to convert any cell into induced pluripotent stem cells, which are capable of dividing indefinitely and becoming any type of cell.
“What we and other stem-cell labs have observed is that when you induce cellular reprogramming, cells look younger,” said Alejandro Ocampo, a research associate and first author of the paper. “The next question was whether we could induce this rejuvenation process in a live animal.”
While cellular rejuvenation sounds desirable, a process that works for laboratory cells is not necessarily a good idea for an entire organism. For one thing, although rapid cell division is critical in growing embryos, in adults such growth is one of the hallmarks of cancer. For another, having large numbers of cells revert back to embryonic status in an adult could result in organ failure.
So the Salk scientists induced reprogramming but for only short durations in live mice with premature aging disease. Compared to untreated mice, the reprogrammed mice looked younger, their cardiovascular and other organ function improved, and they lived 30 percent longer, yet did not develop cancer.
“Obviously, mice are not humans and we know it will be much more complex to rejuvenate a person,” said Izpisua Belmonte. “But this study shows that aging is a very dynamic and plastic process, and therefore will be more amenable to therapeutic interventions than what we previously thought.”
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NASSCO to Christen ECO Tanker
Liberty at Saturday Ceremony
General Dynamics NASSCO will hold a special event Saturday to christen the Liberty, a 610-foot ECO Class tanker designed to achieve 33 percent increased fuel efficiency.
As part of tradition, Debora Denning will christen the ship with the traditional break of a champagne bottle on the side. She is the wife of Tom Denning, SEACOR Ocean Transport’s vice president for engineering.
The 10 a.m. ceremony also will include NASSCO President Fred Harris and Kevin Graney, vice president and general manager of the shipbuilder.
The ship’s advanced “ECO” design symbolizes the emerging direction of the U.S. shipping industry toward cleaner modes of transporting product.
Nearly 2,000 shipyard workers had a role in constructing the Liberty. When delivered, the tankers will be among the most fuel-efficient, cost-saving, and environmentally-friendly tankers in the world.
In 2016, NASSCO shipbuilders processed more than 60,000 tons of steel and delivered a record of six ships.
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Northrop Grumman Sponsoring
2016 Maritime RobotX Challenge
GovCon
Northrop Grumman is sponsoring the 2016 Maritime RobotX Challenge in Honolulu, Hawaii, as part of the company’s effort to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International’s charitable organization organized the competition that began Dec. 11 and runs through Sunday to inspire the next generation of robotic technology builders, developers and engineers in the U.S. and Pacific Rim nations, Northrop said.
“The event’s mission perfectly matches our long-held goal of supporting Japanese engineers who will push the boundaries of the robotics field,” said Jack Dorsett, chief executive of Northrop’s Japanese arm.
“We look forward to expanding these initiatives and further contributing to the development of Japan’s robotic technologies,” Dorsett added.
The 2016 Maritime RobotX Challenge convened 13 teams of university students from the U.S., Singapore, Republic of Korea, Japan and Australia to develop and test an autonomous surface vessel.
Participants go through several qualifying heats during the first five days and will compete in the final round on Sunday.
Northrop engineers will serve as mentors for students throughout the event to provide guidance on the design of autonomous robotic systems for maritime challenges.
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Chelsea Investment Corp. Building
Fourth Housing Project in Carlsbad
Chelsea Investment Corp. has broken ground on its fourth affordable housing project in Carlsbad — 64 garden apartments at Juniper at The Preserve. The apartments are under construction off of State Route 78.
Chelsea’s Juniper at the Preserve will fulfill the inclusionary housing requirement for The Preserve’s master-planned developer, Cornerstone Communities of San Diego. The 64 affordable walk-up apartments will be spread across a heavily landscaped site that includes multiple tot lots, barbecue and picnic area, bike racks, and a community room.
Designed by San Diego architect McKinley & Associates, the project features 12 one-bedroom, 32 two-bedroom and 20 three-bedroom apartments in five two- and three-story buildings. Carports will be fitted with solar panels to provide power for community amenities.
