StemCell Therapy

As leading ophthalmologists and researchers we are joining the eye research charity Fight for Sight to call for urgent action on blindness in 2020 to address the research funding gap.

We know that serious sight loss doesnt discriminate it can affect anyone at any time and it is on the increase. Science can already do so much and with the advent of new gene therapies and stem cell treatments we are so close to outcomes that were not possible a decade ago. Yet so much more needs to be done to develop new universal treatments.

The main barrier is the lack of research funding. It is unacceptable that in 2020 only 1% of UK grant funding goes to eye research, even though more than 20% of people will be affected by serious sight loss in their lifetime. Blindness can have a huge impact on peoples mental health and ability to work, increasing costs on health systems and infrastructure.

In 2019 the WHO and UN general assembly both outlined that globally more investment is needed into sight loss and research. We are calling for the new government and its partners to agree a national plan on sight loss and a research agenda that will help to ensure that eye research gets the funding it badly needs. Please join us at fightforsight.org.uk and let 2020 be the year that we accelerate progress in beating blindness.

Prof Chris Hammond Frost chair of ophthalmology, Kings College London, Prof Alan Stitt Dean of innovation and impact, Queens University Belfast, Prof Alastair Denniston Consultant ophthalmologist, Birmingham University, Prof Alison Hardcastle Professor of molecular genetics, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Prof Lynda Erskine Chair in developmental neurobiology, Aberdeen University, Prof Jeremy Guggenheim Director of research, Cardiff University, Prof David Steel Consultant ophthalmologist, Newcastle University, Prof Chris Inglehearn Professor of molecular ophthalmology and neuroscience, Leeds University, Prof Timothy Jackson Consultant ophthalmic surgeon, Kings College London, Prof Rachael Pearson Professor of developmental neuroscience, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Prof Jessica Teeling Professor of Experimental Neuroimmunology, University of Southampton, Prof Colin Willoughby Professor of ophthalmology, Ulster University

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Sight loss research needs urgent investment - The Guardian

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed a number of faculty members and alumni of the Wayne State University School of Medicine to several state boards overseeing medicine and medical licensing.

Appointments to the Michigan Board of Medicine, which works with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to oversee the practice of medical doctors ascertaining minimal entry-level competency of medical doctors and requiring continuing medical education during licensure include:

Bryan Little, M.D., Class of 1998, is the specialist in chief of Orthopedic Surgery at the Detroit Medical Center. The governor also appointed Dr. Little to the Michigan Task Force on Physicians Assistants. That entity works with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory affairs to oversee the practice of physicians assistants. The terms of both appointments expire Dec. 31, 2023.

Angela Trepanier, M.S., CGC, professor of Molecular Medicine and Genetics and director of the Genetic Counseling Masters Program at the School of Medicine. She will represent genetic counselors during her term, which expires Dec. 31, 2023.

Donald Tynes, M.D., Class of 1995, clinical assistant professor for the School of Medicine and chief medical officer of the Benton Harbor Health Center, will serve a term through Dec. 31, 2023.

Hsin Wang, M.D., Class of 1999, was appointed to the Michigan Board of Licensed Midwifery, which works with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to establish and implement the licensure program for the practice of midwifery in the state. Dr. Wang is an obstetrician-gynecologist with the Detroit Medical Center and the director of the Pelvic Health Program for DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital. Her term runs through Dec. 31, 2023.

Melissa Mafiah, M.D., Class of 2014, was appointed to the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists for a term that expires Dec. 31, 2023. Dr. Mafiah is a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at W.H. Beaumont Hospital. The board works with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to promulgate rules for licensing occupational therapists and ascertaining minimal entry level competency of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.

Michael Dunn, M.D., chief of Medicine at the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and the senior staff physician for the hospitals Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Division, is an assistant clinical professor of Medicine for the School of Medicine. He was appointed to the Michigan Board of Respiratory Care, which oversees the licensure requirements and standards for respiratory therapists. His appointment runs through Dec. 31, 2023.

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Faculty and alumni appointed to state medical boards - The South End

Lately, Ive been very interested in learning more about teaching and learning. Ive been involved in coaching public speaking and debate for nearly a decade, and taught ESL classes off and on, and have recently come to realize that I am an educator. I had a professor in college who told us that if we were going to read one book on a subject, we might as well read tenwed learn a lot more and if we just kept going, before we knew it all ten would be finished. Well, often I dont do that, but recently Ive been raiding the Education section at several branches of the local library systemlearning about teaching reading, differentiated learning for gifted students, controversies over giving homework, and much more.

One gem I came across was Mary Cay Riccis Mindsets in the Classroom. And it clicked with my work at Discovery.

In learning about what Ricci and others call the growth mindset, I was reminded that the way to teach critical thinking in science is to have students engage with the content like scientists.

Growth mindset is an idea popularized by Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck. She contrasts the idea of a growth mindset that we can become smarter as we work hard and our brains make new connections to the notion of a fixed mindset that we have whatever talents we were born with, or that our growth is limited. Here is a helpful video from Dweck on growth mindset, speaking for Khan Academy.

Mary Cay Riccis book takes Dwecks concept and gives teachers concrete nuts and bolts for how to teach growth mindset in the classroom.

I found her section on critical thinking striking. She notes:

Another important factor to consider about critical thinking is that it is not a simple skill (Willingham, 2008). According to Willingham (2008), critical thinking is a process that must be infused with content; it is not something that you can just check off a list once it is mastered. Why? Well, one reason is that the content being focused on and the complexity of thinking critically becomes more sophisticated over time it is always evolving. The practice component applied to the content knowledge is essential to develop learners who can apply critical thinking when they need to. Hand in hand with practice is persistence and effort, probably the two most important attributes of having a growth mindset!

If you embrace Willinghams argument that critical thinking is not a bunch of isolated skills, then you too (like me) may become annoyed by the amount of resources on the market that advertise ways to build critical thinking skills. Due in part to the way critical thinking is framed in these resources, the concept of accepting critical thinking as a process embedded in content rather than a set of skills can require a major shift in thinking.

As an aside, note her use of the word evolution to signify things becoming more complex over time! Thats not how evolutionists use the term. But never mind that. Ricci sees critical thinking as an essential component of the growth mindset it is key to practicing new learning.

When applied to the subject of science, critical thinking as defined here becomes synonymous with scientific inquiry. Critical thinking is a process that must be infused with content.the content being focused on and the complexity of thinking critically becomes more sophisticated over time And it is true that one cannot teach critical thinking skills in isolation. There must be a content area to analyze, and the critical thinking skills for one content area are not the same as critical thinking skills for another content area. In science, critical thinking is scientific inquiry observing, coming up with hypotheses, experimenting, recording data, drawing conclusions, etc.

One of the worlds foremost science publications, the journal Nature, has noted: [S]tudents gain a much deeper understanding of science when they actively grapple with questions than when they passively listen to answers.

Also in Nature, Jay Labov, senior education advisor from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, commented that he sees active engagement as learning content not as something you memorize and regurgitate, but as raw material for making connections, drawing inferences, creating new information learning how to learn.

Teaching evolution well means educating in relevant aspects of scientific inquiry critical thinking too. This means, in short, exposing students to current scientific inquiries in the field the relevant, recent research.

This is from Denis Noble, Professor Emeritus and co-Director of Cardiovascular Physiology at Oxford University, and Fellow of the Royal Society, writing in the journal Experimental Physiology. He describes scientists as they learn and change their views in response to evidence.

The Modern Synthesis (NeoDarwinism) is a mid20th century genecentric view of evolution, based on random mutations accumulating to produce gradual change through natural selection. Any role of physiological function in influencing genetic inheritance was excluded. The organism became a mere carrier of the real objects of selection, its genes. We now know that genetic change is far from random and often not gradual. Molecular genetics and genome sequencing have deconstructed this unnecessarily restrictive view of evolution in a way that reintroduces physiological function and interactions with the environment as factors influencing the speed and nature of inherited change. Acquired characteristics can be inherited, and in a few but growing number of cases that inheritance has now been shown to be robust for many generations. The 21st century can look forward to a new synthesis that will reintegrate physiology with evolutionary biology. [Emphasis added.]

As I said earlier, the way to teach critical thinking in science is to have students engage with the content like scientists. What could be better than exposing them to current scientific debates and asking them to examine the evidence for themselves?

What would this kind of activity foster? I can easily see it planting questions in students minds that may blossom into full-fledged scientific inquiries. The leap is not great between enjoying science in high school and trying out science classes as a freshman or sophomore in college, and onward to graduating with a STEM degree and beginning a graduate program or ones first job in industry. For fostering future scientists, physicians, and engineers, inspiration and a growth mindset are the key.

Photo credit:Chetan MenariaonUnsplash.

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Science Education and the Growth Mindset - Discovery Institute

When Katy Mathes and six of her family members learned they had a mutation on a BRCA gene that significantly raised their risk of breast cancer they underwent major surgery. But years later, the genetic testing company lowered the family's odds of getting the disease, Amy Dockser Marcus reports for the Wall Street Journal.

In August 2015, Mathes decided to get a BRCA test. Mathes' mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer at 49, and four of her aunts had tested positive for the BRCA gene, and "moved quickly to get surgery," Dockser Marcus reports.

Mathes and her sister, Tricia Leigh, also had positive tests. The test results showed that Mathes had up to an 84% risk of developing breast cancer by age 70 and up to a 27% risk of developing ovarian cancer by age 70. Among the general population, the odds of developing breast or ovarian cancer are 7.3% and 0.7%, respectively, Dockser Marcus reports.

But the two women grappled over the decision of whether to get surgery: Mathes wanted another child and her sister was breastfeeding her second child.

After consulting with additional doctors, Mathes eventually decided to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, the same procedure her aunts, sister, and mother underwent. In addition, Mathes and her sister had double mastectomies.

