Biotechnology

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    ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News

  • Bacteria Expect The Unexpected

    6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm
    Organisms ensure the survival of their species by genetically adapting to the environment. If environmental conditions change too rapidly, the extinction of a species may be the consequence. A strategy to successfully cope with such a challenge is the generation of variable offspring that can survive in different environments. For the first time scientists have now observed the evolution of such a strategy under lab conditions in an experiment with the bacterial species Pseudomonas fluorescens.

  • Genomes Of Biofuel Yeasts Reveal Clues That Could Boost Fuel Ethanol Production Worldwide

    6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm
    As global temperatures and energy costs continue to soar, renewable sources of energy will be key to a sustainable future. An attractive replacement for gasoline is biofuel, and in two new studies, scientists have analyzed the genome structures of bioethanol-producing microorganisms, uncovering genetic clues that will be critical in developing new technologies needed to implement production on a global scale.

  • Map Of Human Bacterial Diversity Shows Wide Interpersonal Differences

    6 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am
    Scientists have developed the first atlas of bacterial diversity across the human body, charting wide variations in microbe populations that live in different regions of the human body and which aid us in physiological functions that contribute to our health.

  • New Technique For Specifying Location Of Sugars On Proteins Paves Way For Medical Discoveries

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    Researchers have previously been able to analyse which sugar structures are to be found on certain proteins, but not exactly where on the protein they are positioned.

  • Scientists Reveal A New Mechanism That Increases Atherosclerosis In Mice

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    A shot of espresso may rev you up in the morning, but the downside is that it may also ramp up levels of bad cholesterol due to its effects on a unique liver protein called PXR. New research now shows that when chronically activated, the protein rejiggers how cholesterol is broken down in and cleared from the liver, a disturbance that can lead to high levels of the waxy substance or worse, full-blown atherosclerosis.
 
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    FierceBiotech

  • Graceway buys Gilead drug rights

    Maureen Martino
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:40 am
    Tennessee-based Graceway Pharmaceuticals, a portfolio company of GTCR Golder Rauner, has acquired worldwide rights to a Gilead Sciences molecule. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Graceway gains the topical drug GS 9191, which Gilead studied for external genital warts in a recent Phase II study. Graceway is hoping that GS 9191 will be effective in other skin conditions characterized by excessive cellular proliferation. "The transaction with Gilead today is similar to our previous transaction with Pfizer in that we have licensed important compounds,…

  • Light Sciences lines up $35M in credit, financing

    Maureen Martino
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    Bellevue, WA-based Light Sciences Oncology has garnered itself a $23.3 million line of credit, in addition to another $11.8 million in warrants. This comes after the company raised $40 million in venture capital in June 2008. LSO is developing a medical device/drug combination that could treat malignant tumors without killing healthy surrounding tissue. The procedure involves inserting a light-emitting diode into tumors along with talaporfin sodium, an inactive chemical. When the light is turned on, it activates the chemical and destroys the cancer cells. The company began a late-stage…

  • Micromet takes back MedImmune's blinatumomab rights

    Liz Jones
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:28 am
    Bethesda, MD-based Micromet has agreed to buy out MedImmune's North American rights to blinatumomab, a potential treatment for lymphoma and leukemia. As a result of the buyout, Micromet now controls global rights to develop and commercialize blinatumomab and any other BiTE antibodies for hematological cancers. The companies inked the blinatumomab agreement in 2003 and planned to create up to six novel drug candidates using Micromet's proprietary BiTE product platform. "The advancement of blinatumomab in the clinic is the top priority for Micromet," company CEO Christian Itin says in…

  • Gloucester gains FDA approval of CTCL drug

    Maureen Martino
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:25 am
    Gloucester Pharmaceuticals said yesterday that the FDA has approved its lead drug Istodax (romidepsin) for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a rare skin malignancy. In a trial of 167 patients, 40 percent of participants on the drug experienced tumor size reduction. Gloucester says the drug will be commercially available in January 2010. This marks Gloucester's first drug approval. The company's investors were confident Gloucester's drug would gain approval; recently the developer raised $29 million in a fourth round of venture capital. Novo A/S led, Apple Tree Partners,…

  • Sequencing cost slides to $4,400 at Complete Genomics

    John Carroll
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:11 am
    Complete Genomics reported yesterday that it has successfully chipped away at the cost of sequencing a genome. Six years ago the cost was $300 million, a million smackers in 2007 and $60,000 last year. Now the company says its researchers completed the task at a cost of about $4,400 for the reagents needed to sequence three genomes. Complete Genomics boasted last year that it had targeted a $5,000 price tag on sequencing, bringing the price down to the point where drug researchers could affordably include a genomics initiative to better understand disease triggers and the patient…
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    About.com Biotech / Biomedical

  • Geron Corporation's Stem Cell Trial

    2 Nov 2009 | 12:29 pm
    Geron Corporation is a company based in Menlo Park, CA and the first biotech company in the USA to be granted permission for a clinical trial of regenerative medicine using embryonic stem cells, in humans. While permission was granted in January 2009, the trials were put on hold until last Friday (October 30, 2009) when the latest round of preclinical trials using animals revealed some side effects that warranted further investigation. According to the Geron News Release, test animals receiving the treatment, GRNOPC1, developed a higher number of cysts at the area of spinal cord injury than…

  • Is a Bio-Based Economy a Fantasy?

