MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'About.com Biotech Biomedical' source. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 01:10:52 +0100 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/26/types-of-rna.htm Lots of new research is being done using miRNA and siRNA, as small molecule treatments for various diseases. As a result, these small RNA pieces have become very popular topics in biotech, but for those of you who aren't all that familiar with the nucleic acids, there are three major types of RNA within cells. The micro/si RNAs come from one of them, called messenger RNA (mRNA). Here's the lowdown on the three types of larger RNA particles:...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4870757 Sun, 22 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4870757 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/23/small-molecules-halts-drug-resistant-leukemia.htm The BCL6 protein is a transcription factor known to be active in many different kinds of cancer, one of which is drug-resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ALL is the most common form of cancer among children. Many children survive ALL, but a subset suffer from drug-resistance, the cause of which was, until now, a mystery. This week, however, a research team in California (Children's Hospital Los Angeles and University of California San Francisco) published work that shows the investigational drug RI-BPI, when administered along with the traditional treatment for ALL, Gleevec, can shut down ALL by inhibiting BCL6....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4861341 Thu, 19 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4861341 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/19/harvard-bioscience-tops-boston-globes-best-of-list.htm Just last month (April 24th) I wrote a blog about Harvard Bioscience Inc. and their specialized bioreactor and protocol for making hollow organs to transplant into humans. Last Friday, President David Green reported that the "strong track record for growth and profitability" of the company had been recognized by the Boston Globe, which named Harvard Bioscience the #1 biotech company in the Massachusetts area. Harvard Bioscience has been in business since 1901, surviving the Great Recession, and continues today as a powerful force in life sciences research. The company is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and provides regenerative medicine devices to hospitals that allow surgeons to perform cutting-edge procedures....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847282 Thu, 19 May 2011 21:44:00 +0100 4847282 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/20/high-sensitivity-assays-detect-new-cancer-biomarkers.htm Nanosphere Inc. is a nanotechnology-based developer of diagnostic systems, including molecular systems, for detecting disease. Their discovery program has resulted in the identification of a number of cancer biomarkers that are only detectable using their ultra-sensitive, high-throughput protein assays. The protein biomarkers detect bladder, prostate and kidney cancers. Nanosphere will present their research, using the Verisens(TM) assay for detection of the proteins, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting next week....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847281 Wed, 18 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4847281 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/16/rosetta-green-has-solutions-to-drought-and-biofuel-concerns.htm RGN-131 is part of a family of miRNA genes discovered by a company called Rosetta Green Ltd. that play a role in drought tolerance in plants. Rosetta Green is a publically-traded company based in Isreal. It is a 2010 spin-off of a company called Rosetta Genomics Ltd., and just went public, completing an IPO in Tel Aviv this past February....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4839831 Sat, 14 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4839831 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/15/who-wants-to-live-forever.htm Yesterday morning I caught a large part of a National Geographic television show on the aging process and longevity. The show followed the quest of a guy, who looked not a whole lot younger than me (don't ask!!), on a mission to find the secret to everlasting youth. Research by several genetic scientists was highlighted, as they explained the links between research using drosophila and nematodes, stem cells and transcription factors, among other things, and our understanding of how our cells and bodies age....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4827677 Thu, 12 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4827677 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/12/in-defense-of-cloning-and-stem-cells.htm Cloning and stem cell research often get a bad rap because the words conjure up images of human experiments gone wrong coupled with the destruction of embryos. However, if you know anything about stem cell research, you this doesn't necessarily need to be the case. In fact, harvesting stem cells for medical use, and cloning them, is part of the widely accepted practice of bone marrow transplantation. Adult stem cells from blood and muscle might be used to generate other types of cells, like neural cells, for regenerative medicine, the potential of which is exemplified in the blog I posted two weeks ago on bioartificial organs made using a patient's own cells.  By the way - which would you rather have...an organ grown from your own stem cells, or an animal organ given to you ... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4819752 Thu, 12 May 2011 20:32:52 +0100 4819752 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/13/localized-immunosuppression-of-islet-transplants-using-stem-cells.htm One of the drawbacks to organ transplants, or even stem cell treatments, like therapeutic cloning, can be the necessity for immunosuppressent drugs, which patients wind up having to take for the rest of their lives, or risk rejection of the transplanted cells/organ. Needless to say, this compromises the immune systems, and can create other potential health risks, for these individuals. Cell replacement therapy is a medical approach to neurological, muscular and other disorders wherein dead or defective cells are replaced with new ones. The need for immunosupressent drugs creates limitations to the use of this approach, but scientists in the UK are working on the problem with respect to pancreatic islet transplantation for people with diabetes. They a... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4819751 Wed, 11 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4819751 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/09/women-in-bio-networking-event.htm Women in Bio (WIB) is an American organization that is quickly spreading across the country with a mandate to support "careers, leadership and entrepreneurship of women in the life sciences". Chapters of this organization, which was established in 2001, are opening in all the major biotechnology clusters in the USA. This provides women and youth in the industry a great opportunity to meet, share ideas, knowledge and experience....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4812093 Mon, 09 May 2011 18:29:15 +0100 4812093 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/11/us-military-and-vical-continue-dna-vaccine-collaboration.htm Awhile ago I wrote a piece about Inovio Pharmaceuticals and their in situ electroporation platform for delivering DNA vaccines. CEO Dr. Joseph Kim, in an interview, said he believed they had found the answer to DNA vaccine delivery, and that gave his company the advantage over everyone else. Well, watch out Dr. Kim, because you're not the only one who thinks you've found the secret to optimal DNA vaccine expression within human cells....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4812092 Sun, 08 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4812092 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/04/proteomic-link-to-pre-term-births.htm The Obstetrics crowd has been chasing down bioindicators of spontaneous pre-term birth (SPTB) for many years now, but a new and significant piece of the puzzle was reported in recent months, in AJOG. Doctors at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network have found three new protein biomarkers in the serum of asymptomatic pregnant women. When combined with existing biomarkers, the three can be used to predict with about 80% certainty, the occurance of SPTB (pre-term birth at less than 35 weeks gestation), weeks before it happens....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4788228 Wed, 04 May 2011 07:21:05 +0100 4788228 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/05/05/us-federal-ruling-on-stem-cell-research-overturned.htm Last Friday, the US stem cell research debate took another turn with the Appeals Court overturned the ruling of a Federal judge on the issue of government funding of embryonic stem cell research. The biopharmaceutical industry in the USA has been anxiously watching politicians debate this issue for years. Prior to the Obama administration, NIH funding of embryonic stem cell research was banned based on the questionable ethics of obtaining stem cells by destroying embryos, and money could only be given to programs using IPSCs....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4788227 Tue, 03 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4788227 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/29/would-gm-tulips-have-saved-the-day.htm In preparation for the royal wedding today it was "off with their heads" for thousands of tulips around Buckingham palace last week. Temperatures in London, leading up to the royal wedding, had gone into the high twenties, and the tulips had bloomed early and were wilting in the hot sun.  My first thought when I heard this was, where are the GM tulips? The ones that are drought resistant and have longer-lasting blooms? Apparently these don't exist, so the royal family are out of luck today. But there are some biotech tulips out there, with other qualities that enhance the beauty of this flower. Rembrandt tulips, for example, have been genetically developed to contain a virus that causes the flowers to have striped or blotchy patterns. What's VERY interesting about this is that the vir... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4767521 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:19:23 +0100 4767521 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/29/gm-flowers-you-can-buy.htm So, if you can't find GM, drought resistant tulips, what types of flowers HAVE horticultural genetic engineers managed to produce? According to GMO Compass, there are a few cultivars of various other cut flowers to choose from. Among those are blue roses made by Florigene, by transfering a pigment gene called Delphindin, from violets into "knockout" roses, that have their normal pigment genes turned off. Florigene has also produced carnations of several shades of blue. German company Ornamental Bioscience and the University of Hanover have the more serious objectives of prolonging the blooms and improving the resistance of various flowers to drought and cold....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4767520 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4767520 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/25/3-reasons-to-get-excited-about-stem-cells.htm One of the most popular articles on my site is entitled "Why all the Excitement About Stem Cells?" It seems a lot of people are still asking that question, even though so there are so many reports on new developments in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapies. Some of the simpler examples of how stem cells might help us, ideas that were just that, ideas, not so long ago, are actually becoming a reality. Yesterday I blogged about some ground-breaking research in tissue engineering that demonstrated we can possibly grow entire organs, hollow organs, and organs composed of more than one different cell type, if we just get the scaffold for the bioreactor, mix of pluripotent cells, and growth conditions right. While this research is still in early to mid-stages, the simpler stem cell... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4752976 Sat, 23 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4752976 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/24/bioartificial-organs-becoming-reality.htm I don't get PBS's Nova ScienceNow program in Canada, which is really too bad because I would have loved to have seen the episode aired in January about regenerative medicine, called "Replacing Body Parts". According to a reader who emailed me, the show featured Harvard Bioscience Inc., maker of the LB2 Lung Regeneration Bioreactor. Harvard Bioscience is primarily a manufacturer and marketer of specialized equipment for biotechnical applications. One of their projects is to develop bioreactors, like the LB2, for making hollow organs for transplant into people. The bioreactor was also featured on National Geographic in February, in an episode called "How to Build a Beating Heart". Just last week, the company was also featured on the marketing and investment website TheStreet.com, in a v... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747200 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4747200 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/21/microbiome-a-little-known-branch-of-biotech.htm Joshua Lederberg (1925-2008) was a molecular biologist and visionary who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958 for discovering bacterial conjugation. His work lead him to study bacteria in space, work in artificial intelligence, and research viral antibodies. During the course of his career, he coined the term microbiome, in reference to the "totality" of microbes, or the genetic makeup and interactions with their environment. One of his legacies is a little-known branch of biotechnology research that is the study of the human microbiome....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4741819 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4741819 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/18/patent-cliff-takes-another-drug-saturday.htm According to corporate research company EvaluatePharma, this year marks the beginning of a six-year "patent cliff" that will see record-breaking expiries of "blockbuster" drugs sold by the pharmaceutical giants of the world. In 2011, five top products, the IP of Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly and Pfizer, will go off-patent. The biggest loser is Pfizer which will lose rights to it's cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor in June, and stands to lose an estimated 90% of revenues from that drug by 2012. Within the next three years, both Pfizer and Eli Lilly could lose two-thirds of their respective portfolios....