Biotechnology

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  • Mutations in 2 Genes Linked to Rare Autism-Related Disorder (HealthDay)

    Yahoo! News: Biotechnology News
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:47 pm
    HealthDay - THURSDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Newly discovered mutations in two adjacent genes cause a rare genetic brain condition called Joubert syndrome, according to a new study.

  • Scripps research scientists create novel RNA repair technology

    Biology News Net - Biotechnology
    18 Jan 2012 | 5:04 pm
    Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a compound that can help repair a specific type of defect in RNA, a type of genetic material. The methods in the new study could accelerate the development of therapeutics to treat a variety of incurable diseases such as Huntington's disease, Spinocerebellar ataxia, and Kennedy disease.

  • Edison Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Series E $4.1M

    OnBioVC
    arubenstein
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:15 am
    Edison Pharmaceuticals (Mountain View, CA) a clinical-stage small molecule company focused on mitochondrial disease Friedreich’s ataxia, closed a $4.1M Series E financing. Participants were not identified. Thanx for your patience as we catch-up.

  • New information for flu fight: Researchers study RNA interference to determine host genes used by influenza for virus replication

    ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:27 pm
    Influenza virus can rapidly evolve from one form to another, complicating the effectiveness of vaccines and anti-viral drugs used to treat it. By first understanding the complex host cell pathways that the flu uses for replication, researchers are finding new strategies for therapies and vaccines, according to a new study.

  • Opinion: Turkey's OK of corn seen as new openness to biotech

    BIO SmartBrief
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:46 am
    The Turkish government's approval of the importation and sale of 13 biotech corn varieties for use in livestock feed could be -More- 
 
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    FierceBiotech

  • UPDATED: Pfizer nabs FDA nod for another targeted cancer drug

    Ryan McBride
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:43 am
    The FDA had stamped an approval on Pfizer's ($PFE) new kidney cancer drug axitinib, which the drug giant plans to market as Inlyta. And the approval marks another win on the targeted cancer drug front for Pfizer, which last year nabbed an FDA OK for its non-small cell lung cancer treatment Xalkori for a subset of patients whose tumors express ALK mutations. The approval for Inlyta, a selective VEGF inhibitor, comes after Pfizer showed in a 723-patient trial that the drug could provide 6.7 months of median progression-free survival, topping the 4.7 months among patients who took Onyx…

  • BREAKING: FDA (finally) stamps an approval on Amylin's Bydureon

    John Carroll
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:37 am
    After being rejected twice by regulatory officials, Amylin has finally won FDA approval to sell Bydureon, it's once weekly diabetes jab. The weekly diabetes injection is intended to replace standard twice-a-day injections, and the NHS has already issued its approval in the UK, with NICE officials stamping an OK on the price earlier this week. In the U.S. the focus will now shift from the regulatory decision to the market reaction as Amylin rolls out a drug that has earned a wide range of peak sales forecasts. Most analysts now expect the drug to earn a blockbuster billion a year, about half…

  • Biogen's lead dealmaker makes case against corporate VC

    John Carroll
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:02 am
    Biogen Idec's ($BIIB) lead dealmaker, Steve Holtzman, recently sat down with Xconomy's Luke Timmerman to outline just why the big biotech is exiting the corporate VC side of the business. And he did it by shooting holes in some popular concepts that helped drive the trend toward more corporate investing. First, there's the idea that corporate VC opens a window onto novel technologies. Not so, says Holtzman, the former CEO at Infinity. That's something you should look to your in-house scientists to provide, as they're supposed to be out there scouting the field all the time. Second, you get to…

  • Merger mania? Or did back-to-back buyouts stoke a media frenzy?

    John Carroll
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:55 am
    Trends usually take at least a few months to get started. In biotech's case, they can seem to brew up like a squall and pass just as fast. So more than a few analysts spent some time yesterday scratching their heads over the question of whether or not the Avila-Micromet buyouts portended an M&A blitz. Minyanville added in Roche's $5.7 billion hostile bid for gene sequencer Illumina and headlined it as a signal for the "merger mania" ahead. "M&A Frenzy?" responded a skeptical Michael Gilman, (@Michael_Gilman) the CEO of the venture-backed Stromedix, on Twitter. "C'mon, people. Sample…

  • Big Pharma chiefs balk at bidding against Roche for Illumina

    Ryan McBride
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:16 am
    Other major pharma chiefs don't see the same opportunity in acquiring Illumina ($ILMN) as does Roche CEO Severin Schwan, whose company's $5.7 billion hostile takeover bid for the maker of DNA sequencers has generated buzz about other potential suitors. Based on their recent remarks on the situation, count out Sanofi ($SNY) CEO Chris Viehbacher and Novartis ($NVS) CEO Joe Jimenez. "It's just not the risk profile we're looking for. It could pay off well or there's a big downside," Viehbacher said, as quoted by Reuters. "You need to be part of new technologies but I think partnership is the way…
 
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    Biotech Blog

  • Hellas Sports Construction Heads to NFL Experience Presented by GMC at…

    Science: Biotechnology
    28 Jan 2012 | 5:07 am
    Hellas provides the company's Matrix Turf system — the industry's most advanced synthetic turf product— for the NFL Experience Clinic Field at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis(PRWeb January 28, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb...

  • UAS Laboratories, Inc. Announces New Probiotic Product at Expo West

    Science: Biotechnology
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:11 pm
    UAS Laboratories announced a new probiotic product based upon the formula of their award-winning Probioplus DDS®. The product will be launched at the largest natural products exposition, Expo...(PRWeb January 27, 2012)Read the full story at htt...