    27 Oct 2009 | 3:57 pm
    Among those who work in biotechnology, there are three main areas of study: Biomedical, industrial, and environmental biotechnology. In just 15 years since PCR and gene cloning became a part of mainstream biotech research, industrial applications for the products of enzyme technology and GMOs have become competitive alternatives to traditional manufacturing processes, but still, few people are aware of how many everyday enzyme products have made it into their homes. Biofuels still seem to have a long way to go before widespread use and acceptance validate the claims of their proponents. While…

  • Synthetic Biology and Artificial Systems

    26 Oct 2009 | 1:20 pm
    Synthetic biology has been defined as the creation of artificial life forms, but, in reality, is more often exemplified in the creation of synthetic (man-made) building blocks of lifeforms, such as ribosomes, tissues and proteins and their ligands, that can be added together to create, or enhance, a biological system (as are studied in systems biology). At University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Bertozzi and her research group study cell surface interactions and use synthetic biology to manipulate cellular processes. In doing so, they have been able to adjust the intercellular environment,…

  • Using Systems Biology to Study Influenza

    21 Oct 2009 | 11:36 pm
    Systems biology is the study of how individual molecular components in a cell interact with each other to create active biological systems. This "grand scale" study of things generates information on the relationships between the structure and function of macromolecules (such as proteins), reaction dynamics (specific activity), and mechanisms for controlling reaction rates. These days, much of the information is built into models so that when new proteins with similar sequences are encountered, their systemic roles can be predicted. The information obtained about the immune system, or viral…

  • Canada Approves H1N1 Vaccine

    21 Oct 2009 | 1:46 pm
    Canadians can begin getting their H1N1 flu vaccines next week, now that the Health Minister has announced the vaccine is approved. There haven't been a lot of clinical trial participants in Canada, but the approval is based on European data. China began widespread vaccinations in late September, and the United States and Australia also already have programs in place. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on October 12 (2009) that about 100 low and middle-income countries will recieve donated vaccine starting sometime in November. The donations will be made by vaccine producers such as…
 
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    Biotech Blog

  • Is the practice of medicine impeding medical innovation?

    BiotechBlog
    4 Nov 2009 | 8:17 am
    Copyright © BiotechBlog.com, a product of thinkBiotech.com At a recent event on the comparative advantages of small molecule vs. biologic drugs, several themes emerged which led me to re-examine the question of whether the practice of medicine is capable of keeping pace with medical innovation. As mentioned in a previous post, the majority of patients receiving the personalized medicine drug Herceptin had not been previously administered Herceptin’s diagnostic test. This is extremely important, as the diagnostic test can identify those patients most likely to benefit from the drug…

  • Drug Patent Expirations in November 2009

    BiotechBlog
    2 Nov 2009 | 5:40 am
    Copyright © BiotechBlog.com, a product of thinkBiotech.com Drug Patent Expirations for November 2009 Tradename Applicant Generic Name Patent Number Patent Expiration ACULAR LS Allergan ketorolac tromethamine 5,110,493*PED Nov 5, 2009 ACULAR Allergan ketorolac tromethamine 5,110,493*PED Nov 5, 2009 PREVPAC Takeda Pharms Na amoxicillin; clarithromycin; lansoprazole 4,628,098*PED Nov 10, 2009 PREVACID IV Takeda Pharms Na lansoprazole 4,628,098*PED Nov 10, 2009 ACEON Solvay Pharms perindopril erbumine 5,162,362 Nov 10, 2009 PREVACID Takeda Pharms Na lansoprazole 4,628,098*PED Nov 10, 2009…

  • Biologic data exclusivity: The arguments for and against it

    BiotechBlog
    26 Oct 2009 | 12:05 pm
    Copyright © BiotechBlog.com, a product of thinkBiotech.com With the issue of data exclusivity for novel biologics re-emerging in the news, I’d like to present two arguments that will be published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology: Why data exclusivity is the new patent protection Peter J Pitts, Center for medicine in the public interest Follow-on biologic drug competition – No need for new marketing exclusivities Michael S Wroblewski(a) and Elizabeth A Jex(b) a) Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission b) FTC Office of Policy Planning…

  • Kyoto Prize Journalism Fellowship

    BiotechBlog
    20 Oct 2009 | 1:11 pm
    Copyright © BiotechBlog.com, a product of thinkBiotech.com I am honored to have been selected for the 2009 Kyoto Prize Journalism Fellowship, offered by Point Loma Nazarene University. This fellowship will allow me to attend the Kyoto Prize Ceremony, laureate lectures and workshops, and associated functions. The Kyoto Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious awards given to those who have made outstanding lifetime achievements in technology, science, or the arts. This year’s laureates are: Dr. Isamu Akasaki, Blue LED pioneer Drs. Peter and Rosemary Grant, Evolutionary…

  • Drug Patent Expirations in October 2009

    BiotechBlog
    2 Oct 2009 | 10:49 am
    Copyright © BiotechBlog.com, a product of thinkBiotech.com Courtesy of DrugPatentWatch.com: Drug Patent Expirations in October 2009 Tradename Applicant Generic Name Patent Number Patent Expiration BREATHTEK UBT FOR H-PYLORI Otsuka America urea, c-13 4,830,010 Oct 27, 2009 CEDAX Sciele Pharma Inc ceftibuten dihydrate 4,634,697 Oct 1, 2009 COLGATE TOTAL Colgate Palmolive sodium fluoride; triclosan 5,156,835 Oct 20, 2009 COVERA-HS Gd Searle Llc verapamil hydrochloride 5,785,994 Oct 22, 2009 DOXIL Ortho Biotech doxorubicin hydrochloride 5,013,556 Oct 20, 2009 DOXIL Ortho Biotech doxorubicin…
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    Terry Etherton Blog on Biotechnology