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4732720 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4732720 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/15/the-evolution-of-terms.htm Biotech terminology is often an evolving entity as new discoveries are made and the factors which control synthesis, degradation and the function of certain biomolecules are gradually identified. For this reason, sometimes the difference between certain biomolecules or their functions are unclear until later years, after the names and definitions have come to mean different things to different people. That seems to be the case with siRNA and micro (mi) RNA. The differences between them are subtle, and, depending on the source, the two are essentially the same. However, as we study further and realize there are two distinct sources of small RNA molecules causing RNA interference, and also find subtle differences in how each is made, activated or manifests itself in different organisms, the ... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4718990 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4718990 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/14/vets-take-another-step-towards-curing-lupus.htm To find a solution to a problem, you first have to identify what cause of the problem is. You don't get anywhere in biopharmaceutical drug discovery without knowing something about the molecular causes of the disease you're working on - and, sometimes, the answers to that question can come from the most unexpected sources. I studied at University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada), home of the Ontario Veterinary College, which is one of the top veterinary schools in North America. At the time, however, I barely recognized the role that veterinary research plays in our human lives, if I realized it at all. Now I know better. Many of the solutions to animal husbandry problems can also be applied to humans....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedica... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714065 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4714065 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/10/ncbiotech-collaborative-funding-grants-lead-to-success.htm If your academic organization doesn't have a tech transfer office, there may be other, non-academic options to taking an innovation to market. Private "startup incubators" are organizations, often lead by venture capital groups, that help small businesses develop and commercialize their products. You might find assistance from the government also, through programs aimed at economic development and job creation. One example of this is the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. NCBiotech is a state-funded, non-profit economic development organization. Founded in 1984, it claims status as the oldest organization of its kind in the world. NCBiotech's primary mission is to promote the biotech industry and spawn new job growth within the State of North Carolina. In additio... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4708724 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 08:36:53 +0100 4708724 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/13/how-to-patent-a-natural-bioproduct.htm One ongoing debate in the field of biotechnology is the question of whether or not individuals (or companies) should be allowed to patent natural biomolecules that they have not "created" but just newly "discovered". The issue isn't quite as controversial as the patenting of higher lifeforms (which I blogged about last June). It is, however, questionable in MY mind because I wonder how anyone can claim ownership of an "idea" or "invention" that I have floating around in my bloodstream already....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4708723 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4708723 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001740.htm If there's one thing I've heard over and over again, it's that scientists are not business people. That may or may not be true, but there are certainly many very... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703666 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4703666 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001745.htm If your academic organization doesn't have a tech transfer office, there may be other, non-academic options to taking an innovation to market. Private "startup incubators" are organizations, often lead by venture capital groups, that... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703665 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4703665 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001736.htm Multi-drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria has become such a big problem that even people with no knowledge of science are aware of the concerns of the medical community. One of the... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703667 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4703667 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/09/academic-tech-transfer.htm If there's one thing I've heard over and over again, it's that scientists are not business people. That may or may not be true, but there are certainly many very successful and creative researchers who aren't business-savvy enough to make the most of their innovations. For those working in the discovery team of a corporation this isn't a problem, but how do scientists in academic labs take a new discovery to market? 30 years ago it was almost unheard of. In the USA, research funded by government grants was considered the property of the government. In 1980, with the passing of the Bayh-Doyle Act, things changed and the government, industry and schools began to work together to turn discoveries into commercial products. As a result, it's common nowadays for research scientists at ... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696050 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4696050 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001731.htm Another biotech term gaining recognition as an "omics" of biotechnology is a field of study called "chemoproteomics". In a paper released last month in Nature Biotechnology, Bantscheff et al. describe... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703668 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4703668 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/05/immunitor-hepc-vaccine-also-fights-tb.htm Multi-drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria has become such a big problem that even people with no knowledge of science are aware of the concerns of the medical community. One of the biggest culprits for resisting antibiotic treatment is the microorganism Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of TB. According to TB statistics, TB has emerged in the past two decades as a global epidemic, particularly in developing countries, and multi-drug-resistance is part of the problem. According to the Canadian Lung Association, "multi-drug" resistance means the bacterium is resistant to the two most common drugs for treating TB: isoniazid and rifampin, but the organism can become resistant to other drugs as well, making it even harder to treat....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4683064 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4683064 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001710.htm The USA ranks first in number of biotech firms, PCT patent applications and biomedical treatment approvals, with Japan coming second, according to the 2009 OECD report on biotechnology statistics. According to... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703669 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4703669 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/04/02/chemoproteomics-aids-study-of-epigenetics.htm Another biotech term gaining recognition as an "omics" of biotechnology is a field of study called "chemoproteomics". In a paper released last month in Nature Biotechnology, Bantscheff et al. describe new techniques for using biological information to guide the development of small molecules in drug discovery....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4669633 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4669633 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/28/cleveland-biolabs.htm Cleveland Biolabs (CBLI) has been in the global spotlight this past two weeks, for their as-yet unapproved treatment for radiation exposure, CBLB502. The drug, classified by CBLI as a "Protectan" reduces the impact of acute stresses on cells by inhibiting progammed cell death (apoptosis), which may be triggered in case of lethal doses of radiation. It is derived from a microbial protein that mobilizes natural cell protection mechanisms, many of which reduce oxidative damage and induce regeneration-promoting cytokines....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4657935 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:34:22 +0100 4657935 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/30/top-biotech-countries.htm The USA ranks first in number of biotech firms, PCT patent applications and biomedical treatment approvals, with Japan coming second, according to the 2009 OECD report on biotechnology statistics. According to the 2010 OECD report on science and technology, however, it appears the industry picture has looked better in later years for several non-OECD countries, including Singapore, Brazil, China, India and South Africa (OECD, 2010)....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4657934 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4657934 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001704.htm According to Biotechnology Business, a website geared towards promoting biotechnology in Japan, the Japanese biotech industry is the second-largest in the world, with the second-most companies, Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT) applications,... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703671 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4703671 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/28/cleveland-biolabs.htm (CBLI) has been in the global spotlight this past two weeks, for their as-yet unapproved treatment for radiation exposure, CBLB502. The drug, classified by CBLI as a "Protectan" reduces the impact of acute stresses on cells by inhibiting progammed cell death (apoptosis), which may be triggered in case of lethal doses of radiation. It is derived from a microbial protein that mobilizes natural cell protection mechanisms, many of which reduce oxidative damage and induce regeneration-promoting cytokines....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4652067 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4652067 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001702.htm The Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology and Agrochemistry (JSBBA) is an organization centred around research in food and environmental sciences. With the slogan, Life, Food, Environmental, the Society grew out of increasing interest... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703672 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4703672 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/24/biotechnology-in-japan.htm According to Biotechnology Business, a website geared towards promoting biotechnology in Japan, the Japanese biotech industry is the second-largest in the world, with the second-most companies, Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT) applications, and approved bio-therapies (from 1989-2009) next to the United States, according to an OECD report in 2009. There are seven major biotechnology clusters in Japan and business is apparently booming thanks to industry incentives put into place in 2002, to address the aging population and depletion of natural resources. The importance of fermeted foods in Japanese culture has contributed to a history of interest in food biotechnology. No doubt the earthquake and tsunami crisis will have long-term effects on businesses throughout the nation, and the r... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4630897 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4630897 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/16/fda-orphan-drug-status-for-aegerions-lomitapide.htm Whether we like it or not, biomedical discovery companies DO have to make money, to recoup the high costs of drug discovery and development, and Phase I, II and III trials. That's why, for a long time, many companies didn't often target rare diseases - there weren't enough people needing the drug to make it cost-effective to develop one. Thankfully, the US FDA circumvented that problem in 1983 by introducing the concept of "orphan drugs". Countries like Japan and Australia, and the European Union (EU), soon followed....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4599967 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:41:29 +0100 4599967 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001661.htm For some reason, Advanced Cell Technologies (ACT) has always been one of my "pet" startups. This is one I check on periodically and toy with the idea of purchasing, when... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703674 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4703674 http://biotech.about.com/b/a/001692.htm With all the topics I need to cover for the biotech/biomedical blog, I often get caught up in new medical advances or bioproducts you might find in the home, but forget... (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4703673 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4703673 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/23/japanese-biotech-meeting-cancelled.htm The Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology and Agrochemistry (JSBBA) is an organization centred around research in food and environmental sciences. With the slogan, Life, Food, Environmental, the Society grew out of increasing interest in, and growth of, the field of agricultural chemistry in Japan, which started about 100 years ago. The organization is headquartered in Tokyo so, needless to say, has been impacted by recents events in Japan. The JSBBA Annual meeting had been scheduled to take place starting this weekend, running March 25-28, in Kyoto, and has been cancelled....