Month: October 2011
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Diagnostics Start-Up Closes $33.5M Early-Stage Financing
Foundation Medicine Inc., a developer of cancer genome diagnostics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has expanded its early stage financing to $33.5 million, adding new venture investors. The additional financing is expected to help the company continue its research work on cancer diagnostic tests. The new funding from Google Ventures and venture capital company Kleiner Perkins Caufield…
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Pharma, Technology Lead Worldwide Corporate R&D Rebound
Research and development spending by the largest 1,400 corporate R&D spenders worldwide increased by more than 4 percent to €465 billion ($US 630 billion) in 2010, reversing a nearly 2 percent decline in 2009. The data are compiled in the European Commission’s EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, released today. Pharmaceuticals/biotechnology, technology hardware, and automotive companies…
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Biomarker Test Can Reduce Heart Failure Complications
A clinical trial at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston indicates that testing for blood levels of a biomarker of cardiac distress, along with standard levels of care, can reduce the incidence of cardiac complications. The findings appear in the 25 October issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (paid subscription required). Roche…
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Institute to Open Innovation Process, Boost Funding Odds
The Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis plans to adopt practices from the business world to conduct more innovative medical research and improve the odds of getting their studies funded. The institute, on the campus of Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, is affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine and focuses on medical informatics, aging,…
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Carnegie Mellon, Microsoft Develop Touch-Screen Projection
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Microsoft’s research labs have developed OmniTouch, a device that projects touch screen capability on any flat surface. Chris Harrison, a computer science Ph.D. student and a developer of OmniTouch, will discuss the system on Wednesday at the Association for Computing Machinery’s Symposium on User Interface Software and…
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Harvard Program to Apply Systems Approach to Drug Discovery
Harvard Medical School is launching an Initiative in Systems Pharmacology, to develop what it calls a comprehensive strategy to transform drug discovery. The program aims to reverse the slowdown in the development of new therapies and involve a range of disciplines and methods outside the usual collection of life scientists and clinicians. Marc Kirschner, who…
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L-3, Virginia Tech to Partner on Cyber Security R&D
L-3 Communications, a government national-security electronics contractor, says it has formed a partnership with Virginia Tech on research and development related to cyber security. The collaboration will include locating L-3’s new Cybersecurity Solutions Center at Virginia Tech’s research facility in Arlington, Virginia. The company says it will undertake joint research with Virginia Tech leading to…
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Venture Firm Raises $440 Million for Life Sciences
Sofinnova Ventures, a venture capital (VC) company in Menlo Park, California says it has completed raising funds for its next round of investments in life sciences companies. The fund, Sofinnova Venture Partners VIII, has collected or has commitments totaling $440 million. Sofinnova says it plans to invest the funds primarily in later stage health care…
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$50K Challenge Seeks Higher Nutritional Value in Crop Tissue
A challenge on InnoCentive seeks new strategies through chemical, mechanical, or other means to improve the nutritional value of crop plant tissues. The competition has a prize of $50,000 and a deadline of 13 December 2011 for submissions. InnoCentive in Waltham, Massachusetts is a company the conducts open-innovation crowd-sourcing competitions for corporate and organization sponsors.…
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Students Start Company to Commercialize Biochar Process
Students at University of Washington in Seattle are taking to market a new process to turn forestry waste into biochar, a charcoal-like substance that boosts agricultural yields. Their company, C6 Systems, is also a recipient of one of the first Innovation Corps grants from National Science Foundation. Jenny Knoth, a UW doctoral student in forest…