  • The Food System and Feeding the World

    tetherton
    12 Oct 2009 | 1:01 pm
    Terry D. Etherton Much has been written about the “Food System” and how we should go about feeding the world.  To put “much” into context, I ran a Google search using the phrases “food systems” or food system; got 906,000 returns for the former and 759,000 returns for the latter phrase. Why the keen interest in the food system?  One reason is that many scientists (including me) believe we need to apply science to make new discoveries in the food system that will help meet the food needs of the growing World population.  Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel…

  • Disease Outbreak and Consumption of Raw Milk in Wisconsin

    tetherton
    21 Sep 2009 | 6:21 am
    A ProMed-mail post (September 16, 2009) DNA test results and other evidence have now established that an outbreak of illness involving at least 35 people, the majority children and teens, was linked to drinking unpasteurized milk. Wisconsin food safety officials are cautioning consumers not to drink raw milk and farmers not to sell it to the public. “Laws requiring pasteurization of milk have been on the books for more than half a century, and there are good public health reasons for that,” said Steve Ingham, head of the Food Safety Division in the Department of Agriculture, Trade…

  • The Community Value of a Dairy Farm

    tetherton
    8 Sep 2009 | 11:59 am
    N. Alan Bair Director of Dairy Industry Relations Penn State University I recently had the opportunity to make a short presentation to a mixed audience of local farmers and their neighbors in Perry County on the value of a dairy farm to a community. The organizers requested this topic primarily for the non-farm neighbors thinking it would give them a better appreciation of what a farm brings to the community and potentially “soften” some existing and future farm-urban conflicts. Based on the comments after my brief talk it became apparent that the farmers in the audience appreciated the…

  • DHS Firm on Kansas Site for Bio-Defense Research Lab

    tetherton
    8 Sep 2009 | 11:24 am
    Sep 1, 2009 By: James M. Lewis DVM NEWSMAGAZINE WASHINGTON — Despite a critical report from another agency and a fair amount of political pressure, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains committed to the Manhattan, Kan., site it chose for building a new national bio-defense research laboratory and says it won’t re-open the site-selection process. As part of the 2010 government appropriations bill, Congress asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a separate study on DHS’s recommendation to move the Level-3 laboratory at Plum Island, N.Y., to Kansas.

  • On the Road – The Dairy & Animal Science Road Tour

    tetherton
    3 Sep 2009 | 6:52 am
    Terry D. Etherton August 27 was a day of education, exploration and enlightenment for the 55 students and staff who participated in the annual New Student Industry Tour, hosted by Penn State’s Department of Dairy and Animal Science and Department of Poultry Science. Now in its 11th year, the tour offers incoming freshman and other students new to the campus, a unique educational opportunity to view the diversity of Pennsylvania agriculture, from the traditional to the exotic.  It has been a big “hit” since we launched the tour. We started our annual tour to demonstrate the…
 
 
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    BIOTECH - Google News

  • Bioton has new CEO, main investor eyes biotech - Reuters

    7 Nov 2009 | 1:30 am
    Bioton has new CEO, main investor eyes biotechReuters"The future lies in developing biotechnology," Krauze was quoted on Saturday by daily Parkiet as saying. "The cash obtained this way we could invest in and more »

  • Local biotech firm wins OK on cancer drug - Boston Globe

    6 Nov 2009 | 7:32 pm
    Earthtimes (press release)Local biotech firm wins OK on cancer drugBoston GlobeGloucester Pharmaceuticals, a six-year-old Cambridge biotechnology start-up, has won approval from the Food and Drug Administration to Gloucester Pharma Wins FDA Approval of Drug for Rare Skin CancerXconomyall 24 news articles »

  • ZymoGenetics injunction lifted - Seattle Times

    6 Nov 2009 | 4:03 pm
    ZymoGenetics injunction liftedSeattle Times ZymoGenetics from making certain claims in its marketing of the blood-clotting agent Recothrom, the Seattle-based biotechnology company said Friday. ZymoGenetics shrinks 3Q loss as revenue risesForbesZymoGenetics narrows loss, revenue up Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle)Bizjournals.comUp-Trend Outlook: ZGEN, AIRM, TSPTSmall Cap NetworkReuters -StreetInsider.com (subscription) -MSN Moneyall 18 news articles »

  • Threshold Pharmaceuticals 3Q loss widens on costs - The Associated Press

    6 Nov 2009 | 7:51 am
    Threshold Pharmaceuticals 3Q loss widens on costsThe Associated PressThreshold Pharmaceuticals Inc., a development-stage biotechnology company, said late Thursday its third-quarter loss widened on higher research, development Threshold Pharmaceuticals Presents Interim Data From a Phase 1/2 Clinical CNNMoney.com (press release)Threshold Pharmaceuticals Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial ResultsReutersall 90 news articles »

  • Oncolytics Biotech(R) Inc. Collaborators Present Positive Phase II Sarcoma ... - CNNMoney.com (press release)

    6 Nov 2009 | 6:06 am
    Oncolytics Biotech(R) Inc. Collaborators Present Positive Phase II Sarcoma CNNMoney.com (press release)6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSX:ONC, NASDAQ:ONCY) ("Oncolytics" or the "Company") today announced updated results from a Phase II Oncolytics Biotech(R) Inc. Announces 2009 Third Quarter ResultsCNW Telbec (Communiqué de presse)all 14 news articles »
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    CropBiotech Update

  • Iron Content in Polished Rice Increased Six-Fold

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Using transgenic methods, scientists from ETH Zurich, Switzerland have succeeded in increasing the iron content in polished rice more than six-fold by transferring two plant genes into an existing rice variety. This was reported by Wilhelm Gruissem of the Department of Biology, ETH Zurich during the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conferen...