"I treated my test results like the Bible," Mathes said. "There was no questioning the report."

But years after the initial test, Myriad Genetics, the molecular diagnostics company that did Mathes' test as well as her relatives', changed its classification of the BRCA variant Mathes has from "pathogenic" to "unknown significance," a move that Myriad said is very unusual.

By this point, Mathes and six of her family members had undergone surgery based on their test results. When the sisters learned the news, Mathes said, "My brain just shut off."

Susan Manley, SVP of medical services at Myriad and a board-certified genetic counselor, said, "We know these are very difficult situations. We make these reclassifications very carefully. The science is evolving." She added that changing a classification from harmful to uncertain "is a rare event, but I understand that rare is of no consolation to the patient when it happens to them."

BRCA tests are among the most common genetic tests in existence, Dockser Marcus writes, and genetic testing guidelines have expanded who should receive BRCA tests. Major genetic testing companies such as 23andMe, Ancestry, and MyHeritage now offer the tests for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

However, not every lab agrees on the specific classification of a BRCA gene variant, Dockser Marcus reports. That's in part because there are "tens of thousands of BRCA variants" and not all of them necessarily carry the same level of risk for a patient, Dockser Marcus reports.

Fergus Couch, a professor at the Mayo Clinic, said some variants "have intermediate or moderate levels of risk, not full-blown risk." For a number of those variants, labs "are making a judgment call but that is not always clear to the public," Couch said.

Stephen Chanock, a geneticist at the National Cancer Institute, said, "[G]enetics is murky." He added, "It's not so simple as 'Doctor, do I have to worry or don't I have to worry?'"

According to Melissa Cline, a researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, and project manager of the BRCA Exchange, the analysis on the BRCA variant in the Mathes' family put a lot of weight on a 2011 paper that found the variant likely alters the BRCA2 protein, which can help suppress tumors.

Seth Marcus, a genetic counselor at Advocate Health Care who counseled Mathes' mother and one of her aunts, said he checked a public database to see how other labs classify the variant once he heard of Myriad's change. He said six labs still classify the variant as "likely pathogenic."

"In the end, you give the patient the data and the knowledge you know," he said.

Dockser Marcus reports that Myriad currently has 38 people in its database with the BRCA variant Mathes and her relatives have, 12 of whom come from Mathes' family. Mathes said that if she had known about the sample size, she and her husband may have asked more questions about whether surgery was appropriate.

Now, based on Mathes' family history and Myriad's classification change, Mathes' genetic counselor estimated her lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 21%, Dockser Marcus writes.

"That is not high enough to make me remove organs," Mathes said. "I would have had another kid. I would have waited to do surgery" (Dockser Marcus, Wall Street Journal, 12/20/19).

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'I would have had another kid': How an imperfect gene test led to major surgeryand big regrets - The Daily Briefing

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A massive genome-wide analysis of approximately 200,000 military veterans has identified six genetic variants linked to anxiety.

Some of the variants associated with anxiety had previously been implicated as risk factors for bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia.

The new study further contributes the first convincing molecular explanation for why anxiety and depression often coexist.

There has been no explanation for the comorbidity of anxiety and depression and other mental health disorders, but here we have found specific, shared genetic risks.

This is the richest set of results for the genetic basis of anxiety to date, says co-lead author Joel Gelernter, a professor of psychiatry, of genetics, and of neuroscience at Yale University.

There has been no explanation for the comorbidity of anxiety and depression and other mental health disorders, but here we have found specific, shared genetic risks.

Finding the genetic underpinnings of mental health disorders is the primary goal of the Million Veteran Program, a compilation of health and genetic data on US military veterans run by the US Veterans Administration. The research team analyzed the programs data and zeroed in on six variants linked to anxiety. Researchers found five in European Americans and one only in African Americans.

While there have been many studies on the genetic basis of depression, far fewer have looked for variants linked to anxiety, disorders of which afflict as many as 1 in 10 Americans, says senior author Murray Stein, San Diego VA staff psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry and of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego.

Researchers found some variants linked to genes that help govern gene activity or, intriguingly, to a gene involved in the functioning of receptors for the sex hormone estrogen. While this finding might help explain why women are more than twice as likely as men to suffer from anxiety disorders, researchers stressed that they identified the variant affecting estrogen receptors in a veteran cohort made up mostly of men, and that further investigation is necessary.

Another of the newly discovered anxiety gene variants, MAD1L1, whose function researchers dont fully understand, was also highly notable. Variants of this gene have already been linked to bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia.

One of the goals of this research is to find important risk genes that are associated with risk for many psychiatric and behavioral traits for which we dont have a good explanation, says co-lead author Daniel Levey, a postdoctoral associate.

This is a rich vein we have just begun to tap, says Gelernter.

The research appears in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Additional researchers from the Veteran Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System; VA San Diego Healthcare System; and the University of California, San Diego contributed to the work.

Source: Yale University

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Genes explain why anxiety and depression go hand-in-hand - Futurity: Research News

Behnam Kamalidehghan,1,* Mohsen Habibi,2,* Sara S Afjeh,1 Maryam Shoai,3 Saeideh Alidoost,4 Rouzbeh Almasi Ghale,4 Nahal Eshghifar,5 Farkhondeh Pouresmaeili1,6

1Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2Central Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 3Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; 4Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; 5Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran and Mens Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 6Mens Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Farkhondeh PouresmaeiliMens Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranTel/Fax +98 21-23872572Email pouresfar@gmail.com

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNA) play a key role in the regulation of gene expression through the translational suppression and control of post-transcriptional modifications.Aim: Previous studies demonstrated that miRNAs conduct the pathways involved in human reproduction including maintenance of primordial germ cells (PGCs), spermatogenesis, oocyte maturation, folliculogenesis and corpus luteum function. The association of miRNA expression with infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure (POF), and repeated implantation failure (RIF) was previously revealed. Furthermore, there are evidences of the importance of miRNAs in embryonic development and implantation. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and miRNAs play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulatory processes of germ cells. Indeed, the investigation of small RNAs including miRNAs and piRNAs increase our understanding of the mechanisms involved in fertility. In this review, the current knowledge of microRNAs in embryogenesis and fertility is discussed.Conclusion: Further research is necessary to provide new insights into the application of small RNAs in the diagnosis and therapeutic approaches to infertility.

Keywords: miRNA, female fertility, male fertility, piwi-interacting RNAs, piRNAs

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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The Importance of Small Non-Coding RNAs in Human Reproduction: A Revie | TACG - Dove Medical Press

The new year new decade is afoot. What are you hoping to do better moving forward?

Usually its a self-help extravaganza. Hit the gym and shed a few pounds? Or maybe fix certain behavioral traits, with a philanthropic tie-in. Swear jars anyone?

Unfortunately, as January gym goers know, the most well-intentioned resolutions often fall by the wayside tempered by the crushing weight of existence!

No doubt, honoring resolutions is a challenge. But theres one resolute contingent of farmers that not only aspire, but deliver yearly. These are royalty, a select group of hyperyielders that squeeze every last bit of productivity out of their crops.

Appropriately named with a predictable focus on a certain ubiquitous crop the National Corn Yield Contest is organized by the National Corn Growers Association.

The reigning king is David Hula of Charles City, Virginia. In a carnival-like atmosphere often dubbed the corn wars, the Hula dynasty is unmatched.

His irrigated yield of 616 bushels per acre (bu/acre) this isnt a typo in an industry that averages 175 bushels per acre (from a diminutive 25 bu/acre in 1910) is jaw-dropping. Even more astonishing is the venue: a farm outside the Corn Belt, lacking the rich prairie soils ordinarily well-suited to the challenge.

But whats the point of this yield obsession? Is it all just chest pounding posturing by farmers seeking alpha status among their peers?

Bragging rights plays a part. But it runs beyond pride.

As expected, competition spurs and diffuses innovation. Consider the space race (OK, maybe not so friendly) between the U.S. and the former USSR, the first in flight race, or the pursuit of the land speed record. One-upmanship fuels advancement.

On occasion, it also shatters records long held as unbreakable. Consider Olympian Bob Beamons leap of the century in 1968 a feat that rewrote the record books. After breaking the previous long jump record by nearly 22 inches initially beyond the limits of the measuring equipment on hand he broke down after realizing the enormity of his accomplishment.

Similarly, Hulas 2019 entry decimated the previous corn yield record of 542 bu/acre, and set a new aspirational benchmark for productivity.

Its also instructive on another level. Despite a cavalcade of improvements, from hybrid seeds, to high density spacing, to uniform germination, to nutrition, to ag protectants, to biotech applications, were still not fully utilizing the genetic potential embedded in the humble corn seed.

But surely, were reaching a point of diminishing returns. That yield curve is going to flatten. Yet theres no evidence were even remotely close to a plateau. Indeed, Hula thinks we can attain yields of 800 to 850 bu/acre out of the bag. Its just a matter of providing the proper regimen to maximize genetic potential. A blessed union of nature and nurture.

So agronomy how the plant is tended to in the field plays a critical role in squeezing out more yield. But is nature increasingly going to be the dominant factor? As we strive toward topping out yields, its increasingly mission critical need to decipher an old enigma genetics.

That complexity has historically discouraged researchers from searching for the silver bullet a gene solely responsible for yield. Large investment, minimal success. So weve stuck with simpler applications, like transgenic (GMO) herbicide tolerance (Roundup Ready) and/or Bt proteins (built in insecticides). These arent necessarily yield-boosting on the surface. In the absence of pests and weeds, they can actually cause a yield depression. But we dont grow corn in a pest-free vacuum. In the real-world, these GMO applications do at least maintain potential yield when plants are under pressure.