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626230 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4626230 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/16/innovative-biotechnology-tools.htm With all the topics I need to cover for the biotech/biomedical blog, I often get caught up in new medical advances or bioproducts you might find in the home, but forget about one very important area of biotechnology research. This area is the development of the tools that are used in biotech research to develop all the other products you may hear about. Things like PCR, RFLP and DNA sequencing may seem pretty commonplace to anyone versed in biotech now, but there was a time when the biomolecules that make them possible were brand new discoveries that no one quite knew what to do with....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605286 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4605286 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/16/taking-a-chance-on-act.htm For some reason, Advanced Cell Technologies (ACT) has always been one of my "pet" startups. This is one I check on periodically and toy with the idea of purchasing, when choosing biotech stock. Here's a company that has persevered through the years despite some hard times. I've written about ACT a few times and, in January, I quoted interim CEO Gary Rabin's comment on the strong financial position of the company. That position recently got even better (on February 23, 2011), with issuance of a patent on their proprietary single-blastomere technology. The single-blastomere technque allows ACT to obtain embryonic stem cells without destroying embryos. According to the ACT press release...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4599966 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4599966 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/13/senator-gillibrand-and-the-biotech-tax-credit.htm Startup biotechnology companies can often catch a break by setting up a lab in one of the biotech hubs of North America where tax incentives are offered. New York City offers tax credits to biotech companies in their region, but the program ends December 2012. States, like Maryland, California and Washington offer their own incentives to biotech companies. In fact, only 12 States don't offer credits but, like NYC, not all State incentives are permanent. The national tax credit program is not permanent either in the United States. The American program is renewed annually, which has reportedly been done 14 times. According to upstate New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4580640 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4580640 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/10/fda-approval-for-lupus-drug-benlysta.htm After delaying their decision for 3 months, last December, the FDA has come through with an approval for Benlysta, a drug for the treatment of lupus. The approval was announced in an FDA news release posted yesterday. According to the press release, Benlysta is injected directly into the bloodstream. The drug works by inhibiting B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) protein, in order to reduce the number of abnormal B cells. Although the exact causes of lupus are unknown, B cells have been implicated as a factor since the late 1990's (Chan et al., 1999). The disease is associated with hyperactivity of B cells which may be caused by abnormal B cell receptor signalling (Pugh-Bernard and Cambier, 2006)....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570090 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4570090 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/08/investor-relations-website-maximizes-startup-exposure.htm Readers often contact me with questions about how to get an idea to market, or a startup off the ground. There are lots of different ways to go about launching a startup, from how to get startup funding, to outsourcing different tasks and choosing a CSO to cover your scaleup and production needs. Working with a technical transfer organization might be the answer, if you're having diffculty choosing what's best for your company. Many universities have their own tech transfer departments nowadays, to help academic labs recognize the commercial potential of their discoveries. Quite often, for a private organization with venture support, the role of the venture capitalist includes that of mentor and expert advisor for technology transfer....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565337 Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4565337 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/05/biomod-competition-for-students.htm Harvard's Wyss Institute is sponsoring their first-ever competition for undergraduate university students, called BIOMOD. The BIOMOD contest challenges students to develop a nanostructures from DNA and other biomolecules. The biomolecular design competition is open to teams of undergraduates anywhere in the world, but all entries must be lead by at least one faculty advisor....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554264 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4554264 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/03/mark-your-vote-for-new-bioplastics-symbol.htm Cereplast is an American bioplastics producer that makes plastics and resins from plants like corn, potatoes, algae and wheat. Their products are used in a wide array of industries including injection molding and food packaging. In an effort to raise public awareness, they are sponsoring a contest to design a new symbol to put on all bioplastics, that will be recognized by all the same way the universally-used recycling symbol informs us that a product is recyclable or made from recycled materials. Entries can be submitted through the iizuu website....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544452 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4544452 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/03/02/bioengineered-solution-for-degenerative-disc-disease.htm As a former figure skater, I've taken a lot of falls in my life, and was told fairly early in adulthood that my lowest two intervertebral discs were partially degenerated. Several years later, this fact has made me somewhat cautious in my activities, as I wonder what would happen if they became damaged enough to cause me unbearable chronic pain. I never imagined that the biomedical industry would have an answer to this problem, which plagues the millions of people with degenerative disc disease....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540066 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4540066 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/27/1599.htm I was thinking today about the Monsanto/USDA/Roundup Ready Crops issue that I wrote about in my February 10 (2011) blog. I want to reiterate that I'm not in opposition of food and agricultural biotechnology. I do find that many of the groups in the coalition working with CFS to oppose GM crops, often come across as simply anti-biotech, anti-GMO, no matter what the scientific facts may be, and THAT rubs me the wrong way. While writing that blog I checked out the websites of the other organizations and it has occurred to me that there's something equally unnatural about the opposition to biotechnology. Consider the saying, "The one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable" (John F. Kennedy). It seems to me that to strive to maintain so-called "natural" seed lines, wi... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4527444 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4527444 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/24/biovest-making-a-comeback-with-cancer-vaccine.htm A reader wrote me at the start of the new year to let me know I'd missed out on one of the most successful comeback stories of 2010. According to my correspondent, David Kaine, Biovest International rebounded from Chapter 11 status shortly after announcing, on November 17, 2010, that they had made a breakthrough in their ACI vaccine called BiovaxAD. Phase III trials on the vaccine for Indolent Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) and Phase II trials for Mantle Cell Lymphoma, had been completed and the company announced their results in December at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. The personalized cancer vaccine was reportedly effective in patients in late stages of NHL which, like prostate cancer, is slow to progress. This is significant as it marks the second A... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4521562 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4521562 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/22/biomedical-treatments-from-the-sea.htm From the name, it sounds like Marinomed would be a company focussed on finding new biomedical treatments from marine sources. As a matter of fact, the last time Marinomed made the news, it WAS for a product derived from aquatic life, although their main objective is to fight viral infections and other respiratory problems....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4511721 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4511721 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/15/chromovert-bioindicator-platform-has-unlimited-potential.htm I love it when I'm writing about one topic and it opens the door to a whole new range of subjects. The only problem with that is it's very easy to get sidetracked by all the new and exciting biotechnologies and, the companies reporting them daily. That happened yesterday to some extent, because I discovered yet another interesting biotech company finding success in both the pharmaceutical and food industries....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482088 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:23:00 +0100 4482088 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/20/enzymes-in-the-edible-oil-industry.htm Food biotechnology doesn't just have to mean transgenic plants designed for higher yields or pesticide resistance. Don't forget that some of the first biotech methods were food-related, since the definition of biotechnology doesn't limit the industry to genetic engineering. The ability to manipulate natural processes by controlling gene expression came after, but there are many ways that these new methods are being used to change how we prepare foods, based on fermentation practices and our knowledge of how enzymes work....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501202 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4501202 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/15/is-chromocell-the-coca-cola-favorite.htm  Unlike Redpoint Bio, which is currently very small (employing only 11 people) and appears to be struggling, Chromocell Corporation appears to have it all together. The privately-owned company has a Nobel Prize winner on its advisory board, talented highly educated staff, and a potentially lucrative agreement with Coca-Cola. Look a little closer though, and you realize that, although this little biotech firm is looking good, it may only be because they are the new Coca-Cola favorite in the natural sweeteners race....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482087 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4482087 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/14/can-redpoint-bio-make-coca-cola-healthier.htm What was a company that strives to develop healthier foods and new treatments for diabetes, doing in collaboration with Coca-Cola? Redpoint Bio Corporation is a development-stage biotechnology company focused on food biotechnology. Their achievements include licensing of a Stevia plant-based all-natural sweetness enhancer Reb-C (aka: RP44), which some believe will replace the Stevia leaf product Reb-A, an actual sweetener, in commercial products like soft drinks. Reb-C makes possible the use of lower amounts of sugar in food products, while still maintaining the flavor of real sugar and avoiding the need for artificial products....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477047 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4477047 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/10/usda-in-defiance-of-courts.htm In a rare turn of events, I have to say this time I'm picking a side over a controversial issue, and it's not the side you'd expect. I've been reading up on the "Roundup Ready" sugarbeat (RRSB) story. Monsanto, the producer of Roundup, has also produced a number of GM plants with resistance to the herbicide. A coalition of farmers and conservation groups: the Center for Food Safety, Organic Seed Alliance, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and the Sierra Club, have repeatedly fought to keep the sugarbeat, Roundup Ready alfalfa, soybeans and other crops, off farmers' fields. Their reasons for opposition include claims that the crops encourage increased use of pesticides and the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds. There have also been reports that the GM crops are more susceptable to disease and n... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459298 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4459298 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/07/quick-facts-on-tobacco-mosaic-virus.htm A reader wrote to ask me if tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is a type of retrovirus. TMV is a virus that attacks (no surprise here...) tobacco plants. It is closely related to the tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) which infects tomatos. Other plants that are susceptible to these types of virus include peppers and ornamentals like petunias and snapdragons. I did already know that the TMV has been widely studied, because it's a commonly used vector for cloning foreign proteins into plants. Not knowing the answer to the above question myself, however, I had to look it up and discovered a few more cool things about the TMV....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4449838 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4449838 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/03/projects-of-the-biomarkers-consortium.htm The objective of the project is to identify biomarkers of Alzheimer's in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, that can be used to diagnose, and track the progression of, the disease....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436397 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4436397 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/01/the-value-of-a-good-cso.htm When writing about the advances of biomedical research, I sometimes forget about the important role CSOs play in the industry. It's not something that smart executives in the drug discovery business often forget anymore, since there are so many different options for outsourcing to save companies time, money and resources. Working for a CSO is probably a pretty good career choice too, especially if your interests lie in areas like fermentation or process engineering....