Category Archives: Molecular Genetics

Danielle Lloyd is finally expecting a baby girl after having four sons.

The 37 year old mum is expecting her fifth child and revealed she used a method called The Babydust Method in a bid to try and encourage a natural sex selection.

Danielle, who is married to husband Michael O'Neill with whom she shares 3-year-old Ronnie, as well as sons, Archie, 10, Harry, nine, and George, seven, with ex-husband Jamie OHara, has been open in the past about her plans to travel abroad to undergo IVF using sex selection.

However Covid and travel restrictions put an end to the couple's plans to undergo IVF in a bid to finally have their much longed for daughter and Danielle instead put her faith in a famed natural sex selection method.

Danielle revealed she had followed the book "to a T" for several months and after having a miscarriage last year finally got pregnant again, finding out it was a girl last month.

The Babydust Method, a guide to conceiving a girl or a boy, was written by Kathryn Taylor, who devised the method and successfully used it to have a son in 2012, followed by a girl in 2014.

Kathryn, who has a degree in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles, then released the now famous book of her method in 2016.

Boasting a success rate of 94%, the method uses both the timing and frequency of sex to sway the odds in favour of having a boy or girl.

Women are instructed to use ovulation predictor kits for three months to fully familiarise themselves with their cycle.

Then in the lead-up to ovulation, when an egg is released from the ovary, women use the ovulation predictor kits to test twice a day.

When the two lines on the test strips are equally dark or darker than the control line it indicates you will ovulate 24 hours later.

If you are trying for a girl, you should only have sex once, two to three days before ovulation, and at no other times throughout the cycle.

If you're hoping for a boy you should wait until 24 hours after the first darkest (also known as peak) test and again after 24 hours but at no other times during the cycle.

There are a number of other tips you can use to increase your odds of conceiving a girl - though it should be noted that there are no scientific researches proving these to be right!

Shallow penetration is the more optimal type of penetration for conceiving a girl. Male sperm cells are actually the faster swimmers, so the shallower penetration means it gives the female sperm cells an opportunity to get to the egg as well.

Missionary position is the best position to try for conceiving a girl.

It's rumoured that male sperm cells are heat averse, and that by having a hot bath before having sex to conceive may slow the male swimmers down and allow the female cells race to the egg to fertilise it! It could be a nice way to bring some romance to what can sometimes be the monotony of trying to conceive on certain days and times. Make it a romantic bath for two!

We do need the male orgasm to release the sperm, as it's his sperm that dictates whether the baby conceived will be boy or girl, and some experts claim that a female orgasm releases a certain alkaline secretion. This allows the male sperm to apparently survive longer due to the fact that the male sperm cells need this secretion to survive.

No orgasm, no alkaline secretion and thus creating a hostile environment for the male sperm cells.

If you are trying to conceive a girl, think about eating foods that are high in calcium to aid your chances.- so eggs, milk, yogurts.

It's also said a diet that is high in fruit and vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, bananas may help to conceive a girl, and a vegetarian diet is one that is rumoured to be very good in terms of conceiving a girl.

Steer clear of Alkaline rich foods such as Apples and Avocados however, as alkaline is said to help the male swimmers along by creating a more welcome space for them.

Eat Acidic rich foods in days leading up to Ovulation to ensure you've created the best environment for the female sperm cells to swim into. Apparently, male sperm cells aren't as good at surviving in acidic environments, so you can alter the pH of your vagina with the help of chocolate and fizzy drinks!

Remember to cut out the salt to boost your chances of conceiving a girl. Put down the olives, step away from the cheese and put that pack of crisps back in the cupboard because eating high salt foods may help your chances of conceiving a boy, and not the girl you want.

Stick with the fruit and veg and foods that are high in calcium in the lead up to ovulation to give your female sperm cells a better opportunity of reaching the egg first.

Remember though, these are just suggestions and you should have fun trying to conceive your much wanted baby!

