Biotech Business Week articles from November 2008

Biotech Business Week archives from November 2008

Streamlining brain signals for speed and efficacy.
November 3, 2008... Life exists at the edge of chaos, where small changes can have striking and unanticipated effects, and major stimuli may go unheard. But there is no space for ambiguity when the brain needs to transform head motion into precise eye, head, and...

Scientists find new genes linked to lung cancer.
November 3, 2008... Working as part of a multi-institutional collaboration, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have assembled the most complete catalog to date of the genetic changes underlying the most common form of lung cancer....

An effective method to study the pressure of the Sphincter of Oddi.
November 3, 2008... The Sphincter of Oddi (SO) plays a vital role in maintaining the normal bile duct pressure, promoting gallbladder excretion and preventing from reflux. When sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) occurs, the incidence rate for bile duct infection...

Researchers from AstraZeneca describe findings in acid reflux disease.
November 3, 2008... "Up to 50% of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) still suffer from GERD symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy, indicating a need for new treatments. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) plays a crucial role in...

New adenocarcinoma study results reported from University of Texas.
November 3, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "The delivery of postoperative combined modality adjuvant therapy for completely resected pancreatic cancer was initially shown to be beneficial on the basis of a prospective, randomized...

Data on microbiology and biotechnology reported by researchers at Nanjing University.(Report)
November 3, 2008... According to recent research from Nanjing, People's Republic of China, "Conventionally, filamentous fungi are transformed by using conidia or protoplasts as recipients. However, induction of sporulation is difficult in some fungi, and...

New microbiology and biotechnology research reported from University of Minho.
November 3, 2008... According to recent research from Braga, Portugal, "Herein, we isolate and characterize wine yeasts with the ability to reduce volatile acidity of wines using a refermentation process, which consists in mixing the acidic wine with freshly...

New microbiology and biotechnology study findings have been reported from G. Tsueng et al.(Report)
November 3, 2008... According to a study from the United States, "We recently described the development of a potassium-chloride-based salt formulation containing low sodium concentration (5.0 mM) to support the growth of Salinispora tropica strain NPS21184 and its...

Reports on microbiology and biotechnology findings from University of Valladolid provide new insights.
November 3, 2008... "The potential and limitations of photosynthetic oxygenation on carbon and nitrogen removal from swine slurry were investigated in batch experiments using Chlorella sorokiniana and an acclimated activated sludge as model microorganisms. While...

Reports outline microbiology and biotechnology study results from P. Zeng et al.(Report)
November 3, 2008... "Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) contamination in water, air, and soil is one of the major environmental concerns in many countries. Besides the PAE biodegradation process, the PAE degrading bacteria have become one of the focuses of study,"...

Research from China University yields new data on microbiology and biotechnology.
November 3, 2008... According to recent research from Shanghai, People's Republic of China, "Industrial bakers' yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae LH1 was selected for asymmetric reduction of ethyl benzoylacetate to (S)-ethyl 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate....

Scientists at Beijing Forestry University release new data on microbiology and biotechnology.
November 3, 2008... According to recent research from Beijing, People's Republic of China, "Autocatalysis in biological decolorization of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) by Rhodopseudomonas palustris W1 was investigated in batch assays. An improvement of 1.5-fold in...

Scientists at Seoul National University publish new data on microbiology and biotechnology.
November 3, 2008... "Comparative metabolic responses of Sinorhizobium sp. C4 were investigated. Comprehensive metabolites profiles, including polar metabolites, fatty acids, and polyhydroxyalkanoates were evaluated through untargeted metabolome analyses,"...

Advanced Cell Receives $250,000 Tranche of Funding Commitment.
November 3, 2008... Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. ("ACT") (OTC: ACTC) announced that it has received the initial $250,000 in funding from Transition Holdings Ltd, an Irish institutional investor. The Company previously announced that it would sell $500,000 of...

2008 Mid-Atlantic Bio Exhibitor Profiles.
November 3, 2008... The 2008 Mid-Atlantic Bio takes place October 22, 2008 - October 24, 2008 at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles in Chantilly. Listed below are the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Bio exhibitor profiles (see also Business Wire Global Event Services)....

Candela Reports First Quarter 2009 Results.(Financial report)
November 3, 2008... Candela Corporation (NASDAQ:CLZR) reported results for the first fiscal quarter ended September 27, 2008. Revenues of $26.9 million in the first quarter decreased 24.2 percent from $35.5 million in the comparable prior-year period. The Company...

iMDsoft Announces Landmark Multi-site Framework Agreement in Norway.
November 3, 2008... - October 16, 2008 - iMDsoft, a leading provider of software solutions for acute care environments, and ErgoGroup, a leading Nordic information technology services company, announced that they have signed a framework agreement with Helse...