Despite past challenges,a team of researchers recently identified a single gene responsible for up to 10 percent boosts in corn yield, largely independent of growing conditions. All they needed to do was tack on a new promoter, a central switch box of sorts that acts like on/off switch and volume control. Turn on that boombox 24/7, max out the volume, and plant physiology kicks in. The leaves grow larger and photosynthesize, translating to better field performance. Its like enabling a cheat code for growth.

Though the promoter and gene are already found in corn, the method used to join them together falls under the traditional definition of a GMO so expect unjustified regulatory hurdles at every turn.

Most assuredly, the next frontier in research (that will invigorate the hyperyielders of the future) is at the molecular level, paired with field optimization. Unprecedented gains are in the cards, if the neo-luddities dont evangelize a bygone past and stifle the gears of progress.

While the 10th Commandment says thou shalt not covet, everyone should be shamelessly envious. With more mouths to feed, we need to address the existential threat of food security, population growth, and environmental stewardship. David Hula and company model an algorithm that we should all emulate; the proof is in the harvest.

Tim Durhams family operates Deer Run Farm a truck (vegetable) farm on Long Island, New York. As a columnist and agvocate, he counters heated rhetoric with sensible facts. Tim has a degree in plant medicine and is an Associate Professor at Ferrum College in Virginia.

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Durham: Hyperyields on the horizon -- the competition and innovation of it all - AGDAILY

Mass coral-bleaching events, which occur when high ocean temperatures cause coral to expel the algae that dwell inside them, are a relatively recent phenomenon. The first widespread bleaching event occurred in 1983, the year before Penn marine biologist Katie Barott was born.

The next one happened about 15 years later. And the intervals between them continue to shrink. In 2014, one bleaching event in Hawaii was so extreme that it carried over to affect corals into a second summer.

Theyre increasing in frequency, getting closer and closer, says Barott, an assistant professor in the School of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology. And the ocean temperature is getting warmer and warmer, so the severity is increasing, too.

Yet as dramatic as the phenomenon soundsand appearscoral bleaching does not always equate with coral death. Algae can return to corals once ocean temperatures cool, and scientists have observed formerly white corals regain their color in subsequent seasons.

In a multifaceted research project funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Barott and members of her lab are studying the mechanisms by which corals withstand the effects of climate change, which include not only the warmer temperatures that trigger bleaching but also acidification of ocean waters, a slower-moving creep with subtle yet significant consequences.

Barotts work, based in Kaneohe Bay on Oahu, Hawaii, focuses on two of the bays dominant coral species: rice coral (Montipora capitata) and finger coral (Porites compressa). Barott began working there during a postdoctoral fellowship at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, conducting studies on which the new work is based.

Corals are invertebrate animals that live in large colonies, together forming intricate skeletons of varied shapes. To obtain food, they rely heavily on a symbiotic relationship with algae, which establish themselves within the corals tissue and produce food and energy for the coral through photosynthesis. A change in temperature or pH can upset this partnership, triggering the algaes expulsion.

That leaves the coral essentially starving, Barott says.

Since her postdoctoral days, Barott has been working with colleagues in Hawaii to monitor coral patches. After the 2014-15 bleaching event, researchers were surprised and heartened to find certain patches of corals didnt succumb to the bleaching, even those located directly adjacent to stark white corals. And many of those that did bleach bounced back within a month or so of the onset of cooling autumn temperatures.

At the time Barott was writing her NSF grant application, she planned to compare the differences between bleached and unbleached corals. Yet just as the grant kicked off in July, another bleaching event was unfolding in Hawaii.

That gave us this unexpected opportunity to go back to those same colonies to see if the ones that bleached last time were the same ones that bleached again this past fall, she says. And more or less we saw the same patterns: The ones that bleached last time bleached again this time and vice versa. That gives us compelling evidence that theres something specific about these resilient individuals that is make them resist bleaching, even in very warm temperatures.

While high temperatures triggers bleaching, acidity plays a key role in coral vitality as well. Lower seawater pH impedes corals ability to build their calcium carbonite skeletons, resulting in weaker, more fragile structures.

In earlier work, Barott had discovered that corals possess a pH sensor that can respond to changes in their environment. And, indeed, sea water acidity can vary widely in the course of a day, a season, or a year, swinging as much as 0.75 pH units in a day. Perhaps, Barott hypothesizes, coral have molecular tools that they use to withstand these daily fluctuations that they could also employ to contend with the gradual ocean acidification that is occurring as the concentration of CO2 in sea water rises.

Maybe there are some reefs that are going to be more resistant to ocean acidification because theyre used to seeing these really large daily swings and are sort of primed to deal with that challenge, she says.

Shes also curious about how bleaching impacts corals ability to tolerate pH changes more generally. Using molecular tools, she and her students are investigating the epigenetic changes that affect how genes are read and translated into functional proteins in the organisms. Such changes could occur much more rapidly than coral, a long-lived species, could evolve to deal with a changing environment.

In a variety of projects, the scientists are examining differences between species of coral, between species of the algal symbionts, and between populations located in different places in the Kaneohe lagoon.

Early results suggest differences between the rice and finger coral in their strategies for managing bleaching.

One really resists the bleaching, but if it does succumb then it fares a lot worse than the one that bleaches more readily, says Barott. That one seems to be more susceptible to losing its symbionts, but if it does it recovers fast and has lower overall mortality.

Barotts group is collaborating with others in Hawaii to see if hardier corals could be propagated to rebuild damaged reef communities.

Were at the proof-of-principle stage, she says, where were trying to figure out if some of these differences are heritable.

While some of that work is being completed in Hawaii, carefully tended tanks in the basement of the Leidy Laboratories of Biology allow Barott and her students to complete experiments in Philadelphia on corals. Using both corals shipped from the field and sea anemones, a useful stand-in for corals due to their ease of care and rapid reproduction, the lab has been tracking the impacts of temperature and pH stress on energy systems, genetics, and even the microbiome of corals, the bacteria with which the corals and algae cohabitate.

The surface of coral is analogous to the lining of your lungs or intestines, Barott says. Its covered in cilia, its got a mucus layer over the top of it, and there are tons and tons of bacteria that live in that mucus layer. We think those bacteria are playing a role in the health of the coral, but we dont know if its playing a role in their temperature sensitivity, so thats something well be looking at.

With this whole organism approach, Barotts aims to inject some optimism and scientific rigor into what is a largely dire outlook for corals worldwide. Encouragingly, she notes, this years bleaching event in Hawaii was much less severe than predicted, and corals that had bleached in 2014 were less strongly affected by this years event.

These reefs are facing a lot of impacts, not just from climate but also from local development, sedimentation, nutrient pollution, she says. Our hope is to predict how corals will respond to these challenges and maybe one day use our findings to assist them in rebuilding resilient reefs.

Katie Barott is an assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology.

Much of the work described above is funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant 1923743).

Link:
Coral reef resilience - Penn: Office of University Communications

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Reasons to buy this Report: Achieve an up-to-date understanding of the area, with a comprehensive reference of key products within the gene therapy landscape, compared across technology-specific relevant characteristics such as editing mechanism and delivery vector. Conduct competitive analysis using indication-specific, side-by-side comparisons of the latest data for key gene therapy products in the strategically relevant areas of eye, blood, and liver. Conduct strategic analysis using an overview of gene therapy specific considerations for evaluating and developing gene therapy products the CRISPR patent space, emerging regulatory trends, innovation leaders and the interests of pharma in gene therapy.

Table of Contents in this Report:1.1 List of Tables 71.2 List of Figures 82 Introduction 102.1 Gene Therapy Definitions 102.2 Report Coverage the Emerging Gene Therapy Pipeline 112.3 History of Gene Therapy 122.4 Limitations of Gene Transfer 132.5 The Development of Targeted Gene Editing 132.6 Overview of Gene Editing Platforms 132.6.1 Zinc Fingers (1996) 132.6.2 Transcription Activator-Like Effectors (2011) 142.6.3 The CRISPR/Cas System (2013) 152.6.4 Effectors for Targeting Domains 192.6.5 Comparison of Gene Editing Systems 192.6.6 Summary of Gene Editing Systems 192.7 Overview of In Vivo Gene Therapy 212.7.1 Editing is Dependent on Cell Type, Stage, and Repair Pathway 212.7.2 Delivery 212.7.3 Emerging Safety Concerns with Editing Platforms 242.7.4 Editing Products are Reliant on the Target Cells Cycle Stage and DNA Repair Machinery 272.7.5 Advantages of Gene Editing over Gene Transfer 282.7.6 Integration into Safe Harbor Sites 282.7.7 The Increasing Complexity of Gene Therapy 302.7.8 Summary of In Vivo Gene Therapy 313 Gene Therapy Near Term Product Pipeline 333.1 Leber Congenital Amaurosis 333.1.1 Unmet Need 333.1.2 Molecular Genetics 333.1.3 Luxturna (Voretigene neparvovec) 333.1.4 Editas Medicine: EDIT-101 353.1.5 Trial Design 363.1.6 EDIT-101 and Off-Target Effects 373.1.7 The Potential Advantage of EDIT-101 is the Longevity of its Therapeutic Effect 373.1.8 Summary LCA 383.2 Choroideremia 383.3 Hurler Syndrome (MPS I) 393.3.1 Key Clinical Studies 403.3.2 Regenex: RGX-111 403.3.3 Sangamo Therapeutics: SB-318 403.4 Hunter Syndrome (MPS II) 413.4.1 Unmet Need 413.4.2 Sangamo Therapeutics: SB-913 413.4.3 Immusoft Corporation: Cell Therapy 433.5 Sanfilippo Syndrome (MPS III) 433.5.1 Lysogene: LYS-SAF302 433.6 Summary MPS Disorders 443.7 Hemophilia 443.7.1 Hemophilia A 463.7.2 Summary Hemophilia A 503.7.3 Hemophilia B 513.7.4 Summary Hemophilia B 533.8 Hemoglobinopathies 543.8.1 Beta Thalassemia: Unmet Need 543.8.2 Beta Thalassemia: Molecular Genetics 553.8.3 Sickle Cell Disease: Unmet Need 563.8.4 Sickle Cell Disease: Molecular Genetics 563.9 Cellular Therapies for Hemoglobinopathies 573.9.1 Blue Bird Bio: BB-305 (LentiGlobin) 573.9.2 Sangamo: ST-400 603.9.3 CRISPR Therapeutics: CTX-001 613.9.4 Summary: Cellular Therapies for Hemoglobinopathies 623.10 Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 633.10.1 Unmet Need 633.10.2 Molecular Genetics 633.10.3 ExonDys 51 Sarepta Therapeutics 643.10.4 Solid BioSciences: SGT-001 663.10.5 Exonics Therapeutics: CRISPR Approach 673.10.6 Summary Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 684 Competitive Landscape 694.1 Regulatory Considerations for Developing Gene Therapy Products 694.1.1 Product Characteristics 694.1.2 Clinical Study Design for Gene Therapy Products 694.1.3 Disease specific guidance 704.1.4 Reimbursement and Payment 714.1.5 Summary Regulatory Considerations 724.2 Intellectual Property CRISPR/Cas 724.2.1 Licensing, Exploitation, and MPEG Pool 744.3 Company Analysis: Gene Editing Companies 754.3.1 Sangamo Therapeutics 754.3.2 CRISPR Therapeutics 794.3.3 Casebia Therapeutics 814.3.4 Editas Medicine 824.3.5 Intellia Therapeutics 844.3.6 Homology Medicines 864.4 Company Analysis: Pharma 874.4.1 Amgen 874.4.2 Gilead Sciences 874.4.3 Novartis 874.4.4 Sanofi 884.4.5 GlaxoSmithKline 884.4.6 Pfizer 885 Appendix 895.1 References 895.2 Report Methodology 98

