There’s a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. Let’s make sure we all get there. – Anchorage Daily News

Eight months after Alaskas first COVID-19 case and seven months after in-person school ended in Anchorage, we stand at the darkest moment of the pandemic in our state. Case counts and positivity rates have skyrocketed. Hospitals and the health care workers who staff them are strained. The low death toll, long Alaskas signature accomplishment in its pandemic response, has begun to creep up. Rural communities that had escaped infection for many months are now feeling the brunt of the disease.

But in this darkest hour, we have at last been given the news so many of us have hoped for: COVID-19 vaccines are close to ready, and all evidence so far shows that the two most promising candidates are at least 90% effective. Thats a miracle, the kind of efficacy that could stamp out widespread COVID-19 infections worldwide. Its not too far into the realm of hyperbole to rank the development of a COVID-19 vaccine in the same realm as the Apollo Program that brought humankind to the moon. Never before has a disease been sequenced and a vaccine been developed so quickly. Never before has a vaccine been assembled using messenger RNA, a bioengineering feat that could herald a new era in combating disease. Never in our lifetimes has so much our health, our economy even and our ability to safely gather with other people hinged on a single technological advancement. This Thanksgiving, we ought all give thanks that so many have worked so hard to make it possible.

But its not here yet. Optimistic timetables hold that the vaccines could be approved for emergency use before the end of the year, but only for the highest-risk Americans. Perhaps 10 million doses will initially be available, and the logistical and technological hurdles in delivering the vaccine and keeping it supercooled so that it remains viable are immense. Once the vaccines are in full production, there will be tens of millions of doses produced every month, which could allow for most Americans to receive their shots by late spring or early summer. For those working to develop, transfer and administer the vaccine, there are hundreds of issues to overcome between now and then to make sure it can be rolled out safely and efficiently. For those of us waiting for the vaccine, theres only one significant issue to overcome, but its a doozy: Theres a lot of time between now and when most of us can be inoculated, and were heading in the wrong direction quickly with regard to the virus spread.

Theres less time between now and next summer than weve endured already under the changed world of the pandemic, but in that time, a quarter-million Americans have died. Were at our highest levels of infection yet, both in Alaska and the U.S. at large, and theres plenty of reason to believe that many people or more could die between now and when the vaccine allows us to achieve herd immunity. And every death from COVID-19 between now and then will be doubly tragic, as we now have a sense of how long we must hold out for the cure to arrive.

Given that reality, we must redouble our efforts to abide by the health practices set forth by national and state health authorities. Wear a mask in public. Maintain at least six feet of social distance between yourself and people outside your household bubble. Wash your hands frequently. Modify or cancel plans for holiday get-togethers to minimize risks though we may have to abide being apart from some of the people we love most this Thanksgiving and Christmas, doing so is the best way to ensure that well all be around for next years holidays.

The consequences if we dont get COVID-19 under control could be immense. Although the death rate for the virus is low, it rises when health care facilities are overwhelmed, reaching as high as 10% at the height of the early spikes in places like New York City and Italy. We cant afford to have that happen here, and Anchorage authorities have indicated they will institute more drastic closures of public facilities and businesses if such a situation is imminent. Many people, and many businesses, wont survive if that happens.

We know an end to COVID-19 is coming. We know the vaccines are effective, and we know there will be supply enough for everyone. But we must reach that point, and we must keep as many Alaskans alive as we possibly can on the way there. On the day we stamp out COVID-19 for good, we dont want to look back and realize we could have done more, could have kept more people we love from falling victim. We should be able to look back and recognize that we did everything we could.

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There's a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. Let's make sure we all get there. - Anchorage Daily News

22 IIT Guwahati researchers featured in list of world’s top scientists – Mint

Twenty two faculty members and researchers of Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati were featured in the list of the world's top two per cent scientists created by Stanford University of the USA. The list prepared by experts at Stanford University has names of over 1,00,000 scientists, whose published research manuscripts have accelerated progress in their respective fields and influenced productivity of other researchers as well, a statement issued by IIT Guwahati said.

The institute's Director T G Sitharam and other faculty members were listed and ranked for their research publications citations for the year 2019 and their lifetime contribution to their specific fields of research.

IIT Guwahati faculty members featured in the list are from the Departments of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Biosciences and Bioengineering, Chemistry, Electrical and Electronics. "This recognition of several faculty of the institute in the world's top two per cent of Scientists List has placed it in the global map of science and has brought great pride to the Institute. I congratulate all the 22 scientists and their hard work and commitment to furthering science," Sitharam said. The database report on field specific analysis was prepared by Prof John P A Loannidis of Stanford University and his team and was published in the prestigious journal PLOS Biology, the statement said.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Oakland University researchers acquire flow cytometry cell sorter with NSF grant – 2020 – College of Arts and Sciences – News – OU Magazine – News at…

A grant from the National Science Foundation recently helped researchers at Oakland University acquire a flow cytometry cell sorter, a scientific instrument which will allow for hands-on collaborative research in the areas of amphibian biology, plant genomics, and stem cell biology.

A flow cytometry cell sorter is an instrument that is used to perform fluorescent activated cell sorting, which means it can separate or sort small particles, such as cells, chemical compounds, beads, and proteins that are suspended in a stream of fluid, said Dr. Luis Villa-Diaz, an assistant professor in the Biological Sciences and Bioengineering departments at OU.

It does this based on fluorescent signals coming from the particle after it has been stimulated by lasers in the instrument, Villa-Diaz said. If the laser signal makes the particle glow, then a computer will detect that signal and quantify it, and also will direct that particle to a particular container to be collected. Then we can recover the desired particles after theyre sorted and use them for other experiments or purposes.

The flow cytometry cell sorter was obtained using a Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant provided by the National Science Foundation. Under the terms of the grant, the NSF covered 70 percent of the cost approximately $544,073 while a collaboration between the Office of the Provost, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Chemistry, the Eye Research Institute, and the Center for Biomedical Research provided the remaining 30 percent ($233,174).

Villa-Diaz will serve as principal investigator on the grant, while Dr. Shailesh Lal, a professor of Biological Sciences and chair of the Bioengineering Department; Dr. Thomas Raffel, an associate professor of Biological Sciences; and Dr. Gerard Madlambayan, an associate professor of Biological Sciences, will serve as co-principal investigators.

I will be using the flow cell sorter to separate different populations of stem cells based on the expression of proteins at their cell membrane, Villa-Diaz said. After sorting and enrichment of the desired cells, we will be able to use and compare the different cell populations using other experimental conditions.

The flow cytometry cell sorter can also be used for a variety of other projects, including the determination of basic biological functions and signaling directed by cell surface proteins in stem cells, the role of endothelial cells on anti-apoptotic pathways, the regulation of pre-mRNA processing in plants, the effects of temperature in amphibian immunology, the development of tubular organs, and basic understanding of DNA repair mechanisms.

The instrument will be available for use by all investigators at OU and investigators from neighboring educational institutions, as well as by users coming from other industries, although there will be a fee involved, Villa-Diaz said. The instrument will also be used for educational purposes in multiple classes, including biology, chemistry and bioengineering.

For more information regarding the use of the instrument, contact Kathie Lesich at lesich@oakland.edu or Suraj Timilsina at surajtimilsina@oakland.edu.

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Oakland University researchers acquire flow cytometry cell sorter with NSF grant - 2020 - College of Arts and Sciences - News - OU Magazine - News at...

Global Biodecontamination System Market 2020: Expected Development, Share, Demand And Study Of Key Players- Research Predictions 2025 – re:Jerusalem

Global Biodecontamination System Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 describes market introduction, product scope, market overview, and meticulous analysis of the Biodecontamination System market in the forecasted period from 2020 to 2025. The report keenly analyzes significant features in major developing markets. It explains business plans and approaches, consumption propensity, recent changes done by competitors, as well as potential investment breaks. The research report is intended to help readers with a thorough analysis of recent trends, as well as the competitive landscape of the global Biodecontamination System market during the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. The report examines the market in terms of topography, technology, and consumers. The study reveals market dynamics in several geographic segments.

Purpose of This Report:

The purpose of Biodecontamination System report is to offer organized market solutions to market players for smart decision marking. For this reason, the report offers better ideas and solutions in terms of product trends, marketing strategy, future products, new geographical markets, future events, sales strategies, customer actions, or behaviors. The report delivers the value chain analysis together with the traders list and sheds light on the present confronts between consumers and suppliers. It incorporates factual figures, focused scenes, comprehensive division, key patterns, and key proposals.