MedPro Safety Products, Inc. Appoints Former Governor of Kentucky Dr. Ernie Fletcher and MillerCoors Chief Executive Officer Leo Kiely to Board of Directors.
November 3, 2008... MedPro Safety Products, Inc. (OTC BB: MPSP), which develops and markets medical safety devices incorporating proprietary needlestick prevention technology, has appointed two new members, Mr. Leo Kiely and Dr. Ernest L. Fletcher, to its Board of...

NeuroLogica Corporation Promotes David R. Webster to Vice President Sales & Marketing.
November 3, 2008... NeuroLogica Corporation announced that David R. Webster, 41, has been promoted to the position of Vice President with responsibility for NeuroLogica's international sales and marketing, effective 1 July, 2008 (see also NeuroLogica Corporation)....

Starkey Laboratories Wins Spark Design Award for Zon.
November 3, 2008... Starkey Laboratories, Inc., one of the world's leading hearing technology companies, is the recipient of a Spark Design Award for the design of Zon,(TM) the best-in-class receiver-in-canal (RIC) line of products that was launched this year....

Data on acute myeloid leukemia described by researchers at Medical College of Georgia, Medical College.
November 10, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "Hydroxamic acid analog pan- histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HA-HDIs) have shown preclinical and clinical activity against human acute leukemia. Here we describe HA-HDI-resistant human...

Data on gene therapy detailed by researchers at Stanford University.
November 10, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap), the etiologic agent of the tick-borne disease human granulocytic anaplasmosis, is an obligate intracellular pathogen unique in its ability to target and...

Findings in Alzheimer disease reported from Seoul National University.
November 10, 2008... According to recent research from Seoul, South Korea, "Recent experimental evidences suggest protective and trophic effects of ginseng in the memory function of Alzheimer disease (AD). Thus, we investigated the clinical efficacy of Panax...

New Alzheimer disease research reported from University of Amsterdam.
November 10, 2008... In this recent report, researchers in Netherlands conducted a study "To examine whether it is appropriate to sum the cognitive part of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) items to assess cognitive impairment. This assumes items to...

Report summarizes anesthesia study findings from B.G. Busbee and co-researchers.(Clinical report)
November 10, 2008... According to a study from the United States, "This study evaluates the effectiveness of Akten (Akorn, Inc., Buffalo Grove, IL), a novel Ophthalmic gel anesthetic agent for complete Ocular anesthesia. This study was conducted as a prospective,...

BIO Investor Forum Presenter Profiles.
November 10, 2008... BIO Investor Forum takes place October 29, 2008 - October 31, 2008 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Listed below are the BIO Investor Forum presenter profiles. For in-depth information about the event, visit...

Celera Corporation Reports Third Quarter Calendar 2008 Results.(Financial report)(Calendar)
November 10, 2008... Celera (NASDAQ:CRA) reported net revenues of $45.8 million for the third quarter of calendar 2008 that ended September 27, 2008, compared to $16.1 million in the prior year quarter. The third quarter calendar 2008 results included net revenues...

PerkinElmer Announces New Share Repurchase Program.(Company overview)
November 10, 2008... PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE: PKI), a global leader in Health Sciences and Photonics, announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the Company to repurchase up to 10 million shares of its own common stock. Purchases will be made through open...

Hospitals, Healthcare Providers Will Save with Premier Agreements for Arterial Blood Gas Kits.
November 10, 2008... Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, announced new agreements for arterial blood gas kits with Smiths Medical ASD of Weston, Mass., and Vital Signs Inc. of Totowa, N.J (see also Premier Inc.). Effective December 1, 2008, the 36-month agreements...

A Strategic Focus Analysis of Creating a Success of Biometrics in Government: Analysis the Latest Trends & How Vendors Can Make a Success of Opportunities.
November 10, 2008... Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/1b9887/creating_a_success) has announced the addition of the "Creating a Success of Biometrics in Government (Strategic Focus)" report to their offering (see also Research and...

Tough Economic Times Can Spawn the Strongest Technology Companies, Says Yahoo's Jerry Yang.
November 10, 2008... As with prior downturns, today's challenging financial environment may produce the world's next great technology companies, says Jerry Yang, CEO and Co-Founder of Yahoo. Yang shared his remarks with more than 800 Utah executives at the Utah...

