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Venture Fund Unveiled for Michigan Life Science Startups
A new venture capital fund in Grand Rapids, Michigan will support early-stage life science companies in the western part of that state. The Michigan Accelerator Fund 1 (MAF1) will also allocate some of its portfolio to technology startups in other fields including advanced manufacturing, alternative energy, and homeland security. MAF1 received a a $6 million…
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Air Force Contract Awarded for Micro Vehicle Battery Research
ADA Technologies Inc. in Littleton, Colorado received a $100,000 contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory for research on powering micro air vehicles (MAVs) — unmanned aerial vehicles that can be as small as six inches in size and allow remote observation in areas that are inaccessible to ground vehicles. ADA’s research is aimed at…
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Georgia Tech to Offer Stem Cell Bio-manufacturing Program
Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta has received a $3 million grant from National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop engineering methods for stem cell production, in order to meet the anticipated demand for stem cells. Stem cell research is destined to have a major impact on medical science in fields such as regenerative medicine, drug…
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Ambient Car Lighting Aids Driver Perceptions, Functions
Engineers at BMW in Munich, Germany and researchers from the Lighting Engineering Group at Ilmenau University of Technology in Ilmenau, Germany found ambient, rather than direct, lighting improved drivers’ perceptions of their cars’ interiors. The study, published online today in the journal, Lighting Research and Technology, found that ambient lighting has several significant positive influences…
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FDA Fast-Tracks Treatment for Hepatitis C Infection
Pharmasset Inc., in Princeton, New Jersey, received a fast-track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its drug PSI-7977, developed for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. PSI-7977 is an oral nucleotide analog inhibitor of HCV. Pharmasset recently completed dosing in a Phase 2a trial to evaluate PSI-7977 in…
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Robots to Help Children With Autism
Interbots Inc., a spin-off company associated with the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has joined with the Autism Center of Pittsburgh to provide robot-based therapy for children with autism. The program will use a robot to test the ability of children with autism with limited or no verbal skills. Interbot’s Popchilla…
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Texas City, University Get Grant for Sci/Tech Incubator
A partnership between Texas State University-San Marcos and the city of San Marcos has landed a $1.85 million award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to build a new Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) building. The university says the new building will be used as a location for start-up and early-stage businesses, and provide…
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Study to Determine Genetic Risks of Gum Disease
The University of Michigan School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor and Interleukin Genetics Inc. in Waltham, Massachusetts have agreed to conduct a large-scale clinical study using genetic testing to assess the risk for gum disease, specifically factors that predict periodontal disease progression to tooth loss. This study will determine if dental patients can be categorized…
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Outcome Sciences to Study Effectiveness of Glaucoma Treatments
The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has selected Outcome Sciences Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to conduct a study to compare the effectiveness of medications versus surgery for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma. The study will enroll 2,600 patients from 30 sites across the United States, which aims to provide new scientific information about…
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FDA Committee Advances Anti-Epileptic Drug
GlaxoSmithKline in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International in Aliso Viejo, California announced that a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee voted that clinical studies offered substantial evidence of the effectiveness of the companies’ drug ezogabine as an added treatment for adults with partial-onset seizures. The FDA’s Peripheral and Central…