and more

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2020 Emerging Gene Therapies Market- Trends within the Technological, Clinical, Regulatory and Competitive Landscape to 2022 - Instanews247

A divorced Toronto dad has just won a slim victory in his ongoing battle with his ex-wife over her refusal to vaccinate their two children.

The father, who can only be identified as A.P. under a court-ordered publication ban, was recently given the go-ahead by the court to have bona fide vaccination experts testify on his behalf in his appeal of a shocking 2018 family law arbitration decision that sided with anti-vaxxers who falsely claim vaccines do more harm than good.

Its great news, says the dad. The judge recognized that the arbitrator made his decision without experts on my side.

Arbitrator Herschel Fogelman accepted the evidence of Dr. Toni Bark, despite the Chicago-based medical doctor having been rejected as an expert vaccination witness in a recent case in the United States.

Choosing not to vaccinate is not illegal, negligent nor immoral. It is a personal choice, wrote Fogelman in his controversial decision. I am unable to find any risk to (the children) if they remain unvaccinated. Further, I am satisfied on the evidence the vaccines may pose additional risk to them.

Self-represented at the time, the dad tried to introduce his own expert report from Dr. Alana Rosenthal, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases and consultant in infectious diseases at Sick Kids and North York General Hospital. She concluded that no scientific studies have shown vaccinesto be harmful.

But the arbitrator said Rosenthal would have had to testify in person and despite the father`s offer to contact her he refused to accept her evidence.

The dad not only lost his bid to have his kids vaccinated they are now 13 and nine but was ordered to pay $35,000 in the moms legal costs, which included the $11,000 she paid Bark.

After his story went public in the National Post, his Gofundme campaign raised more than $14,000 toward his hiring a legal team to launch an appeal. He was also overwhelmed with support from the health community with offers to testify on his behalf at no cost.

Last month, the Ontario Superior Court agreed the dad can introduce fresh evidence from three renowned experts when his appeal is heard in March.

The doctors credentials are lengthy and impressive and put Barks thin resume to shame. In addition to Rosenthal, he has Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peels associate medical officer of health who served as senior medical consultant in the vaccine safety section at the Public Health Agency of Canada; and Dr. Neal Sondheimer, staff physician in metabolic genetics at the Hospital for Sick Children and an associate professor of pediatrics in molecular genetics at UofT.

Justice Jasmine T. Akbarali, though, rejected the dads fresh evidence challenging Barks credentials or his bald allegation that Dr. Bark is a hired gun, takings tens of thousands of dollars to testify against the use ofvaccinations.

More worrying to the father was the judges decision to accept the new evidence from their childrens pediatrician: Her greatest and only concern at this point in time is for the psychological and emotional health of the children in view of the high-conflict divorce, and the media attention this case has attracted, Akbarali noted.

While the pediatrician recommends vaccinations to all her patients, she wrote that she believes the 13-year-old is mature enough to decide for himself and has expressed the wish not to be administered any vaccinations at the present time.

Is a doctor really recommending that a 13-year-old child should be able to decide if he wants to be vaccinated?

I was blown away, the father says.

I`m trying to be optimistic. But what may happen is that my oldest will be allowed to make his own decision. Thats the worst case where he is forced to choose between his moms side or his dads side. Its a lot of pressure for a 13-year-old.

And in the meantime? Both children contracted a bout of whooping cough they never had to suffer.

mmandel@postmedia.com

Originally posted here:
MANDEL: Divorced Toronto dad pushes ahead in vaccination fight - Toronto Sun

ANI | Updated: Jan 04, 2020 17:51 IST

Washington D.C. [USA], Jan 4 (ANI): Fast food attracts people due to its easy accessibility and inexpensiveness, but these easily available food options are loaded with oil, grease and saturated fats, which affects the human health.A recent study has suggested that food items containing more grease and fat can put the communication between intestine and the rest of the human body to stop.A team of Duke researchers has discovered that a high-fat meal completely shuts down the communication for a few hours. After they observed using the fish to examine cells that normally tell the brain and the rest of the body what's going on inside the gut after a meal.The cells they were looking at are the enteroendocrine cells, which occur sparsely throughout the lining of the gut, but play a key role in signalling the body about the all-important alimentary canal. In addition to releasing hormones, the cells also have a recently-discovered direct connection to the nervous system and the brain.These cells produce at least 15 different hormones to send signals to the rest of the body about gut movement, feelings of fullness, digestion, nutrient absorption, insulin sensitivity, and energy storage."But they fall asleep on the job for a few hours after a high-fat meal, and we don't yet know if that's good or bad," said John Rawls, an associate professor of molecular genetics and microbiology in the Duke School of Medicine.Since enteroendocrine cells are key player's indigestion, the feeling of being full and subsequent feeding behaviour, this silencing may be a mechanism that somehow causes people eating a high-fat diet to eat even more."This is a previously unappreciated part of the postprandial (after-meal) cycle," Rawls said."If this happens every time we eat an unhealthy, high-fat meal, it might cause a change in insulin signalling, which could, in turn, contribute to the development of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes."To understand the silencing better, the researchers tried to break the process down step by step in zebra-fish, reports the study published in 'eLife'.After they first sense a meal, the enteroendocrine cells trigger a calcium burst within seconds, initiating the signalling process.But after that initial signal, there's a delayed effect later in the after-meal period. It's during this later response that the silencing occurs, said Rawls, who also directs Duke's Microbiome Center.The silenced cells change shape and experience stress in their endoplasmic reticulum, a structure that assembles new proteins. It seems that these enteroendocrine cells, which are specialised to synthesise and secrete proteins like hormones and neurotransmitters, become overstimulated and exhausted for a while.The team tried the high-fat diet on a line of germ-free zebrafish raised in the absence of any microbes and found they didn't experience the same silencing effect. So they began looking for gut microbes that might be involved in the process.After screening through all the kinds of bacteria found in the gut, they saw that the silencing appeared to be the work of a single type of gut bacteria, called Acinetobacter. (ANI)

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Gut communication with body restricted by consumption of fatty foods: Study - ANI News

IN the summer of 2019, a mother in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States, with a seemingly incurable genetic disorder finally found an end to her suffering by editing her genome.

Victoria Grays recovery from sickle cell disease, which had caused her painful seizures, came in a year of breakthroughs in one of the hottest areas of medical research gene therapy.

I have hoped for a cure since I was about 11, the 34-year-old said.

Since I received the new cells, I have been able to enjoy more time with my family without worrying about pain or an out-of-the-blue emergency.

Over several weeks, Grays blood was drawn so that doctors could get to the cause of her illness stem cells from her bone marrow that were making deformed red blood cells.

The stem cells were sent to a Scottish laboratory, where their DNA was modified using Crispr/Cas9 pronounced Crisper a new tool informally known as a molecular scissors.

The genetically-edited cells were transfused back into Grays veins and bone marrow. A month later, she was producing normal blood cells.

Medics warn that caution is necessary, but theoretically, she has been cured.

This is one patient. This is early results. We need to see how it works out in other patients, said her doctor, Haydar Frangoul, at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville.

But these results are really exciting.

In Germany, a 19-year-old woman was treated with a similar method for a different blood disease beta thalassemia.

She had previously needed 16 blood transfusions per year. Nine months later, she is completely free of that burden.

For decades, the DNA of living organisms such as corn and salmon has been modified. But Crispr, invented in 2012, made gene editing more widely accessible.

It is much simpler than preceding technology, cheaper and easy to use in small labs.

The technique has given new impetus to the perennial debate over the wisdom of humanity manipulating life itself.

Its all developing very quickly, said French geneticist Emmanuelle Charpentier, one of Crisprs inventors and the co-founder of Crispr Therapeutics, the biotech company conducting the clinical trials involving Gray and the German patient.

Gene cures

Crispr was the latest breakthrough in a year of great strides in gene therapy, a medical adventure that started three decades ago, when the first TV telethons were raising money for children with muscular dystrophy.