NOTE: Our report highlights the major issues and hazards that companies might come across due to the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketsandresearch.biz/sample-request/125234

Key companies profiled in term of company basic information, product introduction, application, specification, production, revenue, price, and gross margin, etc are: STERIS Life Science, Weike Biological Laboratory, TOMI Environmental Solutions, Bioquell, Tailin BioEngineering, Fedegari Group, Howorth Air Technology, JCE Biotechnology, Noxilizer

The most important types of global market products covered in this report are: Chamber Decontamination, Room Decontamination

The most widely used downstream fields of the global market covered in this report are: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Bioscience Research, Hospital & Healthcare

This report focuses on volume and value at the global level, regional level, and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents the overall market size by analyzing historical data and future prospects. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.), Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

The report thoroughly assesses the scope of the growth potential, revenue growth, product range, and pricing factors related to the market. All the expert opinions and the research analysts observations are included in terms of conclusion and observations. The report displays the competitive nature among key manufacturers, with market share, revenue, and sales. The report allows players to achieve the Biodecontamination System market competitive advantage by targeting different customers and target specific products to meet their demands.

ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.marketsandresearch.biz/report/125234/global-biodecontamination-system-market-2020-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025

Major Market Drivers & Restraints:

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Global Biodecontamination System Market 2020: Expected Development, Share, Demand And Study Of Key Players- Research Predictions 2025 - re:Jerusalem

Rail News – CSX names Bostick to its board. For Railroad Career Professionals – Progressive Rail Roading

Rail News Home Railroading People

10/8/2020

Rail News: Railroading People

CSX today announced that Lt. General (Ret.) Thomas Bostick has been appointed to the company's board.

Bostick served in the U.S. Army for 38 years. He served as the chief of engineers and commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers. After retiring from the military, Bostick was chief operating officer of Intrexon and president of Intrexon Bioengineering.

Bostick is a member of the boards of Perma-Fix Environmental Services Inc., HireVue and Streamside Systems. He's also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

"We are honored to have Tom join the CSX board of directors," said CSX Chairman John Zillmer in a press release. "Tom's exemplary background of service and leadership will provide the board with an enriching perspective as we guide CSX toward a future of sustainable growth."

Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

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Rail News - CSX names Bostick to its board. For Railroad Career Professionals - Progressive Rail Roading

Proteins do a lot more than build muscle. Here’s how we can understand them better. – News@Northeastern

Proteins are the little machines that make cells work. Some keep cells safe from viruses and bacteria, others turn light into food. Proteins carry messages, break down chemicals, copy DNA, and give cells their structure.

Basically, they do everything. Every biological function is performed by proteins, which is why understanding how these molecules work is crucial for many types of research.

But scientists have only recently begun measuring proteins in single cells, and right now, they dont have instruments sensitive enough to measure the trajectories, or lifespans, of proteins that are naturally found within a cell.

Instead, standard practice is to take a large chunk of tissue, grind it up and analyze the average of all proteins in that group of cells, says Nikolai Slavov, assistant professor of bioengineering at Northeastern, whose research focuses on measuring proteins in single cells and chronicling proteins over time. This research is supported by an Allen Distinguished Investigator Award, a Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group advised grant of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

Right now, the standard process for measuring proteins obscures a lot of details. The cells lose their individuality, which is how you can understand a lot about a cells physiology, Slavov says. These current approaches infer the trajectories of single cells and rely on extrapolation.

To make these measurements more accurate, Slavovs lab proposed a method that not only measures proteins in individual cells, but also has the potential to track changes in proteins over time. Slavov says he will use the $1.5 million grant from the Frontiers Group to further develop this advance.

One reason current instruments cant observe protein functions over time is because the measurement process is inherently destructive. To identify the proteins, scientists have to break them down into smaller pieces, either peptides or amino acids, Slavov says.

While Slavovs methods are still destructive, his lab has pioneered a new way to extract information about the cells history in the process.

I like to call it a travelogue of the cell, Slavov says. It can remember and encode information for various proteins in the past, what their turnover was, and what their function was.

Slavovs team created a method of identifying a protein by atomic weight and then following its trajectorya method Slavov plans to further refine with the help of the grant. Heres how it works: Amino acids, the smallest building blocks of a protein, are injected into a cell. These amino acids are composed of atoms that come in various types, called isotopes, which differ by atomic weight because of added neutrons.

The added neutrons dont change the chemical structure of amino acids or the proteins they will create, but they do change the atomic weight. This added weight is used to identify proteins in a cell and measure how they change over time.

This is a simplified example, but lets say on Tuesday we feed the cell amino acids that have a specific weight, then on Wednesday we feed the cell amino acids with a different weight, and on Thursday we feed the cell amino acids with another weight, and so on, says Slavov.

When we eventually do the measurements and break apart the cell, we know which proteins are made on which day because they have a certain weight depending on which amino acids they used, he says.

Identifying when a protein was made is important because it enables scientists to observe how a protein changes over time. Thats one of the biggest questions when it comes to cell differentiation, for example.

Cells differentiateturn into specialized cells such as heart cells, lung cells, brain cells, etc.when they receive information from neighboring cells.

One question we can investigate with this technology is: What are those signals? Slavov says. If we know that information, we can control a cells fate.

Researchers who ask big biomedical questions, such as how the immune system works, or how memories are made, will find these techniques invaluable. But these questions cant be answered with the existing methods, says Slavov. To further advance our research, we need to develop the tools.

For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu.

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Proteins do a lot more than build muscle. Here's how we can understand them better. - News@Northeastern

‘Bioengineers capture the beauty and quirkiness of biology in their art’ – Voxy

The imaginations and technical skills of researchers at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI) have been unleashed, and are now on show in the Art of Bio Eng exhibition as part of Artweek 2020.

The exhibiton will be on show on the ground floor of the Auckland Public Library 10-18 October and includes 20 works of art.

The works explore the interconnections between art, biology and engineering, and showcases the level and type of research undertaken at the ABI.

Art of Bio Eng includes many intriguing and revealing images: the cell structure of bamboo skewers from a weirdly distorted perspective; the patterns made by EEG waveforms propagated by deeper brain structure; a high-res scan of a bladder in which the tissue resembles the head of a camel.

This is the second time the ABI has held the competition for researchers to show their artistic side. The winning entrants will be announced on October 14 and will be judged by Associate Professor Peter Shand, head of Elam School of Fine Arts, Kate Harsant (Elam alumna and ABI executive assistant) and Arron Hynds, Director of Research Development at Hynds Smarter Water.

Associate Professor Peng Du is also on the judging panel. He organised the first Art of Bio Eng in 2015, and he notes that this years competition has attracted entrants from a wider selection of subject areas.

"It really shows that the field is growing and is more interconnected than ever before." The competition is a way to change the misperception that engineers, or STEM subjects are boring and "all about theories and equations", he says.

"As a biomedical engineer, I study the same natural aspects of the living body that are celebrated by athletes and artists throughout the ages. With advances in technologies, we are now able to visualise a world that would otherwise be closed off to our imaginations and investigations." Reuben Keeling, senior communications adviser at the ABI, helped organise the event this year and was both surprised and thrilled by the number of entries. Art of Bio Eng is a unique way to show off what the ABI does, he says.

"I dont think many people know about the Institute or the life-changing research ABI researchers are doing, so we challenged our researchers to take a different perspective on their projects, to create something artistic and get peoples attention. There are some really stunning pieces in this collection - who knew bioengineers could be so creative?"

You can view all the entrants and vote for your favourite in the People Choice on the 2020 Art of Bio Eng website.

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'Bioengineers capture the beauty and quirkiness of biology in their art' - Voxy

Regulation of Animal Subjects Research – The Regulatory Review

Scholars discuss whether the Animal Welfare Act achieves its aim of protecting animal research subjects.

Biomedical and behavioral researchers use animals as research subjects to improve human health. For example, physicians used cats and dogs to develop the medical technology that would eventually make open heart surgery possible. Today, scientists developing coronavirus vaccines first tested on animals before moving to human subjects.

In the United States, the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is the primary regulatory instrument to protect animal research subjects. The AWA protects warm-blooded animals used in research, commercial sale, public exhibition, or commercial transport. The law contains standards for the treatment of animals in research and requires institutional oversight of all animal subjects research. The U.S. Department of Agriculture enforces the AWA through routine inspections of research facilities.

Scholars differ on whether the AWA does enough to protect animal welfare. Some organizations oppose using any form of animal research, but others maintain that animal research is necessary for the continued improvement of medical techniques and treatments.

This weeks Saturday Seminar focuses on the AWA and protections for the use of animals as test subjects in scientific research.