Originally posted here:
The Babydust Method Danielle Lloyd used to conceive a girl after four sons and how it works - RSVP Live

Good morning and welcome, health colleagues, to the second European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) update of the week as it stands, more than 150 people have now registered for our upcoming EAPM Slovenian EU Presidency conference on 1 July, so now is the time to join them and book your place before its too late,and we also have an update on the European Parliaments draft report on strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer,writes EAPM Executive Director Dr. Denis Horgan.

EAPM conference approaches - a reminder yet again...

The EAPM conference will act as a bridging event between the EU Presidencies ofPortugalandSlovenia.The conference is divided into sessions which cover the follows areas: Session 1: Generating alignment in the regulation of Personalized Medicine: RWE and Citizen Trus;Session 2: Beating Prostate Cancer and Lung Cancer - The Role of the EU Beating Cancer: Updating EU Council Conclusions on ScreeningSession 3: Health Literacy - Understanding Ownership and Privacy of Genetic Data and finallynot least,Session 4: Securing patient Access to Advanced Molecular Diagnostics.

Each session will comprise panel discussions as well as Q&A sessions to allow the best possible involvement of all participants, so now is the time to registerhere, and download your agendahere.

Battling cancer Parliaments key draft report

As mentioned in previous updates, the European Parliament has set up a special committee on beating cancer. It has published its first draft report on the EU Beating Cancer Plan on the last day, which has included a number of items which the EAPM has advocated for in the last months representing key issues representing themulti-stakeholder nature of its membership.

Subdivided into numerous articles, article 66 in the report is of particular attention to EAPM members, saying as it does that huge advances in biology have revealed that cancer is an umbrella term for more than 200 diseases, and that precision or personalised medicine can be made available through the drug targeting of various mutations.

The report also considers that precision or personalised medicine, consisting of a treatment choice based on individual tumour biomarkers, is a promising way to improve cancer treatment, and encourages member states to promote the implementation of regional molecular genetics platforms and facilitate equal and rapid access to personalised treatment for patients.

In addition, article 48 in the draft report calls on the Commission to promote, and on member states to strengthen, the role of general practitioners, paediatricians and primary care professionals, given their importance in patient referral to diagnostic tests and oncology specialists, as well as during cancertreatment and follow-up care; calls for the development of multidisciplinary decision-making in the framework of dedicated concertation meetings bringing together various cancer specialists.

According to article 61, the provisional agreement on the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation reached by the European Parliament and the Council on 22 June 2021 is welcomed, to harmonize access to innovative cancer diagnosis and treatments.

Perhaps most importantly, article 87 sees an urgent need for a European charter of the rights of cancer patients; calls for this charter to define the rights of cancer patients at every stage of their care pathway, i.e. access to prevention, initial diagnosis and throughout their treatment, and for it to apply equally to all EU citizens, regardless of the country or region in which they live.

In addition, article 105 looks to the Cancer Diagnostic and Treatment for All flagship and puts a spotlight on the need for the use of the next generation sequencing technology for quick and efficient genetic profiles of tumour cells, allowing researchers and clinicians to share cancer profiles and apply the same or similar diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to patients with comparable cancer profiles.

EAPM looks forward with enthusiasm to all forward progress being made in the fight against cancer. In this context, EAPM is working on two publications with its experts on NGS and RWE which will provide additional input/guidance to the European politicians which EAPM is working with.

HTA political agreement

The Commission welcomes the political agreement on the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation reached by the European Parliament and the Council on 23 June. The Regulation will improve the availability of innovative health technologies such as innovative medicines and certain medical devices for EU patients, ensure efficient use of resources and strengthen the quality of HTA across the EU. Examples of health technologies include medicinal products, medical equipment and diagnostics. It will also facilitate business predictability, reduce duplication of efforts for HTA bodies and industry and ensure the long-term sustainability of EU HTA co-operation.

Welcoming the agreement, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides made the following statement: I am very pleased that the European Parliament and the Council have reached a long-awaited political agreement on the Health Technology AssessmentRegulation. The Regulation will be a significant step forward to enable joint scientific assessments of promising treatments and medical devices at EU level.

Progress on vaccinations welcomed, but further effort urged

The European Council welcomes the good progress on vaccination and the overall improvement in the epidemiological situation, while stressing the need to continue vaccination efforts and to be vigilant and co-ordinated with regard to developments, particularly the emergence and spread of variants.