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4428502 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:51:21 +0100 4428502 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/02/02/phase-iii-trials-for-lung-cancer-vaccine.htm The subject of cancer vaccines is one I find extremely interesting. I think the reason for this is when I first started studying biochemistry, not a lot was known about cancer and I was skeptical that we'd ever find a cure. In fact, back then, "cancer" meant any one of the many different kinds, with different causes, that we now know to exist....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4428501 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4428501 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/30/dna-scaffold-assists-nanocrystal-formation.htm DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) has become a household name, known for being the biopolymer that comprises our genes and contains the code for how we're formed and how our bodies operate. What you may not know, is the characteristics of DNA have also made it a useful tool in nanotechnology for controlling how nanoparticle clusters are formed in the laboratory. Since DNA consists of pairs of nucleotide bases, researchers can make synthetic DNA strands capped with different types of nanoparticles, and create aggregates of a desired structure by allowing the DNA to hybridize with complementary strands. This technique was presented in 2007 at the 234th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society by Dr. Mathew Maye of the Brookhaven National Laboratory....Read Full Post (Source: About.co... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4418579 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4418579 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/27/biopolymers-improve-sophorolipid-acne-treatment.htm You only need to watch prime time TV for about 10 minutes to realize that fighting acne has become a big business. The world's top music and movie stars can be seen nightly touting their triumph over acne-cursed lives, and the products that saved them. In this weeks issue of New Biotechnology, Ashby et al. claim that over $100 million is spent annually in the USA, on anti-acne formulas. The authors of this paper describe a new means of delivering antimicrobial compounds called sophorolipids (SLs) to the bacterium Propionibacterium acnes, the gram positive faculative anaerobe generally responsible for causing acne....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411120 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4411120 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/24/1543.htm Metabolomics is just another of the latest "-omics" in biotechnology, but, looking at the accomplishments of Metabolon, you'd think this field of study had been around forever. Metabolon is a privately held company located in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park. This small biotech company, employing less than 100 people, was founded in 2000 but holds over 100 patents. Metabolomics is their forte, and the company has carved out a niche for providing biochemical profiling services to both academic and commercial laboratories. Their platforms are based on biomarkers discovered through the use of metabolomic research methods. On December 20, 2010, Metabolon announced that their global profiling technology had been used to determine that sickle cell disease, in a mouse model, was linked to... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4393663 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4393663 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/19/photomodifiers-enhance-control-over-antigene-therapy.htm Since the discovery of siRNA, companies like Silence Therapeutics, Sirna Therapeutics and AVI Biopharma have been racing to apply the Nobel prize-winning technology to biopharmaceutical treatments. The RNA-based antigene therapies have limitations, however, that include concerns over chronic use and the need to target thousands of mRNA molecules per cell in order to control expression of a gene product....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377026 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:39:37 +0100 4377026 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/20/positive-predictions-from-j-p-morgan-healthcare-conference.htm J.P. Morgan's Annual Healthcare Conference was held last week in one of North America's top biotechnology hubs, San Francisco, with over 8500 attendees. According to reports on this year's meeting, the buzz was all about the upswing in biotech stock values towards the end of 2010, and optimistic predictions for 2011 (Raynovich, 2011). Although there were fewer early-stage companies presenting, probably because of reduced availability of financing, the mid-to-large size companies that attended had solid pipelines and reported financial stability....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377025 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4377025 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/16/the-evolution-of-innocentive.htm Two years ago I blogged about the website InnoCentive, a page that provides a forum for companies seeking new ideas to find innovative answers to their needs. Creative minds with expertise in all sorts of areas, including the life sciences, can bid on projects with budgets anywhere from $5,000 to $1,000,000 USD. For example, this week, $20K is offered for a solution to making a partially immortalized cell line for multiple sclerosis (MS) research and a million is offered for a biomarker of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355388 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4355388 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/13/will-you-donate-your-eggs.htm Would you donate your eggs to be used in the generation of parthenogenetic stem cells? Parthenogenensis is  "a type of asexual reproduction in which an organism develops from an unfertilized egg", as described by International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO). ISCO's patented technology for generating stem cells from unfertilized oocytes sidesteps the ethical issues that arise from destruction of embryos to derive human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Yet the pluripotency of human parthogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) is the same, and the benefits to using unfertilized eggs as the source are greater....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349063 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4349063 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/11/agricultural-biotech-giant-dupont-investing-in-enzymes.htm DuPont is already a world leader in agricultural biotechnology, in addition to being the manufacturer of the controversial Bt Corn. DuPont research is aimed at addressing common problems plaguing farmers worldwide, like pests and unpredictable weather patterns. DuPont's pipeline includes the likes of drought-tolerant corn, generated from a combination of transgenic and natural hybrids. Other products by DuPont include plastics, laminates, lubricants and a variety of healthcare products....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337151 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4337151 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/06/advanced-cell-technology-on-the-mend.htm One more Small Biotech company review and I'm giving it a break for Friday. Here's my last pick for the week... There's no doubt that in 2011 we will see much more progress in all areas of stem cell research. In November 2010, Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) became the second company to obtain FDA approval for clinical trials with human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The first company to achieve this goal, Geron Corp., isn't particularly small, but ACT is a small company employing only about 14 people full-time and this is a company worthy of recognition because of its longevity and ability to recover from hard times....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322118 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4322118 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/05/apeiron-biologics-a-leading-peformer-in-2010.htm The prestigious European Biotechnica Award is presented annually at the Biotechnica event for biotechnology and life sciences. The candidate must be an established company no younger than 3 years, but that has at least 2 years experience in the biotechnology or life sciences markets. Companies must have a turnover of product in the past year, but no more than 300 million euros worth. The 2010 winner, Galapagos, was announced in October 2010. Galapagos is catagorized as a medium-size company, so it doesn't fit the bill for my "best" small companies theme this week, but one of the runner-ups, Apeiron Biologics, is certainly an impressive example of a small biotech....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4317895 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4317895 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/03/chrontech-dna-vaccines-thriving-in-2010.htm DNA vaccines are an up-and-coming solution to some of the more persistent and potentially lethal viruses that can infect humans. The idea is to use a plasmid vector for delivering the antigen gene into host cells. There are many small companies working towards improvement of DNA vaccines and, while you might not have heard of any of them, several are on the forefront of the biotechnology research and on the verge of exploding onto the biopharmaceuticals scene. DNA vaccines might also someday (soon) start replacing already existing antigen-based vaccines too, because of improved efficacy and safety. I'll save my list of pro and cons of DNA vaccines for another day, but suffice to say my small biotechnology company pick of the day is ChronTech Pharma AB (formally known as Tripep).... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309040 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 21:31:54 +0100 4309040 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/04/worst-of-2010-helicos-biosciences.htm I know I said I'd write all week about some of the best small biotechnology companies of 2010, but since I was so disappointed last night to find out that Helicos BioSciences, one of my favourite small biotech companies, doesn't seem to be doing so well, I decided to post a "worst-of" instead....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309039 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4309039 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/02/top-small-biotech-companies-of-2010.htm I've been asked to put together a list of the top small biotech companies which, in my opinion, is a rather daunting task because I don't believe I could possibly be informed enough to know of all the small biotechs in the world, and how well they're performing. However, I can at least try to put together a list of companies that I HAVE run across in my research and reading, and that I think are making significant contributions to the biotechnology/ biomedical industry. Therefore, for the next week, I will provide a brief profile each day on a small biotechnology firm that has caught my eye. Please forgive me if I miss your favourite....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4304732 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4304732 http://biotech.about.com/b/2011/01/01/biotech-predictions-for-2011.htm Happy New Year everyone! There's no doubt in my mind that during the next decade we will see biotechnology come of age, maturing into a source of everyday household products like never before. I believe the rate of biotech advancement will continue to escalate, with proteomics and genomics discoveries leading the way to biomedical applications that were the subject of science fiction two decades ago: things like personalized medicine, tissue engineering, smart polymers and nanorobots....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302814 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4302814 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/28/will-we-see-a-dino-chicken-in-2011.htm Did anyone else miss the 60 Minutes episode on the Dino Chicken and controverial paleontologist Jack Horner the first time around (in November 2009) and catch it just this week in a re-run? What's really cool about the show is Horner's prediction that some day in the not-too-distant future, scientists might actually create a chicken-dinosaur hybrid (a Dino Chicken), by altering the epigenetic signals in chicken eggs....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4293172 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4293172 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/23/life-of-a-protein.htm The lifespan of a protein isn't very long. In fact, some proteins are quite labile. For that reason, protein recycling is an ongoing proess within our cells. The synthesis of a protein starts via a process called "translation", which is mediated by ribosomes (rRNA-protein complexes). Chaperone proteins (chaperonins) bind the lengthening polypeptide to keep it from folding prematuring and incorrectly, but once the sequence is complete, these are removed and the protein folds into its proper secondary and tertiary structures. Some proteins are part of quaternary structures, which involve forming complexes with other proteins....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4287239 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4287239 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/23/life-of-a-protein.htm The lifespan of a protein isn't very long. In fact, some proteins are quite labile. For that reason, protein recycling is an ongoing proess within our cells. The synthesis of a protein starts via a process called "translation", which is mediated by ribosomes (rRNA-protein complexes). Chaperone proteins (chaperonins) bind the lengthening polypeptide to keep it from folding prematuring and incorrectly, but once the sequence is complete, these are removed and the protein folds into its proper secondary and tertiary structures. Some proteins are part of quaternary structures, which involve forming complexes with other proteins....