-
Plant Genes Altered to Add More Kernels On Ears of Corn
Plant scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York engineered a key gene in maize — called corn in North America — that encourages their version of stem cells to develop more kernels per ear. The findings of David Jackson and colleagues at Cold Spring Harbor appeared online yesterday in the journal Nature Genetics…
-
Modeling, Biotechnology Boost Antibiotic Impact on Pathogens
Biomedical engineers at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering combined computer modeling with biotechnology techniques to weaken resistance of E. coli cells to antibiotics. The team led by Jim Collins, with colleagues from Boston University, published its findings today online in the journal Nature Biotechnology, and filed a U.S. patent for the technology.…
-
Weaknesses Found in Online Banking, Facebook Security
Computer scientists at University of London’s Royal Holloway College found what they call major weaknesses in the security protocol for protecting online e-mail, Facebook, and financial transactions. The team led by Royal Holloway information security professor Kenny Paterson say they found the vulnerabilities in the transport layer security protocol designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, and…
-
Techniques Developed for Defect-Free Graphene Formation
Researchers in the U.K., Germany, and Greece developed a method of forming graphene layers with uniform orientation and alignment, using established and inexpensive techniques. The team led by University of Oxford materials scientist Nicole Grobert published its findings online last week in the journal ACS Nano (paid subscription required). Grobert (pictured right), with colleagues from…
-
Pfizer Spins Off Animal Health Unit, Raises $2.2B in IPO
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. in New York created a new enterprise, Zoetis, from its former animal health division. The new company raised $2.2 billion in its initial public offering, and will trade on the New York Stock exchange under the symbol ZTS. Zoetis, based in Madison, New Jersey, discovers and develops veterinary vaccines and…
-
Weill Cornell, N.Y. Hospital Open Precision Medicine Center
Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital are opening a medical research and clinical center in New York to deliver targeted, individualized treatments based on each patient’s genetic profile. The Institute for Precision Medicine, as the new center is called, will conduct genetic research to develop new therapies for testing in clinical trials, while…
-
U.K. to Spend $20.4 Million on Catalytic Chemistry
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, or EPSRC, a research funding agency in the U.K., will devote £12.9 million ($US 20.4 million) to the U.K. Catalysis Hub, a catalytic science research program to support economic growth. The program is based at the Research Complex at Harwell in Oxfordshire, and is expected to involve scientists…
-
Company, University to Develop 3D Models for Cancer Research
Organovo Holdings Inc. in San Diego, with Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, will develop three dimensional human tissue models to replicate cancer disease for lab testing of potential therapies. The partnership, for which financial terms were not disclosed, will apply Organovo’s 3D printing technology that builds tissue models for testing cancer treatments more…
-
Consortium Building Safe Lightweight E-Car Body, Drivetrain
A consortium of German manufacturers and Technical University Munich (Technische Universität München) is building a prototype concept car that provides a lightweight, yet strong body for electric passenger vehicles. The consortium known as Visio.M is led by car maker BMW and includes Technical University Munich as the group’s scientific partner, as well as 15 other…
-
Floor Layout Analysis Can Boost Nursing Work Improvements
Architects at Cornell and Texas A&M universities and in private practice developed an analytic technique to find ways of improving the work of nurses by improving the layout of medical and surgical facilities. The team led by Cornell’s Rana Zadeh published its findings in the current (December 2012) issue of the Health Environments Research and…