According to the draft European Council conclusions for the June 24-25 meeting, the Council stated that it reaffirms the EUs commitment to international solidarity in response to the pandemic.

All producing countries and manufacturers should actively contribute to efforts to increase worldwide supply of COVID-19 vaccines, raw material, treatments and therapeutics, and coordinate action in case of bottlenecks in supply and distribution, the draft text declares.

The conclusions also reference recent agreements on travel within the EU, stating that member countries would apply these measures in a manner that ensures the full return to free movement as soon as the public health situation allows. The Council also plans to welcome the decision to set up a special session for the World Health Assembly to discuss a pandemic treaty, with the EU saying that it will continue to work toward a goal of a treaty.

WHO, WIPO and the WTO agree on intensified co-operation to tackle COVID-19 pandemic

On 15 June, the directors general of WHO, WIPO and the WTO met in a spirit of co-operation and solidarity to map out further collaboration to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and the pressing global challenges at the intersection of public health, intellectual property and trade.Acutely conscious of the shared responsibility to communities across the world as they confront a health crisis of unprecedented severity and scale, the organizations pledged to bring the full extent of the expertise and resources of the respective institutions to bear in ending the COVID-19 pandemic and improving the health and well-being of all people, everywhere around the globe.

Commitment to universal, equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other health technologies was underscored a commitment anchored in the understanding that this is an urgent moral imperative in need of immediate practical action.In this spirit, there was an agreement to build further on the long-standing commitment to WHO-WIPO-WTO Trilateral Cooperation that aims to support and assist all countries as they seek to assess and implement sustainable and integrated solutions to public health challenges.

Within this existing cooperative framework, it was agreed to enhance and focus our support in the context of the pandemic through two specific initiatives - the three agencies will collaborate on the organization of practical, capacity-building workshops to enhance the flow of updated information on current developments in the pandemic and responses to achieve equitable access to COVID-19 health technologies. The aim of these workshops is to strengthen the capacity of policymakers and experts in member governments to address the pandemic accordingly.The first workshop in the series will be a workshop on technology transfer and licensing, scheduled for September.

Long COVID concerns

More than 2 million adults in England have experienced coronavirus symptoms lasting over 12 weeks, such as respiratory problems and fatigue, government data suggests. It is double the previous estimate for long Covid. The research by the React-2 study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, found that 37.7% of those who had symptomatic Covid experienced at least one symptom lasting 12 weeks or more, while 14.8% had three or more persistent symptoms. The scale of the problem is quite alarming, said Professor Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University. It comes as more than 16,000 new confirmed Covid cases were reported in the UK on Wednesday (23 June), the highest daily figure since early February. The newest figures showed another 19 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the UK total to 128,027. While death figures remain relatively low, the sharp rise in reported cases would appear to make it less likely that ministers will scrap most remaining Covid restrictions before the current four-week delay ends on 19 July.

Switzerland to re-open

While countries such as the UK delay their planned lifting of restrictions (as it stands, until 19 July in the case of the UK), Switzerland has announced an even more wide-ranging lifting of restrictions than previously planned. Citizens will no longer be required to work from home; they wont have to wear masks or social distance at cultural and sporting events; and mass events can go ahead without restrictions on numbers or the need for masks if theres a requirement for coronavirus certificates.

And that is all from EAPM for this week have a lovely weekend, stay safe and well, and dont forget to registerhere, and download your agendahere,for the EAPM EU Presidency conference on 1 July.

Read the rest here:
EAPM: Presidency bridging conference a great success, HTA compromise agreed and data on the agenda - EU Reporter

Sir, Andrew Mullen (Letters, July 21st) is in good company when he raises the issue of the legitimacy of the creation story.

Science has made huge steps forward in the last 50 years, with the field of molecular genetics emerging from the realization that DNA and RNA (ribonucleic acid) constitute the genetic material in all living things.

The Human Genome Project, the worlds largest collaborative biology research project, completed in April 2003, was headed up by Francis Collins.