Rents at Juniper at The Preserve are 50 to 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), ranging from high $700s to low $1,300s. Leasing is expected to begin in October 2017. For more information, visit www.chelseainvestco.com
Other affordable housing neighborhoods completed by Chelsea in the last 30 days include the 52-unit Trolley Park Terrace in Southeast San Diego, and the 28-unit Torrey Vale apartment complex on the northern perimeter of the city of San Diego.
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Badiee Development Acquires Vista Land
to Build Keystone Victory Industrial Park
Badiee Development announced plans to develop Keystone Victory Industrial Park, a 77,850-square-foot industrial site in southwest Vista that will accommodate two buildings. The property was purchased by Badiee and is valued at $13.9 million, according to Colliers International.
The company plans to break ground on the project in the first quarter of 2017. The site is at the end of Keystone Way off Business Park Drive.
The company said Keystone Victory Industrial Park provides opportunities for tenants to occupy individual buildings or for multiple tenants to lease smaller suites ranging between 5,000-18,000 square feet each. The buildings will feature state-of-the-art design and amenities with 26-foot clear height, grade-level and dock-high loading, and common outdoor areas with contemporary landscaping and expansive views.
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Personnel Announcements
Laurel Thorp, Sarah Becker Given
New Roles at Kimpton’s Hotel Solamar
Kimpton’s Hotel Solamar announced it has promoted Laurel Thorp to senior sales manager and retained Sarah Becker as group sales manager. In their new roles, Thorp and Becker will be responsible for managing client relationships, supporting sales goals and driving new groups and meetings business to the 235-guestroom hotel.
Thorp will be responsible for fostering customer relationships and driving group and corporate business performance. Thorp joined Kimpton in 2011 as sales manager at Hotel La Jolla. Prior to her tenure with Kimpton, she held roles serving as event sales manager at Katsuya San Diego, sales and events manager at Stingaree, and as events assistant at McFarlane Promotions.
Becker will be responsible for securing new group and corporate business, maintaining client relationships and increasing customer loyalty. Becker comes to Kimpton Hotel Solamar from HEI Hotels & Resorts, where she served as sales manager for nearly three years. Prior to that, Becker held various roles at Huntington Hotel Group.
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Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek
Law Firm Adds 3 Associates
The San Diego-based law firm Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek announced that three associates — Hannah Brown, Jessica Doidge and Scott Perlin — have joined the firm.
Hannah Brown joins the firm’s litigation department. Prior to joining the firm, Brown served as a judicial extern for Judge M. Margaret McKeown in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and as a legal intern in the California Attorney General’s office. She received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and B.A. in communication studies from Chapman University.
Doidge will join the firm’s business department, handling estate planning and administration, probate, probate litigation and other general business matters. The California Western School of Law graduate served as a judicial intern with Judge Karen Crawford in the Southern District of California and as law clerk for a San Diego firm where she interviewed witnesses and researched legal employment, personal injury, criminal defense and civil rights related legal issues. She received her B.A. in psychology from UC Santa Barbara.
Perlin also joins the firm’s litigation department. He will represent clients primarily in areas of real property disputes, business law, construction law and general civil litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Perlin served as a judicial intern to both Judge Wilson for the Central District of California and Judge Lewis for the Southern District of California. Perlin received his J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
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Jaime Hernandez Elected President
Of Executives Association of San Diego
The Executives’ Association of San Diego has elected Jaime “Jim” Hernandez as the new president for the November 2016 to May 2017 term. Hernandez will be responsible for hosting concentrating members, managing the committee’s agenda and partnering with the executive director on all business-related matters. His primary focus for this term will be to better define the roles of committee members and increase participation rates of all members.
Hernandez has been a part of Execs for five years and has served on the board of directors for the past three years. In the last term, he was voted as first vice president under Wes Wilmers.
Hernandez is president of Strategic Business Communications Inc., a business consulting company that specializes in event planning, sales training and customer satisfaction research.