Scientists practising the technique insert a normal gene into cells containing a defective gene.

It does the work the original could not, such as making normal red blood cells in Grays case or making tumour-killing super white blood cells for a cancer patient.

Crispr goes even further: instead of adding a gene, the tool edits the genome itself.

After decades of research and clinical trials on a genetic fix to genetic disorders, 2019 saw a historic milestone: approval to bring to market the first gene therapies for a neuromuscular disease in the US and a blood disease in the European Union.

They join several other gene therapies bringing the total to eight approved in recent years to treat certain cancers and an inherited blindness.

Serge Braun, the scientific director of the French Muscular Dystrophy Association, sees 2019 as a turning point that will lead to a medical revolution.

Twenty-five, 30 years, thats the time it had to take, he said. It took a generation for gene therapy to become a reality. Now, its only going to go faster.

Just outside Washington, at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers are also celebrating a breakthrough period.

We have hit an inflection point, said US NIHs associate director for science policy Carrie Wolinetz.

These therapies are exorbitantly expensive, however, costing up to US$2 million (RM8.18 million) meaning patients face grueling negotiations with their insurance companies.

They also involve a complex regimen of procedures that are only available in wealthy countries.

Gray spent months in hospital getting blood drawn, undergoing chemotherapy, having edited stem cells reintroduced via transfusion and fighting a general infection.

You cannot do this in a community hospital close to home, said her doctor.

However, the number of approved gene therapies will increase to about 40 by 2022, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers.

They will mostly target cancers and diseases that affect muscles, the eyes and the nervous system.

In this Oct 10, 2018, photo, He speaks during an interview at his laboratory in Shenzhen, China. The scientist was recently sentenced to three years in prison for practicing medicine illegally and fined 3 million yuan (RM1.76 million). AP

Bioterrorism potential

Another problem with Crispr is that its relative simplicity has triggered the imaginations of rogue practitioners who dont necessarily share the medical ethics of Western medicine.

In 2018 in China, scientist He Jiankui triggered an international scandal and his excommunication from the scientific community when he used Crispr to create what he called the first gene-edited humans.

The biophysicist said he had altered the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of human embryos that became twin girls Lulu and Nana.

His goal was to create a mutation that would prevent the girls from contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), even though there was no specific reason to put them through the process.

That technology is not safe, said Kiran Musunuru, a genetics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, explaining that the Crispr scissors often cut next to the targeted gene, causing unexpected mutations.

Its very easy to do if you dont care about the consequences, he added.

Despite the ethical pitfalls, restraint seems mainly to have prevailed so far.

The community is keeping a close eye on Russia, where biologist Denis Rebrikov has said he wants to use Crispr to help deaf parents have children without the disability.

There is also the temptation to genetically edit entire animal species, e.g. malaria-causing mosquitoes in Burkina Faso or mice hosting ticks that carry Lyme disease in the US.

The researchers in charge of those projects are advancing carefully however, fully aware of the unpredictability of chain reactions on the ecosystem.

Charpentier doesnt believe in the more dystopian scenarios predicted for gene therapy, including American biohackers injecting themselves with Crispr technology bought online.

Not everyone is a biologist or scientist, she said.

And the possibility of military hijacking to create soldier-killing viruses or bacteria that would ravage enemies crops?

Charpentier thinks that technology generally tends to be used for the better.

Im a bacteriologist -- weve been talking about bioterrorism for years, she said. Nothing has ever happened. AFP Relaxnews

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Gene editing breakthroughs that cured genetic diseases in 2019 - The Star Online

Scientists from the University of Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, as well as the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have come together to summarize recent evidence has challenged our working theory on the origin of life. Previously, scientists thought early life may have arisen from proteins or other chemical reactions important for life reacting in the hot soup of early Earth before there were actually cells. Then, it has been thought that these chemical reactions may have later been taken over by early cells.

However, long ago, after discovering large amounts of amino acids, DNA, and RNA on meteorites in our cosmic neighborhood, researchers again had to shift their train of thought. This paper explained that experiments that mimicked the temperature, acidity, pressure, and energy of an Early earth provided evidence that life may have come from random assortments of RNA and other small molecules. Then, the authors continued, a hypothesis was developed that RNA may have been the primordial first lifeform which took shape on our planet and may have already formed on others. The authors claim that this led to this most recent and widely accepted theory: our world may have been a RNA world at one point in its development; one in which life was composed of a few self-reproducing RNA molecules that worked to spread information as rapidly as possible and combined with amino acids to make proteins which could assist it. The problem with this idea is that researchers are still struggling to engineer RNA molecules that create themselves; a necessary condition if RNA is to reproduce and be able to evolve. Enter the viroid viroids are, essentially, a piece of RNA that can copy itself. Viroids can also insert themselves into a hosts DNA using normal cell processes.

A study highlighted in this article attempted to imitate RNA. Researchers showed that, in solutions of rich in salts and sugars, RNA can spontaneously regrow quite rapidly. These molecules were able to reproduce across 74 generations. From looking at how the sequences changed over these generations, it was determined that viroids replicated fast and continually became smaller and smaller strands of RNA.

The authors conclude that, given what we know about viroids, the idea of a viroid-first origin-of-life theory should be seriously considered, though there is not yet enough evidence to be confident. The good news is that detecting small organic molecules and viroid particles in the depths of space and below the surface of other planets is a lot easier to do than finding evidence to support other origin of life theories, since this theory uses techniques and science that are already familiar to biologists. Genetic engineers are still struggling to create self-copying RNA outside of a viroid-like model and proteins and metabolic chemicals havent turned up in our observations of the space beyond our solar system.

Evidence of organic molecules such as pieces of RNA, DNA, and proteins have been found on recent meteorites. This demonstrates that space already has the conditions to allow for these chemical reactions to take place beyond Earth. The authors suggest that the beginning of life must have been simple, and the search for signatures of viruses, viroids, and small RNA and the modeling of these life forms may be where we need to turn our attention next to answer the questions about life in our Universe.

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How Colds Are Unlocking Secrets About Life on Other Planets - Sciworthy

DUBLIN, Jan. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The Human Microbiome Market: Focus on Therapeutics (including gut-brain axis targeting drugs), Diagnostics and Fecal Microbiota Therapies (3rd Edition), 2019-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report features an extensive study of the current market landscape, offering an informed opinion on the likely adoption of microbiome-based medical products (including therapeutics, diagnostics and FMTs), over the next decade. The report features an in-depth analysis, highlighting the diverse capabilities of stakeholders engaged in this domain.

One of the key objectives of the report was to estimate the existing market size and identify the future opportunity for microbiome therapeutics, diagnostics and FMTs, over the next decade. The research, analyses and insights presented in this report are based on revenue generation trends based on the sales of approved / late stage (estimated) microbiome therapeutics, diagnostic products and FMTs.

The report also features the likely distribution of the current and forecasted opportunity within microbiome therapeutics market across:

In addition, it also features the likely distribution of the current and forecasted opportunity within microbiome diagnostics market across:

In addition to other elements, the study includes:

In order to account for the uncertainties associated with the growth of microbiome market and to add robustness to our model, we have provided three market forecast scenarios, namely conservative, base and optimistic scenarios, representing different tracks of the industry's growth.

Key Topics Covered

1. PREFACE1.1. Scope of the Report1.2. Research Methodology1.3. Chapter Outlines

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3. INTRODUCTION3.1. Chapter Overview3.2. Concept of Microbiota and Microbiome3.3. Overview of Gut Flora3.4. The Microbiome and Disease3.5. Impact of Microbiota on Drug Pharmacokinetics3.6. Impact of Microbiota on Therapeutic Outcomes3.7. Microbiome Therapeutics3.8. The Human Microbiome Project (HMP)3.9. Regulatory Guidelines for Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs)3.10. Key Challenges in the Development of Microbiome Therapeutics3.11. Future Perspectives

4. MICROBIOME THERAPEUTICS: MARKET LANDSCAPE4.1. Chapter Overview4.2. Microbiome Therapeutics: Clinical Pipeline4.3. Microbiome Therapeutics: Early-Stage Pipeline4.4. Microbiome Therapeutics: List of Drug Developers4.5. Microbiome Therapeutics: List of Discontinued Drugs4.6. Emerging Role of Microbiome in Gut-Brain Axis4.7. Microbiome Therapeutics: List of Technology Platforms

5. COMPANY AND DRUG PROFILES5.1. Chapter Overview5.2. 4D Pharma5.3. Armata Pharmaceuticals5.4. Evelo Biosciences5.5. Rebiotix (Acquired by Ferring Pharmaceuticals)5.6. Seres Therapeutics5.7. Vedanta Biosciences

6. MICROBIOME DIAGNOSTICS: MARKET LANDSCAPE6.1. Chapter Overview6.2. Overview of Microbiome Diagnostic Tests6.3. Microbiome Diagnostic Tests: Marketed and Under Development Products6.4. Microbiome Diagnostic Tests: List of Diagnostic Developers6.5. Profiles of Prominent Diagnostic Developers6.6. Overview of Microbiome Screening / Profiling Tests

7. FECAL MICROBIOTA THERAPY (FMT)7.1. Chapter Overview7.2. Introduction to FMT7.3. Historical Overview7.4. FMT: Procedure and Clinical Relevance7.5. Regulatory Guidelines Related to FMT7.6. Insurance Coverage for FMT7.7. FMT: Competitive Landscape7.8. Clinical Trial Analysis (Non-Industry Sponsored)7.9. Stool Banks

8. ATTRACTIVENESS COMPETITIVENESS (AC) MATRIX8.1. Chapter Overview8.2. AC Matrix: An Overview8.3. AC Matrix: Analytical Methodology8.4. AC Matrix: Plotting the Information8.5. AC Matrix: Analyzing the Data8.6. Concluding Remarks

