Science and Enterprise

Month: June 2012

  • Biogen Idec, Isis Pharma Partner on Muscular Dystrophy Drug

    The biotechnology companies Biogen Idec in Weston, Massachusetts and Isis Pharmaceuticals in Carlsbad, California have agreed to develop and commercialize an antisense treatment for myotonic dystrophy type 1, also known as Steinert disease. The deal, which involves Biogen Idec licensing antisense technology developed by Isis Pharmaceuticals, will gain Isis $12 million immediately and up to…

  • Lab Seeking Commercial Partners for Detection Technology

    Sandia National Laboratory in Livermore, California is developing a new process that the lab says can make radiation detection in cargo and baggage more effective and less costly. Sandia lab is seeking partners to commercialize the new technology. The process, known as spectral shape discrimination, makes use of a new type of nanomaterials called metal-organic…

  • Dow Chemical Partners with Turkish Company on Carbon Fibers

    Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan and the industrial fiber company Aksa Akrilik Kimya Sanayii in Istanbul, Turkey have formed a joint venture to produce carbon fiber and derivative materials. The venture, known as DowAksa Advanced Composites Holdings BV (DowAksa), will be formed through Dow’s subsidiary Dow Europe Holding BV, with each party owning 50…

  • Older Americans Experiencing Fewer Vision Problems

    Researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago and University of California in San Francisco say American senior citizens today are having fewer vision impairment problems than older Americans in the 1980s. Northwestern’s Angelo Tanna, a professor of ophthalmology, and UCSF’s Stephen Kaye, a health statistician, report their findings online in the journal Ophthalmology (paid subscription required).…

  • Univ. Start-Up Developing High-Energy Light for Microchips

    Engineers in a University of Washington fusion-energy lab have started a new company that aims to apply their discoveries to the semiconductor industry. Uri Shumlak, an aeronautics and astronautics professor, and research associate professor Brian Nelson are applying their research on high-energy plasma light from fusion reactors to meet a high-priority need of microchip developers.…

  • Study: Better Placebo Info Needed for Drug Trials

    An analysis of pamphlets used to inform patients in clinical trials about the studies in which they take part indicates the literature short-changes discussion of placebos, in favor of the treatments being tested. The findings of health researchers led by psychology professor Felicity Bishop (pictured right) at University of Southampton in the U.K. appear in…

  • Researchers Develop Battery Components as Painted Layers

    Materials scientists and chemists at Rice University in Houston, with colleagues in Belgium, have created a battery that can be applied as spray-painted layers. Their findings appear in the online journal Scientific Reports. The team led by materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan devised a method for applying five components of a lithium-ion battery — two current collectors,…

  • Energy Dept. to Fund $102M for Small Business Research

    The U.S. Department of Energy says it will fund research projects by 104 small businesses in the U.S. to develop energy-related technologies for market. The grants, made under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, total $102 million. The projects cover technologies applying to energy efficiency, particularly for industrial…

  • U.S.-India Partnership to Develop Long Shelf-Life Tomato

    Arcadia Biosciences Inc. in Davis, California, and Bioseed Research India Pvt. Ltd. in Hyderabad unveiled plans to develop a tomato with more durability and longer shelf life.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Because of their perishable nature, many fresh fruits and vegetables — including tomatoes — are bred for durability and yield…

  • Process Devised to Manipulate Organic Molecules in Drugs

    Chemists at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California have developed new techniques they say make it easier to manipulate organic molecules in drug compounds and other chemicals. The team led by Scripps chemistry professor Jin-Quan Yu published its results this week in the online issue of the journal Nature (paid subscription required). Yu, with…