  • UAS Laboratories, Inc. Announces New Probiotic Product at Expo West

    Science: Biotechnology
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:11 pm
    UAS Laboratories announced a new probiotic product based upon the formula of their award-winning Probioplus DDS®. The product will be launched at the largest natural products exposition, Expo...(PRWeb January 27, 2012)Read the full story at htt...

  • Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Strategies Announced By Sucanon

    Science: Biotechnology
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:31 pm
    Type 2 diabetes is a common disorder in the United States, with over 8 percent of the general population or more than 20 million people affected by it. Additionally, over 40 million people in the US...(PRWeb January 27, 2012)Read the full story at h...

  • Bayer CropScience’s TwinLink® Cotton Technology Receives Full…

    Science: Biotechnology
    27 Jan 2012 | 11:10 am
    Bayer CropScience is pleased to announce that it has received registration from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its TwinLink® technology for cotton in the USA. The EPA...(PRWeb January 27, 2012)Read the full story at http://www...
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    CropBiotech Update

  • Gates' Annual Letter: Make Choices to Help Poor People Become Self-Sufficient

    27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    "My annual letter this year is an argument for making the choice to keep on helping extremely poor people build self-sufficiency," said Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Company and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Sharing his thoughts for 2012, Gates notes that "We can be more innovative about delivering solutions that already exi...

  • Gene Therapy to Correct a Common Form of Blindness

    27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    University of Florida (UF) researchers have discovered a new technique called gene therapy to replace a malfunctioning gene in the eye with a normal copy that supplies a protein necessary for light-sensitive cells in the eye to function. The research study co-authored by William W. Hauswirth opined that, "Providing the gene that's missing is one of...

  • Australia: 76th Signatory of the Nagoya Protocol

    27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    Australia is now the latest signatory of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Generic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Australia joined as the 76th signatory last January 20, 2012. The Nagoya Protocol will be implemented 90 days after the submission ...

  • Wild Grass Tapped to Overcome Devastating Progress of Stem Rust

    27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    Ug99, a devastating stem rust disease of wheat has been encroaching large areas of fields from Uganda to Iran, and new strains have been detected recently. To develop resistant strains of wheat, scientists at Sainsbury Laboratory will be exploring a wild grass collection from coastal plains in Israel. The project funded by the Gatsby Charitable Fou...

  • Africa Needs Strategic Partnerships to Build Scientific Capacity for Agriculture

    27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 am
    A report Strategic Partnerships to Build African Scientific Capacity for Agriculture from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonprofit policy organization based in Washington, DC, identified four key approaches to benefit renewed appreciation for the role of science in U.S. assistance and in African political leadership. T...
 
 
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    Biology News Net - Biotechnology

  • Scripps research scientists create novel RNA repair technology

    18 Jan 2012 | 5:04 pm
    Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a compound that can help repair a specific type of defect in RNA, a type of genetic material. The methods in the new study could accelerate the development of therapeutics to treat a variety of incurable diseases such as Huntington's disease, Spinocerebellar ataxia, and Kennedy disease.

  • Fewer animal experiments thanks to nanosensors

    11 Jan 2012 | 3:28 am
    The yellow nanosensor signal in the overlay image (right) shows that the cells are active. If they were unhealthy, they would appear much redder. Center: the indicator dye signal. Left:... Countless mice, rats and rabbits die every year in the name of science – and the situation is getting worse. While German laboratories used some 2.41 million animals for scientific research in 2005, by 2009 this number had grown to 2.79 million. One third were destined for fundamental biology research, and the majority were used for researching diseases and developing medical compounds and devices. People…

  • Algae for your fuel tank

    11 Jan 2012 | 3:28 am
    The available amount of fossil fuels is limited and their combustion in vehicle motors increases atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The generation of fuels from biomass as an alternative is on the rise. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Johannes A. Lercher and his team at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen have now introduced a new catalytic process that allows the effective conversion of biopetroleum from microalgae into diesel fuels.

  • A 'fantastic voyage' through the body -- with precision control

    15 Dec 2011 | 5:25 pm
    Endoscopes — small cameras or optic fibres that are usually attached to flexible tubing designed to investigate the interior of the body — can be dangerously invasive. Procedures often require sedative medications and some recovery time. Now a researcher at Tel Aviv University is developing a "capsule endoscope" that can move through the digestive tract to detect problems independent of any attachments.

  • Petroleum-eating mushrooms

    30 Nov 2011 | 5:18 pm
    Mohamed Hijri's team evaluates the progress of work on a contaminated site in the Greater Montreal region, where they have planted cuttings that carry petrol‑eating mushrooms. Take a Petri dish containing crude petroleum and it will release a strong odor distinctive of the toxins that make up the fossil fuel. Sprinkle mushroom spores over the Petri dish and let it sit for two weeks in an incubator, and surprise, the petroleum and its smell will disappear. "The mushrooms consumed the petroleum!" says Mohamed Hijri, a professor of biological sciences and researcher at the University of…
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    BMC Biotechnology - Latest Articles

  • An improved method for isolation of RNA from bone

    Lauren Carter
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    Background: Bone physiology is increasingly appreciated as an important contributor to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes. However, progress in understanding the role of bone in determining metabolic health is hampered by the well-described difficulty of obtaining high quality RNA from bone for gene expression analysis using the currently available approaches. Results: We developed a simple approach to isolate bone RNA that combines pulverizing the bone and the phenol-guanidinium based RNA extraction in a single step while maintaining near-freezing temperatures. This single step…

