A Human mutation that prevents Diabetes

Investigators at Amgen, Pfizer and DeCODE  have discovered a mutation in a zinc transporter that appears to prevent the onset of Diabetes.  This will likely have significant therapeutic interest.

Scientists Transform Skin Cells into Functioning Liver Cells

In our intro Biotechnology course , there  has been considerable interest in generating reagents  useful for the development of functional liver cells.  In this report, investigators at the Gladstone Institute  report success in  transforming  human skin cells into functioning liver cells. 

MIT’s Synthetic Biology Center collaborates with Pfizer to advance synthetic biology research in drug discovery and development

An interesting article  that discusses the significant  move in Pharma to go back to Biotechnology basics.

Alexion increasing Drug Portfolio

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, buys new drug therapies from Moderna Therapeutics

Amylase becomes a celebrity ?

Many think that  having a sense of humor   is key  to developing a critical  sense in science. This  feature from ONION ,  the well known  satirical web  site  offers a humorous  opportunity ! 

Tales from the Genome ? 23and Me and Udacity

23 and Me, the premier personal genomics company has set up a collaboration with Udacity to offer an  online genomics course   .  The course will integrate  student observations on their own genome  with  discussion on the likely function of  DNA sequence variants.

The Top Ten List of Sequencing Techniques

The journal Biotechniques has compiled  a list of the top ten sequencing techniques  complete with downloadable pdfs .

Free fellowships to develop web skills

A pioneering program in NYC offers  free fellowships to  adults who have not had any previous training  in web development technologies .

State's Quest To Be 'On The Bioscience Map' Progresses

Governor  Malloy is scheduled to sign  the  Bioscience Innovation Act which will provide funding to enable  new biotechnology  collaborations  between  universities and small companies in CT.    

Low GC content makes B. braunii good candidate for biofuel production.

  An article in  Phycologia suggests B. braunii is an attractive  algae for bio fuel production.

Bridging the Gap Between Undergraduate Education and Research

An interesting  student  article on  Science Education.

"Undergraduate science education is changing.  Fading are the days of large introductory lectures, where faceless students are merely consumers of certain knowledge to be later regurgitated on an exam. That model of teaching might get the information across, but it fails to engage students.  Where the infamous ‘weed-out’ courses do succeed, however, is in depleting the science talent pool: only 40% of students intending to major in a STEM discipline actually graduate with that major. "

Loss of Function of the Melanocortin 2 Receptor Accessory Protein 2 Is Associated with Mammalian Obesity

Studies in mice indicated that loss of function of the Melanocortin 2 Receptor Accessory Protein 2 increased obesity. The investigators then looked at human subjects and found that mutations in this gene were associated with human  obesity. 

3D print your favorite protein !

It is often difficult to appreciate the nuances of protein structure by viewing a spinning image on a monitor. Being able to look at a solid model,  often reveals major insights.  In this blog article , a simple step by step  protocol is presented that enables students  to create a 3D model of their favorite protein. All you need is a 3D printer !

Implications of Biotechnology and Genomics for Nursing Practice

 As discussed in the video below, the Biotechnology revolution has  very  important implications for Nursing  Education and  Practice.

Next generation DNA sequencing strategies

Dr. Mardis, one of the pioneers in using next generation sequencing strategies to  understand human disease, talks about recent developments.

The Million Mutation Project: A new approach to genetics in Caenorhabditis elegans

This is an interesting resource paper. The investigators have generated  a library  of  mutagenized    C. Elegans strains. What's new is that  each member of the library  has been sequence verified to identify  mutant alleles that cover all known C. Elegans genes.  The paper is  from the Waterston lab and is open access.

CT's Alexion is one of the Three Best-run Biotechnology Companies in the USA !

Alexion was recently written up as  one of the three best-run Biotechnology companies  in the USA .

"Alexion's focus on ultra-rare diseases has led to ultra-rare results. The biotech achieved a 15.1% ROIC over the past year. Its five-year average of 21.6% is even better. 
Earnings growth has been stellar. Alexion's net income over a trailing 12-month window increased 49% during the last year. Over the past five years, Alexion saw earnings skyrocket by more than 460%.
The company's CEO, Dr. Leonard Bell, helped develop Soliris, which treats the rare diseases paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Bell co-founded Alexion in 1992 and led the company through its IPO four years later. He also was instrumental in Alexion gaining regulatory approval for Soliris and successfully launching the drug. Along the way, Alexion has received several honors, including being named the world's second-most innovative company by Forbes in 2012. "

The Origin of GENENTECH

A very interesting reflection on  GENENTECH, one of the  original Biotechnology companies.

Jobs in Academic Research Labs

Biotechnology graduates  typically look for jobs with large Biotechnology companies and are generally unaware of the excellent   career  development possibilities   presented by small academic research labs.  In small academic research labs,  there is often a more significant  focus on discovering  new technologies that are yet to be found in mainstream Biotechnology. Thus,  employment in an academic research lab often significantly  enhances the career trajectory of Biotechnologists.  In this post , we report the recent round of Stem Cell funding in CT, which will likely  have the effect of increasing the number of entry level positions  in academic  Biotechnology labs.


"Nine scientists at the University of Connecticut Health Center received grant awards Monday totaling $4.5 million from the Connecticut Stem Cell Research Program, making UConn the largest recipient of the $9.8 million total grants awarded this year."

CT Innovations funds new Biotech Companies

CT Innovations awarded  start-up funds totaling  $560k to  four new Biotech companies in the Hartford area.