Science and Enterprise

Month: October 2011

  • FDA Approves Advance of ALS Stem Cell Trial

    Neuralstem Inc. in Rockville, Maryland says the Food and Drug Administration has approved the progression of a clinical trial to broaden treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with neural stem cells. Based on the FDA’s approval, the trial at Emory University in Atlanta can expand stem cell transplant region for treating ALS, also known as…

  • Contract Awarded to Test Nerve-Agent Protection Drug

    An NIH program to develop countermeasures against chemical weapons has awarded a contract to a University of Colorado researcher to evaluate a commercial drug’s ability to protect against nerve agents. The $736,000 contract from NIH’s Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Research Network to Manisha Patel (pictured left), at University of Colorado’s School of Pharmacy in…

  • Online Resource Helps Responders Identify Chemical Hazards

    An online tool, developed by a University of Virginia faculty member, will help emergency medical staff and other first responders identify more quickly the group of chemicals causing patients to become ill. Mark Kirk, a professor of emergency medicine with the University of Virginia Health System, led development of the Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management…

  • U.S. Venture Investments Up in Q3, Science Companies Mixed

    Dow Jones VentureSource reports that venture capital (VC) investment in the U.S. rose in the third quarter of 2011 compared to 2010, including the number and size of deals and investment volume. Among science-based companies, medical device and energy companies gained in investment deals and volume. Among biotech and pharmaceutical companies, the number of deals…

  • National Academies Urge Single, Simple Food Rating System

    A study by the National Academy of Sciences recommends federal agencies develop an easy-to-understand point system that rates the nutritional value of packaged food and beverages. The point system, says the study authors, should reflect a single numerical rating that reflects calorie counts with saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars. The study was…

  • NSF Grant to Fund Savannah River Water Quality Monitors

    Clemson University in South Carolina says it received a grant to develop a computerized water-quality technology for the entire length of the Savannah River. The four-year grant, exceeding $3 million, is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Computer and Network Systems. The system is expected to cover a network of buoys (pictured left)…

  • Genetics Identified for Bed Bug Insecticide Resistance

    Researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg have discovered the genetic mechanisms that bolster bed bugs’ recent resistance to current insecticides. The entomologists and other life scientists published their findings in the 19 October issue of the online journal PLoS One. Bed bugs in the past few years have developed a resistance to pyrethroids, a class…

  • Investment Fund to Back Health Cost-Cutting Technologies

    The West Health Investment Fund, an angel capital enterprise in San Diego, unveiled its first set of investments and plans to support other entrepreneurs developing health care technologies and services designed to lower the cost of health care. Gary and Mary West, who established the fund, expect to invest $100 million in early-stage companies. The…

  • Johns Hopkins, Eisai to Collaborate on New Brain Drugs

    Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore and Eisai, a pharmaceutical company in Tokyo, will collaborate on research for discovery of drugs for brain conditions such as schizophrenia, pain, brain tumors and Alzheimer’s disease. The partnership will be part of the NeuroTranslational Program in JHU’s Brain Science Institute. The Brain Science Institute researches questions about brain…

  • ARPA-E Grant Funds Development of Univ. Oil Plant Research

    Arcadia Biosciences Inc. in Davis, California has received a $950,000 grant to develop technology that helps plants produce high levels of oil in their leaves and stems. That technology is based on research conducted at nearby University of California – Davis. Vegetable oil is the most concentrated source of energy made by plants, but is…