  • Comparison and transfer testing of multiplex ligation detection methods for GM plants

    Gabriella Ujhelyi
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    Background: With the increasing number of GMOs on the global market the maintenance of European GMO regulations is becoming more complex. For the analysis of a single food or feed sample it is necessary to assess the sample for the presence of many GMO-targets simultaneously at a sensitive level. Several methods have been published regarding DNA-based multidetection. Multiplex ligation detection methods have been described that use the same basic approach: i) hybridisation and ligation of specific probes, ii) amplification of the ligated probes and iii) detection and identification of the…

  • Creation and validation of a ligation-independent cloning (LIC) retroviral vector for stable gene transduction in mammalian cells

    Asmita Patel
    15 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    Background: Cloning vectors capable of retroviral transduction have enabled stable gene overexpression in numerous mitotic cell lines. However, the relatively small number of feasible restriction enzyme sequences in their cloning sites can hinder successful generation of overexpression constructs if these sequences are also present in the target cDNA insert. Results: Utilizing ligation-independent cloning (LIC) technology, we have modified the highly efficient retroviral transduction vector, pBABE, to eliminate reliance on restriction enzymes for cloning. Instead, the modified plasmid, pBLIC,…

  • Construction and transformation of a Thermotoga-E. coli shuttle vector

    Dongmei Han
    5 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    Background: Thermotoga spp. are attractive candidates for producing biohydrogen, green chemicals, and thermostable enzymes. They may also serve as model systems for understanding life sustainability under hyperthermophilic conditions. A lack of genetic tools has hampered the investigation and application of these organisms. This study aims to develop a genetic transfer system for Thermotoga spp.. Results: Methods for preparing and handling Thermotoga solid cultures under aerobic conditions were optimized. A plating efficiency of ~50% was achieved when the bacterial cells were embedded in 0.3%…

  • Single/low-copy integration of transgenes in Caenorhabditis elegans using an ultraviolet trimethylpsoralen method

    Eriko Kage-Nakadai
    4 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm
    Background: Transgenic strains of Caenorhabditis elegans are typically generated by injecting DNA into the germline to form multi-copy extrachromosomal arrays. These transgenes are semi-stable and their expression is silenced in the germline. Mos1 transposon or microparticle bombardment methods have been developed to create single- or low-copy chromosomal integrated lines. Here we report an alternative method using ultraviolet trimethylpsoralen (UV/TMP) to generate single/low-copy gene integrations. Results: We successfully integrated low-copy transgenes from extrachromosomal arrays using…
 
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    Biotechnology Journal

  • Use of Flux Pre-Analysis to Enable 13-C Tracer Studies in Pyruvate Kinase-Deficient Escherichia coli

    Jonathan Meade
    19 Jan 2012 | 4:30 am
    AbstractPyruvate kinase-deficient Escherichia coli (PB25) is a low by-product producing yet fast growing strain that has been shown to have technological potential. Flux bounding through finding the extreme point flux sets was previously reported to identify highly variable fluxes and thus alternate metabolite trafficking scenarios. Previously, the extreme point flux sets were used to design tracer experiments, however, variation in extracellular measurements was not considered, and reaction reversibility was assumed to be low to moderate. In this study, we examined further the utility of…

  • Advanced fluorescence technologies help to resolve long-standing questions about microbial vitality

    Yann Roche
    18 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am
    AbstractAdvances in fundamental physical and optical principles applied to novel fluorescence methods are currently resulting in rapid progress in cell biology and physiology. Instrumentation devised in pioneering laboratories is becoming commercially available, and study findings are now becoming accessible. The first results have concerned mainly higher eukaryotic cells but many more developments can be expected, especially in microbiology. Until now, some important problems of cell physiology have been difficult to investigate due to interactions between probes and cells, excretion of…

  • Plant bioreactors – the taste of sweet success

    Eva Stoger
    18 Jan 2012 | 2:30 am
    AbstractSee accompanying article by Pham et al. DOI: 10.1002/biot.201100430

  • Use of High-Gradient Magnetic Fishing for Reducing Proteolysis During Fermentation

    Trine L. Maury
    18 Jan 2012 | 2:20 am
    AbstractProteolysis during fermentation may have a severe impact on the yield and quality of a secreted product. In the current study, we demonstrate the use of high gradient magnetic fishing (HGMF) as an efficient alternative to the more conventional methods of preventing proteolytic degradation. Bacitracin linked magnetic affinity adsorbents were employed directly in a fermenter during Bacillus licheniformis cultivation to remove trace amounts of unwanted proteases. The magnetic adsorbents constructed had excellent, highly specific binding characteristics in the fermentation broth (Kd =…

  • A thermally baffled device for highly stabilized convective PCR

    Hsiao Fen Grace Chang
    13 Jan 2012 | 3:50 am
    AbstractRayleigh-Bénard convective PCR is a simple and effective design for amplification of DNA. Convective PCR is however extremely sensitive to environmental temperature fluctuations, especially when using the test tubes of small diameters. Therefore this method is inherently unstable with limited applications. Here, we present a modified convective PCR device by adding thermal baffles. With the thermally baffled device the influence from the environmental temperature fluctuations was significantly reduced, even in a wind tunnel (1 meter/second). The described thermally baffled PCR…
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    biotechnology « WordPress.com Tag Feed

  • Scientists Refute Greenpeace Claims About GM Corn

    Steve Milloy
    9 Jan 2012 | 10:47 am
    “Despite the Greenpeace claim, the [western bean cutworm] is neither “new” nor has

  • FDA sued over lack of Nanotech oversight, labels

    Rady
    7 Jan 2012 | 7:56 am
    By Rady Ananda Activist Post The first ever lawsuit concerning risks of nanotechnology was filed in

  • A Biotech Page-Turner

    Glenn
    6 Jan 2012 | 12:04 pm
    If you’re floundering around looking for a topic for your masters thesis in literature, allow me to submit for your consideration corporate media for children on GMO’s, a fascinating and understudied emerging genre. I was first introduced to this genre by the CBI* 2000 classic, Closer Look at Biotechnology, in which two obese nerdy tweens get a heaping helping of neo-malthusianism as bugs crawl happily on the word “biotechnology,” showing that it is safe.  Along the way they learn to pronounce “by-o-tek-nawl-a-gee,” do fun word games, and learn that…

  • FDA sued over lack of Nanotech oversight, labels

    Rady
    6 Jan 2012 | 10:53 am
    By Rady Ananda Activist Post The first ever lawsuit concerning risks of nanotechnology was filed in

  • FDA sued over lack of Nanotech oversight, labels

    Rady
    5 Jan 2012 | 7:45 pm
    By Rady Ananda The first ever lawsuit concerning risks of nanotechnology was filed in federal court
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    Bio Job Blog

  • Abbott Slashes 700 Jobs From Its Medical Devices and Diagnostics Unit

    BioJobBlogger
    25 Jan 2012 | 2:35 pm
    Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories today announced that it would lay off 700 employees from its medical devices and diagnostics division as part of an ongoing restructuring effort.  Most of the layoffs will take place in the Chicago area and affect employees that manufacture the company’s cardiovascular stents and diagnostic tests. According to a company spokesperson approximately 500 persons who work in stent manufacturing and 200 who work in diagnostics will lose their jobs. The restructuring of Abbott’s manufacturing operations began several years ago and about this…

  • Some Good and Bad Investment News for Biotech Companies

    BioJobBlogger
    24 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm
    Let’s start with the good news first. A report issued by the National Capital Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers found that venture capital investment in biotechnology grew 22 percent in 2011. And, now the bad news; initial funding for biotechnology startups seeking investment hit a 16 year low last year. The consensus among financial analysts is that life science investors are increasingly focusing on later stage companies because they carry less clinical and regulatory risks as compared with early stage ones. Put simply, VCs, like everyone else, have become much…

  • Is There Any Wonder Why Big Pharma Has a PR Problem?

    BioJobBlogger
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:52 pm
    Disposing of unused prescription and over the counter drugs including antibiotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and birth control pills by dumping them down the toilet has contaminated the drinking water supply for 41 million Americans. Further, unused prescription drugs stockpiled in medicine cabinets can contribute to drug abuse or overdoses by children, teens and adults. Currently, there are no guidelines or regulations in place to deal with the safe disposal of unused consumer medicines and drugs. According to a post on today’s Pharmalot blog, a Washington State senator is…

  • More Biotech Downsizing

    BioJobBlogger
    20 Jan 2012 | 9:58 am
    Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, one of the many companies founded on the promise of RNAi technology today announced that it will reduce its current workforce by 33 percent to focus its financial resources on its leading RNAi treatment for hemophilia. Alnylam currently employs 173 persons which means that about 59 employees will lose their jobs as the company reorganizes itself. Alnylam CEO, John Maraganore, PhD hopes that the downsizing and reorganization of the company will result in a $20 million savings for fiscal year 2012. Despite the hype, RNAi is still not ready…

  • BioJobBlogger Revealed

    BioJobBlogger
    19 Jan 2012 | 4:23 pm
    Ome Ogbru, Pharm. D, CEO and Founder of Rxeconsult, a new networking site for healthcare consulting and jobs, asked me if I would be interested in being interviewed about the companies and websites that I started.  Of course I could not refuse.  So here goes:   RxEconsult: What is BioInsights and why did you develop BioInsights? BioJobBlogger:  BioInsights founded in 1998 was originally a bioscience training and education company.  The goal of the company was to help life scientists get the training that they need to get jobs at life sciences…
 
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    Colorado BioScience Association News Feed

  • Denver Business Journal: 'VC-backed startups now free to chase SBIR grant money'

    15 Jan 2012 | 10:10 am
    Quoting CBSA board members Mark Spiecker and Rick Duke in Greg Avery's article:"The change will be particularly helpful to many early-stage bioscience companies in Colorado, making them eligible for a program that’s awarded $16 billion in grants since 1997.'Everybody’s writing SBIR grants or counting on them in one way or another,' said Mark Spiecker, co-founder of Sharklet Technologies.The Aurora-based startup has survived on SBIR grants that pay for its research into a bacteria-fighting surface coating for medical uses, a technology inspired by the bacteria-fighting properties of shark…

  • GEN: 'Cities are trying to attract more talent and incentives to meet demands of the life science industry."

