Science and Enterprise

Month: June 2012

  • Method Devised for Stem Cell Cardiac Muscle Patches

    Researchers from universities of Michigan and Wisconsin, with colleagues from Oxford and Imperial College in the U.K., have developed a process for creating from stem cells, heart muscle cells that mimic the heart’s pumping action. The findings, which include a technology to measure electrical activity in these created cells, are published as the cover story…

  • Bacteria Linked to Indoor Building Water Damage Identified

    Environmental health researchers at University of Cincinnati in Ohio have identified two specific bacteria associated with contamination in water-damaged buildings, a potential cause of health problems. The team that includes a colleague from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, presented its findings yesterday at an American Society for Microbiology meeting in San Francisco. Bacterial contamination in…

  • Nanomaterials Registry Begun for Health, Environment Queries

    RTI International in North Carolina has started the Nanomaterial Registry, a Web-based database and resource of biological and environmental information on materials developed through nanotechnology. The registry, available free to the public, is funded by three agencies of National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,…

  • Roche, Seaside Therapeutics to Partner on Autism, Fragile X

    Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche will collaborate to develop treatments for autism spectrum disorders and fragile X syndrome. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Autism spectrum disorders and fragile X syndrome are neurodevelopmental disorders for which there are no effective treatments yet that address core symptoms. Autism…

  • Vaccine Developer Awarded Countermeasures Center Contract

    Emergent BioSolutions Inc. in Rockville, Maryland was awarded a contract from Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to establish a development center for medical countermeasures against public health emergencies. BARDA is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The eight-year contract is valued at $220 million. The agreement will…

  • Report: Few Biotechs Working on Neglected Diseases

    A report by BIO Ventures for Global Health, a not-for-profit organization related to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), says only about five percent of the world’s biotechnology companies are developing new drugs, vaccines, or diagnostics against neglected diseases. The report, Biotechnology: Bringing Innovation to Neglected Disease Research and Development, is scheduled for release today at…

  • Carnegie Mellon Spin-Off Gets Transportation SBIR Funding

    A company formed by developers of a smartphone program that tracks real-time bus or light rail locations and seating has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to commercialize the app. Tiramisu Transit LLC, a spin-off company formed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, received the $102,000 award from the U.S. Department…

  • Merck, Ambrx to Partner on Biologics Candidate Development

    Ambrx Inc., a biopharmaceutical company in La Jolla, California, will collaborate with the global pharmaceutical maker Merck, to design and develop biologic drug conjugates, antibodies connected to drug payloads that bind with disease cell targets. The deal has a value of up to $303 million for Ambrx. The agreement gives Merck worldwide rights to develop…

  • Venture Fund to Invest $442M in Europe, U.S. Start-Ups

    The venture capital company Index Ventures, based in London, unveiled a €350 million ($442 million) fund to invest largely in start-up technology companies. The company expects to focus its new investments on European enterprises, but include start-ups in the U.S. and Israel as well. Index Ventures plans to concentrate on seed and early-stage investments in…

  • Prescription Warning Label Effectiveness Found Limited

    A study by researchers at Michigan State and Kansas State universities has found warning labels on prescription drugs have limited effectiveness due in large part to their inability to get the attention of users. The results of the study appear this week in the online journal PLoS One. The team led by Michigan State packaging…