News and Trends 4 Aug 2018 Linen and Bacteria: The Hidden History of Microbiology A bioart exhibition explores the essential role that linen has played in the science of microbiology throughout history. Along with beer, linen is one of the oldest biotechnological products. Since its origins in ancient Egypt, bacteria have been responsible for retting, a process in which the linen fibers are separated from the stem of the […] August 4, 2018 - 5 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 3 Aug 2018 Precision Antibiotic Improves Outcome of Gut Infections in Phase II Summit Therapeutics obtained Phase II results showing its antibiotic for C. difficile infections was more effective in reducing the recurrence of the disease than the standard of care. Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that can infect the gut after a patient receives broad spectrum antibiotics. C. difficile infections typically cause diarrhoea and abdominal pain, but […] August 3, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 3 Aug 2018 This Biotech Targets the Neuronal Causes of Hearing Loss Today, we’re in Archamps, France, visiting Pragma Therapeutics, a neuroscience biotech developing drugs to regulate neuronal signalling in hearing loss. Mission: Pragma Therapeutics develops treatments for noise-induced and age-related hearing loss that regulate glutamate levels. Glutamate is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the nervous system and makes nerve cells turn on, or fire. In patients with […] August 3, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 2 Aug 2018 Tomato DNA Could Help Uncover Counterfeit Breast Implants Counterfeit breast implants can harm patients’ health and even threaten their lives. A German research team is using tomato DNA tags to tell the ‘real thing’ apart from frauds. The silicone used in implants need to have a high-quality to prevent silicone from leaking out of the implant. As a result, the silicone used in […] August 2, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 2 Aug 2018 EMA Temporarily Scales Back Activities to Prepare for Brexit As a result of Brexit, the European Medicines Agency will suspend some of its activities to prepare for staff cuts and its move from London to Amsterdam next year. As of October 1st, the EMA will cut back on international collaborations, developing guidelines for regulatory approval, and publishing clinical data in order to maintain its […] August 2, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 1 Aug 2018 London Biotech Raises €47M to Develop First Treatment Against RSV Virus ReViral will dedicate the funds to run two clinical trials to test whether its antiviral can help patients at high risk from RSV infections. The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) only causes mild cold symptoms in most people. But for small children and immunosuppressed patients, it can be deadly. “There are at present no approved therapies […] August 1, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Jul 2018 Recycled Forestry Waste Could Make Cosmetics, Plastics and Biofuel An EU project is using forestry waste to make 2,3-butanediol, a chemical with a wide range of industrial applications, from perfumes to synthetic rubber and food additives. Rehap, an EU project, has found a way to produce 2,3-butanediol, a chemical building block used in a range of industrial applications, using sugars purified from forestry waste. […] July 31, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 31 Jul 2018 Israeli Crohn’s Disease Drug Rakes in Positive Phase III Results RedHill Biopharma has obtained positive Phase III results for its Crohn’s disease treatment, which targets a certain type of gut bacteria. Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by acute flare-ups and periods of symptom-free remission, that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. It has a high prevalence for an autoimmune disease, […] July 31, 2018 - 2 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jul 2018 This Transgenic Rice Could Prevent HIV Infections Researchers in Spain have created a strain of genetically-engineered rice that could provide a cheap alternative to produce medicines for HIV prevention. The risk of HIV infections can be significantly reduced with oral medication. However, pricing is a big issue for people living in impoverished or developing countries who are at risk. Researchers at the […] July 30, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
More News! 30 Jul 2018 We May Soon Diagnose Traumatic Brain Injury With a Single Drop of Blood Swiss and Spanish researchers are developing a diagnostic test that measures the severity of mild traumatic brain injury that delivers results in ten minutes with a single drop of blood. CT scans are currently the only reliable method for diagnosing mild traumatic brain injury. However, the technology is not available in all hospitals, is expensive […] July 30, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Alexander Burik Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 30 Jul 2018 This Bulletproof Skin is Made of Goat Milk Spider Silk Jalila Essaïdi is a Dutch artist and entrepreneur focused on biotech applications of spider silk, which she makes using the milk of genetically engineered goats. Spider silk is one of the strongest materials in nature. Jalila Essaïdi had her curiosity piqued when she read about the work of Randolph Lewis, a Professor at Utah State […] July 30, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Jul 2018 EU Court of Justice Makes Restrictive Ruling on Genome Editing Genetically-edited organisms that were until now excluded from GMO regulation will now be subject to EU GMO law, which according to experts could harm Europe’s leading position in genome editing. Following a petition from France’s Council of State, the Court of Justice of the EU has stated that mutagenesis techniques should be regulated under GMO […] July 26, 2018 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email