Does Professor Rine have any potential conflicts of interest between his role as the main speaker in this program and his involvement with biotechnology companies?
No. Professor Rine and the other organizers of this program do not have any conflicts of interest with regard to this project. The genes we are testing are different from the genes Professor Rine studies in his lab, his lab will not be performing the genetic tests, and neither he nor the other organizers will personally profit from this program in any way. Professor Rine has been involved in multiple biotechnology companies since the early 80’s. It is common for UC faculty in multiple disciplines to be engaged in the interface between basic research on the campus and the development of applications of that research in the private sector. Indeed, the high tech sector of California’s economy has been driven in large part by innovation at multiple UC campuses and by our colleagues at private universities and national labs. The high-tech sector has provided career opportunities for many UC graduates and is an important part of our economy. Presently, Rine is involved in a company that is t