9. MICROBIOME RELATED INITIATIVES OF BIG PHARMACEUTICAL PLAYERS9.1. Chapter Overview9.2. Scope and Methodology9.3. Initiatives of Big Pharmaceutical Players9.4. Benchmark Analysis of Big Pharmaceutical Players

10. START-UP HEALTH INDEXING10.1. Chapter Overview10.2. Scope and Methodology10.3. Benchmark Analysis of Start-ups

11. KEY THERAPEUTIC AREAS11.1. Chapter Overview11.2. Metabolic Disorders11.3. Digestive and Gastrointestinal Disorders11.4. Oncological Indications11.5. Dermatological Disorders11.6. Infectious Diseases

12. FUNDING AND INVESTMENT ANALYSIS12.1. Chapter Overview12.2. Types of Funding12.3. Microbiome Therapeutics and Diagnostics: List of Funding and Investments12.4. Concluding Remarks

13. CONTRACT SERVICES FOR MICROBIOME THERAPEUTICS13.1. Chapter Overview13.2. Manufacturing Microbiome Therapeutics13.3. Microbiome Therapeutics-related R&D13.4. Key Considerations for Selecting a Suitable CMO / CRO Partner

14. BIG DATA AND MICROBIOME THERAPEUTICS14.1. Chapter Overview14.2. Introduction to Big Data14.3. Internet of Things14.4. Growing Interest in Big Data: Google Trends Analysis14.5. Key Application Areas14.6. Big Data in Microbiome Research14.7. Big Data Services for Microbiome Research: List of Companies14.8. Big Data Services for Microbiome Research: Profiles of Key Players

15. MICROBIOME THERAPEUTICS: MARKET FORECAST AND OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS15.1. Chapter Overview15.2. Scope and Limitations15.3. Forecast Methodology15.4. Overall Microbiome Therapeutics Market, 2019-203015.5. Microbiome Therapeutics Market: Distribution by Leading Therapeutic Products, 2019-2030

16. MICROBIOME DIAGNOSTICS: MARKET FORECAST AND OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS16.1. Chapter Overview16.2. Scope and Limitations16.3 Forecast Methodology16.4. Overall Microbiome Diagnostics Market, 2019-203016.5. Microbiome Diagnostics Market: Distribution by Target Indications, 2019-203016.6. Microbiome Diagnostics Market: Distribution by Therapeutic Areas, 2019-203016.7. Microbiome Diagnostics Market: Distribution by Supply Channel, 2019-203016.8. Microbiome Diagnostics Market: Distribution by Key Geographical Regions, 2019-2030

17. FECAL MICROBIOTA THERAPIES: MARKET FORECAST AND OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS17.1. Chapter Overview17.2. Scope and Limitations17.3. Forecast Methodology17.4. Overall FMT Market, 2019-203017.5. Overall Microbiome Market by Product Offerings, 2019-2030

18. CASE STUDY: MICROBIOME-BASED PRODUCTS IN OTHER INDUSTRIES18.1. Chapter Overview18.2. List of Microbiome Products in Other Industries18.3. Applications of Microbiome Based Products in Agriculture Industry18.4. Future Prospects

19. CONCLUDING REMARKS

20. EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS20.1 Chapter Overview20.2. Rebiotix20.3. S-Biomedic20.4. Whole Biome20.5. Siolta Therapeutics20.6. OpenBiome20.7 Assembly Biosciences20.8. List Biological Laboratories20.9. Metabiomics20.10. MicroBiome Therapeutics20.11. Universal Stabilization Technologies20.12. BiomX20.13. Da Volterra20.14. Chung Mei Pharmaceutical20.15. Pacific Northwest National Laboratories

21. APPENDIX I: TABULATED DATA

22. APPENDIX II: LIST OF COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

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Global Human Microbiome Markets (2019-2030), Drugs, Companies, Therapeutics, Diagnostics, Case Studies, Executive Insights, and More - PRNewswire

From genetics and engineering to astronomy and geoscience, SA has been the setting for a string of major scientific advances this year.

Geneticists found themselves looking backwards as well as forwards in attempts to put right a century-old wrong.

The remains of 11 individuals in the University of Cape Towns skeletal collection were found to have been unethically obtained in the 1920s. It turned out that nine of the individuals were Khoisan farmworkers whose remains were dug up on a farm near Sutherland in the Northern Cape. A major restitution process will lead to their reburial next year.

At the request of the individuals descendants, a multidisciplinary scientific study determined the estimated age, gender and medical condition of each individual and assessed isotopes from bones and teeth to shed light on the their habitat, living conditions and diets.

DNA experts were able to establish ancestral genetic relationships while archaeologists conducted a survey of the cemetery and the disturbed graves. Finally, the individuals faces were recreated.

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Six times SA was at the cutting edge of science in 2019 - TimesLIVE

HTF MI released a new market study on Global Molecular Microbiology Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand in depth analysis. Global Molecular Microbiology Market by Type (, Quantitative PCR Detection Diagnostic Kits & Pathogenic Microorganisms Diagnostic Kits), by End-Users/Application (Human & Veterinary), Industry Size, Organizations, and Region Forecast and outlook to 2025. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, focused opinions, details, and industry certified market data. The research study provides estimates for Global Molecular Microbiology Forecast till 2025*. Some of the key players profiled are Roche, Qiagen, Illumina, Abbott, Hologic, BioMerieux, Danaher (Cepheid), Myriad Genetics, DAAN Gene, Agilent, Genomic Health, BD & Foundation Medicine etc.

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The Global Molecular Microbiology market report more focuses on top industry leaders and explores all essentials facets competitive landscape. It explains potent business strategies and approaches, consumption propensity, regulatory policies, recent moves taken by competitors, as well as potential investment opportunities and market threats also. The report emphasis crucial financial details of major manufacturers including year-wise sale, revenue growth, CAGR, production cost analysis, and value chain structure.

In 2018, the Global Molecular Microbiology market size was USD XX and is forecast to reach Million YY USD in 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx%. The objectives of this study is to define, market segment having opportunity, and to project the size of the Molecular Microbiology market based on company, product type, application and key regions.

Besides, the report also covers segment data, including: type segment, industry segment etc. cover different segment market size. Also cover different industries clients information, which is very important for the Major Players. If you need more information, please contact HTF MI at [emailprotected]

**The market is valued based on weighted average selling price (WASP) and includes any applicable taxes on manufacturers. All currency conversions used in the creation of this report have been calculated using constant annual average 2018 currency rates.

Competition Analysis

Global Molecular Microbiology Market Vendor Landscape: The analysts authoring the publication explain the nature and future changes in the competitive scenario of the worldwide companies that are profiled in the publication guide, some of key players that includes in the study are Roche, Qiagen, Illumina, Abbott, Hologic, BioMerieux, Danaher (Cepheid), Myriad Genetics, DAAN Gene, Agilent, Genomic Health, BD & Foundation Medicine

The Study is segmented by following Product Type , Quantitative PCR Detection Diagnostic Kits & Pathogenic Microorganisms Diagnostic Kits

Major applications/end-users industry are as follows Human & Veterinary

Enquire for customization in Report @https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1618256-global-molecular-microbiology-market-9

Region Segmentation: North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Central & South America, Brazil, Rest of Central & South America, Middle East & Africa, GCC Countries, Turkey, Egypt & South Africa

** Customized Report with detailed 2-level country level break-up can also be provided.North America (United States, Canada)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America)Asia (China, Japan, India, Korea, RoA)Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe)Others (Middle East, Africa)

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Global Molecular Microbiology are as follows: History Year: 2014-2018 Base Year: 2018 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2025

Highly Competitive Market [Perfect Competitive Market C4 Index Beyond 50% of Total Market Share] Focus of the study is to analyse characteristics that affect the nature of competition and pricing. Identifying Influencing factors keeping Global Molecular Microbiology Market Intense, factored with periodic analysis of CR4 & CR8 concentration ratio. In-depth Competitive analysis at product and Strategic business level. Predictive analysis on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behaviour. To analyse the competitive developments, such as new product launch and merger & acquisition, in the Global Molecular Microbiologymarket

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Key Stakeholders/Global Reports: Molecular Microbiology Manufacturers Molecular Microbiology Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers Molecular Microbiology Sub-component Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream Vendors

Following would be the Chapters to display the Global Molecular Microbiology market.

Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Molecular Microbiology, Applications of Molecular Microbiology, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Molecular Microbiology, Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey & Rest of Middle East & Africa, Molecular Microbiology Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to analyze the Molecular Microbiology Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Major Manufacturers Analysis of Molecular Microbiology;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [, Quantitative PCR Detection Diagnostic Kits & Pathogenic Microorganisms Diagnostic Kits], Market Trend by Application [Human & Veterinary];Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global Molecular Microbiology;Chapter 12,13, 14 and 15, to describe Molecular Microbiology sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.

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Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. Also, If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.

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Molecular Microbiology Market Insightful Analysis Of Current Scenario And Future Growth Prospect Including Key Players ( BioMerieux, Danaher...

Prominent participants in the global market for bioinformatics includeID Business Solutions, Ltd., Illumina, Inc., GenoLogics Life Sciences Software, Inc., Affymetrix, Inc., Life Technologies Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Inc., CLC bio A/S, and Accelrys, Inc. In order to march ahead, they are seen investing heavily in research and development of more cutting-edge products.

A report by Transparency Market Research projects theglobal bioinformatics marketsworth to be around US$9.1 bn by 2018-end.

The global market for bioinformatics has been segmented broadly into platforms, content management, and services by the report. They are all commercially available for sorting the data accumulating form research and development projects by leveraging bioinformatics. Among them, the bioinformatics platform comprising of sequence alignment platforms, sequence manipulation platforms, structural analysis platforms, and sequence analysis platforms is leading vis--vis consumption. This is because of their growing application in the process of research and development for drug discovery. Geographically, North America leads the market on account of the huge allocations towards cutting-edge research and development, swift uptake of latest technologies, and a well etched out regulatory framework in place.