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Regulation of Animal Subjects Research - The Regulatory Review

Report of the president: Appointments and promotions | Stanford News – Stanford University News

APPOINTMENTS WITHOUT LIMIT OF TIME:

DeSimone, Joseph, Professor of Radiology and of Chemical Engineering, effective September 1, 2020

Hernandez-Boussard, Tina, Associate Professor of Medicine, and by courtesy, of Surgery, effective November 1, 2020

Rose, Sherri, Associate Professor of Medicine, effective August 1, 2020.

Setsompop, Kawin, Associate Professor of Radiology, effective November 1, 2020

PROMOTIONS WITHOUT LIMIT OF TIME:

Bauer, Andrew, Associate Professor of Anthropology, effective September 1, 2020

Collins, Steven, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, effective November 1, 2020

Dixon, Scott, Associate Professor of Biology, effective January 1, 2021

Feng, Liang, Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, effective October 1, 2020

Goldbogen, Jeremy, Associate Professor of Biology, effective January 1, 2021

Gweon, Hyowon, Associate Professor of Psychology, effective September 1, 2020

Huh, June, Professor of Mathematics, effective September 1, 2020

Pasa, Sergiu, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, effective August 1, 2020

Rivas-Davila, Juan, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, effective September 1, 2020

Seetah, Krish, Associate Professor of Anthropology, effective August 1, 2020

Simard, Julia, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, and by courtesy, of Medicine, effective January 1, 2021

Stanford, Douglas, Associate Professor of Physics, effective September 1, 2020

Yan Xia, Associate Professor of Chemistry, effective September 1, 2020

PROMOTION FOR A CONTINUING TERM:

Srivastava, Sakti, Professor (Teaching) of Surgery, effective October 1, 2020

OTHER APPOINTMENTS:

Achour, Sara, Assistant Professor (subject to Ph.D.) of Computer Science, for the period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2024

Allende Santa Cruz, Claudia, Assistant Professor of Economics in the Graduate School of Business, for the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025

Banik, Steven, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, for the period September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2025

Bouland, Adam, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, for the period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2024

Chaudhari, Akshay, Assistant Professor (Research) of Radiology, for the period October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2024, coterminous with continued salary and research funding from sponsored projects

Clark, Susan, Assistant Professor of Physics, for the period September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2025

Fletcher, Brian, Associate Professor (Teaching) of Law, for the period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2023

Geldsetzer, Pascal, Assistant Professor of Medicine, for the period November 1, 2020 through October 31, 2024

Kasowski, Maya, Assistant Professor of Medicine and of Pathology, and by courtesy, of Genetics, for the period July 1, 2020 through June 20, 2024

Kozleski, Elizabeth, Professor (Research) of Education, for the period August 31, 2020 through August 30, 2025, coterminous with continued salary and research funding from sponsored projects

Liu, Fang, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, for the period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2024

Mason, Daniel, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, for the period October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2024

Sharaf, Naima, Assistant Professor of Biology, for the period September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2025

Trivedi, Mudit, Assistant Professor (subject to Ph.D.) of Anthropology, for the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025

OTHER PROMOTIONS:

Blanchet, Jose, Professor of Management Science and Engineering, effective September 1, 2020

Gipper, Brandon, Associate Professor of Accounting in the Graduate School of Business, for the period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023

Hbert, Benjamin, Associate Professor of Finance in the Graduate School of Business, for the period August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2023

Heilshorn, Sarah, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and by courtesy, of Chemical Engineering and of Bioengineering, effective August 1, 2020

Spakowitz, Andrew, Professor of Chemical Engineering and of Materials Science and Engineering, effective September 1, 2020

Yang, Peter, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, effective October 1, 2020

OTHER REAPPOINTMENTS:

Auclert, Adrien, Assistant Professor of Economics, for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024

Bacchetta, Rosa, Associate Professor (Research) of Pediatrics, for the period August 1, 2020 through April 30, 2025, coterminous with continued salary and research funding from sponsored projects

Baiocchi, Michael, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and, by courtesy, of Statistics and of Medicine, for the period September 1, 2021 through August, 2022

Battiato, Ilenia, Assistant Professor of Earth System Science, for the period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2023

Bernert, Rebecca, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, for the period October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022

Bocolo, Luigi, Assistant Professor of Economics, for the period August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2023

Boettiger, Alistair, Assistant Professor of Developmental Biology, for the period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2023

Brandman, Onn, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, for the period September 1, 2020 through November 30, 2020

Chan, David, Assistant Professor of Medicine, for the period November 1, 2022 through October 31, 2023

Chaudhuri, Ovijit, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, for the period August 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020

Clement, Julien, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior in the Graduate School of Business, for the period July 17, 2022 through July 16, 2023

Cuesta Rodriguez, Jos, Assistant Professor of Economics, for the period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026

Dubra, Alfredo, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, for the period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2021

Duncan, Laramie, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, for the period September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023

Dunn, Laura, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, for the period September 1, 2020 through November 30, 2020

Dylan, Dodd, Assistant Professor of Pathology and of Microbiology and Immunology, for the period August 16, 2022 through August 15, 2023

Ellsworth, William, Professor (Research) of Geophysics, for the period October 4, 2020 through October 3, 2025, coterminous with continued salary and research funding from sponsored projects

Feldman, Brian, Assistant Professor of Physics, for the period September 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021

Fetter, Dan, Assistant Professor of Economics, for the period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025

Frock, Richard, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, for the period January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022

Fung, Lawrence, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, for the period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024

Gao, Xiaojing, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, for the period April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025

Garcia, Antero, Assistant Professor of Education, for the period January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2023

Gorle, Catherine, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, for the period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024

Grillet, Nicolas, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, for the period April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024

Gross, Eric, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, for the period September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022

Gu, Xun, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and, by courtesy, of Materials Science and Engineering, for the period June 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023

Heaney, Catherine, Associate Professor (Teaching) of Psychology and of Medicine, for the period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2025

Hebert, Benjamin, Associate Professor of Finance in the Graduate School of Business, for the period August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024

Hoffman, Mark, Assistant Professor of Sociology, for the period October 16, 2023 through October 15, 2024

Honigsberg, Colleen, Associate Professor of Law, for the period June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2025

Hu, Yang, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, for the period December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021

Huang, Possu, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, for the period October 1, 2020 through August 31, 2022

Huang, Ting Ting, Associate Professor (Research) of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, for the period November 1, 2020 through October 31, 2021, coterminous with continued salary and research funding from sponsored projects

Iyer, Usha, Assistant Professor of Art and Art History, for the period June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024

Jagannathan, Prassana, Assistant Professor of Medicine and of Microbiology and Immunology, for the period January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2023

Jaiswal, Siddhartha, Assistant Professor of Pathology, for the period November 1, 2021 through October 31, 2022

Kaltschmidt, Julia, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, for the period April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022

Kantor, Roanne, Assistant Professor of English, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023

Kasowski, Maya, Assistant Professor of Medicine, and by courtesy, of Genetics, for the period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025

Keca, Srdan, Assistant Professor of Art and Art History, for the period September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024

Konermann, Silvana, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, for the period October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024

Konings, Alexandra, Assistant Professor of Earth System Science, for the period September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2023

Kronengold, Charles, Assistant Professor of Music, for the period January 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022

Kundaje, Anshul, Assistant Professor of Genetics and of Computer Science, for the period December 1, 2020 through November 30. 2022

Kwon, Marci, Assistant Professor of Art and Art History, for the period August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024

Larson, Bradley, Assistant Professor of Economics, for the period August 1, 2023 through July 30, 2024

Linderman, Scott, Assistant Professor of Statistics, for the period June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2025

Long, Jonathan, Assistant Professor of Pathology, for the period January 1, 2023 through December 1, 2023

Mai, Danielle, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, for the period January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024

Mannix, Andrew, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, for the period August 1, 2024 through July 31, 2025

Martinez-Martin, Nicole, Assistant Professor (Research) of Pediatrics, for the period December 1, 2023 through November 30, 2024, coterminous with continued salary and research funding from sponsored projects

Morten, Melanie, Assistant Professor of Economics, for the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022

Mross, Michaela, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, for the period September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024

Newman, Aaron, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Data Science, for the period August 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022

Palacios, Julia, Assistant Professor of Statistics and of Biomedical Data Science, for the period September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2024

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Report of the president: Appointments and promotions | Stanford News - Stanford University News

Rigaku to Lead Development of New Soft X-ray Phase-Based Microscope for Biomedical Applications – PR Web

The goal of the new project is to deliver an intensity-modulated phase-based soft X-ray microscopy system for non-destructive synchrotron-quality imaging of biological samples.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (PRWEB) October 06, 2020

Rigaku Corporation, a global leader in X-ray analytical instrumentation, will lead a consortium of scientific and academic research institutions in the development a new soft X-ray phase-based microscope for biomedical applications. Rigaku, University College London, Creatv MicroTech, Argonne National Laboratory and Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research have been granted funds by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) to develop an intensity-modulated phase-based soft X-ray microscope.