    5 Jan 2012 | 6:40 am
    Quoting from the January 3rd article by Alex Philippidis:"Denver anchors a growing Colorado biopharma effort that will see the state divert part of the corporate sales taxes collected from biotech and cleantech companies between 2013 and 2023 to help fund startups in those industries under a law enacted in May by Gov. John Hickenlooper (D). Bio startups also saw welcome news earlier this month when the Fitzsimmons Redevelopment Authority announced plans for an $8 million, 37,000 sq. ft. “accelerator” space within its Bioscience Park for companies past the incubator stage."Link to GEN

  • Coloradoan: 'CSU chemistry prof honored by CBSA'

    5 Jan 2012 | 6:23 am
    Quoting from the December 13th news brief:"The Colorado Bioscience Association recently recognized Melissa Reynolds, assistant chemistry professor, as Educator of the Year.This is Reynolds' second major award in the past year. In 2010, the Boettcher Foundation named Reynolds as one of only six inaugural Boettcher Investigators as part of the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Pro-gram, which helps recruit, retain and advance scientific talent in Colorado. She was the only one from Colorado State named that year."Link to the Coloradoan

  • 2011 Boettcher Investigators Introduced to Colorado Bioscience Community

    13 Dec 2011 | 7:59 am
    The 2011 class of Boettcher Investigators was introduced to Colorado's Bioscience Community at the Colorado BioScience Association's Annual Awards Dinner celebration, December 8, in Denver. Timothy Schulz, Boettcher Foundation Executive Director, made the presentation, along with Ted White, chair of the Boettcher Foundation Board of Trustees.The 2011 Boettcher Investigators include: Tingting, Yao, Ph.D., Colorado State University; Zhe Chen, Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder; Jing Wang, M.D., Ph.D., University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Robert Doebele, M.D., Ph.D., University of…

  • Reminder This Week: BioBeers Denver 4Q11 | Holiday Party Edition!

    13 Dec 2011 | 6:54 am
    Come celebrate the holiday season at Fitzsimons with friends old and new in BioBeers style! We'll be serving up the eggnog and celebrating so many important milestones met by our life science ecosystem in 2011 and looking ahead to what is certain to be an exciting 2012!Thursday, December 15, 2011, 6:00 PMBioscience Park Center Lobby - Fitzsimons12635 East Montview Blvd. , Aurora, COLink to RSVP
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    OnBioVC

  • PolyTherics, Ltd.: Series C $3.5M

    arubenstein
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:25 am
    PolyTherics (United Kingdom) a preclinical-stage biochemistry company focused on pegylation technologies, closed a $3.5M Series C financing. Participants include Beringea, Imperial Innovation and The Capital Fund. Thanx for your patience as we catch-up.

  • Pharnext, SAS: Series B $3.5M

    arubenstein
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:22 am
    Pharnext (France) a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on treatment for Charcot-Marie-Tooth and other neuromuscular diseases, closed a $3.5M Series B financing. Participants include Parinvest Capital, La Financiere Gaspard and Truffle Capital Thanx for your patience as we catch-up.

  • Breathe America, Inc.: Series B $22M

    arubenstein
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:18 am
    Breathe America (Nashville, TN) a commercial-stage clinical company focused on the treatment of chronic airway diseases, allergy, sinus and asthma, closed a $22M Series B financing. Participants include Essex Woodlands. Thanx for your patience as we catch-up.

  • Edison Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Series E $4.1M

    arubenstein
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:15 am
    Edison Pharmaceuticals (Mountain View, CA) a clinical-stage small molecule company focused on mitochondrial disease Friedreich’s ataxia, closed a $4.1M Series E financing. Participants were not identified. Thanx for your patience as we catch-up.

  • Zafgen, Inc.: Series C $33M

    arubenstein
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:12 am
    Zafgen (Cambridge, MA) a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of obesity, closed a $33M Series C financing. Participants include Atlas Venture and Third Rock Ventures. Thanx for your patience as we catch-up.
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    BioSpace.com Featured News and Stories

  • Pfizer Inc. Sued by Employees Over Retirement Plans

    27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    Employees of Pfizer Inc. have filed suit against the company, alleging the world's largest drug maker failed to properly manage its retirement plans and caused losses totaling hundreds of millions over the past decade in one of the hubs of the pharmaceutical industry. The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Puerto Rico, alleges Pfizer allowed employees to amass such high concentrations of company...

  • Rivals See No Need to Match Roche's Big Gene Bet

    27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    Roche Holding AG's rivals Sanofi SA and Novartis AG see no need to match the Swiss drug maker in buying a gene-decoding business like Illumina Inc and reckon they can do partnerships instead. The relaxed attitude in the face of Roche's $5.7 billion hostile bid for Illumina suggests the chance of a counterbid from big drug makers is slim, although diagnostics and IT companies may yet show interest...

  • Verastem, Inc. Bucks the Trend, Raises $55 Million in IPO

    27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Verastem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 5,500,000 shares of its common stock at $10.00 per share, before underwriting discounts and commissions. All of the shares in the offering are being sold...

  • Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Delivers Solid Fourth Quarter Capping a Year Highlighted by New Product Approvals, Continued Execution of Strategic Transactions and Good Operating Performance

    27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) today announced solid financial results for the fourth quarter of 2011. This concludes a year in which the Company received important new product approvals for YERVOY and NULOJIX in both the U.S. and Europe, and ELIQUIS in Europe for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events. Business development remained a top priority as...

  • Why Biogen Idec, Inc. (Massachusetts) Got Out of the Corporate VC Business

    27 Jan 2012 | 6:00 am
    Steve Holtzman got his first taste of corporate venture capital back in 1987, when he raised money from SR One, back when it was part of an old company known as Smith, Kline & French.
 
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    Free Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Magazines and Downloads from alltop.tradepub.com

  • LCGC Europe

    4 Jan 2012 | 6:20 pm
    LCGC Europe aims to be the leading supplier of troubleshooting information and application solutions on all aspects of sample preparation, chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, hyphenated systems, and associated data handling and quality issues.Request Free!

