Month: October 2010
-
Report: U.S. to Oppose Gene Patenting
The New York Times reports today (30 October) that the U.S. Department on Justice late on Friday filed a friend-of-the-court brief stating the U.S. government’s opposition to making genes from humans and other natural sources eligible for patents. The Times says the case involves two human genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer. The brief…
-
FDA Approves Schizophrenia Drug
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Marlborough, Massachusetts says that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its drug Latuda (lurasidone HCl) for the treatment of schizophrenia. Latuda is an oral, once-daily antipsychotic in tablet form, offering a treatment for patients with schizophrenia. It is expected to be available in the U.S. during the first quarter…
-
Cornell Gets $80 Million Gift for Sustainability Research
Cornell University alumnus David R. Atkinson and his wife Patricia Atkinson (pictured right) have given the university an $80 million gift to turn a three-year-old pilot program that they funded into a permanent, research center on challenges in the global energy, environmental, and economic development arenas. The university says the contribution represents the largest gift…
-
Math Model Developed for Biofuels Development
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) created a techno-economic model that can help accelerate development of biofuels to compete with gasoline. This online, wiki-based model is designed to help researchers pursue promising strategies for cost-efficient biorefinery operations The JBEI team at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in California designed the model…
-
Defense/IT Developer Expanding R&D Labs, Staffing
Dynetics, a developer of defense/aerospace and IT systems in Huntsville, Alabama said Thursday it plans to add a new R&D and prototyping facility to its current Huntsville location. The company says it expects to hire 350 new workers over three years to staff the facility, but gave no timetable for when construction work begins. The…
-
Scientists’ Statement Raises Flame Retardant Concerns
A statement signed by nearly 150 scientists from 22 countries raises concerns about use of brominated and chlorinated flame retardant chemicals (BFRs and CFRs, respectively), a major class of chemicals often found in upholstered furniture, foam carpet pads, textiles, televisions, and other consumer electronics, airplanes, and automobiles. These chemicals also were used in mattresses produced…
-
Chinese Develop New Waterproof Cotton Fabric
Scientists with the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics and the Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing have developed a waterproof cotton fabric that continues to repel water after 250 commercial launderings. The new fabric, say the researchers, looks almost identical to ordinary cotton, is both impermeable and breathable, and retains its super-hydrophobic…
-
Clinical Sample Biobank Slated for Qatar
A collection of samples and clinical measurements from tens of thousands of people is to be opened in Qatar, an Arab Gulf country, to help scientists understand the causes of major diseases and develop new treatments. The project was announced today at the Royal Society in London during a visit from Her Highness Sheikha Mozah…
-
Intermittent Posting Through Friday
I’m on the road today and tomorrow, 28 and 29 October, thus the frequency of posting will depend on the availability of Internet connectivity. Regular posting will resume on Monday.
-
U.S. Angel Investors Retreating from Start Up Deals
While angel investors made more deals in the first half of 2010, compared to 2009, the total dollar volume invested dropped, as did the percentage of funding for seed and start up stage financing. Nonetheless, a majority of the deals involved science-related companies. These findings appear in a report published by the Center for Venture…