-
Fuel Cell Generates Power from Green Roofs, Wetlands
An environmental scientist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands designed a fuel cell that can generate electrical power from living plant roots and soil bacteria found in natural wetlands or vegetation on green roofs of urban buildings. Wageningen’s Marjolein Helder defends her doctoral dissertation today describing the technology, and she has started a company to…
-
Electric Bus Developer Lands $23 Million in Series B Funds
Proterra Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina, a developer of electric buses for public transportation, secured $23 million in series B funds, the second round of venture financing after initial start-up. New investor Hennessey Capital led the round, with new investor NMT Capital, and current investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, GM Ventures, Mitsui & Co.…
-
Happy Thanksgiving
Science Business will take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, 22 November, and return on Friday with limited posting. For those celebrating Thanksgiving, enjoy the holiday and safe travels. * * *
-
U.S. Patent Awarded for Protein Therapy Delivery Technology
Medgenics Inc., a biotechnology company in Misgav, Israel and San Francisco, received a U.S. patent for its technology for the sustained delivery of therapeutic proteins to treat anemia. Patent number 8,293,463 was awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on 23 October 2012 to 11 inventors, including Andrew Pearlman, president of Medgenics Inc., and…
-
Online Health Info Access Linked to Clinical Services Use
Researchers with Kaiser Permanente in Denver, Colorado found health plan members with access to their medical records and the ability to communicate online with clinicians made more use of clinical services than members without online access. The findings of the team from Kaiser Permanente’s Institute of Health Research appear in the 21 November issue of…
-
FDA Approves Cell Culture Seasonal Flu Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration approved yesterday Flucelvax, the first seasonal influenza vaccine cleared for use in the U.S., produced with cultured animal cells, instead of fertilized chicken eggs. Flucelvax is made by the global pharmaceutical company Novartis, based in Basel, Switzerland. The virus strains in the vaccine are grown in animal cells of mammalian…
-
Special: Patent Office Director — Software Patents Working
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) director David Kappos pushed back at complaints about software patents harming American innovation, saying the current patent system has generated “an explosion of innovation.” Kappos discussed software patents today in a speech to the progressive think tank Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. Kappos answered charges that the…
-
Gene Therapy Biotech Secures $37.5 Million in Venture Funds
Applied Genetic Technologies Corp., a biotechnology company in Gainesville, Florida, gained $37.5 million in series B funds, the second round of financing after initial start-up. Alta Partners and S.R. One Ltd led the financing, with new investor Osage University Partners joining existing investors InterWest, Intersouth Partners, and MedImmune Ventures in the round. Applied Genetic Technologies…
-
University at Buffalo to Close Shale Research Center
The president of University at Buffalo in New York closed an industry-funded research institute doing studies on shale gas. Satish Tripathi announced the decision to close the Shale Resources and Society Institute yesterday in an open letter to the university community. In the letter, Tripathi said the university’s geographic proximity to large shale deposits holding…
-
Anti-Freeze Molecule Behavior Identified, Analyzed
The freezing of water and other substances is normally attributed to temperature, but chemistry researchers at New York University found other molecular processes taking place that influence freezing, with potential applications in food processing and other industries. The NYU team published its findings today online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences…