CMU receives $6.9 million to create new climate center

From EurekAlert:

"Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Engineering and Public Policy will receive $6.9 million over the next five years from the National Science Foundation to study climate-related decision making.

Most climate researchers promise to reduce uncertainty. Carnegie Mellon's new Climate Decision Making Center is different. It begins its work by acknowledging that many of the uncertainties about future climate, and the human actions that are changing climate, can not be resolved ahead of time. The center will develop methods to support decision makers in the face of this 'irreducible uncertainty.' "

FDA Eases Rules on Process Changes

From Biotech Blog:

"Drug makers will not need regulatory approval for every change in their manufacturing processes under new guidelines designed to prevent supply disruptions, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.
...
The modification is part of a just-completed, two-year effort to overhaul regulation of pharmaceutical manufacturing, a major issue for drug makers. "

SBIR Grants Exclude VC Backed Companies

This editorial from The Seattle Times calls for changes in the SBIR program stating:

"The Bush administration is interpreting a federal rule governing small-business innovation research grants in a way that hurts biotech and high-tech startups.

Directed by the White House, the Small Business Administration began in 2001 excluding such com-panies from receiving small-business grants if 49 percent or more of their funding came from venture capital. "

Via Moreover Technologies

The Travels of a Bioengineered Gene

This New York Times editorial contends:

"A study showing that genes from a type of genetically engineered grass migrated much farther than anyone had thought possible virtually demands a careful reassessment of how such plants are regulated. We must ensure that the genes from genetically engineered plants do not escape into the wild and wreak havoc in natural ecosystems."

A New Face for Biometric Security

This article from Physics.org explains:

"Biometric security implies different things to different people. For some, applications that identify individuals based on their physical and behavioural characteristics will lead to a safer and more secure world. For others, they elicit fears of an Orwellian scenario where governments and corporations run roughshod over personal privacy.

In a world where the threat of terrorist attacks, organised crime and lapses in data protection is ever present, however, the use of biometrics is increasingly being seen as the most efficient way to enhance security, whether in airports, government buildings or the local high street. "

CA Voters to Consider Anti-biotech Measures

SFGate reports that Humboldt and three "other California counties are attempting to pass similar measures on Nov. 2 that would ban genetically engineered plants and animals from their borders. Supporters of the ban argue that biotech crops poses a risk to human health and the environment -- contentions the industry strongly disputes."

Before You Start Your Biotechnology Company

Taking the right steps to initiate a biotechnology venture can avoid future problems and save time and resources. These articles from About.com provide an overview of important topics in starting and growing your biotechnology company."

IBM Identifies Seven Key Pharma Technologies

From IBM Pharma 2010: Executive Strategy Reports:

"The molecular sciences will ultimately enable the pharmaceutical industry (Pharma) to change the very nature of the medicines it makes. But if the industry is to capitalize on the understanding of disease that is now starting to emerge, it will have to invest in new tools. This paper identifies the seven key technologies that IBM believes will drive innovation in the life sciences over the next decade. All seven technologies once belonged in the realm of science fiction, but they are fast becoming fact -- the 'silicon reality' to which the title of our report refers."

For additional information about IBM's vision for the future of life sciences follow this About.com link

Digital Greenhouse signs 11 more companies

According to the Pittsburgh Business Times:

"Aethon Inc. and RedZone Robotics Inc. were among 11 companies to join the Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse, the nonprofit group said Wednesday.
The additions expanded the Digital Greenhouse's membership to 44 southwestern Pennsylvania companies. The organization also includes the state and several universities, and it works to grow the technology industry in the Pittsburgh region. "

BioTech Companies Under SEC Scrutiny

Reuters reports:

"Biotechnology companies are under U.S. regulatory scrutiny over their disclosure of information about drugs under development, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Inquiries by the Securities and Exchange Commission have not risen to the level of an industry-wide probe, but the sources said a handful of investigations are under way."

National Science Foundation Seeking Proposals

The National Science Foundation is seeking proposals for Manufacturing Innovation grants. Companies with technologies aimed at increasing the competitive capability of manufacturing firms are encouraged to apply.

New Life Sciences Commercial Insurance Package

From PropertyandCasualty.com:

"The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies has launched a portfolio of policies to help protect life sciences companies from property and casualty exposures faced by this industry. Chubb’s Customarq for Life Sciences portfolio offers life sciences customers property, general liability, products liability, human clinical trails and errors and omissions insurance in one package.

"This new version of Customarq represents the next generation of insurance protection for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, dietary supplement, drug discovery technology, medical device manufacturing and product service organizations," said Philip Fiscus, senior vice president, Chubb & Son, and worldwide life sciences manager for Chubb Commercial Insurance. "The life sciences industry continues to experience rapid changes in the legal and regulatory environment influenced by innovation. As a result, life sciences companies need even more specialized protection. To continue meeting our customers' evolving needs, we have developed Customarq for Life Sciences to address the industry's unique exposures to risk."

Pennsylvania Promotes Biotech Stimulus Programs

From yahoo.com/prnews:

"Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky today delivered the keynote address during the Regional Biotechnology Council's 4th Annual Conference. Secretary Yablonsky discussed economic stimulus programs, which benefit Pennsylvania's small and emerging biotech and life sciences companies.

'Pennsylvania bioscience companies demonstrate great promise and vast economic growth potential,' said Secretary Yablonsky. 'Through a strong university presence, entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to providing growth capital, Pennsylvania will remain a leader in the biotech and life sciences industries. We are committed to providing the needed resources, tools and programs for these companies to succeed in this competitive field.'"