Microscopy is a cornerstone of both biomedical research and clinical practice. There are, however, imaging needs that are not satisfied by light, electron or X-ray methods. While optical light is satisfactory for thin tissue slices, it is not suitable for obtaining quality 3D images of thick tissue. X-rays can penetrate thick tissue, but X-ray microscope imaging systems that are available commercially are not optimal for soft tissue imaging. Additionally, the resolution of current micro-computed tomography (CT) machines is insufficient for cancer grading and scoring.

The goal of the new project is to deliver an intensity-modulated phase-based soft X-ray microscopy system for non-destructive synchrotron-quality imaging of biological samples. The system will provide 3D, quantitative and multimodal images with shorter acquisition times than from currently available systems, and resolution comparable to that of visible light microscopes, rendering high-contrast images of cell composition. In the last year of the project, the microscope will be installed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and tested on a range of relevant samples in order to evaluate its potential both as a clinical and as a research tool.

About Rigaku

Since its inception in Japan in 1951, Rigaku has been at the forefront of analytical and industrial instrumentation technology. Rigaku and its subsidiaries form a global group focused on general-purpose analytical instrumentation and the life sciences. With hundreds of major innovations to their credit, Rigaku companies are world leaders in X-ray spectrometry, diffraction, and optics, as well as small molecule and protein crystallography and semiconductor metrology. Today, Rigaku employs over 1,400 people in the manufacturing and support of its analytical equipment, which is used in more than 90 countries around the world supporting research, development, and quality assurance activities. Throughout the world, Rigaku continuously promotes partnerships, dialog, and innovation within the global scientific and industrial communities.

For further information, contact:

Joseph D. Ferrara, Ph.D.,CSO, Rigaku Americas Corporationtel: +1 281-362-2300 Joseph.Ferrara@rigaku.com

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Rigaku to Lead Development of New Soft X-ray Phase-Based Microscope for Biomedical Applications - PR Web

NIH RADx initiative advances six new COVID-19 testing technologies – National Institutes of Health

News Release

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

The National Institutes of Health, working in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), today announced a third round of contract awards for scale-up and manufacturing of new COVID-19 testing technologies. The six new Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative contracts total $98.35 million for point-of-care and other novel test approaches that provide new modes of sample collection, processing and return of results. Innovations in these new technologies include integration with smart devices, mobile-lab processing that can be deployed to COVID-19 hot spots, and test results available within minutes.

These awards are part of the RADx Tech program, focused on rapidly advancing early testing technologies. RADx Tech and the RADx Advanced Technology Platforms (RADx-ATP) the latter for late-stage scale-up projects are now supporting a combined portfolio of 22 companies for a total of $476.4 million in manufacturing expansion contracts. These six additional technologies are expected to add as many as 500,000 tests per day to the U.S. capacity by the end of 2020 and 1 million tests per day by early 2021. Combined with previous contractsannounced in July and September, RADx Tech and RADx-ATP contracts are expected to increase test capacity by 2.7 million tests per day by the end of 2020.

Since launching in April, the NIH RADx initiative has moved swiftly to facilitate critical expansion of early and late-stage testing technologies as well as research to remove barriers to testing for underserved and vulnerable populations, said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. Each of the technologies emerging from the RADx initiative will play a critical role in extending accessibility to testing in diverse settings.

The latest group of testing technologies have been optimized and assessed within the NIH RADx Tech development pipeline and have met the rigorous criteria for advancement. Factors such as speed, accuracy, cost and accessibility are key considerations for RADx support. The RADx initiative provides financial support and expertise to help companies reach milestones for U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization, scale-up and commercialization.

The current round of awards support five technologies that can be delivered to the point of care and a powerful laboratorytest, said Bruce J. Tromberg, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and lead for RADx Tech, one of four programs of the NIH RADx initiative. The technologies include an antigen test that provides results in 15 minutes, a viral RNA test deployed in mobile vans that can travel to COVID hotspots and tests that require only saliva, nasal swabs or blood from a finger prick.

BARDA, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provided the funding for these RADx Tech contracts from emergency supplemental appropriations to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund.

BARDA has contributed substantially to the nations COVID testing capacity with development support of 30 SARS-COV-2 diagnostic tests since March, 15 of which have achieved FDA emergency use authorization (EUA). Five of the 30 tests can distinguish between influenza and SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from the same sample, and two of those have achieved EUA. To date, BARDAs industry partners have shipped more than 45 million tests to healthcare providers across the country.

Through the RADx initiative, we are expanding on our long-standing partnership with NIH to bring essential technology to the American people in the fight against COVID-19, said BARDA Acting Director Gary L. Disbrow, Ph.D.Our staff at BARDA is lending our expertise and experience in advanced development, manufacturing and scale up to help make as many accurate, fast tests available as we can as quickly as possible.

The following companies have achieved key RADx Tech milestones and will receive support for manufacturing and scale up:

Ellume USA LLC, Valencia, California

Two unique test cartridges contain a single-use, digital fluorescent immunoassay antigen test that returns accurate results in 15 minutes or less.One cartridge testing nasal swabs can be read out on two platforms by healthcare professionals, at the point of care or in laboratory settings for higher throughput. A second cartridge is being developed for home use with a self-administered nasal swab.

Luminostics, Inc., Milpitas, California

A rapid, smartphone-readout, antigen immunoassay that uses glow-in-the-dark nanomaterials to sensitively and specifically detect SARS-CoV-2 from shallow nasal swabs in 30 minutes or less, first for point-of-care use and later for home use.

Quanterix, Billerica, Massachusetts

A laboratory antigen test with ultra-sensitive single-molecule immunoassay technology to enable detection from a variety of sample types including nasopharyngeal, saliva or self-acquired blood from a finger prick. Sample collection, transport, and processing will occur within 24-48 hours using existing sample collection logistics infrastructure through a network of centralized labs.

Flambeau Diagnostics, Madison, Wisconsin

A lab module that can be deployed in a mobile van to screen asymptomatic individuals to detect SARS-CoV-2at low viral levelsin saliva samples, returning results in as little as one hour. The system can serve employers, schools and underserved populations. It uses newextractiontechnology to purify and concentrate viral RNA reliably and quickly.

Ubiquitome, Auckland, New Zealand

A battery-operated, mobile RT-PCR device that detects viral RNA with high accuracy in 40 minutes and reports results via its proprietary iPhone app. It offers high throughput and could be much lower cost than lab-based RT-PCR tests. The device is targeted for use in rural and metropolitan hospitals and mobile labs.

Visby Medical, San Jose, California

A palm-sized, single-use RT-PCR device that detects viral RNA with highly accurate results at the point of care in 30 minutes. The device was designed to be used by a person with minimal skills. This novel, versatile technology platform can also be adapted to provide simple, rapid tests for other diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and influenza.

About the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx SM) initiative: The RADx initiative was launched on April 29, 2020, to speed innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. The initiative has four programs: RADx Tech, RADx Advanced Technology Platforms, RADx Underserved Populations and RADx Radical. It leverages the existing NIH Point-of-Care Technology Research Network. The RADx initiative partners with federal agencies, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, Department of Defense, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Learn more about the RADx initiative and its programs:https://www.nih.gov/radx.

About HHS, ASPR, and BARDA: HHS works to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans, providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services. The mission of ASPR is to save lives and protect Americans from 21st century health security threats. Within ASPR, BARDA invests in the innovation, advanced research and development, acquisition, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products needed to combat health security threats. To date, 55 BARDA-supported products have achieved FDA approval, licensure or clearance. For more on BARDAs portfolio for COVID-19 diagnostics, vaccines and treatments and about partnering with BARDA, visit medicalcountermeasures.gov. To learn more about federal support for the all-of-America COVID-19 response, visit coronavirus.gov.

About the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB):NIBIBs mission is to improve health by leading the development and accelerating the application of biomedical technologies. The Institute is committed to integrating the physical and engineering sciences with the life sciences to advance basic research and medical care. NIBIB supports emerging technology research and development within its internal laboratories and through grants, collaborations, and training. More information is available at the NIBIB website:https://www.nibib.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIHTurning Discovery Into Health

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NIH RADx initiative advances six new COVID-19 testing technologies - National Institutes of Health

NIH to support 85 new grants featuring high-risk, high-reward research – National Institutes of Health

News Release

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

The 2020 Directors Awards will feature highly innovative biomedical research by investigators at all career stages.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded 85 grants through its High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) Program that will fund highly innovative and unusually impactful biomedical or behavioral research proposed by extraordinarily creative scientists. Examples of supported research include understanding the role of neighborhoods on urban substance abuse, brain-machine interfaces that allow learning by both brain and machine, engineering multi-organs in a dish, and exploiting latent immune pathways to treat disease. The 85 awards total approximately $251 million over five years, pending available funds.