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4284749 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4284749 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/20/my-favorite-blogs-of-2010.htm Looking back through my blogs for 2010, I decided tonight to list some of my favorite discoveries and biotechnology advances. I can tell the future just about as well as anyone else, which means don't buy your stocks based on MY gut feeling, but something tells me these are a few stories that we will see more of in the next 5-10 years....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4274919 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4274919 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/15/developments-in-personalized-medicine.htm Personalized medicine, once the fodder of sci-fi movies, has become a reality. By now, the idea that different people have different reactions to certain drugs is common knowledge, but we don't always know why. One of the many approaches to personalized medicine is using our knowledge of the human genome, and genetic polymorphisms to figure out the genetic basis of drug pharmacokinetics. Other forms of personalized medicine in development that you might not be as familiar with include use of one's own stem cells to generate personalized tissues for transplant or treatment of diseases and personalized cancer vaccines to delay disease progression and prolong survival. Success in the latter area of study was reported this past summer, by a company called Northwest Biotheraputics. Their... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4264439 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:02:20 +0100 4264439 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/16/more-anticancer-immunotherapies.htm The personalized cancer vaccine I wrote about yesterday is just one of several approaches making news in the biotechnology industry, for targeting and eradicating cancer cells. Here are three more examples: TapImmune Inc., located in Seattle, has developed a technique for enhancing the immune system response to tumors. Their TAP protocol (AdhTAP) makes use of the TAP transporter to increase the number of antigens on the outside of cancer cells, which allows the T-cells to recognize tumors easier and faster. Dendreon Corporation has been in the personalized cancer treatment market for longer than most, and recently achieved success with FDA approval of their drug PROvenge, for treatment of prostate cancer. Although the exact mechanism of PROvenge is unknown, it is deisgned to stren... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4264438 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4264438 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/13/high-bio-tech-christmas-gifts.htm It's that time of year again and, if you're anything like me, time, to find the perfect Christmas gift for everyone on your list, is running out. A new idea hit my inbox last week, from a company offering DNA sequencing scans on your loved ones, and an interpretation of their pre-historic ancestry. The advertisement was sent by a company called Genelex, a paternity testing company located in one of North America's biggest biotech hubs, in Seattle, WA, USA. They claim they can tell you which of 33 maternal or 18 paternal clans you came from, or what percent you are of four ethnic groups (East Asian, European, Native American or African).  Maternal lineage determinations are based on an RFLP analysis, that looks for similar changes in mitochondrial DNA to other samples, and traces them to ... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258019 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4258019 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/09/filing-an-adverse-event-report.htm Awhile ago a reader wrote me to fill me in on some facts regarding SUSARs and the reporting system for adverse  effects to drugs or biologics in the USA. It took me long enough, but I've made some corrections to the article. We are lucky to live in an age where the sharing of information, such as adverse drug reactions, can be a global and instantaneous process. Electronic filing of SUSARs in the UK is mandatory as of September 1, 2010. To file an AER in the USA (or a VAER; Vaccine Adverse Effect Report) can still be filed in paper format, but if you file electronically, it must be in xml format, to be compatible with the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH)-E2B....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4248575 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4248575 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/04/nutrient-supplementation-methods.htm It makes perfect sense that, in order to reep full benefits of a transgenic organism during bioprocessing of a new biopharmaceutical, you would want to grow as dense a cell culture, as quickly as possible, with the highest output of the bioproduct, as possible. To achieve that end, a batch culture is not always the best choice of fermentation method, since depletion of nutrients and a build-up of waste products is likely to limit the length of the log-phase growth of the culture, thus limiting productivity. For that reason, it is common practice to supplement the fermentation mixture with nutrients at some point after innoculation, either by Fed-Batch Supplementation, Continuous Supplementation, or another technique, called Perfusion Culture, which involves some kind of built in cell c... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4230037 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4230037 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/12/02/non-research-job-options-in-biotechnology.htm Do you love biochemistry, chemistry or chemical engineering, but don't feel the creative urge to do discovery research and new drug development? Maybe you don't have that innovative drive, or maybe you just don't like the repetitive nature of RE-search. If you're one of those people, there are plenty of other types of career opportunities in biotechnology open to you. The one example that was brought to my attention this morning was CSO biopharmaceutical manufacturing. There is still an element of innovation and trouble-shooting, as new production lines are develped for new clients but, by this stage, the discovery process is over and probably most of the formulation issues have been ironed out. System design, and process intensification are options for chemical engineers, necessary ... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4224137 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4224137 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/29/outsourcing-to-a-cdmo-saves-time.htm If you're looking for new, improved outsourcing model to get your product from the pipeline to market faster, consider this: It might be tempting to approach each challenge one at a time, from proof of concept, to benchscale development, and then the scaleup, once clinical trials are half over, but this strategy will, in many cases, prove inefficient. Contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) know that formulation and product supply planning can go hand in hand. Your best bet is to combine the specialized knowledge of formulations scientists with expertise of the manufacturing and quality assurance engineers early on in the process. Collaboration of the two can result in more direct technology transfer and faster progress when solving formulation problems. A CDMO ... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4212897 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4212897 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/23/cytori-regenerative-medicine-with-adipose-stem-cells.htm Many thanks to reader Tom Baker, who works in investor relations for a company called Cytori. About ten years ago, Cytori was founded by a team of researchers including those involved in the literature I cited (Perin is a co-investigator and Zuk's then supervisor is now Cytori's President). One of the company objectives is to develop a bedside device for quickly and affordably extracting adipose tissue from a patient. If they manage it, the device will bring regenerative medicine and therapeutic cloning to a whole new level - in situ tissue engineering with your own stem cells. Say goodbye to bioethics issues of using embryonic stem cells or xenotransplantation....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4196314 Sun, 21 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4196314 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/21/tummy-tuck-stem-cells-for-regenerative-medicine.htm Headline news, on my talk radio station on Friday morning, was that scientists had manged to use stem cells from adipose (belly fat) tissue obtained from people during tummy-tucks, for some sort of biomedical/regenerative medicine purpose. I'm not sure just why this was newsworthy. I admit I missed the main "just" of the story, as I was driving, but a very quick search online revealed a plethera of research reports dating back to at least 2002, covering the subject. In 2002, Zuk et al. reported that adipose tissue contains a type of multipotent cells called processed lipoaspirate (PLA) cells. (Multipotent is not to be confused with pluripotent - multipotent cells can differentiate into a limited number of different types of cell line)....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedi... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4189361 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4189361 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/18/antibacterial-properties-of-dog-saliva-fact-or-fiction.htm Since getting a new puppy last week I've been asking myself if it's really true that dog saliva has antibacterial properties and, if so, why aren't the components of the saliva being used to make new drugs? Apparently I'm not the only person to ask that. If you look online you see all kinds of forums where someone is wondering the same thing. The question has been the topic of science fair experiments and even the occasional study in more sophisticated research labs. In 1975, Heddle and Rowley found that secretory immunoglobin A (IgA) antibodies, found in dog saliva, had limited antibacteria properties, particularly against the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, that could be used to fight infection in living mice. In 1990, a team from the University of Davis, California reported, in an article... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4178766 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4178766 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/14/buckyballs-found-in-space.htm The following doesn't have a whole lot to do with biotechnology, but it's definitely newsworthy and pertains to a discovery that has lead to leading edge biomedical research. Buckyballs are one of many types of nanoparticles that have been found useful to the biomedical industry. The carbon-based spherical nanoparticles were first experimentally created by chemists from Rice Unversity and University of Sussex.  The collaborators, Richard Smalley, Robert Curl and Harold Kroto, won the 1985 Nobel Prize for Physics for synthesis of buckyballs. Their research was based on the hypothesis that the carbon-based lattice-like structures would form naturally in carbon-rich, hydrogen-poor aging stars. Buckyballs are part of the class of particles used in nanomedicine called fullerenes, which h... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167159 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4167159 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/11/bioplastic-plant-bottles-invading-north-america.htm I had just got off the plane and was absolutely parched, so I put my $3 in the airport vending machine (yes, three dollars!!) and soon found myself in possession of one of the latest biotech innovations in household use. The bioplastic water bottle that I bought was one of several "invasive species" spreading throughout the bottled water industry this year, all of which (that I know of) are fully compostable, as opposed to plain old biomass plastics, whose structure mimics petroleum-based polymers. Companies like Prima, Re:newal and Biota are packaging their water in 100% corn-based plastic. The brand I bought in Edmonton was the "Plant Bottle" by Dasani (owned by Coca Cola). Their plant-based bottle is only sold in Western parts of Canada, the US and Denmark, so I hadn't encountered it b... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4158454 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4158454 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/05/1366.htm AVI Biopharma has been around for a long time, but lately is seeing a series of rapid progressions that could lead to their first FDA approval. One of these changes is new sources of research funding, much needed for the 20+ year old company that has yet to put something on the market. In a press release on Wednesday, AVI announced they were in receipt of five government grants, totalling $1.2 million, to further develop their RNA technology. The awards were granted for their research on Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and four infectious diseases and are part of the U.S. Government's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QDTP) program for research in areas where there is "significant unmet clinical needs" (J. David Boyle II, CEO)....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Bi... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4138607 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4138607 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/01/extremophiles-from-african-soda-lakes.htm It started with the Discovery Channel show about the Great Rift Valley in Africa. I'd never the explanation before, for what makes pink flamingos pink. Apparently it's from eating the red algae that flourish in these toxic soda lakes, but, being me, I wanted details. What exactly is the biochemical process that allows the flamingos to exist in such a harsh environment - one that is considerably hazardous to human tissues?...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4132599 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:52:10 +0100 4132599 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/11/02/amniocytes-the-future-of-vaccines.htm It's flu season again, at least in my corner of the world, and - do you think we're any further ahead in the vaccine department than we were last year? Well, there's been one development catch my eye just recently, and that was in a news release by CEVEC Pharmaceuticals in September, that described extremely high virus titers in human CAP cells when infected with the influenza virus. The CAP cell line is a stable, immortal cell line derived from human amniocytes. An amniocyte is a fetal cell suspended in the amniotic fluid, the same cells used for prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders like Down's Syndrome, Zellweger Syndrome or Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. These are not to be confused with pluripotent cell lines derived from embryonic stem cells....Read Full Post (Source: About.com... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4132598 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4132598 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/28/inhibition-of-translocater-proteins-halts-superbug-invasion.htm I need to finish the second half of my story about new patents protecting innovative ways to fight Superbugs. It has been pretty much established that bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics through three main mechanisms. The first is by having internal systems capable of active transport of the drug out of the cell. The second means of resistance comes if gene mutations arise in the microorganism that slightly change the antibiotic target molecule (their own built-in enzyme optimization system). The third is formation of enzymes that can destroy the drug. My previous blog introduced a patent for compounds that address this third mechanism, and destroy the enzymes that destroy the drug....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4132600 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:53:59 +0100 4132600 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/28/inhibition-of-translocater-proteins-halts-superbug-invasion.htm I need to finish the second half of my story about new patents protecting innovative ways to fight Superbugs. It has been pretty much established that bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics through three main mechanisms. The first is by having internal systems capable of active transport of the drug out of the cell. The second means of resistance comes if gene mutations arise in the microorganism that slightly change the antibiotic target molecule (their own built-in enzyme optimization system). The third is formation of enzymes that can destroy the drug. My previous blog introduced a patent for compounds that address this third mechanism, and destroy the enzymes that destroy the drug....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4117180 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4117180 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/21/new-beta-lactamase-inhibitors-to-fight-superbugs.htm Two interesting new patents were filed in Canada last month, both aimed at addressing the problem of "Superbugs" and their growing resistance to antibiotics of the beta-lactam family (penicillin-like antibiotics). The first solution was filed by a team from the University of Waterloo lead by Dr. Gary Dmitrienko (patent WO2009/114921). The patent is for compounds that have been found to inhibit Class B and Class D Lactamases. The Lactam family of antibiotics all have a four-atom ring structure knowns as beta-Lactam. Lacatmases are enzymes produced by some bacteria that break that ring, resulting in inactivation of the antibiotic. If the enzyme is inhibited, the antibiotic is not destroyed and can fight off infection as intended....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4096091 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:06:09 +0100 4096091 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/22/glycomics-and-up-and-coming-field.htm Every so often a new niche of biotechnology research gains enough interest and attention to get its own name. Fields of study like proteomics and genomics started off as just branches of biochemistry and genetics research, but eventually the new terms caught on and anyone working in those areas were considered to have "specialized" in that field. The latest new term is glycomics, a "frontier field" that's taking off, according to Jeremy Turnbull of the University of Liverpool, guest editor for last months issue of OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, Special Focus on Glycomics....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4096090 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4096090 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/16/no-non-fish-foreign-dna-in-aquabounty-salmon.htm My inquiry to AquaBounty Technologies, regarding the construction of their transgenic Salmon, was responded to very quickly by both the media relations staff and the Director of Research, John Buchanan. According to Mr. Buchanan, standard microinjection techniques were used to inject DNA from the Chinook Salmon into eggs of the Atlantic Salmon. Only the single fish gene and an associated promoter region, were transferred. This means nothing you wouldn't ordinarily consume if you ate a Chinook Salmon (i.e. typical vectors used for other types of genetic research, from viruses or bacteria) have been inserted into the Atlantic species....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4076684 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4076684 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/13/what-bothers-you-most-about-gm-foods.htm On September 29th I recieved an email from the Center for Food Safety noting a press release in which they applaud the 39 US Representatives and Senators that have halted the approval of a GMO for human consumption by the FDA. The food item, Aquabounty transgenic salmon (produced by Aquabounty Technologies), has a single genetic modification that results in "more rapid growth and early development", according to the company....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4064757 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4064757 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/10/thermophiles-tissue-formation-and-snowball-earth.htm The National Film Board of Canada has put together a 5-part documentary series called Miracle Planet. This morning I watched Part 2: Snowball Earth, on Discovery World. The show first caught my eye because they were showing researchers in Iceland searching for unique thermophiles for research and new industrial uses. The ability of these organisms to survive extreme conditions is part of the story of how microorganisms have evolved into larger single cell organisms and then eventually into multi-celled organisms and oxygen-utilizing eukaryotes. The Snowball Earth Theory is one of how two extreme glaciation events altered the earth's atmosphere and contributed to oxygenation of the planet. A later portion of the segment discusses how the presence of oxygen on earth facilitated the evolutio... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4053140 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4053140 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/04/nobel-prize-for-in-vitro-fertilization.htm The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded today, to physiologist Dr. Robert Edwards, for the development of in vitro fertilization. The award is considered unique in that it's the first time it has been given for research in the area of reproductive science. The announcement can be viewed via an online video, along with a brief outline of Dr. Edwards' work, which began in the late 1950's. In addition to the many challenges he faced with respect to determining how to maintain the viability of human eggs after harvest, fertilization and implantation, he faced opposition by those concerned with the bioethical issues surrounding the science of "test tube" babies....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4030417 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4030417 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/30/simultaneous-prion-research-paying-off.htm There's a Canadian link to the prion link to cancer that I thought you might find interesting. Canadian researchers working on vaccines to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer and elk have uncovered a connection between this disease and certain common cancers in humans. Simultaneous research against various prion diseases is being done through the Network of Centres of Excellence for research. So far the collaborative effort has resulted in first-ever testing of antibodies against prions, for treatment of cancer. New therapies are being tested on mice with clinical trials anticipated in four to five years. The research is based on the finding that, during disease development, prion misfolding exposes certain regions that can be targeted by antibodies, and that prions... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022171 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:11:26 +0100 4022171 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/10/01/bubble-plot-of-biopharma-data.htm Last year, BioProcess International sent me a really fun poster summarizing the First 30 Years of Biopharmaceuticals. I was checking it out today (fall cleaning!) and thought I should share it with you, partly because of the uniqueness of the format, the simplicity with which they portrayed some complex information, and partly because some of the simple facts that it provides are among the things everyone learning about the biotech industry should know. The content of the poster is US-approved recombinant cell culture products. The presentation format is a bubble plot, which uses colors and bubble sizes, in addition to traditional graphing, to visualize data....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022170 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4022170 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/24/the-prion-link-to-cancer.htm Prions are small molecules that are mainly made up of protein, and appear to contain no nucleic acids. Despite apparently having no genetic material, they can still transmit diseases in humans and animals. Providing convincing evidence that the protein is the infectious agent of the prion, are reports that prions and the diseases they spread are resistant to treatments that modify nucleic acids....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3998081 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3998081 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/21/array-technologies-finding-widespread-use.htm When you think about it, the study of nutrition, and consumption of food, something we all do every day, are both actually applications of biotechnology. There are many definitions of biotechnology but they all lean in the direction of the one I've chosen for About Biotech, and that is "the art of utilizing living organisms and their products for the production of food, drink, medicine or for other benefits to the human race, or other animal species." As time goes on, laboratory techniques that were once restricted to the realm of biomedical research, are making their way into other areas of research and industrial applications. For example, genomics, and other methods utilizing arrays, are actively used in areas of environmental biotechnology such as bioremediation, for detecting soil org... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3992731 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3992731 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/16/human-o-glycosylation-activity-in-tobacco-plants.htm One of the chief applications of agricultural biotechnology is to use plants to produce proteins (such as antibodies, or antigens for vaccines) for human medicinal use and/or research purposes. This will potentially eliminate the need for sacrificial animal "incubators", and significantly reduce the costs of certain drugs, while making mass production more cost-effective. One of the main roadblocks to universal drug production using plants is the fact that post-translational modifications in plants are not always the same as in animals. One such modification that has received little research attention is O-glycosylation in plants....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976106 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3976106 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/14/biotech-battling-the-spread-of-superbugs.htm Medical tourism has made headlines lately, as the threat posed by the spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms becomes a global problem. Online news reports (Marchione, 2010) announced yesterday that three different strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria have now been identified in the United States, and predicted that we are on the verge of a health crisis. Amid this threat, researchers are using every biotech tool for protein purification, gene cloning etc. at their disposal in attempts to identify, track, and treat infections with the most virulent strains. This month in Lancet, a combination epidemiological/molecular study was reported that tracked the multi-drug resistant Enterobacteriaceae that have made their way from India and Pakistan to the UK, apparently primarily via m... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3968618 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3968618 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/09/4-societal-concerns-with-biotech.htm The field of biotechnology is fast-paced and rapidly changing. Often, the pace at which new technologies are developed far exceeds that of regulatory change and adaptation, which generates significant bioethics issues, especially since many of the new developments are those that impact human lives directly through what we eat, drink and medications we take. Many scientists and regulators are very aware of this disconnect, thus the rules for things like stem cell research, patenting genetic inventions and new drug development are constantly changing. The relatively recent emergence of genomics and methods for creating artificial genes present new threats to the environment and the human race as a whole. Here are four societal concerns arising from these technologies:...Read Full Pos... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3953431 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3953431 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/08/pcr-inspired-personalized-artwork-by-dna11.htm DNA11 is a novel Canadian company that makes works of art from your own DNA. Just swab your cheek and send them a sample, and the company will create a unique piece of art to hang in your livingroom. The creations are colorful blown-up photographs of the agarose gel that is run after amplification of your DNA by PCR. I am completely in love with the idea, pioneered by the company that also offers fingerprint and kiss portraits. They even let you create combination DNA portraits, with your DNA and that of loved ones, and, this biotechnology product can also be produced on a large-scale (to hang over the couch) or on a "mini", benchtop (dresser or desktop)-scale size....