Month: September 2015
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NASA to Test Hand-Held DNA Sequencer in Space Station
30 September 2015. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will take part in experiments testing the feasibility of a portable DNA sequencing device in space. The proof-of-concept test of the hand-held MinIon DNA sequencing device is a project of National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The MinIon, made by Oxford Nanopore Technologies in the U.K., is…
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Manufacturing Process Devised for Skin-Patch Electronics
30 September 2015. Engineers and materials scientists designed a manufacturing process for electronic health monitors worn like tattoos that cut their production time to about 20 minutes. The team led by engineering professor Nanshu Lu at University of Texas in Austin reported its findings last week in the journal Advanced Materials (paid subscription required). Lu…
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Full Genome Sequencing Offered for Under $1,000
29 September 2015. A genetics analysis company in Boston is offering full genomic sequencing, priced at under $1,000, for people willing to share the results with biomedical researchers. Veritas Genetics, a spin-off enterprise from Harvard Medical School, is making the offer to participants in the Personal Genome Project. Genomic sequencing reveals the order of nucleic acids, the…
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Special: The Next Health Care Disruption
– Sponsored Content – This blog post is part of the ‘Think Further’ series sponsored by Fred Alger Management. For more “Think Further” content, please visit www.thinkfurtheralger.com.” The frustration of the physicians comes through, piercing the structured format of a scientific journal. In July 2015, 118 oncologists at leading medical centers and cancer research institutes…
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Sensor Network, Google Maps to Track California Air Quality
28 September 2015. A San Francisco company that designs environmental sensors and networks is partnering with Google Maps to track air quality in three California regions. Aclima Inc. and Google Maps announced the partnership today at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, but no financial details were revealed. Aclima Inc. develops…
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Antibody Shown to Reduce Disability in Multiple Sclerosis
28 September 2015. A late-stage clinical trial shows an engineered antibody can reduce the extent of disability in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. The experimental drug, ocrelizumab, is made by Genentech, a biotechnology subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company Roche, in South San Francisco, California. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks…
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Simpler Genome Editing Process Discovered
25 September 2015. Researchers at the Broad Institute, a biomedical research center affiliated with Harvard University and MIT, revealed a simpler and potentially more accurate technique for editing mammalian genomes than used today. The team led by biomedical engineering professor Feng Zhang, a pioneer in genomic editing technologies at Broad Institute and MIT, published its…
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Hydrogel Aids Stem Cells Repair Heart Functions
25 September 2015. Tissue engineers and medical researchers at Johns Hopkins University developed a gel material that holds and supports the work of stem cells in repairing heart damage in lab animals. The team led by cardiologist Marie Roselle Abraham and medical materials scientist Jennifer Elisseeff published its findings earlier this month in the journal…
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Diabetes Biotech Acquires GSK Spin-Off
24 September 2015. Intarcia Therapeutics, a developer of long-acting treatments for diabetes, is purchasing Phoundry Pharmaceuticals, a discoverer of engineered peptides for metabolic and other disorders. Phoundry — a spin-off company from GlaxoSmithKline in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina — is being acquired by Intarcia for an undisclosed amount of cash and stock. Intarcia, based…
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Engineered Viruses Harnessed to Fight Bacteria
24 September 2015. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed a new technique for fighting bacteria, by genetically engineering their natural predators, a type of virus. The team from the synthetic biology lab led by engineering professor Timothy Lu published its findings yesterday in the journal Cell Systems. Lu and colleagues are seeking a better…