His previous research projects involved the discovery of the genes that cause cystic fibrosis, cancer tumour growth and Huntington chorea, a neurological disease.

As a scientist, he has this to say on the creation story: The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. He can be worshipped in a cathedral or in the laboratory. His creation is majestic, awesome, intricate, and beautiful

Progressive science, it seems, favours worship over mockery and ridicule. Yours, etc,

SEAMUS OCALLAGHAN,

Carlow.

Sir, Andrew Mullens letter is valid up to a point. He has the right to his own opinion regarding creation. Edwin Poots, et al, should not be ridiculed. If they want to believe the Genesis story as literal and historical, let them. They are harmless as long as they do not impose their ideas on others. Science and modern Christian theology agree that creation began around 13.7 billion years ago and what we observe now is the result of evolution. There is no point in arguing with creationists as they already know who God is. Yours, etc,

PAT COURTNEY,

Kilmyshall,

Wexford.

A chara, In claiming that a culture of intolerance ridicules and mocks normal Christian beliefs, Andrew Mullen seeks to defend Edwin Pootss creationist viewpoint.

As an atheist, I have no quarrel with any individuals beliefs but the record of politicians dictating what is acceptable through legislation is fairly dismal.

Not so long ago, the religious beliefs of certain politicians ensured that people in same-sex relationships or who got pregnant without being married were, at the very least, culturally unacceptable and, at worst, liable to prosecution.

Belief in mindless tradition and irrational superstition is grand as long as it is kept private. Is mise,

GREG SCANLON,

Shannon,

Co Clare.

See the article here:
In the beginning science and faith - The Irish Times

Jenny Ting, PhD, has been chosen as the 2021 ICIS-Pfizer Award winner in recognition of her outstanding discoveries in the fields of immunology, molecular biology, genomics, and microbiology, and especially for her observations regarding the control of immunity which impact a wide variety of diseases.

Jenny Ting, PhD, the Kenan Professor of Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine, director of the Center for Translational Immunology, and Immunology Program co-leader at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been chosen as the 2021 ICIS-Pfizer Award winner in recognition of her outstanding discoveries in the fields of immunology, molecular biology, genomics, and microbiology, and especially for her observations regarding the control of immunity which impact a wide variety of diseases. Combining her knowledge of cytokine regulation and function with state-of-the-art approaches to unravel the immunologic basis for inflammation in infection, inflammatory diseases and cancer, Dr. Ting has elevated worldwide research on interferons and cytokines, most notably through her seminal work in NLRs that in many ways started the field of NOD-like receptor proteins.

As an active member of the cytokine community working on various aspects of cytokine biology since 1984, Dr. Tings focus for the last 25 years has been on understanding how cytokines such as interleukin-1 and type I Interferons are regulated during immune activation and how these cytokines in turn regulate the immune response to a plethora of diseases including inflammatory diseases, autoimmunity, metabolic diseases, neuroinflammation, cancer and infection by bacterial and viral pathogens. Her work has focused on the events that lead to the development of protective immunity as well as to understanding how cytokine dysregulation leads to an array of chronic inflammatory diseases. While most of her early research focused on the regulation of cytokine-induced major histocompatibility complex class II and the function of immune genes in brain glial cells, her pioneering work on pattern recognition receptors, especially the role of the NOD like receptor superfamily as sensors of microbial infection and sterile inflammation is perhaps her most significant and impactful contributions to the field of immunology.

This body of work coupled with her curiosity, generosity, and mentoring skills, has led to other equally path-breaking observations relevant to cytokine biology and human diseases. Her lab was amongst the first to describe the NLR family of proteins. These studies have been extended in many different ways to define NLRs and other novel intracellular sensors that respond to viral and intracellular bacterial infections. Since her early work identifying the CATERPILLER family (NLR family), Dr. Ting has worked steadfastly to identify the molecular mechanisms regulating these proteins and their ability to induce inflammasome formation, regulate interferon and inflammatory cytokines, impact microbiota and alter immunometabolism. Her lab has also shown the relevance of some of the NLRs in adaptive immune cells to alter T effector cells. These efforts have led to a large body of literature from her lab linking NLRs to the regulation of both inflammasome NLRs and non-inflammasome NLRs in a wide range of disorders. This body of work has provided compelling data to suggest that therapeutic targeting of NLRP3 and related inflammasomes could be a viable therapeutic approach for the treatment of a wide range of inflammatory diseases. Indeed, several biotech companies are exploring this issue now.

