Science and Enterprise

Month: January 2011

  • FDA Approves Trial of Nanotech Cancer Cell Markers

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first clinical trial in humans of brightly glowing nanoparticles to light up cancer cells to aid in diagnosing and treating cancer. The trial with five melanoma patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City will test if the technology is safe and…

  • SBA Commits $2 Billion to Matching Small Business Capital

    The White House says the Small Business Administration (SBA) will commit $2 billion in matching funds to private sector investment over the next five years in promising high-growth companies.  The new funding is part of a White House small business initiative announced today that includes a proposal to make permanent a capital gains tax credit…

  • Brain Pathway Found for Nicotine Vulnerability

    Scientists from the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida have identified a pathway in the brain that regulates an individual’s vulnerability to the addictive properties of nicotine. The findings appear in the 30 January 2011 online issue of the journal Nature (paid subscription required). In the study, the scientists examined the effects of a part…

  • Finance Friday: 28 January 2011

    Here are recent angel and venture finance transactions for science- and engineering-based companies reported by Xconomy. Biomedical/Life Sciences Meritage Pharma in San Diego, California. Specialty drug discovery and development. $2 million, equity. XDx in Brisbane, California. Molecular diagnostics. $12.5 million, debt (from GE Capital) Stromedix in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Specialty drug discovery and development. $2 million,…

  • Three U.S. Corporations Start Energy Technology Fund

    Three American energy corporations –- General Electric Co. (GE), NRG Energy Inc., and ConocoPhillips -– have begun a joint venture that aims to fund emerging energy technology companies. The companies have committed $300 million to the collaboration, called Energy Technology Ventures, with plans to support some 30 venture- and growth-stage companies over the next four…

  • Cancer Drug Aids Regeneration of Spinal Cord Nerve Cells

    A team of German, Dutch, and American researchers have found the cancer drug Taxol has properties that can help treat spinal cord injuries. The scientists reported their findings online this week in Science Express on the journal Science Web site. Two key factors impeding the regeneration of nerve cells after a spinal cord injury are…

  • Endo Pharma, Orion Corp. to Advance Cancer Drugs

    Endo Pharmaceuticals in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and Orion Corporation in Espoo, Finland said today they have a collaboration agreement for drug research and development in oncology. The partnership aims to advance eight discovery-phase cancer drug candidates by combining their relevant R&D programs. The collaboration also gives each company exclusive licensing rights to the other’s development-ready…

  • Genetic Researchers Identify Enzymes for Biofuels

    Researchers have used large-scale DNA sequencing to characterize the genes and genomes of plant-digesting microbes isolated from the rumen — pre-stomach — of a cow, and identify the most promising enzymes for breaking down cellulose in the biofuel switchgrass. The team from the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute, several universities and national labs, and…

  • German Institute, BASF to Collaborate on Batteries

    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe, Germany and the chemical company BASF in Ludwigshafen will develop advanced battery materials at a new KIT lab. The new lab, called BELLA — for Batteries and Electrochemistry Laboratory — is expected to accelerate the implementation of research results in products for high-energy battery systems. KIT and BASF…

  • Singapore Univ., U.S. Company Partner on Vaccines

    Inviragen Inc. in Fort Collins, Colorado and the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) announced a partnership to research the transmission and prevention of infectious diseases. Their first  project will involve research and development of vaccines against diseases such as dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, and chikungunya. Dengue infection is a…