HIPPA Blocks Biomedical Research

From Eurekalert:

"The Privacy Rule implemented as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is constraining researchers in the United States and slowing the progress of a wide range of clinical studies and biomedical research. Unless fundamental rule changes are addressed, many studies may simply move offshore, warns Roberta Ness, M.D., M.P.H., professor and chair of the department of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH). "

Avoiding a Nanotech Backlash

From The Scientist:

"If companies developing nanotechnology products want to avoid being hit with the sort of backlash that crop firms have suffered over genetic modification (GM), there needs to be public debate at an earlier stage of research and development..."

Genetic Testing Challenges Medical Ethics

From Findlaw:

"Normally, under medical ethics, doctors are obligated to keep a patient's health information confidential - even after the patient dies. This duty is central to the doctor-patient relationship.

But...advances in genetic testing are placing strains on the principle of doctor-patient confidentiality. Doctors are grappling with whether to tell a patient's relatives when the patient has an inherited disease or mutation that could afflict other members of the family.

In an article in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, doctors and legal experts argued against imposing a mandatory 'duty to warn' nonpatients."

Bioinformatics Not Ready for Prime Time?

From larta.org:

"No one doubts the importance of bioinformatics in the drug discovery process, especially as data from R&D grows at exponential levels. But, the growth levels projected for the industry seem overestimated and lofty. The bioinformatics market is yet to mature and create a consistent, predictable, profitable sector for itself in the life science industry. In addition, the industry is one with relatively low barriers to entry and increasing competition from larger established IT companies. Only the fittest companies that address the standardization and integration issues will survive."

Biometrics Coming into Focus

From Technewsworld:

"One year ago, the prospects for developing biometrics as a reliable security device for computers were viewed by many industry watchers as a nice idea with little applicable potential. After all, biometric security devices have been available in one form or another for 30 years. But the use of biometrics for computer security and user authentication lacked much enthusiasm because of ill-placed perceptions that the procedures were costly, inconvenient and intrusive.

Secure log-on devices such as key stroke pattern recognition and fingerprint scanners were developed years ago. These devices were improved in recent years and were supplemented with voice recognition software, signature verification scanners and infrared iris scanners. Still, despite advances in technology , interest has been lacking. Adoption fell far short of mainstream acceptance.

However, that cycle of misperceptions and lack of interest is starting to change, according to officials in one company heavily pursuing 3D facial technology."

Cloning Constitutionally Protected?

This article from The New York Times: contends:

"In this election year, the debate over cloning technology has become a circus -- and hardly anybody has noticed the gorilla hiding in the tent. Even while President Bush has endorsed throwing scientists in jail to stop ''reckless experiments'' (and has tried to muscle the U.N. into adopting a ban on all forms of cloning, even for research), it's just possible the First Amendment will protect researchers who want to perform cloning research."

Via Law under the Microscope

Is Nanotech Ready For Its Close-Up?

From Fortune.com:

"The tiny science has inspired hundreds of startups and bigtime hype. So why are its accomplishments as prosaic as car moldings and pants? "

Smart drugs herald cancer breakthrough

From Guardian Unlimited:

"A new generation of targeted drugs that could help women with advanced breast cancer are being developed with the help of nanotechnology.
Scientists have discovered a way of delivering traditional anti-cancer drugs and hormonal drugs simultaneously using soluble compounds which home in on the cancer's blood supply.

For the first time, they have found a way of carrying the drugs directly to the site of the cancer. This promises to give women with metastatic disease, where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, a better chance of survival. It may also reduce some of the toxic side-effects of treatment. "

Genetically Modified Grass Needs More Study

From KRT Wire:

"Alarmed by new research showing that pollen from genetically modified grass can spread for miles, federal regulators are questioning the environmental safety of moving biotechnology into golf courses and suburban lawns.

Plans to commercialize creeping bentgrass engineered to resist Roundup herbicide are on hold after the U.S. Department of Agriculture decided to make it the first genetically modified plant to undergo an environmental-impact statement, a rigorous study that will take at least a year to complete."

Termites Key To Self-Sufficient Buildings?

From ScienceDaily.com:

"[Termite] mounds provide a self-regulating living environment that responds to changing internal and external conditions. A multidisciplinary team of engineers and entomologists is looking at whether similar principles could be used to design buildings that need few or no mechanical services (e.g. heating and ventilation) and so use less energy and other resources than conventional structures."

Catching the Nano Wave

From a CNET News.com article:

"A proposal is now making the rounds to create a partnership between government, academia and the semiconductor industry to foster advanced nanotechnology research in the United States.

With most folks' attention focused on Swift boats and baseball races during this year's silly fall season, you may have missed the news--but this is an idea that deserves serious attention."

Harnessing the Power of Photosynthesis

From Paul Allen: Internet Entrepreneur

"From Forbes:

. . . researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have used spinach to harness a plant's ability to convert sunlight into energy for the first time, creating a device that may one day power laptops, mobile phones and more.

A few weeks ago I read about the bacteria that can convert sugar into electricity, and now scientists are capturing the power of photosynthesis to create electricty which may some day power portable electronic devices, with no waste.

Both technologies are years away from application. Cool stuff."

Primer on Molecular Genetics

This is a link to :
"Primer on Molecular Genetics from the U.S. Department of Energy

This primer was prepared by Denise Casey, Human Genome Management Information System, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, for the 1991-92 DOE Human Genome Program Report. "

Stem Cells: Ethics, Law and Poliltics

This is link to an article by Alexander Morgan Capron

published in 20 Biotechnology Law Report 678, Number 5 (October 2001)

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