Science and Enterprise

Tag: U.K.

  • Genetic Tech Company to Acquire Prenatal Test Developer

    Illumina Inc., a developer of genetic diagnostics systems in San Diego, will acquire Verinata Health Inc. in Redwood City, California, a provider of non-invasive prenatal tests for high-risk pregnancies. The deal will pay Verinata Health $350 million, with up to $100 million in additional milestone payments through 2015. Illumnia offers technology for research and diagnostics,…

  • U.K. Universities Form Advanced Materials Consortium

    The universities of Manchester, Cambridge, and Lancaster in the U.K. received funding from the European Research Council to develop new two-dimensional materials similar to graphene. The €13.4 million ($US17.7 million) grant was awarded to the three institutions under the council’s Synergy Grant initiative. The universities will form what they call a Synergy Group to support…

  • Kidney Stone Monitor Boosts Treatment Effectiveness

    Engineers at University of Southampton in the U.K. tested a prototype monitoring device for ultrasound treatments of kidney stones that showed the device ready for full-scale clinical trials. The team led by Southampton engineering professor Tim Leighton published its findings yesterday online in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A (paid subscription required). In…

  • DNA Sequencing Performed with Tiny Samples, No Library Prep

    Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Babraham Institute, both in the U.K., developed a technique for sequencing DNA molecules requiring a tiny fraction of material and without the laborious library preparation that had been needed before. The work of the team led by Harold Swerdlow (pictured left), Sanger Institute research and development director,…

  • New Technique Developed for Stem Cell Delivery to Eyes

    Engineers at University of Sheffield in the U.K. devised a new method for attaching stem cells to eyes that can lessen the need for tissue banks and reduce the growth of scar tissue on the eye. The technology, designed to treat damage to the cornea, the transparent layer on the front of the eye, is…

  • Process Created for Stem Cells from Routine Blood Samples

    Medical researchers at University of Cambridge in the U.K. developed a process to extract induced pluripotent stem cells from a routine blood sample. The team led by Cambridge’s Amer Rana published its findings yesterday online in the journal Stem Cells: Translational Medicine. Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult cells genetically reprogrammed to resemble embryonic stem…

  • U.K. Medical Tech Company Acquires Wound Care Developer

    Smith & Nephew, a medical technology company in London, is purchasing Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, a developer of wound treatments in Fort Worth, Texas. In the transaction, Smith & Nephew will acquire all Healthpoint assets for $782 million in cash, with the deal expected to close next month. Olivier Bohuon, Smith & Nephew’s CEO, says the acquisition…

  • International Consortium Sequences Bread Wheat Genome

    Researchers from the U.S., U.K., and Germany sequenced the genome of the strain of wheat used to make bread, an achievement that is expected to increase yields and enhance the nutritional value of this crop. The findings of the consortium, comprising researchers from 10 different institutions, appear today online in the journal Nature. U.S. Department…

  • Algorithm Improves Brain-Controlled Cursor Movements

    Engineers, neuroscientists, and computer scientists in the U.S. and U.K. designed an algorithm offering more sensitive and accurate control of a computer display cursor controlled by thoughts. The team led by Krishna Shenoy, Stanford University professor of neurobiology and engineering, published its findings online yesterday in the journal Nature Neuroscience (paid subscription required), and aims…

  • U.K. Devotes £60 Million for Science Entrepreneurship

    The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council or EPSRC in the U.K. is funding 31 projects at British universities to encourage scientists to become new or better entrepreneurs. The £60 million ($US 95.3 million) program was announced today by Vince Cable, U.K.’s Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. Under the program, EPSRC is…