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The Value of Company Sourced Education

By: 
Linnea Fletcher
Check out Labroots!

I just got a notification from Labroots concerning a listing of all webinars they are hosting. It is impressive and a great way to learn about new techniques and emerging technologies.

I also get notifications from Thermofisher Scientific, and similar companies. Today I received an email from them concerning a 4 part series on 3 D and organoid cell culture. And they have a great educational series on the basics of cell culture that Is worthwhile for anyone new to the field.

Of course, once you realize all the possible sources, you will have to choose what interests... Read more

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THBI Summit: The Best Meeting to Learn about TX Biotech Industry

By: 
Linnea Fletcher

What did I learn at the meeting? The first panel had representatives from all over Texas talking about what is happening in their areas. From El Paso to Houston to the Central Texas Area to Dallas, strategic partnerships area, and Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (CPRIT) funding is making a positive difference. For example, Emma Schwarz, President and Executive Director, Medical Center of the Americas in El Paso talked about how they are partnering with the biotech industry in Juarez, Mexico. Wayne Roberts, CEO of CPRIT, presented on the positive impacts of the institute. It is amazing what funding from... Read more

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Algae - from pond scum to bioproducts

By: 
Sandra Porter

Algae is becoming an important organism in biotechnology for the producing multiple products and cleaning up wastewater. Learn about companies that focus on algae and education initiatives to help students learn how to work with micro-algae species. Read more

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algae
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2018 CSBI Life Sciences Workforce Trends Report

By: 
Sandra Porter

The Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI) released the 2018 Life Sciences Workforce Trends Report June 5, 2018 at the BIO International Convention held in Boston, Massachusetts June 4-7. The report provides a national snapshot of the current and anticipated talent needs of the nation’s dynamic life science industry.

The biotech industry continues to be a leading driver of employment across the country, providing 1.73 million jobs in 85,000 companies. In 2017, employers listed almost 264,000 postings for life science positions.

Building on the success of its three prior reports, the 2018 CSBI Workforce Trends Report... Read more

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workforce trends
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Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching Grant

By: 
Poornima Rao

Joseph Oleniczak has been awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching
Program Grant through the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs and the Institute of International Education. This grant is competitively selected
for award by the Presidentially-appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
and made possible through funds that are appropriated annually by the U.S. Congress.
The purpose of the Fulbright Award in Teaching Program is to provide K-12 teachers
with the opportunity to take a leave of absence from their regular teaching duties... Read more

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Bio Databases 2018: How do they taste?

Posted from Discovering Biology in a Digital World by Todd Smith on Thu Jan 04, 2018
Database Growth. Total DBs are in the top line.
DBs per year are on the bottom.

It’s a new year and new edition of Nucleic Acids Research’s (NAR’s) Annual Database issue . It’s the 25 th year for the NAR database series, the eighth for FinchTalk, and the first at the new home for Discovering Biology in a Digital World.

As expected, Bio Databases continue to grow in number. NAR’s database now catalogs 1737 molecular biology databases, up 75 from last year. Of the 181 papers in this year's NAR issue, 82 articles represent new databases,... Read more

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databases
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Big Data, Computational Tools and Are Scientists and Biotechnicians Keeping Up?

By: 
Linnea Fletcher
One of my favorite journals is The Scientist and the latest one had this article, Scientists Continue to Use Outdated Methods The use of underperforming computational tools is a major offender in science’s reproducibility crisis—and there’s growing momentum to avoid it. By Catherine Offord | January 9, 2018. For the past several years, industry in our area has indicated that the need for computational skills whether in the area of bioinformatics, robotics, and the analysis of data in general is growing. What do you find the same trend with companies in your area? Read more
Filed under: 
bioinformatics
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CRISPR 101

By: 
Linnea Fletcher

Looking for a handy guide to CRISPR technology? A biotech company in Silicon Valley (Redwood City) has a nice eBook. The company is named Synthego Read more

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CRISPR
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Highlighting Past 2017 Biotechnology Events

By: 
Linnea Fletcher

One of my favorite things to do in January is review all of the notifications I receive as to what are the topic biotech events or products for the past year. So I thought this year (2018) I would share what I receive. Today, I received one from Technology Networks. https://www.technologynetworks.com/informatics/lists/biggest-news-storie... . Check out the list--I pasted it below.

1. Researchers use MRI to predict autism

2. Unexpected layer of gene regulation challenges accepted science

3. Trispecific antibodies protect against HIV

4. Citizen neuroscience: people... Read more

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biotech trends
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Notes from Synbiobeta

By: 
Todd Smith

@synbiobeta concluded it’s #sbbsf17 annual meeting on synthetic biology Oct 5, 2017. The progress companies are making in harnessing biology as a platform for manufacturing and problem solving is world changing.

