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A researcher at a company that develops, manufactures, and distributes cell culture media and molecular biology reagents has solved the first version of “GEN’s Cryptogram Challenge: RNAi.” It took him only 10 hours to come up with the answer: Wily siRNA quenches gene.
... moreCommercializing biotechnology is challenging. Hurdles include, but are not limited to, securing funding, navigating the approval process, and managing technology risk. These key barriers must be overcome or circumvented to achieve successful market entry. This article will focus on two common challenges: raising money and securing stakeholder support.
... moreFrank Young, former head of the FDA, used to admonish his minions that there were times that common sense should trump established policies or rules. Other officials have not been so wise.
... moreOn February 2, Judge Robert M. Sweet at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan heard oral arguments in the case of Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v. United States Patent and Trademark Office, et al.
... moreAs evidenced by the recent licensing deal between Pfizer and Protalix Biotherapeutics for the Gaucher disease treatment taliglucerase alfa, there is significant interest among big pharma companies in orphan drug indications. Long considered niche markets and the domain of their smaller biotech brethren, traditional pharmaceutical companies are now re-evaluating their position on orphan drugs. A confluence of market dynamics and scientific advances seems to be driving this change.
... moreThe biotech industry is starting the new decade with good reason for cautious optimism. Based on results from our current 7th Annual Report and Survey of Biomanufacturing, most companies are more confident, but also more realistic: 2010 will bring good results, but managers are expecting better performance from the same staff. Some of last year’s budgetary shifts are becoming solid trends that are defining how biopharma will evolve over the next few years. Key developments in 2010 will include advances in science, technology, the economy, and regulations.
... moreThe fast-paced, continually evolving field of quantitative PCR (qPCR) will be showcased at a CHI meeting in San Diego next month. Presenters will describe cutting-edge methodologies and emerging technologies such as digital microfluidics, nanopore and single-molecule sequencing, and improved ways to standardize data.
... morePharmaceutical and biomedical research is evolving to take advantage of the development of bioinformatic research programs, incorporating data from new high-resolution assays and technologies such as microarrays and fluorescent in situ hybridization.
... moreMetastasis is responsible for most cancer deaths, and tumor cell migration is an important part of the metastatic cascade. Understanding how tumor cells mobilize and invade other tissues, as well as how to modulate this behavior, is of great value to cancer biology and the development of therapeutics.
... moreBiomarkers have become some of the most desired clinical and research tools in the life sciences. They have the potential to transform a drug discovery program and save lives in the clinic if they can be discovered, developed, and validated properly.
... moreIf nature did not allow protein-protein interactions to occur inside living cells (and viruses), life as we know it would simply not exist. Molecular biologists have long struggled with developing methods to study protein-protein interactions.
... moreTargeted sequencing has obvious potential in clinical diagnostics, particularly for complex disorders that may hinge on either one or a combination of up to perhaps hundreds of genes. The approach, however, requires enriched templates for sequencing on next-generation platforms.
... moreNext month in San Diego, CHI will present “Now Generation Sequencing” in which discussions about targeted resequencing will be front and center. This mixture of molecular biology and sophisticated computer analysis hones in on genomic regions of interest, interrogating multiple genetic sites. Enabling the detection of rare mutations and hard-to-reach corners of the genome, it takes advantage of low sample-input requirements. Moreover, these strategies allow areas of interest to be identified through genome-wide association studies while sequencing genes and candidate regions.
... moreOf the essential post-translational modifications (PTMs) that proteins undergo before their synthesis is complete, glycosylation is arguably the best known. The medical and economic significance of monoclonal antibodies and other glycoproteins has spurred a resurgence of interest in glycans, particularly in their analysis and ways to direct their biosynthesis in desirable ways.
... moreSimple solutions are increasingly being integrated in the ever-changing bioprocessing environment. As methodologies improve throughout the protein production industry, tools must have the flexibility to adapt quickly to new workflow demands. With process analytical technology (PAT) continuing to bring significant improvements, innovative technologies that can evolve with industry methodologies are essential for bioprocess optimization. The choice of equipment and instrumentation has a great impact on the protein process workflow and on de-bottlenecking steps.
... moreThere are two main categories of viral vaccines—live (attenuated) and killed (inactivated) vaccines. A live attenuated vaccine is one where the virulence of the virus has been reduced, such that when the vaccine is administered to the patient it induces an immune response without causing clinical disease. The virus will replicate within the host and hence provide immunity for an extended period of time. The majority of successful viral vaccines fall under this category including vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, yellow fever, and polio (Figure 1).
... moreThe FDA actively regulates medical devices intended for diagnostic use. Diagnostic kits intended for diagnostic use face the full panoply of FDA regulation. In sharp contrast, research use only (RUO) products are essentially unregulated. In fact, although RUO products are often discussed as though they are a kind of medical device, RUOs are not devices at all.
... moreThe Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, headquartered in La Jolla, CA, dedicated its new Lake Nona campus in Orlando, FL, last fall. The $85 million building, which opened in April 2009, will employ more than 300 people. Florida attracted Sanford-Burnham in 2006 by offering a $350 million incentive package that included land, construction funds, and in-kind services.
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INTERVIEW:
WATER-WISE PLANTS FOR A WORLD GROWING WARMER - Interview with Julian Schroeder, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, University of California, San Diego
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