  • Science is Critical to Address Agricultural Challenges, Says CSIRO's Peacock

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    The challenge is to produce enough food for the global population in addition to addressing issues related to climate change and the environment. "If we are to meet this challenge, science is critical," said William James Peacock of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Plant Industry during the Agricultur...

  • Post-harvest Losses Still A Problem

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    Post-harvest losses remain to be a problem in developing countries but with adequate investment and training, these could be significantly reduced. According to a press release by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food losses contribute to high food prices, environmental degradation and climate change. FAO says that it is collaborating w...

  • CGIAR Highlights East Timor in Efforts to Achieve Food Security

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a strategic alliance of members, partners, and 15 international agricultural research centers that mobilizes science to benefit the poor, featured the Seeds of Life initiative in its November website feature to illustrate East Timor's experience as an "instructive microcosm of g...

  • USDA APHIS Biotech Regulatory Stakeholders Meeting

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will be holding a stakeholder meeting to discuss its current biotechnology regulatory activities on Nov. 17, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Riverdale, Maryland. "We work hard to ensure that our stakeholders are regularly updated on our Biotechnology Regula...
 
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    Biology News Net - Biotechnology

  • First use of antibody and stem cell transplantation to successfully treat advanced leukemia

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:25 pm
    For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have reported the use of a radiolabeled antibody to deliver targeted doses of radiation, followed by a stem cell transplant, to successfully treat a group of leukemia and pre-leukemia patients for whom there previously had been no other curative treatment options.

  • Next-generation microcapsules deliver 'chemicals on demand'

    28 Oct 2009 | 6:09 pm
    Scientists in California are reporting development of a new generation of the microcapsules used in carbon-free copy paper, in which capsules burst and release ink with pressure from a pen. The new microcapsules burst when exposed to light, releasing their contents in ways that could have wide-ranging commercial uses from home and personal care to medicine. Their study appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.

  • Modified crops reveal hidden cost of resistance

    26 Oct 2009 | 8:13 pm
    Genetically modified squash plants that are resistant to a debilitating viral disease become more vulnerable to a fatal bacterial infection, according to biologists.

  • Seeing previously invisible molecules for the first time

    25 Oct 2009 | 12:28 am
    A team of Harvard chemists led by X. Sunney Xie has developed a new microscopic technique for seeing, in color, molecules with undetectable fluorescence. The room-temperature technique allows researchers to identify previously unseen molecules in living organisms and offers broad applications in biomedical imaging and research.

  • Biochemical 'on-switch' could solve protein purification challenge

    22 Oct 2009 | 9:49 pm
    Drugs based on engineered proteins represent a new frontier for pharmaceutical makers. Even after they discover a protein that may form the basis of the next wonder drug, however, they have to confront a long-standing problem: how to produce large quantities of the protein in a highly pure state. Now, a multi-institutional research team including a biochemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) may have found* a new solution in an enzymatic "food processor" they can activate at will.
 
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    BMC Biotechnology - Latest Articles

  • Genetic load and transgenic mitigating genes in transgenic Brassica rapa (field mustard) x Brassica napus (oilseed rape) hybrid populations

    Christy Rose
    30 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm
    Background: One theoretical explanation for the relatively poor performance of Brassica rapa (weed) Brassica napus (crop) transgenic hybrids suggests that hybridization imparts a negative genetic load. Consequently, in hybrids genetic load could overshadow any benefits of fitness enhancing transgenes and become the limiting factor in transgenic hybrid persistence. Two types of genetic load were analyzed in this study: random/linkage-derived genetic load, and directly incorporated genetic load using a transgenic mitigation (TM) strategy. In order to measure the effects of random genetic load,…

  • Affinity maturation generates greatly improved xyloglucan-specific carbohydrate binding modules

    Laura von Schantz
    30 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm
    Background: Molecular evolution of carbohydrate binding modules (CBM) is a new approach for the generation of glycan-specific molecular probes. To date, the possibility of performing affinity maturation on CBM has not been investigated. In this study we show that binding characteristics such as affinity can be improved for CBM generated from the CBM4-2 scaffold by using random mutagenesis in combination with phage display technology. Results: Two modified proteins with greatly improved affinity for xyloglucan, a key polysaccharide abundant in the plant kingdom crucial for providing plant…

  • Authentication scheme for routine verification of genetically similar laboratory colonies: a trial with Anopheles gambiae

    Elien Wilkins
    21 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm
    Background: When rearing morphologically indistinguishable laboratory strains concurrently, the threat of unintentional genetic contamination is constant. Avoidance of accidental mixing of strains is difficult due to the use of common equipment, technician error, or the possibility of self relocation by adult mosquitoes ("free fliers"). In many cases, laboratory strains are difficult to distinguish because of morphological and genetic similarity, especially when laboratory colonies are isolates of certain traits from the same parental strain, such as eye color mutants, individuals…

  • Using a water-immiscible ionic liquid to improve asymmetric reduction of 4-(trimethylsilyl)-3-butyn-2-one catalyzed by immobilized Candida parapsilosis CCTCC M203011 cells

    Wen-Yong Lou
    21 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm
    Background: Whole cells are usually employed for biocatalytic reduction reactions to ensure efficient coenzyme regeneration and to avoid problems with enzyme purification and stability. The efficiency of whole cell-catalyzed bioreduction is frequently restricted by pronounced toxicity of substrate and/or product to the microbial cells and in many instances the use of two-phase reaction systems can solve such problems. Therefore, we developed new, biphasic reaction systems with biocompatible water-immiscible ionic liquids (ILs) as alternatives to conventional organic solvents, in order to…