  • Bioscience Technology

    3 Jan 2012 | 12:20 pm
    Each issue of Bioscience Technology covers new technologies and applications in life science research. It's sent to scientists doing biology-based research in pharmaceutical, academic, biotech, government and commercial labs. Bioscience Technology is printed 12 times a year and is available in Print or Digital format.Request Free!

  • Lab Manager Magazine

    3 Jan 2012 | 12:20 pm
    Most lab managers, by education and experience, are thoroughly capable of handling the technical aspects of their jobs, but their managerial skills are often obtained haphazardly. Lab Manager Magazine® is written with those managers in mind and has the distinct editorial mission of providing practical information on business, strategy, leadership and staffing as well as the industry and technology news needed to effectively manage today's lab.Request Free!

  • Surgical Products

    3 Jan 2012 | 12:20 pm
    Each issue provides information about new products, technology solutions, and industry insights in the surgical/healthcare field. Surgical Products is published 9 times a year (monthly except bi-monthly in Jan/Feb, July/Aug and Nov/Dec) and is available in Print or Digital format.Request Free!

  • Medical Meetings

    3 Jan 2012 | 11:20 am
    As a Member of the Medical Meetings Community you'll get:The latest on CME and pharma industry regulationsThought-provoking perspectives from respected industry expertsTips on managing conventions and attrition; marketing an educational activity, achieving cost-savings, using the latest technology, holding international meetings, and moreRequest Free!
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    Life-Sciences

  • Abbott Slashes 700 Jobs From Its Medical Devices and Diagnostics Unit

    cmintz
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:00 pm
    Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories today announced that it would lay off 700 employees from its medical devices and diagnostics division as part of an ongoing restructuring effort. Most of the layoffs will take place in the Chicago area and affect employees that manufacture the company’s cardiovascular stents and diagnostic tests. According to a company spokesperson approximately 500 persons who work in stent manufacturing and 200 who work in diagnostics will lose their jobs. The restructuring of Abbott’s manufacturing operations began several years ago and about this time last year the…

  • Pistachio penis pump for erectile dysfunction?

    David Bradley
    13 Jan 2012 | 9:37 am
    Pistachio nuts apparently improve erectile function parameters and serum lipid profiles in patients with erectile dysfunction. So says a research paper in the imaginatively named International Journal of Impotence Research (a section of The Journal of Sexual Medicine from Nature Publishing Group, I believe). The twitter headline simply said “Pistachio nuts improve erections”, which was enough to bring tears to my eyes just thinking about the possible implementation of such a treatment. I assume, however, that you have to eat them. And, indeed, the abstract talks of patients being…

  • End of the year Alchemist

    David Bradley
    31 Dec 2011 | 9:34 am
    Last 2011 issue of The Alchemist. Watch out for more in 2012. Meanwhile: an alchemical trick if ever there was one is revealed this week by chemists in Israel who have made insoluble substances soluble while mathematics helps cut costs in tracing black gold. In the wild, The Alchemist also learns why some chilis are so hot and others less pungent and how cockroach sex pheromones might save the woodpecker. Out of this world, Hubble reveals Plutonian chemistry and explains the ruddy embarrassment of this former planet. In Germany, a major award for plastic electronics. The Alchemist –…

  • What are the main cancer risks?

    David Bradley
    17 Dec 2011 | 10:20 am
    NHS Choices recently summarised and analysed the findings of a UK study into cancer risk. It reports that for many people several factors are involved. Moreover, one’s personal risk also depends on genetics, family history and aging. According to the study in 2010, around 43% of UK cancer cases were blamed on lifestyle and environmental factors, equating to about 134,000 cancers. The research showed the following percentages for 34% of cancers in 2010 for which four key lifestyle factors were invoked: Tobacco: 19.4% Diet: 9.2% Being overweight or obese: 5.5% Alcohol: 4% Smoking was…

  • Ganetespib shows potent in vitro and in vivo activity against multiple breast cancer types

    uladdi
    16 Dec 2011 | 5:36 am
    Synta researchers have reported that, Ganetespib (structure)  shows potent in vitro and in vivo activity against multiple types of breast cancer including HER2-positive, ER/PR positive, triple-negative, and inflammatory breast cancer. More..
 
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    Genome Engineering

  • Children’s Hospital Boston launches genome competition

    Suzanne Elvidge
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pm
    Children's Hospital Boston has launched CLARITY (Children’s Leadership Award for the Reliable Interpretation and appropriate Transmission of Your genomic information), a $25,000 competition to raise standards for genomic analysis, and to improve the reporting of results to clinicians and patients.

  • Genes and criminality

    Suzanne Elvidge
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:56 am
    We’ve heard that there might be a link between genes and creativity and genes and psychopathy – might there also be a link between genes and criminality?

  • The PCR Song

    Suzanne Elvidge
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:20 pm
    Over lunch today, enjoy The PCR Song from Scientists for Better PCR, from Bio-Rad.

  • The link between creativity and mental illness

    Suzanne Elvidge
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pm
    Vincent van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, Linda Hamilton and Ludwig van Beethoven all had (or may have had) bipolar disorder. Eugene O'Neill suffered from depression, as did Brooke Shields after the birth of her baby. The link between creativity and mental illness has long been reported on an anecdotal basis, and a study reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry does seem to support this connection.