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Pressing Need to Cure a Range of Ailments Boosts Adoption of Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics finds application in managing the data emanating from research and development in the domain of life science, biopharmaceutical, and biotechnology. Its market has been seeing a steady upswing owing to the increasing usage of IT applications in the domain of healthcare sector to store, process, access, and retrieve data. Besides, the pressing need to treat several diseases effectively alongside the demand for preventive solutions are also having a positive impact on the market. Growing thrust on research and development has been a major catalyst too.

Study of Molecular Medicine and Genetics Augurs Well for Market

Bioinformatics finds usage in preventive medicine, molecular medicine, drug development, and gene therapy. Currently, the molecular medicine is stoking their demand majorly. They also find usage in genetic research for antibiotic resistance, veterinary science, and microbes. All these are decidedly impacting their market positively.

Elaborates the lead analyst of our report, The growth in the worldwide market for bioinformatics market is being propped up by the solid progress in the study of genetics. As per estimates, the volume of genetic data entries would rise twofold every 15 years. And with the total amount of generated data being too large to be supported by the present data entry programs, savvy companies are seen resorting to more advanced models of bioinformatics.

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Key Players Train Sights on Asia Pacific

At present, developed geographies of Europe and North America are where most of the development in the bioinformatics has occurred. This is because of the huge amounts allocated for research and development and swifter deployment of newest technologies. However, key players have also set their gaze upon Asia Pacific with its fast developing infrastructure in scientific fields, the improvements in government and private funding, and the rising literacy and awareness rates.

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Bioinformatics Market Analysis and Forecast up to 2020 - News Cast Report

For a complete list of our obituaries, seehere.

SYDNEY BRENNER SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM

Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner died in April at the age of 92.

Brenner was best known for his discovery of sequences that stop protein translation, mRNA, and his investigation of the nematode C. elegans, which he realized would be an ideal model organism to study cell differentiation and organ development. That work won him the 2002 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

[H]is great strength was in experiments, and in particular the choice and execution of ones that were both important and ingenious, Francis Crick, the codiscoverer of DNA who shared an office with Brenner at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in the UK, wrote in atribute to Brenner in The Scientist in 2002.

US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

American geneticist Liane Russell, famous for her work on the deleterious effects of prenatal radiation exposure and the chromosomal basis for sex determination in mammals, died in July at age 95.

She and her husband William Russell established the Oak Ridge National Laboratorys (ORNL) Mouse House, an extensive colony of mutant mice bred to model the effects of exposure to radiation.

Russells work led to a healthcare policy to ask women if they are pregnant before X-raying them and also to avoid X-rays shortly after menstruation in women of childbearing age.

Inventor of the polymerase chain reaction technique and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993, Kary Mullis, died in August at age 74.

Mullis was known as a weird figure in science and a flamboyant philanderer who evangelized the use of LSD, denied the evidence for both global warming and HIV as a cause of AIDS, consulted for O.J. Simpsons legal defense, and formed a company that sold jewelry embedded with celebrities DNA, according to a 1998 profile in The Washington Post.

Mullis wrote in The Scientist in 2003 that his first attempt at PCR in 1983 was a long-shot experiment. . . . so [at midnight] I poured myself a cold Becks into a prechilled 500 ml beaker from the isotope freezer for luck, and went home. I ran a gel the next afternoon [and] stained it with ethidium. It took several months to arrive at conditions [that] would produce a convincing result.

Even still, Science and Natureboth rejected the resulting manuscript, which was ultimately published in Methods in Enzymology in 1987 and helped earn Mullis his Nobel.

Chemical engineer George Rosenkranz, the director of the pharmaceutical company that first synthesized a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone, died in June at the age of 102.

He and colleagues developed norethindrone, a synthetic version of progesterone, which was then used in the combined oral contraceptive pill and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1959. The work, along with efforts in biotech, earned him many awards from scientific organizations and from the Mexican government.

Despite that, he was a very humble man, Roberto Rosenkranz, one of his sons, told the Los Angeles Times. He never was out to take credit.

Ophthalmologist and inventor Patricia Bath, whose research on lasers advanced cataract surgery, died in May at the age of 76.

During her medical internship in New York, she conducted an epidemiological study on blindness and found the rate of the condition among the black population was twice that of the white population. The finding led her to start the field of community ophthalmology, caring for underserved populations. She promoted the field by traveling to perform surgeries, training clinicians, and donating equipment.

Bath then moved to the University of California, Los Angeles, medical center in 1974 and in the 1980s began studying lasers for their potential to treat eye disorders. In 1988, she patented a device called Laserphaco Probe, which removes cataracts.

I had a few obstacles but I had to shake it off, Bath told ABC News in 2018. Hater-ation, segregation, racism, thats the noise you have to ignore that and keep your eyes focused on the prize, its just like Dr. Martin Luther King said, so thats what I did.

Nobel laureate Paul Greengard, who discovered that the brain communicates with chemical signals, died in April. He was 93.

Paul was an iconic scientist whose extraordinary seven-decade career transformed our understanding of neuroscience, Richard Lifton, president of Rockefeller University, where Greengard had been a faculty member, said in a statement. His discoveries laid out a new paradigm requiring the understanding of the biochemistry of nerve cells rather than simply their electrical activities. This work has had great impact.

Greengards work revealed how the brain uses dopamine and other chemicals to send signals from one nerve cell to another, discoveries that won him a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2000. Greengard used the prize money to establish an award for women doing outstanding biomedical research and named the prize after his birth mother. Drawing attention to the achievements of women working in science, he and Baylor College of Medicine professor Huda Zoghbi wrote in The Scientist in 2014, sets a powerful example for those women still dreaming of their own success.

Public health whistleblower, physician, and researcher, Shuping Wang, died in September at the age of 59.

Wangs career started in China in the 1980s, where she was a doctor and hepatitis researcher. In 1992, she was testing blood serum samples from a plasma collection station where she worked and realized that unsanitary blood collection methods had led to a hepatitis C epidemic among people who donated and received plasma at the clinic. She reported the findings to officials and was fired, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

She took a job at the Zhoukou Health Bureau and, analyzing the blood samples there, she found 13 percent of donors had HIV and the cross-contamination there was also leading to the spread of the virus. Officials challenged her results and asked her to change the data for a report that would be sent to the provincial Department of Health. Again, she refused.

Her findings lead to the shutdown of her clinic and the establishment of HIV testing for donors. Still, roughly 1 million farmers were infected with HIV from selling their blood plasma at Chinese collection sites during the epidemic, according to The Washington Post.

In September, a few days before Wangs death, a play about her life, The King of Hells Palace, opened at Hampstead Theatre in London.

COURTESY OF RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

The developer of a widely used DNA analysis technique called shotgun sequencing, Joachim Messing, died in September. He was 73.

Jos approach to the development of his DNA sequencing tools was to spread them freely and widelythat is, he did not patent them, Robert Goodman, the executive dean of agriculture and natural resources at Rutgers University, where Messing was a faculty member, told The New York Times. He was an incredibly generous man.

His development of the DNA analysis technique and his use of it made Messing the most-cited scientist of the 1980s, according to the Institute for Scientific Information. He went on to study crop modifications, such as boosting amino acids in corn to make it more nutritious and increasing crops drought resistance.

TUFTS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Tufts University researcher Stuart Levy died in September at the age of 80.

Levy studied antibiotic resistance and in the 1970s showed that bacteria resistant to the drugs could move from the intestine of farm animals to farm workers, a discovery that had implications for bacterial spread in facilities such as hospitals. After Levy published his findings, other researchers started to study antibiotic resistance in hospitals.

It is hard to overstate his importance in limiting the spread of antibiotic resistance, particularly in hospital settings, Ralph Isberg, a professor of molecular biology & microbiology at Tufts, and his colleague John Leong wrote in a statement sent to The Scientist.

Neuroscientist Rahul Desikan, who developed an MRI-based map of the human cortex and identified genetic risk factors for neurogenerative diseases, died in July from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He was 41.

The MRI-based map, which quickly became one of the most widely-used tools in the neuroscience community, has been cited more than 4500 times, Christopher Hess, a colleague of Desikan at University of California, San Francisco, wrote in a memorial. Color figures of the atlas in its various forms still fill the pages of our leading scientific journals.

Desikan and his colleagues had just started, in 2016, what was then the largest study on the genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) when he began to experience his first symptoms the disease. He was diagnosed with ALS a few months later.

I went into medicine to take care of patients with brain diseases. Now, I have one of the diseases that I study, Desikan said in a press release earlier this year. Even with the disease, he said, he continued to find neurology fascinating and beautiful.

Ashley Yeager is an associate editor atThe Scientist. Email her at ayeager@the-scientist.com. Follow her on Twitter @AshleyJYeager.

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Those We Lost in 2019 - The Scientist

The United States is the top food exporter in the world, and scientists are constantly studying ways to protect the ag sector from the field and into the storage bins that hold crops, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Mycotoxins, a family of toxins generated by fungi attacking grains, nuts and other foods and commodities, impact public health and international trade. Researchers at the UA are leading some of the worlds most cutting-edge efforts to stop the prevalent toxins.

Burt Bluhm, associate professor of plant pathology for the University of Arkansas, is primary investigator and director of the Mycotoxin and Seed Borne Disease Research Lab. After operating out of the Rosen Alternative Pest Control Center on the UA Fayetteville main campus, the lab relocated in 2018 to the newly-constructed Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, several miles north.

Bluhm said that mycotoxins, while pervasive, are still relatively unstudied, compared to other dangers faced by producers.

