The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics reported that it will fund seven research teams for nearly $6 million, which will include a focus on heart disease among others.

The group, a collaboration between the University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic and the State of Minnesota based in Rochester, Minn., said that the funding will support research on heart disease, mesothelioma, infection prevention and epilepsy. Other projects will focus on medical sensors and pesticides.

The goal of each project is to develop intellectual property or attract further financial support from federal or private sources, according to the partnership.

“These new awards reflect the partnership's continuing focus on major diseases affecting Minnesotans, and break new ground with innovative biotech ideas that can have a major impact on a range of health issues,” said Mark Paller, the partnership's program director at the University of Minnesota.

The group noted that the projects were selected by a panel of national experts, who considered the potential for commercialization of the research.