  • Novel immortalized human fetal liver cell line, cBAL111, has the potential to differentiate into functional hepatocytes

    Tanja Deurholt
    20 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm
    Background: A clonal cell line that combines both stable hepatic function and proliferation capacity is desirable for in vitro applications that depend on hepatic function, such as pharmacological or toxicological assays and bioartificial liver systems. Here we describe the generation and characterization of a clonal human cell line for in vitro hepatocyte applications. Results: Cell clones derived from human fetal liver cells were immortalized by over-expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase. The resulting cell line, cBAL111, displayed hepatic functionality similar to the parental…
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    Biotechnology Journal

  • An integrated microdevice for high-performance short tandem repeat genotyping

    Jong Young Choi, Tae Seok Seo
    20 Oct 2009 | 6:02 am
    Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis provides genetic fingerprinting of individuals, and is considered as a powerful and indispensable technique for forensic human identification. However, the current state-of-the-art STR genotyping processes and instruments are labor intensive, expensive, time consuming, and lack portability. Micro-total-analysis systems or lab-on-a-chip platforms based on microfabrication technologies have the capability to miniaturize and integrate bioanalysis steps in a single format. Recent progress in microsystems has demonstrated their successful performance for the…

  • Chemical strategies for immobilization of oligonucleotides

    Dalip Sethi, R. P. Gandhi, Pradeep Kuma, Kailash Chand Gupta
    20 Oct 2009 | 6:02 am
    The development of oligonucleotide-based microarrays (biochips) is a major thrust area in the rapidly growing biotechnology industry, which encompasses a diverse range of research areas including genomics, proteomics, computational biology, and pharmaceuticals, among other activities. Microarray experiments have proved to be unique in offering cost-effective and efficient analysis at the genomic level. In the last few years, biochips have gained increasing acceptance in the study of genetic and cellular processes. As the increase in experimental throughput has posed many challenges to the…

  • Statistical aspects of design and validation of microtitre-plate-based linear and non-linear parallel in vitro bioassays

    Hanne Zimmermann, Daniel Gerhard, Theo Dingermann, Ludwig A. Hothorn
    20 Oct 2009 | 6:02 am
    Assay validation was performed using four consecutive experiments with the related statistical evaluation. A cell-based assay on microtitre plates measured repeatedly within 1 day and on consecutive days was chosen as the model. The following problems were addressed: (i) choosing an appropriate design on a plate to avoid heterogeneities, (ii) quantification of all sources of variability and (iii) selecting between linear and non-linear parallel line assays. A mixed model was used with the random factors: rows, columns and plates and fixed effect factors with either linear or non-linear…

  • Recent trends in non-viral vector-mediated gene delivery

    Atul Pathak, Soma Patnaik, Kailash Chand Gupta
    20 Oct 2009 | 6:02 am
    Nucleic acids-based next generation biopharmaceuticals (i.e., pDNA, oligonucleotides, short interfering RNA) are potential pioneering materials to cope with various incurable diseases. However, several biological barriers present a challenge for efficient gene delivery. On the other hand, developments in nanotechnology now offer numerous non-viral vectors that have been fabricated and found capable of transmitting the biopharmaceuticals into the cell and even into specific subcellular compartments like mitochondria. This overview illustrates cellular barriers and current status of non-viral…

  • Insect-symbiont systems: From complex relationships to biotechnological applications

    Sandra Chaves, Marta Neto, Rogério Tenreiro
    20 Oct 2009 | 6:02 am
    Microbial symbiosis is a ubiquitous aspect of life and was a major element in the ability of insects to explore several adverse environments. To date, the study of symbiosis in insects has been impaired by the unculturability of most symbionts. However, some molecular methods represent powerful tools to help understand insect-microorganism associations and to disclose new symbiont-host systems. Beyond playing an essential role in nutrition and development of the insects, symbionts can produce bioactive compounds that protect the host against adverse environmental conditions, predators and/or…
 
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    Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry Immediate Publications

  • Features of bacterial growth and polysaccharide production of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 14

    H Massaldi, M Inés Bessio, N Suárez, E Texeira, S Rossi, F Ferreira
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:05 am
    The effect of several cultivation conditions on the kinetics of bacterial growth and polysaccharide production of S. pneumoniae serotype 14 was studied. The presence in the supernatant of serotype specific capsular polysaccharide (CPS) during growth was followed by size exclusion HPLC and in parallel confirmed by a specific latex reagent. Agitation level did not affect the production behaviour, whereas pH maintenance above 6 strongly enhanced both growth and CPS production throughout the cultivation period in flasks. Production of high molecular weight polysaccharide was found to be largest…

  • Effect of IPP5, a novel inhibitor of PP1, on apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms involved

    Q Zeng, Y Huang, L Zeng, X Lan, Y Huang, S He, H Zhang
    29 Oct 2009 | 7:11 am
    Genes encoding apoptosis-inducing proteins are postulated to be candidate tumor suppressors. The identification of such proteins may benefit the early diagnosis and therapy of tumors. In the current study, we characterized the function of a novel human bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC)-derived protein (IPP5) by large scale random sequencing of a human BMSC cDNA library. Human IPP5 cDNA encodes a protein of 116 amino acid residues, which shares high homology with human inhibitor-1 of protein phosphatase 1 (PPI-1). The effect of IPP5 on apoptosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms were…

  • In vitro small intestinal epithelial cell growth on a nanocomposite polycaprolactone scaffold

