Drug Development

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Turning proteins into glass

Duke Univ. researchers have devised a method to dry and preserve proteins in a glassified form that seems to retain the molecules' properties as workhorses of biology.

Magnetic cell levitation grows cultures in 3-D

Magnetic cell levitation grows cultures in 3-D

If the price of a new innovation by researchers at Rice Univ. is right, the flat petri dish may soon become an endangered species in the lab. The “invisible scaffold” technique, which relies on gold nanoparticles and engineered phages, builds cultures that more closely resemble native tissue.

Making cells feel right at home

The film "Avatar" isn't the only 3-D blockbuster making a splash this winter. A team of scientists from Houston's Texas Medical Center this week unveiled a new technique for growing 3-D cell cultures, a technological leap from the flat petri dish that could save millions of dollars in drug-testing costs.

Intentional environmental variations increase result validity in mouse testing

Intentional environmental variations increase result validity in mouse testing

For decades, the traditional practice in animal testing has been standardization, but a study involving Purdue Univ. has shown that adding as few as two controlled environmental variables to preclinical mice tests can greatly reduce costly false positives, the number of animals needed for testing and the cost of pharmaceutical trials.

The killing power of clay: Advancing antibacterial alternatives

The killing power of clay: Advancing antibacterial alternatives

Researchers from the Arizona State Univ. have helped advance understanding about the antibacterial activity of clay minerals and their ability to kill what the best antibiotics on the market can't touch.  

Inhibiting serotonin in gut could cure osteoporosis

The finding is limited to mice and rats, but the conclusions of the Columbia Univ. Medical Center study are conclusive: an experimental drug that blocks serotonin synthesis in the gut also blocks the tendency for serotonin to inhibit bone formation. Researchers say the discovery could lead to a new class of drugs.

Scripps scientists can now screen compound libraries of 10 million or more

Any researcher with the Chemical Abstracts Service, which has tens of millions of compounds on file, can tell you immediately: a promising drug compound is a needle in a haystack. At Scripps Research Institute, researchers have combined bead library screening and microarray-based analysis into an automated, efficient system that can test libraries of millions.

HIV puzzle solved after 20 years of trying

Researchers in the UK and the U.S. have together grown a crystal that reveals the structure of an enzyme called integrase, which is found in retroviruses like HIV that use it to paste a copy of its genetic code into infected DNA. New antiretroviral drugs block integrase, but until now scientists didn’t know exactly how they worked.

Swimming into drug development

By combining the tools of medicinal chemistry and zebrafish biology, a team of Vanderbilt investigators has identified compounds that may offer therapeutic leads for bone-related diseases and cancer. The findings support using zebrafish as a novel platform for drug development.

Nanoburrs target cardiovascular disease

Nanoburrs target cardiovascular disease

Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have built targeted nanoparticles that can cling to artery walls and slowly release medicine, an advance that potentially provides an alternative to drug-releasing stents in some patients with cardiovascular disease.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Much ado about next to nothing

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.

New To Market

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Submersible FlowCAM catches particle images and data in-situ and real-time
Submersible FlowCAM catches particle images and data in-situ and real-time

Fluid Imaging Technologies recently introduced its Submersible FlowCAM particle and cell imaging and analysis system at Ocean Sciences 2010 in Portland, Ore. The remote sensing platform can be used for continuous, unattended monitoring tethered to research vessels or autonomous submersibles.

Daytime running light has just two LEDs

The new OSTAR Compact LED from OSRAM has been developed specifically for use in vehicle headlights. Despite drawing just 5 W, the device provides 300 lumens of power and meets ECE/SAE color binning requirements for use on motor vehicles.

Tools & Technology

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Benchtop NMR analyzer
Benchtop NMR analyzer

Oxford Instruments America, Inc.’s Magnetic Resonance Group released the second generation of its MQC analyzers.

Software solution for microarray image analysis

BioDiscovery Inc. released ImaGene 9.0 for microarray image analysis. The new features include improved memory performance for the latest high density arrays, streamlined processing pipeline focused on image quantification and intensity extraction, and new modular design with options to add modules for analysis of gene/miRNA expression or CGH data.

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