The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program catalyzes scientific discovery by supporting research proposals that, due to their inherent risk, may struggle in the traditional peer-review process despite their transformative potential. Program applicants are encouraged to think outside the box and to pursue trailblazing ideas in any area of research relevant to the NIHs mission to advance knowledge and enhance health.

The breadth of innovative science put forth by the 2020 cohort of early career and seasoned investigators is impressive and inspiring," said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. I am confident that their work will propel biomedical and behavioral research and lead to improvements in human health.

The High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program is part of the NIH Common Fund, which oversees programs that pursue major opportunities and gaps throughout the research enterprise that are of great importance to NIH and require collaboration across the agency to succeed. The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program manages the following four awards, including two awards aimed specifically to support researchers in the early stages of their careers:

NIH issued10 Pioneer awards,53 New Innovator awards,nine Transformative Research awards, and 13 Early Independence awards for 2020. Funding for the awards comes from the NIH Common Fund; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Cancer Institute; National Human Genome Research Institute; National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; National Institute of General Medical Sciences; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; and National Institute on Aging.

About the NIH Common Fund: The NIH Common Fund encourages collaboration and supports a series of exceptionally high-impact, trans-NIH programs. Common Fund programs are managed by the Office of Strategic Coordination in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in the NIH Office of the Director in partnership with the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. More information is available at the Common Fund website:https://commonfund.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

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NIH to support 85 new grants featuring high-risk, high-reward research - National Institutes of Health

Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size, Sales, Profit Margin, Key Competencies, Restraints Throughout The Forecasted Period 2020-2026|VRHealth,…

LOS ANGELES, United States:The report titledGlobal Virtual Rehabilitation System Marketis one of the most comprehensive and important additions to QY Researchs archive of market research studies. It offers detailed research and analysis of key aspects of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market. The market analysts authoring this report have provided in-depth information on leading growth drivers, restraints, challenges, trends, and opportunities to offer a complete analysis of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market. Market participants can use the analysis on market dynamics to plan effective growth strategies and prepare for future challenges beforehand. Each trend of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market is carefully analyzed and researched about by the market analysts.The market analysts and researchers have done extensive analysis of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market with the help of research methodologies such as PESTLE and Porters Five Forces analysis. They have provided accurate and reliable market data and useful recommendations with an aim to help the players gain an insight into the overall present and future market scenario. The Virtual Rehabilitation System report comprises in-depth study of the potential segments including product type, application, and end user and their contribution to the overall market size.

Get Full PDF Sample Copy of Report: (Including Full TOC, List of Tables & Figures, Chart)https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1664008/global-virtual-rehabilitation-system-market

In addition, market revenues based on region and country are provided in the Virtual Rehabilitation System report. The authors of the report have also shed light on the common business tactics adopted by players. The leading players of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market and their complete profiles are included in the report. Besides that, investment opportunities, recommendations, and trends that are trending at present in the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market are mapped by the report. With the help of this report, the key players of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market will be able to make sound decisions and plan their strategies accordingly to stay ahead of the curve.

Competitive landscape is a critical aspect every key player needs to be familiar with. The report throws light on the competitive scenario of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market to know the competition at both the domestic and global levels. Market experts have also offered the outline of every leading player of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market, considering the key aspects such as areas of operation, production, and product portfolio. Additionally, companies in the report are studied based on the key factors such as company size, market share, market growth, revenue, production volume, and profits.

Key Players Mentioned in the Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Research Report: :, VRHealth, Motek Medical, Virtual Rehab, ACP, BTS Bioengineering, GestureTek Health, CoRehab, CSE Entertainment, Doctor Kinetic, LiteGait, Meden-Inmed, Saebo, Tyromotion

Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Types: , Cloud-based, On Premise

Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Applications:, Hospital, Clinic, Other

The Virtual Rehabilitation System Market report has been segregated based on distinct categories, such as product type, application, end user, and region. Each and every segment is evaluated on the basis of CAGR, share, and growth potential. In the regional analysis, the report highlights the prospective region, which is estimated to generate opportunities in the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market in the forthcoming years. This segmental analysis will surely turn out to be a useful tool for the readers, stakeholders, and market participants to get a complete picture of the global Virtual Rehabilitation System market and its potential to grow in the years to come.

Key questions answered in the report:

Request for customization in Report:https://www.qyresearch.com/customize-request/form/1664008/global-virtual-rehabilitation-system-market

Table of Contents:

1 Market Overview of Virtual Rehabilitation System1.1 Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Overview1.1.1 Virtual Rehabilitation System Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size Overview by Region 2015 VS 2020 VS 20261.3 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Region (2015-2026)1.4 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Historic Market Size by Region (2015-2020)1.5 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size Forecast by Region (2021-2026)1.6 Key Regions Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.1 North America Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.2 Europe Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.3 China Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.4 Rest of Asia Pacific Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.5 Latin America Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.6.6 Middle East & Africa Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size YoY Growth (2015-2026)1.7 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19): Virtual Rehabilitation System Industry Impact1.7.1 How the Covid-19 is Affecting the Virtual Rehabilitation System Industry

1.7.1.1 Virtual Rehabilitation System Business Impact Assessment Covid-19

1.7.1.2 Supply Chain Challenges

1.7.1.3 COVID-19s Impact On Crude Oil and Refined Products1.7.2 Market Trends and Virtual Rehabilitation System Potential Opportunities in the COVID-19 Landscape1.7.3 Measures / Proposal against Covid-19

1.7.3.1 Government Measures to Combat Covid-19 Impact

1.7.3.2 Proposal for Virtual Rehabilitation System Players to Combat Covid-19 Impact 2 Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Overview by Type2.1 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Type: 2015 VS 2020 VS 20262.2 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Historic Market Size by Type (2015-2020)2.3 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Forecasted Market Size by Type (2021-2026)2.4 Cloud-based2.5 On Premise 3 Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Overview by Type3.1 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Application: 2015 VS 2020 VS 20263.2 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Historic Market Size by Application (2015-2020)3.3 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Forecasted Market Size by Application (2021-2026)3.4 Hospital3.5 Clinic3.6 Other 4 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Competition Analysis by Players4.1 Global Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size (Million US$) by Players (2015-2020)4.2 Global Top Manufacturers by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3) (based on the Revenue in Virtual Rehabilitation System as of 2019)4.3 Date of Key Manufacturers Enter into Virtual Rehabilitation System Market4.4 Global Top Players Virtual Rehabilitation System Headquarters and Area Served4.5 Key Players Virtual Rehabilitation System Product Solution and Service4.6 Competitive Status4.6.1 Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Concentration Rate4.6.2 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans 5 Company (Top Players) Profiles and Key Data5.1 VRHealth5.1.1 VRHealth Profile5.1.2 VRHealth Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.1.3 VRHealth Products, Services and Solutions5.1.4 VRHealth Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.1.5 VRHealth Recent Developments5.2 Motek Medical5.2.1 Motek Medical Profile5.2.2 Motek Medical Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.2.3 Motek Medical Products, Services and Solutions5.2.4 Motek Medical Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.2.5 Motek Medical Recent Developments5.3 Virtual Rehab5.5.1 Virtual Rehab Profile5.3.2 Virtual Rehab Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.3.3 Virtual Rehab Products, Services and Solutions5.3.4 Virtual Rehab Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.3.5 ACP Recent Developments5.4 ACP5.4.1 ACP Profile5.4.2 ACP Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.4.3 ACP Products, Services and Solutions5.4.4 ACP Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.4.5 ACP Recent Developments5.5 BTS Bioengineering5.5.1 BTS Bioengineering Profile5.5.2 BTS Bioengineering Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.5.3 BTS Bioengineering Products, Services and Solutions5.5.4 BTS Bioengineering Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.5.5 BTS Bioengineering Recent Developments5.6 GestureTek Health5.6.1 GestureTek Health Profile5.6.2 GestureTek Health Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.6.3 GestureTek Health Products, Services and Solutions5.6.4 GestureTek Health Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.6.5 GestureTek Health Recent Developments5.7 CoRehab5.7.1 CoRehab Profile5.7.2 CoRehab Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.7.3 CoRehab Products, Services and Solutions5.7.4 CoRehab Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.7.5 CoRehab Recent Developments5.8 CSE Entertainment5.8.1 CSE Entertainment Profile5.8.2 CSE Entertainment Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.8.3 CSE Entertainment Products, Services and Solutions5.8.4 CSE Entertainment Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.8.5 CSE Entertainment Recent Developments5.9 Doctor Kinetic5.9.1 Doctor Kinetic Profile5.9.2 Doctor Kinetic Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.9.3 Doctor Kinetic Products, Services and Solutions5.9.4 Doctor Kinetic Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.9.5 Doctor Kinetic Recent Developments5.10 LiteGait5.10.1 LiteGait Profile5.10.2 LiteGait Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.10.3 LiteGait Products, Services and Solutions5.10.4 LiteGait Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.10.5 LiteGait Recent Developments5.11 Meden-Inmed5.11.1 Meden-Inmed Profile5.11.2 Meden-Inmed Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.11.3 Meden-Inmed Products, Services and Solutions5.11.4 Meden-Inmed Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.11.5 Meden-Inmed Recent Developments5.12 Saebo5.12.1 Saebo Profile5.12.2 Saebo Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.12.3 Saebo Products, Services and Solutions5.12.4 Saebo Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.12.5 Saebo Recent Developments5.13 Tyromotion5.13.1 Tyromotion Profile5.13.2 Tyromotion Main Business and Companys Total Revenue5.13.3 Tyromotion Products, Services and Solutions5.13.4 Tyromotion Revenue (US$ Million) (2015-2020)5.13.5 Tyromotion Recent Developments 6 North America Virtual Rehabilitation System by Players and by Application6.1 North America Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)6.2 North America Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 7 Europe Virtual Rehabilitation System by Players and by Application7.1 Europe Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)7.2 Europe Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 8 China Virtual Rehabilitation System by Players and by Application8.1 China Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)8.2 China Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 9 Rest of Asia Pacific Virtual Rehabilitation System by Players and by Application9.1 Rest of Asia Pacific Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)9.2 Rest of Asia Pacific Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 10 Latin America Virtual Rehabilitation System by Players and by Application10.1 Latin America Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)10.2 Latin America Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 11 Middle East & Africa Virtual Rehabilitation System by Players and by Application11.1 Middle East & Africa Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2020)11.2 Middle East & Africa Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size by Application (2015-2020) 12 Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Dynamics12.1 Industry Trends12.2 Market Drivers12.3 Market Challenges12.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Research Finding /Conclusion 14 Methodology and Data Source 14.1 Methodology/Research Approach14.1.1 Research Programs/Design14.1.2 Market Size Estimation14.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation14.2 Data Source14.2.1 Secondary Sources14.2.2 Primary Sources14.3 Disclaimer14.4 Author List

