News and Trends 11 Feb 2019 Series A to Fund Therapy That Exposes Cancer to Immune System The UK biotech Grey Wolf Therapeutics has raised €11.4M (£10M) to fuel the development of a cancer therapy that flushes tumor cells out of hiding from the immune system. Many approved cancer immunotherapies, such as CAR-T cell therapy and checkpoint inhibitors, have made a big difference for many people with cancer. However, a common problem with […] February 11, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 11 Feb 2019 CRISPR: One Patent to Rule Them All The gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 has revolutionized research in biology. With several parties fighting for the rights to the technology’s intellectual property, how difficult is it for third parties to access this coveted technology? The CRISPR patent dispute is quite unique. While universities usually work together to disseminate innovation and knowledge, in the CRISPR case […] February 11, 2019 - 5 minutesmins - By Timothé Cynober Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 8 Feb 2019 This Biotech Uses Genomics to Breed Super Peas This week’s biotech, Equi-Nom, is based in Israel. With its genomics and computer modeling technology, the company helps plant producers to breed pulses that contain more protein without any genetic modification. Mission: To boost the protein content in pulses, such as peas, without editing their DNA. Instead, the company speeds up traditional breeding by […] February 8, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 8 Feb 2019 Swiss Firm Launches Cancer Test That Gives Results in Minutes Lunaphore Technologies has launched a device for automated testing of cancer tissue samples that gives results in under 30 minutes. Lunaphore has developed a piece of next-generation equipment to perform immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests, a common technique used to find specific cancer biomarkers in tissue samples from cancer patients after a biopsy. The equipment, called LabSat, will […] February 8, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 8 Feb 2019 Anti-CRISPR Proteins Could Improve Gene Editing Precision A research group in Denmark has found proteins in gut and soil microbes that can inhibit the action of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, a finding that could help to control the technology with more precision and less risk. Bacteria and viruses have fought an evolutionary arms race for millions of years. Bacteria evolved CRISPR systems to […] February 8, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 6 Feb 2019 British Biotech Spin-Offs Get €40M Funding to Treat Narcolepsy Orexia and Inexia, two new virtual companies spun out of Sosei Heptares, will develop drugs for neurological diseases such as narcolepsy with funding from Medicxi Ventures. The companies will develop drugs that activate two molecules called OX1 and OX2. These molecules act as receptors of orexin, a protein that regulates arousal, wakefulness and sleep. The […] February 6, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 6 Feb 2019 Combo of Immunotherapy and Diabetes Drug Could Beat Breast Cancer A Finnish research group has combined two cancer drugs with the diabetes drug metformin, making mice with breast cancer survive for longer than when given the treatments individually. The combination therapy included metformin, which can inhibit tumor growth; the cancer drug venetoclax, which causes cancer cells to commit suicide; and a checkpoint inhibitor antibody, which […] February 6, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 6 Feb 2019 Engineered Chicken Eggs: The Future of Cheap Drug Production? Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have produced high-quality human proteins in chicken eggs, a method that could be significantly cheaper than the current standard. The researchers engineered the DNA of chickens to make them produce human proteins in the egg white, from where they can be easily purified. In a study published on the […] February 6, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 4 Feb 2019 Swedish Biotech Receives EU Grant for High-Accuracy Kidney Cancer Test The Swedish biotech Elypta has received a Horizon 2020 grant of €2.4M to fund a clinical trial of a blood and urine test that provides an accurate diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. The clinical trial aims to validate Elypta’s technology as a monitoring tool in patients who have been treated for the kidney cancer renal […] February 4, 2019 - 2 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 1 Feb 2019 This Biotech Links the Gut Microbiome to Diseases Using Norwegian Poo In Norway’s capital city of Oslo, the biotech Bio-Me can rapidly screen for specific gut bacteria, gathering data from thousands of Norwegian stool samples to link the gut microbiome to diseases. Mission: To rapidly screen thousands of stool samples from a Norwegian population study and link the gut microbiome with disease. Client companies will then […] February 1, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 31 Jan 2019 Watch Strap Made of Recombinant Spider Silk Launches in Europe Sold by the luxury brand Omega, the watch strap is made with spider silk proteins that are brewed by genetically engineered bacteria. Spider silk is known in the textile industry for its strength, resilience, flexibility and light weight. However, it is not possible to ‘farm’ spiders to produce their silk at an industrial scale. The […] January 31, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Jan 2019 CRISPR Gene Editing Could Make Gluten Safe for Celiacs A Dutch research group is using the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to modify wheat gluten, letting people with celiac disease eat gluten without experiencing debilitating symptoms. In celiac disease, the immune system attacks gluten, causing damage to the intestine. This forces sufferers to stick to expensive gluten-free versions of foods such as bread, which […] January 31, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email