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  • Biotech Secures $13M in Series B Funding for Clinical Trial

    HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company in San Diego, closed a $13 million extension of its series B financing, the second round of funding after initial start-up. The extension is funded by existing investors Aberdare Ventures, De Novo Ventures, Forward Ventures, Latterell Venture Partners, and Lilly Ventures. HemaQuest develops small molecule therapies to treat disorders…

  • Genetic Testing Users, Costs Expected to Increase

    A working paper released today by UnitedHealthcare, a health care insurance and services company in Minneapolis, says few patients currently use genetic testing, but a large majority of physicians believes their patients could benefit from these tests. The report also estimates some $5 billion is now spent annually on genetic testing, with those costs expected…

  • FDA Approves Cell Product for Dental Tissue Regeneration

    The Food and Drug Administration has approved the product Gintuit for regenerating oral soft tissue, made by Organogenesis Inc. in Canton, Massachusetts. The product combines skin cells and connective tissue with bovine collagen and proteins to regrow soft tissue in the mouth resulting from gingival recession, or receding gums. Gingival recession occurs when the gingiva…

  • Australian Researchers Develop Salt-Tolerant Wheat Strain

    Agricultural researchers at universities and research institutes in Australia have developed a strain of wheat that can thrive in salty soils. Their findings appear today online in journal Nature Biotechnology (paid subscription required). The research led by University of Adeliade plant scientist Matthew Gilliham first aimed at understanding in the lab the functioning of salt-tolerant…

  • Nanotubes Boost Biosensors for Faster Medical Diagnostics

    Researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis have adapted carbon nanotubes to increase the speed of biological sensors that can reduce the time and costs for medical lab tests. The team led by physics professor Ethan Minot published their findings last month in the journal Lab on a Chip (paid subscription required). Carbon nanotubes are…

  • Photo-Printing Technology Developed for 3-D Polymer Shapes

    Researchers at University of Massachusetts in Amherst have developed a simple technology for producing three-dimensional shapes from thin polymer films. The findings of the work by Ryan Hayward, Christian Santangelo, and their UMass colleagues appear in the current issue of the journal Science (paid subscription required). The new method, funded by National Science Foundation, involves exposing…

  • Computer Processor Power Scheme Cuts Waste, Energy Use

    Engineers and computer scientists at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have developed a method for allocating power in computer processors that cuts device energy use by as much as 40 percent. The team led by computer science professor Swarup Bhunia presented their findings in January at the 25th International Conference on VLSI (Very-Large-Scale Integration)…

  • Challenge-Funded Research Studies Animal Testing Alternative

    Research at University of Southampton in the U.K. will study in-vitro alternatives for testing the toxicity of drug candidates on animals. The U.K.’s National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) awarded £500,000 ($US 800,400) for the study from its 2011 CRACK IT challenge seeking alternatives to tests with lab…

  • Algorithms Plot Optimal Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Routes

    Engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have devised mathematical methods to plot the optimal routes for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), increasingly used for industrial, research, and security applications. The team led by mechanical engineering professor Pierre Lermusiaux will discuss its work in May 2012 at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Setting an…

  • Bellicum Pharma Lands $20M in Series B Finance Round

    Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Houston, Texas says today it has raised $20 million in series B financing, the second round of investment after initial start-up. The company develops vaccines designed to attack specific disease-producing cells, including those causing life-threatening disorders such as cancer. The privately-held Bellicum says current and new investors contributed to this investment…