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Virtual Rehabilitation System Market Size, Sales, Profit Margin, Key Competencies, Restraints Throughout The Forecasted Period 2020-2026|VRHealth,...

AI tool could predict how drugs will react in the body – Futurity: Research News

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A new deep learning-based tool called Metabolic Translator may soon give researchers a better handle on how drugs in development will perform in the human body.

When you take a medication, you want to know precisely what it does. Pharmaceutical companies go through extensive testing to ensure that you do.

Metabolic Translator, a computational tool that predicts metabolites, the products of interactions between small molecules like drugs and enzymes could help improve the process.

The new tool takes advantage of deep-learning methods and the availability of massive reaction datasets to give developers a broad picture of what a drug will do. The method is unconstrained by rules that companies use to determine metabolic reactions, opening a path to new discoveries.

When youre trying to determine if a compound is a potential drug, you have to check for toxicity, says Lydia Kavraki, a professor of computer science, a professor of bioengineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical and computer engineering, and director of Rices Ken Kennedy Institute, as well ascoauthor of the new paper in Chemical Science.

You want to confirm that it does what it should, but you also want to know what else might happen, she says.

The researchers trained Metabolite Translator to predict metabolites through any enzyme, but measured its success against the existing rules-based methods that are focused on the enzymes in the liver. These enzymes are responsible for detoxifying and eliminating xenobiotics, like drugs, pesticides, and pollutants. However, metabolites can form through other enzymes as well.

Our bodies are networks of chemical reactions, says graduate student and lead author Eleni Litsa. They have enzymes that act upon chemicals and may break or form bonds that change their structures into something that could be toxic, or cause other complications. Existing methodologies focus on the liver because most xenobiotic compounds are metabolized there. With our work, were trying to capture human metabolism in general.

The safety of a drug does not depend only on the drug itself but also on the metabolites that can be formed when the drug is processed in the body, Litsa says.

The rise of machine learning architectures that operate on structured data, such as chemical molecules, make the work possible, she says.

Transformer was introduced in 2017 as a sequence translation method that has found wide use in language translation and is based on SMILES (for simplified molecular-input line-entry system), a notation method that uses plain text rather than diagrams to represent chemical molecules.

What were doing is exactly the same as translating a language, like English to German, Litsa says.

Due to the lack of experimental data, the lab used transfer learning to develop Metabolite Translator. They first pre-trained a Transformer model on 900,000 known chemical reactions and then fine-tuned it with data on human metabolic transformations.

The researchers compared Metabolite Translator results with those from several other predictive techniques by analyzing known SMILES sequences of 65 drugs and 179 metabolizing enzymes.

Though they trained Metabolite Translator on a general dataset not specific to drugs, it performed as well as commonly used rule-based methods that have been specifically developed for drugs. But it also identified enzymes not commonly involved in drug metabolism and not found by existing methods.

We have a system that can predict equally well with rule-based systems, and we didnt put any rules in our system that require manual work and expert knowledge, Kavraki says. Using a machine learning-based method, we are training a system to understand human metabolism without the need for explicitly encoding this knowledge in the form of rules. This work would not have been possible two years ago.

Rice University and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas supported the research.

Source: Rice University

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AI tool could predict how drugs will react in the body - Futurity: Research News

AI-Based Digital Biomarker Could Assist in Early Intervention in High-Risk COVID-19 Patients – HospiMedica

Image: AI-Based Digital Biomarker Could Assist in Early Intervention in High-Risk COVID-19 Patients (Photo courtesy of Business Wire)

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH Bethesda, MA, USA) have awarded a contract to PhysIQ (Chicago, IL, USA) to develop an AI-based COVID-19 Decompensation Index (CDI) Digital Biomarker to address the rapid decline of high-risk COVID-19 patients. The new early warning system under development could allow providers to intervene sooner when a COVID-19 patient is clinically surveilled from home and begins to worsen. Rather than relying on point measurements, such as temperature and SpO2, that are known to be lagging or insensitive indicators of COVID-19 decompensation, continuous multi-parameter vital signs will be used to establish a targeted biomarker for COVID-19.

PhysIQ will develop and validate a CDI algorithm that builds off existing wearable biosensor-derived analytics generated by physIQs pinpointIQ end-to-end cloud platform for continuous monitoring of physiology. The data will be gathered through a clinical study of COVID-19 positive patients and build upon work already in-place for monitoring COVID-19 patients convalescing at home. For patients who participate in the program, physiological data will be collected before and after their admission to the hospital.

In the development phase of this project, physIQ and its clinical partner will monitor participants who are confirmed COVID-19 positive, whether recovering at home or following a discharge from the hospital. During the validation phase, physIQ will evaluate lead time to event statistics, decompensation severity assessments, and the ability for CDI to predict decompensation severity. The study is designed to capture data from a large, diverse population to investigate CDI performance differences among subgroups based on sex/gender and racial/ethnic characteristics. The project will not only enable the development and validation of the CDI, but also collect rich clinical data correlative with outcomes and symptomology related to COVID-19 infection. The index will build on physIQs prior FDA-cleared, AI-based multivariate change index (MCI) that has amassed more than 1.5 million hours of physiologic data, supporting development of this targeted digital biomarker for COVID-19.

Despite the technological advances and attention paid to COVID-19, the healthcare community is still monitoring patient vitals the very same way as we did in the 1800s, said Steven Steinhubl MD, Director of Digital Medicine at Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) and a physIQ advisor. With the advances in digital technology, AI and wearable biosensors, we can deliver personalized medicine remotely giving caregivers new tools to proactively address this pandemic. For that reason alone, this decision by the NIH has the potential to have a monumental impact on our healthcare system and how we manage COVID-19 patients.

Related Links:The National Institutes of Health (NIH)PhysIQ

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AI-Based Digital Biomarker Could Assist in Early Intervention in High-Risk COVID-19 Patients - HospiMedica

Phenylalanine Market: Qualitative analysis of the leading players and competitive industry scenario | Ajinomoto, Daesang, KYOWA, Evonik, Amino GmbH -…

Phenylalanine Market Scenario 2020-2026:

The Global Phenylalanine market exhibits comprehensive information that is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists during the decade 2014-2026. On the basis of historical data, Phenylalanine market report provides key segments and their sub-segments, revenue and demand & supply data. Considering technological breakthroughs of the market Phenylalanine industry is likely to appear as a commendable platform for emerging Phenylalanine market investors.

