Inside Wall Street: Is ImmunoCellular Another Rising Star in Biotech?

The significance of cancer stem cells (CSC) is the latest hot, though controversial, topic in scientific circles. The talk about CSC has widened to a point that it has become the subject of articles published by popular nonscientific magazines. In 2008, The Economist had a prominent story on "cancer and stem cells," which noted that "the connection could lead to a cure." Cancer may be caused by stem cells gone bad, said the magazine, and if that proves to be correct, "It should revolutionize treatment."

Indeed, in a more recent article published in The New York Times Magazine on Oct. 29, 2010, a case was made that CSC may be the "cancer sleeping cell." The article by Siddhartha Mukherjee, assistant professor in Columbia University's division of medical oncology, argued that CSC may be the cause of relapse in many cancer patients. CSC might be the "ultimate determinant of relapse" in patients, which may "redirect our efforts to develop anticancer drugs," says Mukherjee, who has also authored the book, Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.

Is it possible, Mukherjee asks, that "the quest to treat cancer has also stalled because we haven't found the right kind of cell?"

Information Sources Launches 'TecTrendsOnline.com' Searchable Database Site

BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- TecTrends Online, a service of Berkeley-based Information Sources, Inc., is teaming up with the world's largest, and continuously updated collection of market research to offer subscription-based access to an extensive searchable, keyword-rich database of hard copy and web-based articles in business, technical, trade, and consumer publications.

"TecTrends Online provides insight into technology topics and issues for individuals, whether CEOs, product managers, marketers, or end users -- it's an essential tool for understanding current and emerging technologies," says Ruth Koolish, company founder. The Apple iPad, cloud computing and green automotive technology are among the thousands of topics in the database, which is fully sourced and cross-linked.

To sign up for the TecTrends Online database, visit tectrendsonline.com/subscribe. Subscriptions are available on an individual basis or as site licenses.

Shimadzu - Analytical Instrumentation

Shimadzu is one of the worldwide leading manufacturers of analytical instrumentation. Its equipment and systems are used as essential tools for quality control of consumer goods and articles of daily use, in health care as well as in all areas of environmental and consumer protection.

Spectroscopy, chromatography, environmental analysis, balances, biotechnology and material testing make up a homogeneous yet versatile offering. Along with many "industry first" technologies and products Shimadzu has created and invented since 1875, there has also been the exceptional awarding of the 2002 Nobel Prize for Chemistry to Shimadzu engineer Koichi Tanaka for his outstanding contributions in the field of mass spectrometry.

DNA Sequencing and Its Application to “Fitness”

Calvin College Developmental Cell Biologist Steve Matheson points to an interesting series of papers highlighting the importance of new rapid-fire DNA sequencing technologies for the study of evolution.

The “$1,000 Genome” has been in the news a great deal from a health care perspective: the advances in sequencing technology have brought the cost of sequencing whole genomes down to just a fraction of what they were when Francis Collins began the laborious sequencing of the Human Genome back in the early 1990s. See, for example, the new book by Kevin Davies of Bio-IT World.

In a matter of a few years (if not months), you and I will be able to get our complete genome sequenced for the cost of a night out at a decent restaurant.

Altogen Labs, Texas-Based Biotechnology Company Develops Oil-Degrading Bacteria

Altogen Labs announced today that it has successfully isolated natural oil-eating bacteria from polluted soil near Galveston Bay, Texas that has been shown in laboratory tests to be effective for the bioremediation of crude oil and petroleum saturated earth.

"We started this project 6 months ago by taking soil in a heavily oil-contaminated area (near Galveston Bay, TX) and have isolated strains of naturally present bacteria. We are currently finishing the proof-of-concept experiments demonstrating that these strains are effectively degrading Texas oil. Methods based on bioremediation approach are actively used in several countries now and well accepted by nature while posing minimal threat to marine ecosystems," said Dr.Dmitriy Ovcharenko, Altogen Labs founder and CEO.

Bioremediation is a process involving microorganisms, fungi, green plants, or their enzymes to restore the natural environment to its original state after contamination. Bioremediation of the environment, be it soil or water, following contamination by crude oil, is performed by a variety of bacteria that feed on hydrocarbons, breaking down the petroleum molecules into less harmful substances.