  • Biofuels from the sea

    Suzanne Elvidge
    22 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pm
    Biofuels have been controversial – they use land, water, fertiliser and other resources that could better be used in growing food. So what’s the solution – perhaps farmed seaweed and a genetically engineered bacterium?
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    Biotechnology Research News

  • Nearly $11M to fund new Joslin Diabetes Center research facility

    Mark Hollmer
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:45 am
    Diabetes research is getting a significant boost in Boston: The Harvard Medical School-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center will spend $10.8 million to establish a Translational Center for the Cure of Diabetes, The Boston Globe reports. A state grant supplies about half of the funding, and the rest comes from matching donor contributions. Joslin plans to use the second through fourth floors of its seven-floor hospital for the operation, which will include renovated lab space and a number of new features. A biobank will house tissues that can be studied to track how diabetes evolves. Another…

  • New target could be key to beating back methamphetamine addiction

    Mark Hollmer
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:29 am
    As bad as cocaine addiction can be for many, methamphetamine addiction can take hold even more quickly and ruin a patient's health in horrible ways. The heart, the aging process and even sperm production aren't immune to the drug's wrath. That's why successful treatment for methamphetamine addiction is increasingly important. And so the fact that scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto have identified a potential target for anti-craving medications is encouraging. Details are published in the latest issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Here are the basic facts:…

  • Scientists build human Alzheimer's neurons in lab

    Mark Hollmer
    26 Jan 2012 | 9:26 am
    For the first time, scientists have created functional human Alzheimer's disease neurons in the lab. Their key ingredient: Stem cells from the skin of patents who suffer from the terrible neurodegenerative disease. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine led by Lawrence Goldstein accomplished this, and details of their findings are published online in the journal Nature. FoxNews.com carries an interesting story on the study results. This finding is significant in the world of Alzheimer's research. It's a big deal, simply put. Alzheimer's is hard to diagnose,…

  • Fight colon cancer with veggies, plus 2 other discoveries

    Mark Hollmer
    23 Jan 2012 | 3:15 pm
    We've got three new global advances in the battle against colon cancer to tell you about this week. One group of researchers has figured out a possible connection between eating your fruits and vegetables and colon cancer prevention. Another discovered how inflammation plus DNA methylation helps the disease grow, and a third cadre of scientists identified one factor behind genetic resistance to colon cancer treatment. Here's the breakdown of the latest discoveries:- Korean researchers led by Jung Han Yoon Park found that luteolin blocks cell signaling pathways in colon cancer cells. Luteolin…

  • Genetic analysis yields hypertension clue

    Mark Hollmer
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:34 am
    Researchers are inching closer to figuring out why people are genetically prone to hypertension, a condition that affects a billion people around the globe. The discovery that may get us there: A previously unknown genetic mechanism that regulates blood pressure. Yale University scientists led by Richard Lifton working with peers from 10 different countries and 17 U.S. states came up with the finding. Details are published online in the journal Nature. Understanding the genetic causes of hypertension could be big. These discoveries take years to validate, but knowing all the genetic…
 
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    Biotech IT News

  • Covance's big IT budget gets thumbs down from analysts

    Ryan McBride
    26 Jan 2012 | 11:39 am
    Covance ($CVD) wants to reduce annual increases in its information technology budget, but the big CRO told investors Wednesday that it was going to have to make some major investments in the short term to save money in the long term. Yet the dour outlook on earnings for this year weighed on the company's stock price, which sank more than 8% during regular trading Thursday. This year, Covance plans to pump $90 million into revamping its IT, a 17% increase in spending on such technology according to its annual report. The CRO plans to boost that budget 18% in 2013 as the IT overhaul…

  • Gamers tackle enzyme makeover, beat scientists' efforts

    Ryan McBride
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:17 pm
    Online players of the video game Foldit have notched another first. With a bit of guidance, the players were able to redesign an enzyme and improve its potency, and it's the first time crowdsourcing has been used in this way, Scientific American reported. And the feat is further proof of how the wisdom of many amateurs can potentially trump that of several experts. Foldit players, who previously gained acclaim for solving a structural problem for an HIV-related enzyme that had stumped scientists for years, have taken their game to a new level with their latest accomplishment. Their efforts…

  • Emerging player in DNA analysis joins forces with U. of Missouri

    Ryan McBride
    24 Jan 2012 | 10:30 am
    Appistry, a recent entrant in the game for providing analytics for genomics data, has picked up a partnership with the University of Missouri. The university is tapping Appistry's system called Ayrris/BIO for analyzing data from DNA sequencing machines as its researchers hunt for meaning in the data in a variety of fields, the company said today. The genomics field has attracted a bevy of new players from the software world. Appistry, for example, emerged on the genomics scene after launching a life sciences group in September, having previously worked on complex data analysis for customers…

  • Oracle injects genomics capability into analytics platform

    Ryan McBride
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:36 am
    Oracle ($ORCL) wants to help drug researchers tap and analyze genomic data that are vital to the development of personalized therapies, which have already become key weapons in the war on cancer. The software giant plans to announce today how the company plans to do this with a new "omics" databank that becomes the newest addition to a health data aggregation and analytics platform unveiled in September. The databank bridges a gap in the original release of the platform, dubbed Oracle Health Sciences Translational Research Center, which initially focused on enabling analysis of electronic…

  • Oracle, Parexel among leaders in CTMS market poised to hit $1.3B

    Ryan McBride
    23 Jan 2012 | 8:06 am
    Drug developers have been aiming to maximize efficiency in notoriously expensive clinical trials, and they have increased investments in clinical trial management system (CTMS) software to streamline clinical operations. Now the market for the software, which has been a hot commodity in recent tech buyouts, is expected to jump from $567.2 million in 2010 to $1.3 billion by 2016, market research firm MarketsandMarkets reports in a new study. Those numbers are unlikely to shock the top players in the CTMS game, which include Oracle ($ORCL), Parexel International's ($PRXL) Perceptive…
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    Eye Tracking Update

  • Eye tracking has a presence at CES 2012

    mfox
    11 Jan 2012 | 1:59 pm
    Online media is flooding with announcements about all the cool, high tech gadgets being revealed at CES this year in Las Vegas. Among the technologies making the news are several new eye tracking innovations making their debut this week. Here are four eye tracking products that are getting buzz at CES: Tobii on Windows 8 [...]Check Out The Free Eye Tracking Industry ReportNo related posts.