This Phenylalanine Market Report covers the manufacturers data, including shipment, price, revenue, gross profit, interview record, business distribution, etc., these data help the consumer know about the competitors better.

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The complete value chain and downstream and upstream essentials are scrutinized in this report. Essential trends like globalization, growth progress boost fragmentation regulation & ecological concerns. This Market report covers technical data, manufacturing plants analysis, and raw material sources analysis of Phenylalanine Industry as well as explains which product has the highest penetration, their profit margins, and R&D status. The report makes future projections based on the analysis of the subdivision of the market which includes the global market size by product category, end-user application, and various regions.

Topmost Leading Manufacturer Covered in this report:Ajinomoto, Daesang, KYOWA, Evonik, Amino GmbH, Maidan Group, Livzon Group, Sino Sweet, Bafeng Pharmaceutical, Jinghai Amino Acid, JIRONG PHARM, Jiahe Biotech, Siwei Amino Acid, Xiyue Pharmaceutical, Dongchen Bioengineering

Product Segment Analysis: Food Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade, Feed Grade

Application Segment Analysis:

FoodMedicalFeed

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Regional Analysis For PhenylalanineMarket

North America(the United States, Canada, and Mexico)Europe(Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy)Asia-Pacific(China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia)South America(Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)The Middle East and Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)

Market Synopsis:The market research report consists of extensive primary research, as well as an in-depth analysis of the qualitative and quantitative aspects by various industry specialists and professionals, to gain a deeper insight into the market and the overall landscape.

The objectives of the report are:

To analyze and forecast the market size of PhenylalanineIndustry in theglobal market. To study the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for leading players. To determine, explain and forecast the market by type, end use, and region. To analyze the market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks of global key regions. To find out significant trends and factors driving or restraining the market growth. To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. To critically analyze each submarket in terms of individual growth trend and their contribution to the market. To understand competitive developments such as agreements, expansions, new product launches, and possessions in the market. To strategically outline the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

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At last, the study gives out details about the major challenges that are going to impact market growth. They also report provides comprehensive details about the business opportunities to key stakeholders to grow their business and raise revenues in the precise verticals. The report will aid the companys existing or intend to join in this market to analyze the various aspects of this domain before investing or expanding their business in the Phenylalanine markets.

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Phenylalanine Market: Qualitative analysis of the leading players and competitive industry scenario | Ajinomoto, Daesang, KYOWA, Evonik, Amino GmbH -...

COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Participant: ‘It’s the Right Thing to Do’ – Healthline

This summer, Jonathan Penman, 24, a college student at the University of Nebraska Omaha, enrolled in a clinical trial of an experimental vaccine for COVID-19.

The virus, he said, was a wake-up call.

I did the vaccine trial because I have a couple of grandmothers who live at our familys home, and my mom works in a preschool, Penman told Healthline. There are people close to me who are susceptible to the virus.

Penman is a participant in the phase 2 trial of mRNA-1273, a vaccine candidate from Moderna, a pharmaceutical company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Penman had to drive only a few minutes from his apartment in Omaha to take part in the trial at Meridian Clinical Research.

He received the second of two vaccine injections 2 weeks ago.

I was the first one in the Omaha area to do this trial, he said. So far, so good. Im a little tired from the second injection. Theres a little malaise, but thats about it.

Penman thinks that no matter what happens, he made the right decision.

I think its certainly possible that this could save my life. But we, of course, have no way of knowing, he said.

Penman is grateful that his girlfriend, Morgan, and his friends were supportive of his decision to enter the trial.

I ran this by my girlfriend, who is in nursing school, and she was like, Yeah, if you think you should, do it, go for it, he said.

We have had lot of discussions about this. A few people we know and in my family are anti-vaccine. So, it is a conflict, but not anything major, he added.

Penman said he has friends whove had COVID-19.

I have encouraged people on my Facebook page to do the trial because its the right thing to do. I also encourage them to please wear a mask, he said.

Penman said that thankfully, no one close to him has died from the virus.

I have no idea if I have been exposed or not, he said. But as part of the trial, they have done the swabs. Had I been exposed, that would have showed up there.

The first COVID-19 test he took was before the vaccination, just to make sure he didnt have it.

It came back negative, so I took the first shot, he said. They did my vital signs, it was all good. Then a month later, we did the same thing, and again it was negative.

Penman said the trial wasnt intrusive. But he checked it out before he went through with it.

I Googled it, and the whole concept of the trial works. It makes sense, he said. Its not just a typical vaccination. It attacks the RNA and DNA structure of the virus. That is serious bioengineering. Thats pretty cool.

Moderna is deploying its so-called mRNA platform to develop its vaccine.

While most vaccines use injected viruses to initiate an antibody response, Modernas technology uses viral genetic material RNA to produce the antigens that allow the body to learn to respond to the novel coronavirus.

Moderna is testing to see if its vaccine can help the immune system produce effective antibodies against the virus so that, in case of infection, the virus doesnt cause illness.

As of September 11, more than 23,000 people were enrolled in Modernas phase 3 trial.

All participants will be given an injection half of them with the vaccine, half of them with a placebo. Each group is given a second injection 28 days later.

The total participant enrollment plan for the trial is 30,000.

Why has Moderna been able to make it to a phase 3 trial with relative speed compared with some of the larger U.S. pharmaceutical companies?

Our mRNA platform was already built. It gave us speed, Ray Jordan, Modernas chief corporate affairs officer, told Healthline.

We began making doses for 30,000 participants when we were still in a phase 1 trial, Jordan said. It looked like it was not smart fiscal management. But you take that risk so you can move that much more rapidly.

Jordan explained that the company has been working on vaccines using this technology for a decade. The company has nine vaccine candidates in development against everything from respiratory infections to infections transmitted from mother to baby.

Jordan noted that more than 1,900 participants have been enrolled in Modernas infectious disease vaccine trials in the United States, Europe, and Australia. These are trials other than the one for the novel coronavirus.

People say that we got the virus into the clinic in 63 days. But its really been 10 years and 63 days, Jordan said.

When it comes to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, no one knows for sure what will happen in the coming months or even years.

But theres increasing though guarded optimism in the scientific community that there will be a vaccine or more than one thats effective.

President Trump has said he wants to develop a vaccine as soon as possible, even if the phase 3 trials arent completed. In early August, Trump said he was optimistic that a vaccine would be ready by Election Day on November 3.

Late last month, Dr. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said his agency could consider emergency use authorization or approval for a COVID-19 vaccine before phase 3 trials are complete.

But the chief executive officers at nine of the largest Western pharmaceutical companies with a vaccine being studied wrote a letter pledging that in their efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, they wont take shortcuts and will adhere to the scientific process.

We, the undersigned biopharmaceutical companies, want to make clear our on-going commitment to developing and testing potential vaccines for COVID-19 in accordance with high ethical standards and sound scientific principles, the pledge reads.

The executives who signed the pledge are from Moderna, AstraZeneca, BioNTech, Pfizer, Novavax, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck.

Explaining why they wrote the letter, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, DVM, PhD, told NBC News, We saw it as critical to come out and reiterate our commitment that we will develop our products, our vaccines, using the highest ethical standards and the most scientific processes.

COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials are also being run by such companies as CanSino Biologics, Inovio, Sinovac, Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, CureVac, and Clover Biopharmaceuticals.

Russia and China are also developing vaccines.

Penman is optimistic about the possibilities of having a COVID-19 vaccine relatively soon.

Meanwhile, his eyes are firmly focused on the future.

Penman wants to get a federal emergency management position. He plans to join the National Guard and is trying to get a commission through the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).

Im going to try to get an officer position in the government. I would like to work in Homeland Security. But honestly, whatever is available, he said.

Penman has developed an interest in the concept of government intervention and public health since he decided to enroll in the clinical trial.

Im just curious about it, he said. Will the vaccine be mandatory? And what does that say about civil liberties? To what extent will government make it mandatory?

Penman said he has been reading lately about how the United States is one of the only countries where people are protesting the wearing of masks.

Its interesting. We are pretty defensive in this country about our liberties, he said.

But I encourage people to do the right thing. I encourage people to wear a mask. I have been exposed. Ive had friends around me who have gotten it. But some people just dont take it seriously.

Originally posted here:
COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Participant: 'It's the Right Thing to Do' - Healthline

Intestinal Organoid Built That Looks and Functions Like Real Tissue – Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Organoids, which originate from stem cells, are a tool with great potential for modeling tissue and disease biology. The idea is to build miniature tissues and organs that accurately resemble and behave like their real counterparts. But there have been limitations to their development. A new study has taken organoids a step further by inducing intestinal stem cells to form tube-shaped epithelia with an accessible lumen and a similar spatial arrangement of crypt- and villus-like domains to that in vivo. These mini-intestines also retain key physiological hallmarks of the intestine and have a notable capacity to regenerate.

