BreakThrough Prize...when big companies meet life science

Given the worldwide economic crisis, we have been looking in recent years at a consistent cuts on traditional sources of research funding (with the notable exception of China I think).

So we have to search for new ways to get the money we all need to accomplish good research. In recent times something new emerged, such as crowd-funded projects and big prizes funded by private corporations willing to contribute to human knowledge (with a consistent saving on tax by the way...).

In this perspective, I've found the new "Breakthrough" Prize really interesting. Founded by some of the biggest personality on the Internet and Genetic test markets, it will reward 3M US$ each year, to be divided between 11 top researchers, recognizing excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life. The winners are also recruited to be part of the selection committee for the next year prize.

This bunch of money is gently provided by the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to advancing breakthrough research, celebrating scientists and generating excitement about the pursuit of science as a career. 

Among its member there are: 

Art Levinson, chairman of the Board of Apple and chairman of Genentech;

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook (who don't know this one anyway?);

Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google;

Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe;

Yuri Milner, founder of Mail.Ru group, a leading European Internet company.

Giving the names providing the funds, the winners should fulfill the following criteria:

• At least one published paper must have the title starting with a big G and visual doodle abstract to explain the whole idea.
• Your results have to be available to the community...but for 0,79cent on Apple-store.
• Author facebook profile must have at least 500 friends and 1000 likes on fb.
• And don't forget, you have had produced a breakthrough research!

Winner of this first edition are:

-- Cornelia I. Bargmann
-- David Botstein
-- Lewis C. Cantley
-- Hans Clevers
-- Napoleone Ferrara
-- Titia de Lange
-- Eric S. Lander
-- Charles L. Sawyers
-- Bert Vogelstein
-- Robert A. Weinberg
-- Shinya Yamanaka

See more details on this article from The Wall Street Journal or on the official news from the Breakthrough Foundation.