  • Eye tracking study may reduce teen crash rates

    mfox
    4 Jan 2012 | 12:32 pm
    An upcoming study at Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute will use eye tracking to research the efficacy of virtual reality training to improve young drivers’ ability to perceive road hazards. The statistics about teen drivers are alarming, but most accidents involving teen drivers don’t happen for the reasons you might think. A 2011 study [...]Check Out The Free Eye Tracking Industry ReportRelated articles:Eye Tracking: Evaluating Teen Driver DistractionsDriving Blind? Eye Tracking Study Shows Cell Phones Cause Inattention BlindnessEye Tracking Study Finds Cell…

  • Eye tracking biometrics for medical diagnosis

    mfox
    22 Dec 2011 | 4:21 pm
    The intimate connection between the eyes and the brain make eye tracking a clear fit in the field of neuroscience. In fact, the eyes have distinct movement patterns that can be altered by neurodamage and neurological disorders, which can be captured and identified by certain eye tracking systems. Recent advances in eye tracking technology by [...]Check Out The Free Eye Tracking Industry ReportNo related posts.

  • Iris scanners to speed up airport security

    mfox
    20 Dec 2011 | 3:05 pm
    As the holidays approach, many of you will be traveling to visit family or to go somewhere warm. Unless you are traveling by car, this means having to endure the dreaded airport security lines. The good news is, biometric security technologies are in development which will help speed up security procedures; the bad news is [...]Check Out The Free Eye Tracking Industry ReportRelated articles:Iris Recognition: Biometric Security in MexicoBiometric Devices: Ear Scanning, An Alternative in Airport SecurityIris Recognition: There’s No Escape with New Security Cameras

  • Eye Tracking Cost: a Tradeoff for Quality?

    mfox
    1 Dec 2011 | 6:00 pm
    One of the greatest factors inhibiting the widespread use of eye tracking is cost. It’s an issue that comes up in our articles frequently, and is apparently a popular topic among our readers. In fact, the top 3 most read posts last month were: The Price of Eye Tracking, How to Make An Eye Tracker [...]Check Out The Free Eye Tracking Industry ReportNo related posts.
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    Reportergene

  • Where are your cells from?

    96well
    23 Jan 2012 | 10:38 am
    During the Christmas pause, I had occasion to spoke with one of my elderly aunts that I probably see once or twice a year. She had always admired my path to pursue biomedical research, but often she had shown to be uncomfortable with the notion that biomedical research implies some lab animal research. So, while eating some killed turkey despite we were not in the need for calories, she argued that now, as the TV says, the experiments can be done without killing, well, poor mice, but, I mean, directly on the cells. I was sipping some Chianti, so I just nodded up and down while she, well...

  • My Xmas gift, the organic iPad made with bugs

    96well
    20 Dec 2011 | 11:04 am
    After the December 2009 'Bacteria towing Santa's wagon', this is the ultimate example of life-imitating art. Millions of E. coli bacteria glowing together. Biologists and bioengineers at UC San Diego constructed this remarkable living display by engineering the biological clocks of bacterial cells to fluoresce together like blinking light bulbs. And they synchronized thousands of these blinking bacteria colonies so that millions of them would glow ON and OFF in unison.  The neon bulbs that make up this glowing displays are chambers within tiny microfluidic chips each one containing some…

  • trends in synthetic biology 2011

    96well
    15 Nov 2011 | 5:59 am
    The 2010 has been the year of Venter's synthetic genome. What about 2011, new developments at the horizon? Synthetic physiology. One goal of synthetic physiology would be to integrate a new genetic function into mammalian cells, i.e., a circuit that can detect a diseased state and then trigger a therapeutic appropriate response. Two studies are pursuing this goal. The group of Martin Fussenegger (Basel, Switzerland) reported their success in developing a light-driven mechanism to control transcription. The 'photoactivation' switch uses melanopsin, a retinal protein that release a…

  • packaging madness

    96well
    27 Oct 2011 | 1:54 pm
    I should say thanks to Nick for having posted yesterday some pictures of Sigma-Aldrich packaging madness. Packaging has a cost and an effect on environment, however, as Nick correctly points, some chemicals shipped by Sigma are dangerous and this might justify some excessive packaging. This morning I received some chemically-inert stainless steel beads that I'm using to extract RNA with the Tissuelyser, my preferred method. My bench-mate Shawon received some too. Despite we are from the same lab, from the same address, and from the same center of cost, Qiagen sent us two different parcels,…

  • ELN - Electronic Lab Notebooks

    96well
    11 Oct 2011 | 1:49 pm
    The opportunity to switch to electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) had been discussed for 2 or perhaps 3 decades without any concrete change. However, the recent boom for tablets, ipads and the new amazon fire costing less than one pipette, is pushing toward a ELN resurrence. We will have ELNs in the lab soon? In the last months, I gave my advisory counseling to some companies considering to enter this market, here I summarize my thoughts about ELNs. Free! Electronic Lab Notebook: Paperfree from day one, download free tutorial. For my experience, speaking with senior PIs, the most…
 
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