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Self-Propelled Particles Designed to Stop Bleeding
2 October 2015. A biochemistry lab designed microscale particles that travel on their own through the body to stop heavy bleeding in trauma victims, surgery, and childbirth. Researchers at University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada led by biochemistry and engineering professor Christian Kastrup, published their findings in today’s issue of the journal Science Advances.…
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Jet Fuel Additive Reduces Chance for Crash Explosions
2 October 2015. Materials scientists and chemists designed a polymer additive that reduces the explosive nature of jet fuel in crashes or terror attacks, without compromising the fuel’s performance. Researchers from California Institute of Technology and Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena published their findings in today’s issue of the journal Science (paid subscription required). The…
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RNA Therapy Biotech Earns $44 Million in IPO
1 October 2015. A biotechnology company developing therapies based on RNA, genetic material that sends signals to cells, raised $43.75 million in its initial public stock offering. Mirna Therapeutics Inc. in Austin, Texas issued 6.25 million shares today at $7.00, and trades on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol MIRN. Its shares closed today at…
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Nanotech Cancer Center Gains $10.1M Funding
1 October 2015. Cornell University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are developing cancer diagnostics and therapies with nanoscale particles, funded largely by a National Cancer Institute grant. NCI, part of National Institutes of Health, is providing $8.2 million to the institutions over five years, while Sloan Kettering is adding $1.9 million. Cornell and Sloan…
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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…