    A Gupta, D Vara, G Punshon, K Sales, M Winslet, A M Seifalian
    27 Oct 2009 | 7:29 am
    Tissue engineering of small intestine remains experimental despite worldwide attempts to develop a functional substitute for short bowel syndrome. Most published studies have reported predominant use of PLLA/ PGA copolymer as the scaffold material, and studies have been limited by in vivo experiments. This lack of progress has inspired a fresh perspective and provoked further investigation and development in this field of tissue engineering. In this paper we exploit a relatively new nanocomposite of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquixane (POSS) and polycaprolactone (PCL) as a material to develop…

  • Development of cationic colloidal silica coated magnetic nanospheres for highly selective and rapid enrichment of plasma membrane fractions for proteomics analysis

    X Li, X Jia, C Xie, Y Lin, R Cao, Q He, P Chen, X Wang, S Liang
    27 Oct 2009 | 7:24 am
    Plasma Membrane (PM) proteins play critical roles in many biological processes, which are often the molecular targets for drug discovery. In plasma membrane proteome research, fast and highly selective methods for PM preparation are highly desirable for efficient PM protein identification. In this study, an improved PM isolation technique involving coating intact cells with synthesized cationic silica coated magnetic nanospheres was developed and applied to the proteomic analysis of the PM from human erythroleukemia K562 cells. The Western blotting characterization and the protein…

  • A one-step exclusion-binding procedure for purification of functional heavy-chain and mammalian-type gamma-globulins from camelid sera

    M R Blanc, A Anouassi, M Ahmed Abed, G Tsikis, S Canepa, V Labas, M Belghazi, G Bruneau
    14 Oct 2009 | 2:18 am
    A new approach has recently been proposed for the purification of "mammalian-type" immunoglobulin G (IgG), consisting of exclusion-binding. The technique uses a gel ("Melon gel", PIERCE) that binds to all plasma proteins but not to IgGs, thus allowing IgGs to be recovered in the flow-through fraction. Here, the technique was applied to camelid IgGs, which are known to be constituted not only of classic mammalian-type IgGs (IgG1) but also of IgGs containing only heavy chains (HC-IgGs). Both mammalian type and HC-IgGs can be purified in the flow-through fraction of dromedary plasma samples with…
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    WordPress Tag: Biotechnology

  • In my mind I'm drowning butterflies, broken dreams and alibis

    notbelle
    7 Nov 2009 | 12:45 am
    I couldn’t afford a plane ticket to south-east Asia, so I decided to squat over a claypot for fifteen minutes crushing garlic cloves. Ahh… I’m there! Well, it paid off in the end, because I had concocted yummy peanut sauce to accompany my summer Vietnamese rolls. I have been having them for the past two days. It was a nice alternative to eating out. I forget how lovely homemade food can be. I also had to stay home because I needed to cram for my biotech exam on Tuesday. It’s only Saturday today, but considering I will be out for most of tomorrow- Newtown Festival, I…

  • Weekly Industrial and Environmental Bio Blog Roundup

    nicoleatbio
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:26 pm
    This week we start off with a little Road Music, From Bluegrass to Switchgrass, from our colleagues at the Biofuels Center of North Carolina. They’ve put together a nice set of bluegrass pieces. To listen visit their web site. Gas2.0 announces this week that BP could start selling biofuels in 2010, writing that, “BP has partnered with Verenium to bring a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility online next year to start bringing alternative fuels to a gas” Wednesday, according to the Government Monitor,Tom Vilsack announced, “the publication of nine additional BioPreferred product…

  • Road Music: From Bluegrass to Switchgrass

    nicoleatbio
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:35 pm
    To get from here to there sometimes you need a little road music, and that’s just what the Biofuels Center of North Carolina is aiming to do. Earlier this week, according to Science in the Triangle, a RTI Fellows Symposium, “was held Monday and Tuesday at the University of North Carolina’s Friday Center in Chapel Hill. Global warming and what role biofuels will play in the energy supply were two of the scientific challenges addressed at the symposium.” According to Science in the Triangle, North Carolina focuses, “on biodiesel and ethanol from corn and biomass to meet an…

  • เทคโนโลยีชีวภาพในการวินิจฉัยโรค

    SoClaimon
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:19 am
    504511     เทคโนโลยีชีวภาพในการวินิจฉัยโรค     Biotechnology for Animal Diseases Diagnosis (Theorical study on various techniques in biotechnology to apply for animal diseases diagnosis.) (504511 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)

  • Obesity Linked to Many Cancer Cases in U.S.

    Snowcrash
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:16 am
    As many as 100,000 cases of cancer could be prevented in the U.S. each year if Americans get rid of
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    WordPress Tag: Bio-technology

  • Mercury, Autism and the Global Vaccine Agenda

    Mr.Anderson
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:48 pm
    David Ayoub, M.D. goes through the relations of Mercury to Autism as well its connections to “National Security Study Memorandum 200”; for population control. Showing its shocking connections to today’s G.A.V.I. Are powerful forces really trying to help the poor people or could it be for another agenda; the sterilization of the poor? This is an upsetting video, so brace yourself.

