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Biotech Makes Available Stem Cell Lines to Researchers
BioTime Inc., a biotechnology company in Alameda, California said today it concluded an agreement to make five research-grade human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines available to University of California (UC) system researchers. These lines are genetically identical to the Good Management Practice (GMP)-compliant hES cell lines that will be made available to researchers in California…
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Start Up Company Licenses University Polymer Research
A new start up company has licensed advanced polymers research at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, aiming to commercialize polymer technology. PolymerPlus LLC, in nearby Valley View, plans to work with some of the intellectual property developed at the university’s Center for Layered Polymeric Systems (CLiPS). PolymerPlus will seek out specific applications for…
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Process Developed for High-Quality Gluten-Free Bread
Chemists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Manhattan, Kansas have developed a process for high-quality, gluten-free bread. According to National Institutes of Health, some two million Americans suffer from celiac disease, which makes them unable to digest gluten, a protein in flour from grains such as wheat, barley and rye, causing severe diarrhea…
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NFL Grant Funds Bioengineered Spinal Disc Research
Researchers from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City have received a $100,000 grant from NFL Charities to research tissue engineering for spinal injuries. NFL Charities is the charitable foundation of the National Football League owners. The research aims to create a living, bioengineered intervertebral disc (IVD)…
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Investor Company to Offer Cancer Therapy Development Funding
Mentor Capital Inc. in San Diego, California plans to extend its funding beyond cancer immunotherapy — its current specialty — to other leading cancer solutions. Its objective is to provide investments that fill the gap for therapies between initial lab development and their acquisition by major pharmaceutical companies. This middle stage is often called “The…
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Doctoral Candidate Develops Stress-Reducing Pen
Researcher Miguel Bruns Alonso, a Ph.D. candidate at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands, has developed a pen that measures the stress levels of the person using it, and can help to reduce that stress. Bruns is expected to receive his doctoral degree in industrial design later this week. Bruns carried out…
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VCs Expect More Deals in 2011, but Not for Science
A survey of U.S. venture capital (VC) investors shows expectations of more investments for entrepreneurs in 2011 across all company stages from initial seed funding to later stage rounds. More VCs expect investments to increase in technology-related companies, however, rather than those based on scientific discoveries. The survey of 330 VC investors was conducted in…
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Taiwan Chip Maker to Raise R&D Nearly 40%
The Taipei Times reports today that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Hsinchu, Taiwan plans to raise its research and development spending by 39 percent next year to NT$50 billion (US$1.63 billion), due to more aggressive competition in TSMC’s market. TSMC is the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer. At present, the company does not directly…
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Nanosatellites Launched in SpaceX Falcon Vehicle
Among the payloads in the commercial Space Exploration (SpaceX) Technologies Inc., Falcon 9 vehicle, launched into low-earth orbit on 8 December were two two small satellites, called nanosatellites, built by the U.S. Naval Research Lab. The lab, part of the Department of Defense, says the launch of these satellites will help evaluate their utility for…
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Light posting for the next few days
We’ll be taking a short break beginning tomorrow through Monday, which will cut down on the number of items we post during that time. We’ll get back to our regular volume next Tuesday. * * *