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946092 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3946092 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/06/free-giveaway-for-biotech-job-hunters.htm Awhile ago I reviewed the book "Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development, and overall I quite liked it. I've been cleaning house and wanted to share my copy of this book with one of my readers. There's a price to pay though, you have to respond to one of the "Readers Respond"  (User Answers) pages at the Biotech/Biomedical site, and you must be a fan of my facebook page. Look for details at the About Biotech facebook page. (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3938069 Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3938069 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/05/genomic-research-rapid-advances-changing-lives.htm Hockey season is gearing up again and, living in Canada, it's hard not to pay at least a little bit of attention to what's going on. I got thinking this morning about former Maple Leaf Jason Blake, and the story of his battle with cancer. I'm not tuned in to hockey every day and just learned of his story, so if you already knew about it, please bear with me...but I think it's an inspiring example of what the biomedical industry can do to bring hope to those with cancer....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3935726 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3935726 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/09/02/new-findings-in-superbug-research.htm In a letter released today by Nature, scientists from Harvard University demonstrate what they describe as "charitable" behavior among cultures of bacteria with antibiotic resistance. The development of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microorganisms is a growing medical problem. Researchers are scrambling to understand how resistance develops and is passed between organisms, in order to fight the proliferation of "Superbugs": Bacteria with multi-drug resistance. The authors of the Nature paper (Lee et al., 2010) have found that individual microorganisms, within a culture of drug-resistant E. coli, vary widely in terms of differences in their ability to survive. The biochemical indole, produced by microorganisms, triggers drug efflux pumps and oxidative stress responses, helping... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3928585 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3928585 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/30/prenatal-bpa-exposure-and-meotic-disturbances-in-mice.htm A new study was published online this weekend that may lend support to the argument against using bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics. BPA is a chemical used in water bottles and packaging for consumer products that helps to make the plastic rigid.  Over the past few years, concerns have arisen over the amount of BPA that leaches into our food and beverages, and what effects ingestion of those concentrations have on our bodies. BPA is known to be an endocrine disruptor, meaning it interferes with normal hormone activities in our bodies....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920224 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3920224 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/25/new-bacterial-enzyme-for-cyclodextrin-production.htm Cyclodextrins (CDs) are circular chains of sugars used in the food and pharmaceutical industries for a variety of purposes. CDs typically consist of 6 to 9 D-(+) glucopyranose units attached by alpha-(1, 4) glucosidic bonds. They form a 3-dimensional structure with a lipophilic inner layer and are hydrophilic on the outside, which makes them ideal for encapsulating or solubilizing other molecules. These biomolecules are a product of fermentation and have many uses in the biotechnology industry. Just about every processed food you eat probably contains some cyclodextrins in one form or another, to help stabilize flavors and prevent contamination. Pharmaceutical uses include production of different types of nanoparticles for drug delivery, particularly for proteins and genes, due to their ef... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902526 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3902526 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/23/medicinal-properties-of-a-common-garden-bush.htm If you have a garden, you probably have, in your front or back yard, the treatment for a number of different types of cancer. The Yew is a popular ornamental bush for gardens around the world. It has soft, evergreen needles, is a hardy plant and stays an attractive green year round, even in harsh northern climates. But did you know that the Yew produces a compound that has already been approved for treatment of breast, ovary and certain lung cancers? The compound is called paclitaxel, sold under the tradename TaxolTM by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Although Taxol is generally now synthesized, the initial process of extracting it from plants is an ideal example of agricultural biotechnology....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895328 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3895328 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/20/a-simplified-sumoylation-assay-for-drug-screening.htm SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) is a small polypeptide that binds reversibly to proteins and influences their structure and activity. It is a post-translational protein modifier, acting in a similar fashion to other processes you may have heard about like acetylation or phosphorylation, that are found in cell signalling cascades. The process of protein modification with SUMO is called SUMOylation....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3888735 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3888735 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/19/overexpression-of-methyl-donor-same-in-e-coli.htm S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) is a biomolecule that our bodies produce naturally, for a multitude of purposes. It is essential to our well-being and is one of the most active donors of methyl groups in our cells. From my recent blogs, you probably now have an idea how important DNA methylation is, as an epigenetic factor in gene expression, and how too much or too little methylation can be a major factor in the development of cancer or other genetic diseases. SAMe levels appear to decline as we age, and can be correlated with other disorders besides cancer, including depression and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. For this reason, Detchanamurthy et al. (2010) have embarked on a mission to produce transgenic E. coli strains that overproduce SAMe in fermentation units, for therap... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3884845 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3884845 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/18/applications-for-epigenetic-biomarkers-in-cancer-management.htm I had one more blog to do, on pharmaco-epigenetic research, when I saw that intriguing Discovery Channel documentary over the weekend, but am now back on topic to close off what I've learned in the past two weeks about how epigenetic research is being used to study cancer and other diseases, and discover new biomarkers for disease. The process of determining DNA alterations that don't include the actual nucleotide sequence, is known as epigenetic mapping. At present, this is a complicated process, since histone and chromatin structure are poorly preserved during sample preparation in the laboratory. DNA methylation is a covalent modification that is better preserved, therefore a more reliable means of epigenetic mapping. There are three potential applications for epigenetic markers i... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880343 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3880343 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/15/power-graphs-analysis-of-six-degrees-in-protein-interactions.htm Are you curious about cascades and information networks in cells? Have you wondered if there are patterns to protein interactions? Are you interested in computational biology? This is a little out of my realm, but yesterday I watched a documentary on Discovery called "Six Degrees of Separation" that attempts to explain how cellular networks operate, in layman's terms. Everyone has heard of the "Six Degrees" theory. This show talks about it in terms of social networks AND natural processes. I had a hard time following but if this sort of thing is your forte, check out the documentary, or papers like the one by Royer et al. (2008) where software called Power Graphs was used to study protein-protein interaction networks and to show clustering of transcription factors and target genes.... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3868562 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3868562 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/13/epigenetic-cancer-therapies-synergistic-with-conventional-treatments.htm The use of pharmaco-epigenomics has already lead to the approval of several drugs for treatment of different types of cancer. These drugs work by reversing epigenetic changes that have lead to development of the disease. According to Claes et al. (2010), two gene families have received the bulk of attention in recent years, as targets for pharmaco-epigenomic therapy, the HDAC (histone deacetylase) and DNMT (DNA methyltransferase) families. These inhibitors seem to be most effective for treating hemaologic malignancies (e.g. the DNMT inhibitor decitabine), and are not as useful for solid tumors, but there is a lot of potential for use of compounds like these in synergism with more conventional cancer therapies. For example, synergistic treatments might allow reduced doses of more traditiona... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3864881 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3864881 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/09/epigenomics-in-leukemia-research.htm The new field of Pharmaco-Epigenomics is being applied for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of leukemia, according to research to be published this month in the journal Epigenetics. Tong et al. (2010) have used genome-wide DNA methylation profiling to study epigenetic markers and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Prior research has linked excessive DNA methylation with reduced transcription of tumor suppressor genes, and revealed that specific methylation patterns in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can be used to predict a patient's prognosis. Likewise, DNA methylation in patients with CLL shows distinct patterns. Tong et al. found bias towards certain chromosomes and when they investigated genes on chromosomes 17 and 11, they found those alterations appeared linked to poo... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3848429 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3848429 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/04/pharmaco-epigenomics-an-emerging-new-approach-to-cancer-therapy.htm There's a new area of biomedical research emerging from the fields of epigenetics, genomics and cancer therapy, called pharmaco-epigenomics. This title encompasses research programs that investigate cancer-causing genetic alterations not related to the DNA sequences of genes. These epigenetic changes include histone modifications such as acetylation and DNA methylation, two predominant mechanisms of control over gene expression. In general, histone acetylation, which occurs at lysine residues, loosens the chromatin structure and facilitates transcription. Methylation is a mechanism often found at unexpressed promoter regions. The absence of acetylation on histones can prevent expression of affected genes, and possibly result in deactivation of much needed tumor suppressors. In contrast,... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3822486 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3822486 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/08/02/interesting-risk-perception-story.htm I currently work in risk assessment, which means I spend every day looking at toxicological exposure data and estimating the probability and the magnitude of risk. I have always been one to look at all the angles of a problem before forming an opinion and it frustrates me that more people don't. The other most frustrating thing for me as a scientist is the way the general media propagates junk science and the scare tactics of alarmist groups, taking advantage of non-scientist laymen who don't know any better than to believe it....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3812346 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3812346 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/28/tech-transfer-for-business-science-grads.htm When I was in university - (pay attention now, I'm about to reveal my age) - scientific research wasn't viewed as having a whole lot of commercial value and professors didn't spend a whole lot of time thinking about how they could commercialize their discoveries. Success was measured by how many papers you had in peer-reviewed journals and whether you were invited to speak at conferences, and everything you said became public. Researchers must now navigate the delicate balance between what might be foreseen as valuable IP and what they can publish, because anything and everything is considered a potential windfall. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that 10 years ago the job titles "Startup Company Specialist" or "Technology Transfer Manager" existed. Now nearly every university h... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798105 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3798105 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/27/thinking-beyond-the-research-plan.htm Over the years, I've written about what it takes to work for a startup and how to get startup funding, and provided a few bits of advice on preparing to run one. I've just recently come across some words of wisdom that I hadn't mentioned before. One of these pertains to writing a business plan. Anyone with a bit of entrepreneurial spirit will know that a business is most likely to be successful when there's a good plan in place. Don't, however, mistake a business plan with a startup research plan. A business plan will include all aspects of the business, not just what the product will be and how it will be developed and tested. Start thinking very early on about the marketplace, competition, demand and pricing, as well as looking for commercial partners with whom to share technology and fo... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794193 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3794193 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/25/psmj-project-management-training.htm Last week I participated in a Project Management Bootcamp, one of many courses offered by PSMJ Resources Inc. While PSMJ targets mainly the architecture and construction industries, and their course was dominated by engineers, they instruct on project, financial and business management and many of the lessons and skills taught at the course are applicable to any industry. In fact, the instructor for my course even has experience working with pharmaceutical companies. Even if his experience was from an architectural design standpoint, it means he likely has a grasp of what is involved in choosing laboratory space in addition to the many other skills that project managers (PMs) in any field need. Some of these are:...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786848 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3786848 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/21/mining-industry-goes-to-extremes.htm Call it industrial biotech or environmental, but biomining is a hot new mining method that makes use of extremophiles to remove desired minerals from ore, and reduce the need for extreme heat or toxic chemicals. Microorganisms with the ability to oxidize iron and sulfur are used to separate precious and base metals, often copper or gold, from mineral ores and concentrates. In 2007, Rawlings and Johnson wrote a review on optimizing the process which often makes use of a consortium of bacteria in highly aerobic continuous flow bioreactors. The race to find the best combination of microbes and reaction conditions continues as the technology advances to a useful commercial scale. In 2007, proteomic techniques were being used to study the proteins of bacteria like Acidithiobacillus ferrooxida... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3775846 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3775846 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/19/gold-nanoparticles-control-oxidative-stress-in-diabetic-mice.htm Prolonged episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in people with diabetes can cause long term complications such as damage to organs, ulcers, allergies, asthma and arthritis. It is believed that these complications are cause, in part, by the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). One of the approaches to treating diabetes is, therefore, to mediate these complications using biological antioxidants, and nanotechnology teams are getting in on the action. On July 14, Barathmanikanth et al. reported in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology, that gold nanoparticles effectively reduced the formation of ROS in diabetic mice by controlling a number of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH and catalase). This is just one example of many potential nanomedical treatments for diseases. The nanoparticle... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3766788 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3766788 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/14/is-royalty-stacking-hindering-biotech-research.htm According to some, the biotech industry is in danger of over-protecting IP to the point that royalty payments exceed profit margins and innovation is stagnated. Scientific research is a "building block" process wherein one discovery lays the foundation for the next. A great example of this is the story of how genes were discovered. In academic circles, where most historical research took place, new findings were published and made public and others could use that information to pose new theories and ask new questions. When those questions were answered, they, in turn, published their results. With the recognition of the commercial value of many biological findings, in more than just the biomedical industry, patenting has become commonplace. Nowadays, many universities have their own comm... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753339 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3753339 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/12/the-value-of-biotechnology.htm Last month the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) released their 2010 Guide to Biotechnology, 112 pages summarizing the history of biotechnology, recent developments in R&D, regulatory and ethical issues and more. The PDF version of the document is available online for free. The Guide is also a venue for BIO to explain their mandate and outline some of the benefits of biotech including these points, among those sent to me by Tracy Krughoff, Director of Events Communications:...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746393 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3746393 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/08/the-basics-of-cancer-causing-genes.htm Most people understand that many, if not most, forms of cancer are caused by genetic mutations. There are limitless avenues for cancer research including studies of what genes influence what cancers, how to prevent mutations, reverse the mutations, or therapeutically treat cells after mutation has taken place. Basically, cancer occurs when cells begin to multiply at an accelerated rate, creating lumps, or tumors, in the body. There are two major classes of gene that are known to cause cancer if mutated. The first is the oncogene. An oncogene is a mutated form of a protooncogene, a gene involved in greater-than-usual rates of cell division that are normal, even necessary, during different stages of life, or in cases of tissue injury. The protooncogene often encodes the type of proteins call... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3736683 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3736683 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/07/personalized-medicine-has-arrived.htm The rapid pace of biotechnology research presents a major challenge to anyone trying to keep up with the news. No sooner do I write an blog presenting predictions by various experts, and their forcasts come to fruition. One such example is the development of personalized medicine. The concept was in its infancy just 7 years ago, with the completion of the human genome project and subsequent contributions to the growing database of human polymorphisms. In 2010 we are beginning to see more and more clinical evaluations of drug performance in genetically-characterized individuals. According to Edward Abrahams, president of the Personalized Medicine Coalition in New York, recent changes to the labeling of Plavix, a blood thinner, to note the ineffectiveness in certain individuals with low lev... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3732771 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3732771 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/07/02/quantum-dot-fate-studied-in-mouse-cells.htm Quantum dots (QDs) are one of many types of nanoparticles, but these particular particles have been demonstrated to outperform traditional cell-labeling techniques because of their broad excitation spectra, stability and non-invasiveness. However, we still don't know a whole lot about the fates of nanoparticles being tested in cell and whole organ systems for biomedical uses. Last month in BMC Biotechnology, the first paper describing the fate of QDs in mouse cells was published by Pi et al. According to the researchers from Shanghai, China, it is common knowledge that QDs enter cells by endocytosis, but until now nearly nothing was known about how (or whether) they were excreted or metabolized. The team tested mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and fo... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3721429 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3721429 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/30/enhancing-switchgrass-transformations-for-biofuels-production.htm One of the factors holding back research into using grasses for biofuel production, is the difficulty researchers have creating GMOs from various grass types, because of their resistance to gene transformation. Insertion of new genes into plants is most often done using the Agrobacterium method. Agrobacterium are bacteria that live in soil and cause crown gall tumours in plants. They can insert DNA into plant cells, so they are used in biotechnology to create transgenic plants. Because Agrobacterium is a plant pathogen, it takes advantage of wounds in plants to facilitate infection. Researchers can prevent disease in the transgenic plants by removing the tumor-causing gene from Agrobacterium prior to using it as a vector. Last month in Biotechnology for Biofuels, Chen et al., from the ... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3713627 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3713627 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/28/mouse-models-take-on-the-lab-rats.htm In keeping with what has become the theme of the week, here's another new development in pharmaceutical pre-clinical test modeling. Lab rats beware, the mouse is fighting back. This week in the Journal of Biomedical Optics, researchers from Yale University (Parra et al., 2010) report developing 3-D models of whole mouse organs from natural fluorescence of the tissue, and without slicing or staining the samples. Their technique combines multiphoton microscopy with a solution that makes the tissue essentially transparent, in a process called "optical clearing". Photons excite cells within the tissue, and different structures appear in different colors depending on the wavelength of light used. This method could be used for detecting various biomarkers, modeling tissue samples from human biop... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706120 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3706120 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/25/computational-genomic-screening-for-sirna-knockouts.htm One of the predictions by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, in their document Pharma 2020: Virtual R&D, discussed in my previous blog, was that the number and size of clinical studies would be reduced by the ability to stratify patients, thus selecting those with a specific disease subtype more likely to prove efficacy of a new drug. Significant advances in gene research are needed before this can happen, since we will need to know more about the polymorphisms that result in different human responses to disease, but the methods to deliver this knowledge are already being developed. In Molecular Systems Biology this month, Fuchs et al. report using siRNA to essentially knock out the transcription products of genes and screen for resulting defects in cellular processes, in order to predict the gen... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699078 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3699078 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/23/shortening-the-nda-process-with-virtual-man.htm Research and development of a new drug currently takes about 12 to 15 years. There are various stages of development from the initial discovery phase, to pre-clinical trials (trials on non-humans) and then several stages of clinical trials, before a new drug application (NDA) is complete. But in Pharma 2020: Virtual R&D, PriceWaterhouseCoopers describes a future in pharmacokinetic research where drug development time is reduced by at least two-thirds, thanks to the use of a "virtual man" (by which I hope they mean HUman!). Of course, the use of a virtual human to replace some stages of clinical trial will require the cooperation of regulators and sharing of information between private companies, in order to ensure the models on which the virtual man's metabolism is based, are as accura... About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3694932 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3694932 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/21/a-case-for-gm-crops.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3686717 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3686717 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/20/bringing-back-the-lab-rat.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683156 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3683156 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/16/on-the-road-to-commercialization.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3670993 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3670993 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/14/dj-1-protein-impairment-promotes-parkinsons.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662241 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3662241 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/07/the-reality-of-artificial-meat.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3651943 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:12:00 +0100 3651943 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/10/protein-purification-on-an-industrial-scale.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3651942 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3651942 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/07/the-reality-of-artificial-meat.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640383 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3640383 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/04/a-genomic-approach-to-managing-breast-cancer.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3631970 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3631970 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/06/02/patenting-higher-life-forms-20-years-of-controversy.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3625005 Sun, 30 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3625005 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/05/31/pros-and-cons-of-bioprospecting.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3617494 Wed, 26 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3617494 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/05/27/variations-on-pcr.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607117 Tue, 25 May 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3607117 http://biotech.about.com/b/2010/05/25/the-hapmap-project.htm (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical) About.com Biotech Biomedical news http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3598988 Tue, 25 May 2010 19:56:53 +0100 3598988