  • "We, the people, will not be microchipped": documentary on IBM and Verichip

    Mr.Anderson
    18 Oct 2009 | 2:22 pm
    Article from  theflucase.com We, the people, will not be microchipped, numbered, tracked or controlled by biometric encryption and satellite tracking devices, by the use of IBM mainframe computers and Verichip technology, set up by the WHO/UN/EU banksters and their agent governments and “royal families” for our total enslavement. We, the people, have a spirit of our own, a mind of our own, a soul of our own and it is not all our own because it is joined to a force beyond us, as Patrick McGoohan, the actor who played “The Prisoner” trapped in the totalitarian…

  • Women entrepreneurs at their best

    seoforever
    11 Oct 2009 | 4:27 am
    Trade carnival by COWE begins at Necklace Road Check it out: Enthusiastic buyers at the Trade Carnival 2009 being organised by Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs at Necklace Road on Saturday. HYDERABAD: Are you on the look out for those decorative ‘diyas’, creative knick-knacks and designer chocolates for the ensuing Deepavali ? Do you fancy designer silk and cotton sarees with a variety of handmade embellishments or scouting for that ideal nutrition snack foods ? Then Trade Carnival-2009 at People’s Plaza, Necklace Road is the place to head for. The three-day carnival organised by…

  • IBM developing DNA 'bar code reader'

    Mr.Anderson
    8 Oct 2009 | 4:38 am
    Article from thenewamerican.com Written by James Heiser In an effort to build a nanoscale DNA sequencer, IBM scientists are drilling nano-sized holes in computer-like chips and passing DNA strands through them in order to read the information contained within their genetic code. As advances in the field of genetics continue at a dizzying pace, one calls to mind the words of St. Bernard of Clairvaux in the twelfth century: “Hell is full of good intentions or desires.” Several months ago, a published study revealed that DNA evidence can be faked, raising concerns that criminals, or…

  • Bio Technology-Raw Deal..

    ramanan50
    1 Oct 2009 | 10:52 am
    “ But the sheikh, part of the ruling family in Abu Dhabi (capital of The United Arab Emirates), could certainly have done better things with the money. For instance, with the (close to) $1 billion he has spent on Man City he could have bought a decent slice of the biotechnology industry, and it would have been a real steal.” Scientist. http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/56000/ Bio technology is getting a raw deal.Investment in this sector is vital.Has any one checked the figures for development for Bio tech, vis a vis other Sciences?Awareness is to be created and this is…
 
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    Bio Job Blog

  • Alternate Careers for PhDs: So You Think You Want to Be a Consultant?

    6 Nov 2009 | 9:07 am
    Over the past year or so, more graduate students and postdoctoral fellows have been asking me about management consulting careers in the life sciences. I spent several years working as an independent management consultant and while it was a great experience the revenue stream was unreliable at best and the ability to work was highly contingent upon the economy. However, I can assure that my experiences as an independent management consultant were marketing different than those of consultants who work at the consulting firms like McKinsey or the Boston Consulting Group. For…

  • Merck Giveth and Johnson and Johnson Taketh Away

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:41 am
    I am attending the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in sunny Phoenix, AZ where I will be providing career development guidance to undergraduate and graduate students. Ironically, given the dismal job prospects in the life sciences industry for entry level employees, I will be giving a talk on how to find a job!  Last year's meeting in Orlando was a great one and I expect this one to be just as good. While I am on the road, it doesn't mean that I won't be keeping track of the goings on back in my neck of the woods. To that end, Merck announced…

  • Skills to Learn While Unemployed to Make Yourself More Employable

    5 Nov 2009 | 5:57 am
    As somebody who has been unemployed more than once, unemployment can be depressing, very frustrating and extremely worrisome.  In addition to sending out resumes and networking, I highly recommend using the free time that you have at your disposal to learn new skills to either make your life more manageable or to increase your employability.  Obviously, unemployed persons usually don’t have the money to enroll in formal training programs but thanks to the Internet and social media there are a variety of free tools and options out there for people looking to pick up new skill…

  • Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting and Medical Marijuana

    4 Nov 2009 | 5:58 am
    For the past month or so I have been working on a piece about chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) that is common among patients being treated for cancer. While not a pleasant topic, it is a reality for many patients who undergo cancer chemotherapy treatment.  Although CINV is less common with some of the newly-developed anti-cancer monoclonal antibody treatments, it is still a troublesome and debilitating problem that must be managed during conventional cancer chemotherapy treatment regimens.  There is a growing body of evidence that marijuana…

  • Johnson & Johnson Announces it Will Cut 8,200 Jobs

    3 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm
    Johnson & Johnson announced today it would eliminate as many as 8,200 jobs, or 7% of its work force, to help the company cope with what it expects will be a slow economic recovery amid damped demand for drugs, medical devices and consumer products. J&J employs about 117, 000 workers globally. While the job cuts will be global, many losing their jobs will be outside of the US.  J & J joins a growing list of pharmaceutical and life sciences companies that have announced new layoffs. Pfizer Inc., the world’s biggest drugmaker, plans to fire 19,000 workers…
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    Colorado BioScience Association News Feed

  • The Colorado BioScience Association announced the winners of the 2009 Awards Program

    6 Nov 2009 | 6:43 am
    "The Colorado BioScience Association announced the winners of the 2009 Awards Program. The awards will be presented at a dinner Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Denver. The winners are: Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Partner of the Year; Accera Inc., Company of the Year; Dan Mitchell, partner at Sequel Ventures, Volunteer of the Year; Miragen Therapeutics, Rising Star award; Corinne Carlson, a biology and chemistry teacher at Rock Canyon High School in Douglas County, Educator of the Year; and Erin Silver, the Chairman's Award. Also, Lifetime Achievement Awards…

  • Recognizing the Best of Colorado’s Bioscience Industry

    5 Nov 2009 | 2:15 pm
    The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) has released the winners of its 2009 Awards Program. The announcement is made by John Collar, CBSA President and CEO, who says the CBSA awards program showcases and honors those individuals and companies making a significant difference to Colorado’s vibrant bioscience industry this year.Official presentation of the awards occurs Tuesday, November 10, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., at the Denver Grand-Hyatt, 1750 Welton. Held in conjunction with the 2009 BioWest Conference & Expo, registration information is available at http://www.BioWestConference.com.

