April 26, 2017 The authors artwork, illustrating the article, was also featured on the cover of Lab on a Chip. Credit: Royal Society of Chemistry Scientists in the U.S have a designed a computer game that could help with biomedical research. Scientists increasingly use miniscule robots to solve a range of problems, from cancer treatment to water purification. And, as with a lot of technology, the race is on to make these devices ever smaller. However there is a limit to how far you can go with a mechanical device moving parts such as motors can physically only get so small. So scientists are looking to the natural world to help. Single cell organisms, such as bacteria and algae, could make the parts in the miniaturised robots move, without the need for an external power source. Such organisms respond to changes in their environment such as light and food by moving, and if these movements can be harnessed, we can use them as motors. In a new paper just published in Lab on a Chip, Ingmar Riedel-Kruse and fellow scientists from Stanford University in the U.S. have demonstrated the use of one such organism, in the form of a game. … Continue reading →

AquAdvantage salmon. AquAdvantage Keep Frankenfish off my Dish! a protesters sign read. Another, adorned with six red hearts, suggested that real people love real salmon. A couple of years ago, protests against the approval and sale of genetically modified salmon targeted the Food and Drug Administration and supermarket chains across the country, attempting to halt the approval and sale of the AquAdvantage salmonan Atlantic salmon modified with DNA from the Chinook salmon and the ocean pout. The borrowed genetic material lets the fish grow year-round and reach market size in half the time as its natural counterpart, but its also spurred passionate public debate. In November 2015, the FDA approved the AquAdvantage salmon as the first genetically engineered animal for human consumption. According to the hype, the AquAdvantage salmon could help with reducing global hunger, decreasing the carbon footprint of aquaculture (the cultivation of fish and other aquatic life), and shoring up dwindling wild fish stock. The regulatory process behind the approval of the AquAdvantage salmon took almost 20 years. But the approval was quickly followed by a flurry of controversy and charges of insufficient consideration of key issues. A consortium of environmental groups lead by Earthjustice and the Center … Continue reading →

Staff Reporter Islamabad Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan called for establishing Islamic biotechnology center in order to develop the agriculture and related sectors for the socio-economic prosperity of Muslim countries. Addressing the 3rd International Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Biotechnology on an other day, he said that government believes that practical collaboration among the Muslim countries in the cutting edge areas of modern biotechnology was the need of time. The event was organized by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with COMSATS, Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and CIMMYT. The aim of the conference was to share the international best practices of using the biotechnology for the development of agriculture sector and food security. The minister termed the exchange of eminent scientist for short term and graduating students among Islamic countries as another good form of cooperation. He called upon the scientists for encouraging and promoting smart agricultural practices to build the resilience in agri-sector. Pakistan was working on the development of infrastructure for using modern and innovative technologies including the biotechnology for uplift of agriculture, health and industrial sectors of the country, he added. Pakistan has improved its crop … Continue reading →

Use of cell imaging technology enables cutting-edge research into the assessment of bioactive compounds in cell lines Matis is a leading food and biotechnology research institute in Iceland. Matis vision is to increase the value of food processing and food production, and to ensure the safety and quality of food and food products. SelectScience spoke to Dr. Eva Kuttner, to learn more about the technology the company is using in its research. SS: Could you briefly introduce yourself and your place of work? EK: My name is Dr. Eva Kuttner, Im a Project Leader in the Analysis and Structure division at Matis (mat=food + is=Iceland). Matis is a government owned, non-profit, independent research company in Iceland. The main focus of Matis is research and development, aligned to the food and biotechnology industries, as well as providing Iceland's leading food analytical testing service for public and private authorities. I personally am German, and I hold a Diploma (equal to an MSc) in Botany, from the Universitt Braunschweig in Germany. I received my PhD in Integrative Biology (2007-2012) from the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada). SS: Could you describe your job role and work at Matis? EK: My job title is Regional … Continue reading →

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Technavio has announced the top five leading vendors in their recent global biotechnology reagents market report. This research report also lists four other prominent vendors that are expected to impact the market during the forecast period. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170425006359/en/ The global biotechnology market is a continuously growing market and has witnessed a speedy growth in past few years. The increase in bio-related technologies, research labs, and centers and commercial requests are the main reasons behind the growth of the global biotechnology reagents market. Increasing investment in R&D of biotechnology, from private and government sector, is the key driver for the growth of the global biotechnology reagents market. Competitive vendor landscape According to the report, the global biotechnology reagents market consists of a sizeable number of key global players, along with regional and local players. These players have a vast geographical presence with huge production facilities located, globally. There are a considerable number of small regional vendors with significant shares in the market The major players compete depending on the innovations, price, and quality of the product. Some players can capture the market due to lower costs compared to their … Continue reading →

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., April 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --SSCI, a division of Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI), has been recognized by Global Health & Pharma (GHP) magazine as the winner of the 2017 Biotechnology Award for Best Global Research & Manufacturing Company in the United States. "I am truly honored to accept this award on behalf of our dedicated team that is deeply committed to the mission of helping our clients achieve their product development goals and generate valuable intellectual property day in and day out," said David A. Engers, Ph.D., general manager at SSCI. "We are grateful to GHP for recognizing our commitment to client service and data integrity in order to provide unmatched value to the industries we have served for more than a quarter century." GHP magazine recognizes that the biotechnology industry is increasingly viewed as being the frontline of medical science, and as this movement continues to gain momentum the publication is committed to following the most game-changing advances and revolutionary developments that will form the healthcare world for years to come. Nathan Angell, GHP awards coordinator, expressed pride in every one of the award winners, "This award recognizes the hard work and dedication of the firms, … Continue reading →