What is Synthetic Biology?

Synthetic biology is a term that is used to describe the convergence of biotechnology and engineering. The dramatic cost decreases in our ability to read and write DNA (sequence and synthesize), combined with increasing capabilities in automation and informatics has catalyzed a new sub-industry within biotechnology. Synthetic biology utilizes high-throughput combinatorial approaches to quickly evolve living systems to make new drugs, foods,... Read more

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synthetic biologycellular agricultureCRISPR
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New HIV Self-Test --what are the implications?

By: 
Linnea Fletcher

I came across this article today in GEN --and to me its a sign, the tip of the iceberg, of what is going to be developed in the future, and be available to the public (and therefore, grocery stores everywhere)--- "New HIV Self-Test Wins $2.6M Gates Foundation Grant Atomo Diagnostics has won a $2.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation toward developing a rapid diagnostic test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) designed to enable people in developing countries to test themselves. By developing an affordable, reliable, and simple HIV self-test, Atomo and the Foundation reason, patient populations... Read more

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HIVdiagnostics
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Stem cell Therapy and Regenerative medicine - a revolution in healthcare !

By: 
Poornima Rao
Mini – BIOMAN 2016: Stem Cells in a Regulated Environment : July 19 -21 2016 at Alamance Community College, Graham, North Carolina Professor Bill Woodruff (Co-PI NBC2) and Dr. Maggie Bryans (PI – NBC2)
The conference started with Introductions and overview on all the basics of Stem cell technology and applications. With focus on Regenerative medicine and stem cell therapyTypes of Bio manufacturing and different levels of Clean room Gowning techniques were discussed and practiced at the lab.
The participants had lectures and teaching tools as well as hands on lab work with mESC cells, C2C12... Read more
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stem cells
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Stem Cell Teacher Academy: A Fun & Educational Workshop

By: 
Deborah Davis
Stem Cell Adademy

Dr. Thomas Tubon is at Bluegrass Community and Technical College this week to present his awesome workshop, The Stem Cell Teacher Academy . This is the second day. Most all the participants are from local high schools in BCTC's service area, with a few exceptions. However, there is tremendous diversity amongst them:

One participant traveled all the way from Florida; One has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated; 5 of the participants either have twin children or are a twin themselves; One is a champion weight lifter; One has taught in 5 different countries; There is a married... Read more
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stem cells
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Stop and smell the.......Medicine?!

By: 
Elizabeth Stewart

The brain is a tricky organ to treat, being both important and complex! Not like the appendix for example, which is as close to disposable as you can get as far as internal organs are concerned. To add to the trickiness the body has a barrier system to protect the brain from "intruders" whether harmful or beneficial, making delivering a drug to the brain somewhat akin to storming a castle.

However Austin-based Mystic Pharmaceuticals is building a drawbridge. The company's recently issued patent "Dose-Dispensing Containers" (US Patent 9,248,076 B2) facilitates their development of non-invasive nose-to-brain delivery... Read more

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industry
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To succeed with LIMS, you must first fail

By: 
Todd Smith
LIMS Suck
A favorite way to learn what other thinks is...

A goal of the AC2 Bio-Link Regional Center (AC2) is to incorporate LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) in to biotechnology classes, possibly as a component of bioinformatics instruction. This is reasonable because students entering the workforce will have advantages over others if they have some experience with such systems. Also, CSO's and incubators need to consider LIMS to manage lab operations, train students in modern practices, and support their clients.

Sounds easy.

Getting, planning, building, using, and maintaining LIMS is a challenging endeavor. So challenging in fact, that there are countless systems available, a world of consultants, and... Read more

Filed under: 
computer skillsbioinformaticsLIMS
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On the problem with race-based medicine

By: 
Linnea Fletcher
Dorothy Roberts explains why race-based medicine is bad medicine...

This morning I watched an amazing TED Talk on how medicine uses “race” in diagnosing disease. I thought it was particularly good based on the point of view of the presenter. This woman socially identifys with being “black” but ancestrally is of both European and African descent based on her “white” father’s and “black” mother’s ancestry. The talk made me reflect on how I am classified when I check that box Caucasian—such a broad classification. Especially when actually ancestrally I am ¼ Swedish and ¾ Scotts-Irish –not just Caucasian. Genetically I carry the gene for Factor V Leiden, a blood... Read more

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genetics
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