Science and Enterprise

Category: Joint ventures/collaborations

  • Cleveland Clinic, 23andMe Partner on Parkinson’s Database

    Cleveland Clinic has agreed to recruit Parkinson’s disease patients to contribute their DNA and complete online health surveys for a research database compiled by genetics testing company 23andMe in Mountain View, California. The project has the support of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, National Parkinson Foundation, and Parkinson’s Institute. The goal of project is to…

  • University Genome Research Helping Biofuel Developer

    Researchers at University of Georgia in Athens have mapped the genomes of two originator cells of the large perennial grass miscanthus that can help develop this grass as a source of ethanol and bioenergy. A California biofuel feedstock developer is partnering with the university on this project. Miscanthus is a promising candidate for biomass farming,…

  • Pharma Companies to Partner on Cough and Cold Drugs

    Vernalis plc in Winnersh, U.K. and Tris Pharma Inc. in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey have agreed to develop and market prescription cough and cold drugs in the U.S. Financial terms and timetable of the deal were not disclosed. Under the agreement, Tris will use its drug delivery technology to develop, on behalf of Vernalis, up…

  • Companies Among Gates Foundation TB Biomarkers Awardees

    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded today $7.7 million in funding to identify biomarkers for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) in low-resource settings. The 10 awards aim to promote research into TB biomarkers that leads to a simple, low-cost tool to quickly and accurately diagnose TB in developing countries. One of the primary grant recipients is…

  • Student Devises Lithium Battery for Solar Energy Storage

    A joint research project between a graduate student at University of Southampton in the U.K. and the company REAPSystems, also in Southampton, has resulted in a battery that can help improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar power. REAPSystems was founded by Dennis Doerffel, himself a former Southampton researcher and now the company’s…

  • Instrument Company to License Scripps Screening Technology

    Brooks Life Science Systems, a division of Brooks Automation in Poway, California, and Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida have agreed for Brooks to commercialize technology developed at Scripps to manage compounds in high-throughput screening, a process for drug discovery. Brooks Automation is a provider of instrumentation technology for manufacturing, energy, and life sciences companies.…

  • Online Simulator Optimizes Solar Cell Materials Efficiency

    An online tool offered by MIT helps companies and researchers determine the tradeoffs in manufacturing strategies for solar cells based on planned materials and processing steps. The simulator, which takes about a minute to run, can provide a preview of the efficiency of resulting solar cells in converting sunlight to electricity, a process previously determined…

  • Grants for Orphan Disease Academic-Industry Partnerships

    The Wellcome Trust in the U.K. has unveiled new funding for academic-industry partnerships in early-stage research and development projects targeting orphan and neglected diseases. The Pathfinder Awards aim to encourage pilot research projects with potential for developing new products that address diseases affecting a small percentage of the population (orphan diseases) or conditions that that…

  • Biotech, Diagnostics Companies Partner on Microbe Detection

    SDIX, a biotechnology company in Newark, Delaware and BD Diagnostics in Sparks, Maryland have agreed to collaborate on the development of systems to detect microorganisms, in a deal worth as much as $3.75 million. BD Diagnostics is a division of the medical technology company Becton Dickinson and Company in New Jersey. The goal of the…

  • Merck, Biopharm to Partner on Hypoxia-Targeting Cancer Drug

    Threshold Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company in South San Francisco, California and Merck KGaA, the global drug manufacturer in Darmstadt, Germany have agreed to co-develop and commercialize Threshold’s drug TH-302. The drug TH-302 targets hypoxia, caused by low oxygen levels due to insufficient blood vessel growth, a common condition of tissues with many solid tumors,…