  • Feld Thoughts: Entrepreneurs Unplugged – Steve Halstedt and Nir Barkat

    30 Oct 2009 | 2:23 pm
    "The 11/4 Entrepreneurs Unplugged is with Nir Barkat, the Mayor of Jerusalem. This is a special Entrepreneurs Unplugged event Silicon Flatirons is co-hosting with Governor Ritter, the Colorado BioScience Association, CSIA, and the Mizel Family Foundation. I’ll be in Seattle at the TechStars 2009 Demo Day in Seattle so Brad Bernthal will be interviewing Mayor Barkat. In addition to being the Mayor of Jerusalem, Barkat is a successful entrepreneur and VC having started BRM Partners and subsequently Backweb Technologies. While I’ve never met Barkat, I remember Backweb well as SOFTBANK was an…

  • Expo at BioWest 2009 Showcases New Technology, Products and Services for the Region’s Robust Bioscience Industry

    29 Oct 2009 | 1:25 pm
    More than 40 exhibitors will be showcasing new technology, products and services for 700+ attendees at the 2009 BioWest Conference and Expo. The announcement is made by John Collar, President and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), who says the event is November 10 at the Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton.“The companies participating in the exhibit area are each playing an important role in helping advance the bioscience industry within the region,” Collar said, “We’re very pleased to welcome them to our seventh annual BioWest event and are looking forward to yet another…

  • BioWest 2009 Registration Opens, Rolling Out A Stellar Lineup of National Speakers

    21 Oct 2009 | 6:28 pm
    Peter Sims, co-author of best selling business book “True North” and the forthcoming book “Little Bets” will provide the keynote for the 2009 BioWest Conference and Expo. In addition to Sims, nationally acclaimed speakers Ginger Graham, former CEO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and Eric Alexander - skier, climber, and mountaineer - will address the BioWest audience during the November 10th event at the Grand Hyatt Denver.Organizers expect more than 700 industry leaders November 10th for the seventh annual BioWest event, held again at the Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton. Link to the…
 
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    OnBioVC

  • September 2009 OnBioVC | Trend Analysis Now Available

    arubenstein
    3 Nov 2009 | 9:47 pm
    Hot off the press! The September 2009 OnBioVC | Trend Analysis study is now available for download [HERE]. Over $465M flowed into early-stage biopharma, diagnostic and device companies in the ninth month of 2009 and over $4,806M year-to-date! If you find the information in OnBioVC to be of value kindly forward on to colleagues who you believe would likewise be interested in the content. Thank you! ________________________________________________________________________ Sign up [HERE] for FREE Subscription to ‘Pharmaceutical Executive’ and ‘Life Science Leader’…

  • Celladon, Inc.: Series C $21.8M

    arubenstein
    2 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pm
    Celladon (La Jolla, CA) a clinical-stage company focused on gene therapy for congestive heart failure, closed a $21.8M Series C financing. Participants include Enterprise Partners Venture Capital, Venrock and Johnson & Johnson Dev Corp.

  • Quanta Fluid Solutions, Ltd.: Series A $14.3M

    arubenstein
    2 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pm
    Quanta Fluid Solutions (United Kingdom) a development-stage medical device company focused on haemodialysis systems for acute renal failure, has closed a $14.3M Series A financing. Participants include NBGI Ventures, Seroba Kernel Life Sciences, Wellington Partners Venture Capital and Brains-To-Ventures.

  • Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc.: Series E $50M

    arubenstein
    2 Nov 2009 | 1:29 pm
    Calypso Medical Technologies (Seattle, WA) a commercial-stage medical device company focused on implantable sensor electromagnetic transponders, to accurately and continuously pinpoint the location of tumors in real-time during radiation therapy delivery, closed a $50M Series E financing. Participants include Skyline Ventures, Frazier Healthcare Ventures, Bay City Capital and InterWest Partners.

  • NextBio, Inc.: Series C $8M

    arubenstein
    2 Nov 2009 | 1:27 pm
    NextBio (Cupertino, CA) a commercial-stage bioinformatics and competitive intelligence bioscience search engine, closed a $8M Series C financing. Participants include Newbury Ventures.
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    TradePub: Biotechnology

  • Bio-IT World Weekly Update

    5 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pm
    Bio-IT World Weekly Update summarizes the week's latest news, industry highlights, product reviews, upcoming events, and key stories from Bio-IT World magazine.Request Free!

  • Pharma Services News

    5 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pm
    Published twice a month, Pharma Services News is written to assist industry users in identifying, locating, and implementing pharma services across the four phases of drug discovery being target identification, target validation, high-throughput screening, lead optimization, and into pre-clinical evaluation. In addition to case studies, new product coverage, service trends and industry reports, Pharma Services News will look at cost and time savings benefits related to using external services.Request Free!

  • PMPN ePackage Newsletter

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:20 pm
    It is a comprehensive resource for medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing professionals who need focused, reliable, and timely information to make intelligent packaging decisions.Request Free!

  • Biotechnology Healthcare

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pm
    Its editorial mission is to articulate biomedical business and clinical applications to healthcare decision makers and stakeholders. A strict fact-checking and peer review process assures the accuracy and relevance of editorial content.Request Free!

  • Managed Care

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pm
    Published monthly, it delivers high-interest articles and features through original research and writing. A strict fact-checking and peer-review process assures the accuracy and relevance of editorial content. It serves Managed Care Organization executives and administrators, primary care and group practice physicians (GP, FP, IM, DO) whose practices are managed care, HMO staff physicians and others allied to the field.Request Free!
 
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