Age is not a key factor in cancer survival, but clinical trials exclude older patients.
November 17, 2008... Age is not an independent factor in cancer survival rates and should not influence decisions about how to treat older patients, according to a study in the November issue of IJCP, the Independent Journal of Clinical Practice (see also...

A rare case of collagenous colitis presenting as protein-losing enteropathy.
November 17, 2008... Since the first report in 1976, collagenous colitis has been associated with a variety of conditions, including use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and proton pump inhibitors. This condition is characterized by chronic watery diarrhea...

A useful imaging modality for monitoring treatment response to hepatocellular carcinoma.
November 17, 2008... TACE has been widely accepted as a choice of treatment for advanced HCC. CT perfusion is a non-invasive and reproducible technique for assessing perfusion changes due to TACE therapy for locally advanced HCC. However, there are few reports on...

Can rectal vitamin E induce remission in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis?
November 17, 2008... It is believed that the generation of an exaggerated intestinal immune response to otherwise innocuous stimuli along with generation of oxygen free radicals plays a key role in the pathophysiology of UC. However, no disease-specific treatment...

Data on abdominal aortic aneurysm published by researchers at Karolinska University.(Report)
November 17, 2008... According to recent research from Stockholm, Sweden, "Large variations in the intervention rates for ruptured and nonruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) over time have been reported, both decreasing and increasing numbers. Women have been...

CED Accepting Presenter Applications for the 26th Annual Venture Conference.(Conference news)
November 17, 2008... The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) proudly announces the launch of the application process for their 26th annual Venture Conference. The conference will take place on April 22-23, 2009 at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, NC....

Celera Appoints Scott K. Milsten as General Counsel.
November 17, 2008... Celera (NASDAQ:CRA) announced the appointment of Scott K. Milsten as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective immediately. Mr. Milsten will report to Kathy Ordonez, Celera's Chief Executive Officer (see also Celera...

Greatbatch Announces Optimization Plan.(Company overview)
November 17, 2008... Greatbatch, Inc. announced a plan to optimize its operating footprint in several locations. "This plan represents the next phase in our strategy to recognize synergies from our recent acquisitions through operational excellence. We remain...

Mubadala Healthcare and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings Agree to Establish a National Reference Laboratory in Abu Dhabi.
November 17, 2008... Mubadala Healthcare, the specialist division of Mubadala Development Company, and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, more commonly known as LabCorp (NYSE: LH), announced their agreement to establish the National Reference Laboratory...

XYTOS Clarifies and Defines Stock Issue and Availability Due to Recent Inquiries.
November 17, 2008... XYTOS, Inc. (OTC: XYTS), the company called for an interior accounting of its stock issue due to recent inquiries and a recent spike in trading; and now posts its findings (see also XYTOS, Inc.). As of November 3, 2008 there are 26,268,000...

Cardica Announces Publication of Case Report in the Journal of Neurosurgery Featuring Use of C-Port(R) System in Brain Arterial Bypass.
November 24, 2008... Cardica, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRDC) announced publication of a case study in the September issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Neurosurgery featuring the use of Cardica's C-Port xA(R) Distal Anastomosis System to connect blood vessels in the brain to...

Scientists at Indiana University, Medical Department publish new data on enzyme research.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, "Approximately 80% of the body vitamin A is stored in liver stellate cells with in the lipid droplets as retinyl esters. In low vitamin A...

Data on angiotensins published by M. Molinamolina and colleagues.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research from Barcelona, Spain, "Angiotensin II is a growth factor that plays a key role in the physiopathology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). A nucleotide substitution of an adenine instead of a guanine (G-6A) in...

Research from University of Glasgow broadens understanding of angiotensins.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research from Scotland, " Because composite end points augment event rates, they are often thought to increase statistical power. This may not be true if the intervention has a lesser effect on some components of the...

Investigators at Clemson University target biomedical engineering.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "Previous studies demonstrated that bladder cells respond to changes in their mechanical environments by exhibiting alterations in cellular functions, such as hypertrophy or fibrosis. In the...

New biomedical engineering findings from Virginia Commonwealth University described.(Report)
November 24, 2008... "In this study, a hybrid drift flux velocity correction (DF-VC) model that accounts for both submicrometer particle diffusion and inertia was extended to transient conditions and was tested against existing experimental deposition data measured...

New biomedical engineering study findings have been reported by scientists at University of Arizona.
November 24, 2008... "Movement, deformation, and partitioning of mammalian red blood cells (RBCs) in diverging microvessel bifurcations are simulated using a two-dimensional, flexible-particle model. A set of viscoelastic elements represents the RBC membrane and...