Mycotoxins in particular have been overlooked in some corners of the research world, Bluhm said. There are a lot of reasons for that. In some ways, especially in corn, and in the United States, its historically been perceived as a Southern problem. Mycotoxins havent been as common in the big corn-producing states through the Midwest.

Countries worldwide try to minimize an influx of foods that have these fungi. The European Union has stringent intolerances for the presence of mycotoxins in any grain shipment, especially imports, leading to the rejection of exports that would otherwise meet or exceed safety standards at the point of origin. In other areas of the world dealing with elevated food scarcity, mycotoxins are sometimes tied to severe illness.

For the E.U., its primarily a trade issue, Bluhm said. But in developing nations in Asia and Africa, mycotoxins are a more serious problem. Where food security is an issue, where people have to eat whatevers available, if the food is contaminated with mycotoxins, youll see outbreaks of extreme illness and death.

Mycotoxins are a family of toxins created when fungi feed on grain, either during the growing season, or when grain has been improperly stored. The fungi feed off the available carbohydrates, then secrete toxins into the colonized grain. In addition to corn, mycotoxins are found in other grains, tree nuts and cotton. There is a concern, Bluhm said, about possible mycotoxins in rice.

There are really two issues at play, Bluhm said. One is that a little bit of mycotoxin goes a long way, so to speak. So even if you have a low percentage of infected kernels, the mycotoxin-per-kernel can be very high. So at the level of a truckload, when that grain is eventually homogenized, even a relatively low incidence of infection can lead to serious problems.

Mycotoxins are relatively stable, and can easily survive the food making process, according to the World Health Organization. These fungi can cause liver damage, several types of cancers, kidney damage, can compromise a consumers immune system, and ingestion in some cases can lead to death, the World Health Organization reported. The fungi can be visible to the naked eye in the form of mold, but often it goes undetected.

Bluhm received his training in pathology, and mycotoxins specifically, at Purdue University in Indiana. When he arrived in Arkansas, he said, it was clear that the problem was more widespread in the states (and the regions) corn crops that he had realized.

Over the past decade, Bluhms lab has worked to map the genetic layout of the 20-30 fungi involved in creating mycotoxins around the world, searching for specific weaknesses to attack. The lab is also working to develop biological control agents to combat mycotoxins.

In some cases, if you apply a non-toxigenic strain of a species like you would a fungicide or insecticide, you overwhelm the fungus with that nontoxic cousin of whats naturally out there, Bluhm said. It can be very effective.

In October, the Division of Agriculture hosted the annual conference of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, commonly known as CAST. More than 70 representatives of academic, legal, governmental and other institutions attended the 2019 Annual Fall Board Meeting, touring facilities and projects chosen to highlight the universitys efforts and contributions to modern agriculture.

Dr. Mark Cochran, vice president for agriculture for the University of Arkansas System, said he selected Bluhms lab for conference attendees to tour because, in addition to the lab being fundamentally important to international food safety, it also speaks to CASTs concerns regarding the advancement of science and technology within the world of agriculture.

We tried to match our expertise with some of the issues CAST is addressing, Cochran said. CAST is organized into animal, plant and food working groups. A lot of the more complex issues are going to transcend all three of those areas.

Cochran also noted that Bluhm has been broadly recognized for his work as a molecular pathologist with particular expertise in mycotoxins of grain, Cercospora diseases of corn and soybeans, and the development of novel approaches for disease control.

His approaches have included molecular genetics, gene editing and the use of RNA interference, Cochran said. His research has been supported by several nationally competitive grants.

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Scientists trying to find ways to stop mycotoxins in crops, commodities - talkbusiness.net

This past year proved profitable for investors in Incyte (NASDAQ:INCY) and Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ:SGEN). Handily beating broad market and biotech indexes, these two drug manufacturers hit the $20 billion valuation mark and are poised to continue growing in the coming year -- unless, of course, an acquirer emerges.

Image Source: Getty Images

2019 was a solid year for Incyte, with its stock rising approximately 42%. Sales of its lead drug Jakafi exceeded $1.2 billion in the first nine months of the year. The company expects full-year sales of Jakafi to reach $1.65 billion to $1.68 billion. Royalties and sales of leukemia drug Iclusig in Europe added another $283 million over the first three quarters of the year.

Incyte's pipeline remains one of the most extensive in biotech. With nine late-stage drug candidates, seven have two or more phase 2 or phase 3 clinical trials under way. Its early stage portfolio sports another dozen drug candidates.

What does this mean for investors? Expect to see continuous program updates and clinical trial results throughout 2020 and 2021. Also, the breadth of the research and development pipeline coupled with revenues approaching $2 billion in 2020 should be able to absorb any R&D setbacks or failures.

Seattle Genetics flourished in 2019 with its stock more than doubling on the heels of positive news. Adcetris, Seattle Genetics' first approved cancer drug, continued to reach record sales levels each quarter, representing growth between 30% and 42% compared to the corresponding periods in 2018. The company expects the total year revenue to range between $625 million to $640 million for Adcetris.

This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval three months ahead of schedule for Seattle Genetics' drug Padcev to treat the most common form of bladder cancer.Earlier this month, the company highlighted promising clinical trials results for a novel breast cancer drug called tucatinib. While Seattle Genetics feverishly readies tucatinib's New Drug Application (NDA) for approval, the FDA designated the drug as a Breakthrough Therapy.

Seattle Genetics is a stock to own for 2020.Padcev's approval means another revenue stream in addition to Adcetris. Importantly, three products could be marketed by the end of 2020. The company's management announced that it expects to file the NDA for tucatinib in the first quarter. This promising breast cancer drug also showed the ability to combat cancer that spread to the brain.

Incyte and Seattle Genetics are both perennial M&A targets. However, since both companies boast valuations of $20 billion, any acquirer needs to be able to afford that plus the premium to make a buyout attractive. Only big pharmaceutical companies can afford to shell out $20 billion to $40 billion, assuming a 100% acquisition premium at the top end of the range.

Currently, several big pharmaceutical companies are trying to digest recent or on-going acquisitions, taking them off the table as prospective near-term buyers. In January, Takeda Pharmaceuticalclosed its $62 billion acquisition of Shire. Bristol-Myers Squibbconcluded its $74 billion acquisition of Celgene in November. AbbVieremains in the thick of its $63 billion deal with Allergan. And by mid-2020, Pfizerhopes to complete the Viatris transaction, formed through the spinoff and merger of its Upjohn business unit with Mylan.

Japanese pharma Astellas(OTC:ALPMF) stands out as the natural buyer for Seattle Genetics. The companies enjoy a long-standing partnership dating back to 2007, which yielded Adcetris and now Padcev. However, Astellas' market cap is just $33 billion. Therefore, it would likely need to be a merger instead of an acquisition. Culturally, the existing partnership may be more productive than forcing a cross-border merger. Astellas traces its roots back to 1894and may prefer smaller, less dilutive acquisitions, like its recent $3 billion buyout of gene therapy companyAudentes Therapeutics.

Incyte partners Novartis (NYSE:NVS) and Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) seem like the most likely buyers. Even for Eli Lilly, the smaller of the two, an acquisition could be manageable. Earlier this month, Eli Lilly appointed Josh Bilenker and two of his key lieutenants to run oncology R&D. Eli Lilly bought their company Loxo Oncology earlier this year for roughly $8 billion. Could this changing of the guard with a deep background in targeted small molecules look to make a statement by acquiring Incyte?

Since we're speculating, here's another food for thought scenario. What if Incyte and Seattle Genetics merged? It's not so far-fetched...at least, on paper.

Both companies focus on oncology, while Incyte would bring diversification through its R&D in immunology, rheumatology, and dermatology. The merged company would have five marketed drugs. That could easily reach seven if Seattle Genetics' tucatinib and Incyte's pemigatinib gain approval in 2020.

Jakafi and Adcetris combined should generate more than $2.25 billion in sales in 2019. Incyte also sells the leukemia drug Iclusig in Europe. This commercial infrastructure and capability could be leveraged to market tucatinib, assuming approval. Seattle Genetics owns worldwide rights to the drug.

What about the R&D fit? Historically, Incyte discovered and developed small molecule drugs to inhibit specific enzymes called kinases. Through recent partnerships with Agenusand Merus, Incyte expanded into therapeutic antibodies and bispecific antibodies. This allowed it to get into the ultra-hot immuno-oncology field.

Seattle Genetics' platform seeks to develop antibody-drug conjugates, a "smart bomb" cancer therapy that tethers highly potent cancer-killing small molecules to an antibody that recognizes a specific molecular target on a cancer cell. Seattle Genetics' 2018 acquisition of Cascadian Therapeutics gave it tucatinib, a kinase inhibitor for breast cancer that could be FDA-approved next year, and an early stage immuno-oncology program. Thus, the R&D efforts of both companies can be viewed at a high level as complementary.

The biggest potential roadblock in a deal like this comes down to management. Who will run the combined company? Arguably, both management teams have done tremendous jobs at creating shareholder value and delivering new therapies to patients, with more to come.

If the personnel issues can be worked out, and with some additional creative deal-making, I can envision a dynamic entity able to step in to fill the hole left by Celgene. Willing to bet on cutting-edge science, Celgene transformed into one of the most prolific dealmakers sought out by emerging biotech companies as their partner of choice. Can Incyte and Seattle Genetics do the same? If $1 plus $1 can equal $3, will $20 billion plus $20 billion equal $60 billion?

I hope readers fully grasp the speculative nature of my idea. Incyte and Seattle Genetics are great companies in their own right. Creating much-needed therapies for patients remains the backbone of their businesses. The two companies benefit from approved drugs providing attractive cash flow to support the additional promising R&D. Will either or both companies get acquired? Nobody knows for sure. However, the stock prices should be higher this time next year making them each a worthy investment opportunity today.

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A $20 Billion Sweet Spot in Biotech - The Motley Fool