The work is published in Nature in the paper titled, Homeostatic mini-intestines through scaffold-guided organoid morphogenesis.

Organoids could complement animal testing by providing healthy or diseased human tissues, expediting the lengthy journey from lab to clinical trial. Beyond that, organoid technology may hold promise, in the long-term, to replace damaged tissues or even organs in the future. For example, by taking stem cells from a patient and growing them into a new liver, heart, kidney, or lung.

So far, established methods of making organoids come with considerable drawbacks: stem cells develop uncontrollably into circular and closed tissues that have a short lifespan, as well as non-physiological size and shape, all of which result in overall anatomical and/or physiological inconsistency with real-life organs.

Now, scientists from the group led by Matthias Ltolf, PhD, professor at EPFLs Institute of Bioengineering, have found a way to guide stem cells to form an intestinal organoid that looks and functions just like real tissue. The method exploits the ability of stem cells to grow and organize themselves along a tube-shaped scaffold that mimics the surface of the native tissue, placed inside a microfluidic chip.

The researchers used a laser to sculpt the gut-shaped scaffold within a hydrogel, a soft mix of crosslinked proteins found in the guts extracellular matrix supporting the cells in the native tissue. Aside from being the substrate on which the stem cells could grow, the hydrogel thus also provides the form or geometry that would build the final intestinal tissue.

Once seeded in the gut-like scaffold, within hours, the stem cells spread across the scaffold, forming a continuous layer of cells with its characteristic crypt structures and villus-like domains. Then came a surprising result: the scientists found that the stem cells arranged themselves in order to form a functional tiny gut.

It looks like the geometry of the hydrogel scaffold, with its crypt-shaped cavities, directly influences the behavior of the stem cells so that they are maintained in the cavities and differentiate in the areas outside, just like in the native tissue, said Ltolf. The stem cells didnt just adapt to the shape of the scaffold, they produced all the key differentiated cell types found in the real gut, with some rare and specialized cell types normally not found in organoids.

Intestinal tissues are known for the highest cell turnover rates in the body, resulting in a massive amount of shed dead cells accumulating in the lumen of the classical organoids that grow as closed spheres and require weekly breaking down into small fragments to maintain them in culture. The introduction of a microfluidic system allowed us to efficiently perfuse these mini-guts and establish a long-lived homeostatic organoid system in which cell birth and death are balanced, said Mike Nikolaev, a graduate student and the first author of the paper.

The researchers demonstrated that these miniature intestines share many functional features with their in vivo counterparts. For example, they can regenerate after massive tissue damage and they can be used to model inflammatory processes or host-microbe interactions in a way not previously possible with any other tissue model grown in the laboratory.

In addition, this approach is broadly applicable for the growth of miniature tissues from stem cells derived from other organs such as the lung, liver, or pancreas, and from biopsies of human patients. Our work, explained Ltolf, shows that tissue engineering can be used to control organoid development and build next-gen organoids with high physiological relevance, opening up exciting perspectives for disease modeling, drug discovery, diagnostics, and regenerative medicine.

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Intestinal Organoid Built That Looks and Functions Like Real Tissue - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Bioengineering threats rated as a top biosecurity risk – E&T Magazine

A global team of experts has put together a list of the most urgent biosecurity threats, with bioengineering threats such as DNA-based surveillance among the top-ranked concerns.

The exercise was facilitated by the Centre for Existential Risk (CSER) and the BioRISC project, both based at the University of Cambridge. A group of 41 academics and figures from industry and government submitted 450 questions facing the UK government regarding biological security. These were then debated, voted on and ranked to define the 80 most urgent questions.

The questions were sorted into six categories: bioengineering; communication and behaviour; disease threats; governance and policy; invasive alien species, and securing biological materials and securing against misuse.

The line-up published in PLOS ONE includes questions around whether data from social media platforms should be used to help detect early signs of emerging pathogens; custom DNA synthesis; threats from human-engineered agents, andhow to incorporate biosecurity into science education.

In the year before the pandemic, the UK was ranked second in the world for global health security by the Global Health Security Index a confidence underpinned by its 2018 Biological Security Strategy, said CSERs Dr Luke Kemp, who led the research. Clearly, improvements are needed and not just to be ready for a future Covid-19-like crisis.

We need to plan for a biosecure future that could see anything from brain-altering bioweapons and mass surveillance through DNA databases to low-carbon clothes produced by microorganisms. Many of these seem to lie in the realm of science fiction, but they do not. Such capabilities in bioengineering could prove even more impactful, for better or worse, than the current pandemic.

An international team anonymously scored the 80 issues to produce a priority list of 20 challenges. These weredivided into the most immediate (likely to be faced within the next five years); those on a five-to-10-year timeline, and those a decade or further in the future.

Kemp describes these 20 threats as ranging from the promising to the petrifying.

One of the most immediate threats is surveillance via DNA databases. The Chinese government has already used blood sampling to target the Uighur population, Kemp said, and commercial DNA databases could become the next frontier of surveillance capitalism.

The possibility of using genetic databases for mass surveillance will only grow in coming years, particularly with the rise of new tracking and monitoring methods, powers and apps during the Covid-19 response.

A high-ranked issue for the longer term was malicious uses of neurochemistry. According to the team of experts, advances in bioengineering and neuroscience could lead to beneficial new drugs but also new weapons.

Imagine a world in which law enforcement uses drugs to placate and control crowds, greatly diminishing the promise of non-violent protest movements on climate and social justice, Kemp said. Regulation is critical at both the international and national level. We need to ensure that new insights into the human brain are not weaponised for either the army or police force.

Kemp added: The world, not just the UK, needs a thoughtful, transparent and evidence-based way of identifying emerging issues in biosecurity and bioengineering. Whether it be a new flu pandemic, new bioweapons, or new ways to sequester carbon, forewarned is forearmed.

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Bioengineering threats rated as a top biosecurity risk - E&T Magazine

Livestock manure properties and pollution prevention Ohio Ag Net – Ohio’s Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net

By Harold Keener, Fuqing Xu, Mary Wicks

Land application of livestock manure provides nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (NPK) to field crops and is generally the most accepted and economical use for recycling these nutrients. However, land application of manure has been a contributor to severe outbreaks of harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin and Grand Lake St. Marys. The algal blooms have generated health concerns for those using these lakes as sources of drinking water or for recreation. Runoff of total and dissolved reactive P (DRP) is often the limiting nutrient for freshwater algal blooms. Previous studies have shown that the concentration of water-extractable P (WEP) in manure (expressed as lb WEP/lb dry matter) can help predict DRP in runoff.Thus, for a given level of P application per acre, reducing the WEP/P level in manure would reduce total WEP application, thereby reducing the potential for P runoff from land applied manure and associated algal blooms.

Previous studies at OSU and by others on WEP in manure indicate that WEP can be affected by manure storage conditions, such as temperature, storage time, and agitation frequency. During 2018-2019 OSU researchers conducted lab and on-farm studies to evaluate the effect of storage conditions and time on WEP/P ratios for liquid swine and dairy manure (moisture 85-98.5%). For solid poultry manure (moisture less than 70%) only on farm studies were done.These studies showed the following:

Earlier bench scale studies by other researchers have evaluated the effect of incorporating dairy, swine and poultry manure into the soil before rainfall. Those studies showed that the DRP (i.e., WEP) runoff potential for incorporation of surface applied manure was not significantly different compared to soil with no manure application.

Management implications

Results of the 2018-19 Ohio studies indicate that long term storage of liquid swine and dairy manures can reduce the WEP/P of manure, but it does not eliminate the potential for DRP in runoff from surface applied manures. Results also showed that liquid dairy manure would result in the highest levels of WEP/acre for a given application rate of P/acre for the livestock manures investigated.Previous research by others tells us to incorporate manure, especially liquid swine and dairy, to reduce the risk of nutrient runoff. Note that Ohio regulations provide guidelines for manure application during winter months as well as restrictions for impaired watersheds, such as Grand Lake St. Marys or the Western Lake Erie Basin, and for permitted livestock or poultry facilities. For more information, go toagri.ohio.govand click on Conserving Resources.Dr. Harold Keener is a Professor Emeritus, Fuqing Xu was a Research Scientist, and Mary H. Wicks is a Program Coordinator in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering of The Ohio State University.E-mail:keener.3@osu.edu;wicks.14@osu.edu. Phone: (330)202-3533.This column is provided by the OSU Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, OSU Extension, Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center, and the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

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Livestock manure properties and pollution prevention Ohio Ag Net - Ohio's Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net