New findings from University of Michigan in the area of biomedical engineering described.(Report)
November 24, 2008... "Skeletal muscle is composed of two primary structural components, contractile myofibrils and extracellular matrix (ECM). The myofibrils adhere to the surrounding endomysium through the basal lamina, sarcolemma and dystrophin, and dystrophin...

Recent findings from University of California highlight research in biomedical engineering.
November 24, 2008... "We study whether an inverse modeling approach is applicable for characterizing vascular tissue subjected to various levels of internal pressure and axial stretch that approximate in-vivo conditions. To compensate for the limitation of...

Research from La Trobe University has provided new information about biomedical engineering.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Annals of Biomedical Engineering, "Molecular models of contractility in striated muscle require an integrated description of the action of myosin motors, firstly in the filament lattice of...

Korea University reports research in microbiology and biotechnology.
November 24, 2008... According to a study from Seoul, South Korea, "After we prepared exo-polymers (EPS) from Cordyceps sinensis by submerged culture, prophylactic intravenous administration (i.v.) of EPS significantly inhibited metastasis in experimental lung...

New findings reported from P. Schweiger and co-authors describe advances in microbiology and biotechnology.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research from Bonn, Germany, "Three cytosolic NADPH-dependent flavin-associated proteins (Gox2107, Gox0502, and Gox2684) from Gluconobacter oxydans 621H were overproduced in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzymes were...

Reports from University of Leuven highlight recent research in microbiology and biotechnology.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, "During fermentation, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces a broad range of aroma-active substances, which are vital for the complex flavour of...

Research from H. Ghojavand et al broadens understanding of microbiology and biotechnology.
November 24, 2008... "Several facultative bacterial strains tolerant to high temperature and salinity were isolated from the oil reservoir brines of an Iranian oil field (Masjed-I Soleyman). Some of these isolates were able to grow up to 60 degrees C and at high...

Research from University of Ghent has provided new data on microbiology and biotechnology.(Report)
November 24, 2008... "The rate of anodic electron transfer is one of the factors limiting the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). It is known that phenazine-based metabolites produced by Pseudomonas species can function as electron shuttles for Pseudomonas...

Researchers at China University have published new data on microbiology and biotechnology.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, "The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has been used for the expression of many proteins. However, limitations such as protein degradation and...

Scientists at Yamagata University report research in microbiology and biotechnology.
November 24, 2008... "An alpha-L-rhamnosidase was purified by fractionating a culture filtrate of Aspergillus kawachii grown on L-rhamnose as the sole carbon source. The alpha-L-rhamnosidase had a molecular mass of 90 kDa and a high degree of N-glycosylation of...

Studies from Delft University of Technology update current data on microbiology and biotechnology.
November 24, 2008... According to recent research from Netherlands, "Anaerobic fermentation by an open mixed culture was investigated at different pH values (4-8.5) and with three substrates (glucose, glycerol and xylose). The populations established in each...

Amyris Opens Pilot Plant to Produce Renewable Diesel Fuel.
November 24, 2008... Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc. announced that it has opened its first pilot plant producing No Compromise(TM) renewable diesel fuel. The pilot plant, which was completed in September, is an important milestone for Amyris towards its goal of...

Colorado BioScience Association Honors the Best of Colorado's Bioscience Industry.
November 24, 2008... The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) has released winners of its 2008 Awards Program. The announcement is made by Christine Shapard, CBSA Interim Executive Director, who says the CBSA awards program showcases and honors those individuals...

New Distribution Agreement Represents an Estimated $12 Million in Sales to Ingen Technologies.
November 24, 2008... Ingen Technologies, Inc. (Pink Sheets:ITEC), an emerging medical device manufacturer, announced that it has signed a 3-year exclusive Distribution Agreement with Batterjee Medical Services. The Agreement calls for exclusive distribution of...

LabCorp is Scheduled to Present at the Credit Suisse 2008 Global Healthcare Conference.(Conference news)
November 24, 2008... Laboratory Corporation of America(R) Holdings (LabCorp(R)) (NYSE: LH) announced that William B. (Brad) Hayes, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is scheduled to speak at the Credit Suisse 2008 Global Healthcare Conference in...

Signature Genomic Laboratories Makes Genoglyphix Microarray Visualization Program Available to Full-Service Clients.
November 24, 2008... Signature Genomic Laboratories announced it has made its Genoglyphix(R) microarray visualization program available to its full-service clients (see also Signature Genomic Laboratories). Previously available only to laboratories that analyze...