Dr. Ting will give her ICIS-Pfizer Award Presentation at Cytokines 2021 Hybrid Meeting on October 17, 2021 on: The all-encompassing importance of innate immune receptors.

View post:
Ting Earns 2021 ICIS-Pfizer Award for Excellence in Interferon and Cytokine Research | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine

Across metro Portland, 22 students from 10 public and private high schools have won the coveted $2,500 National Merit scholarships given to students who show exceptional promise.

Half of those 2021 winners attended just two high schools: Sunset and Westview, both in the Beaverton School District.

Three other high schools had two winners each: the private Jesuit and Catlin Gabel schools and Lake Oswego High.

Winners of the $2,500 scholarships are judged the best of the best among National Merit Scholars, with what the scholarship organization says are the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in college. Panels of high school counselors and college admission officers pick them based on grades, difficulty of courses taken, standardized test scores, an essay and recommendations from a teacher and their high school.

Normally, as happened this year, National Merit officials limit that to 26 students across Oregon. In addition to the 22 winners from the Portland area, students in Ashland, Bend, Eugene and Silverton also made the elite achiever list.

The National Merit Corporation provides extremely limited information about winners, and The Oregonian/OregonLive found most of this information through independent research. Some school officials, including those at Sunset High, did not respond to requests for information about their winning students.

Here are the winning Portland-area students with additional information as available:

Catlin Gabel

Sophie Kruse, senior class president at Catlin Gabel, is headed to Columbia University to study engineering.

Sophia Kruse

She was a state leader in the Students Demand Action office, which mobilizes and educates voters about gun violence, and was elected senior class president at Catlin Gabel. She competed for four years as a member of Lincoln Highs varsity lacrosse team and was named player of the year in Portland Public Schools her senior year. She competed on Catlins cross country team and its soccer team, which won two state championships. She worked on her schools environmental action team all four years of high school. She will attend Columbia University, where she plans to study engineering.

Tiffany Toh, a standout in debat and robotics, is headed to Yale University.

Tiffany Toh

During high school, she was interested in music and debate and was known for being extremely energetic, according to the Catlin website. She served as a three-year member and eventual co-leader of the winning robotics team, The Flaming Chickens. She was a member of the varsity swim team and served as a school ambassador. As a senior, she was named one of 10 Deans List students among 90,000 who competed in events leading to the international high school robotics competition. She is headed to Yale University and told National Merit officials she is likely to major in biomedical engineering.

Krishna Home school

Gopal Goel, who placed fourth in the nation's oldest and most prestigious math and science competition for high school seniors, is headed to MIT to study math and physics.

Gopal Goel

He won $100,000 the nations oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors for math research that made connections between two subjects regarding randomness and probability. He told contest organizers he hopes his work will aid in the search for the true nature of quantum gravity, more commonly known as the theory of everything. He can solve a Rubiks cube even while blindfolded. He won a silver medal at the 2020 International Math Olympiad. He mentored students on the U.S. Physics Olympiad team. He is headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as MIT, and plans to study math and physics.

Jesuit

Eliza Daigle, who reveled in lacrosse, science and volunteerism during high school, is headed to Whitman College, where she plans to study biochemistry and related fields.

Eliza Daigle

She earned class academic achievement awards in science and Spanish. She served as co-captain of the womens varsity lacrosse team, which won its first state championship in 2019 and won again this year. She took part in Oregon Health & Science Universitys partnership in scientific inquiry program, which introduces high school students to the scientific process and laboratory research. In turn, she served as a co-leader of Jesuits junior scientists program, which aims to encourage a love of science through fun experiments that develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. She volunteered at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and contributed more than 100 hours of service to Good Samaritan Medical Center. She is headed to Whitman College, where she will play lacrosse and plans to major in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology.

Passionate about computer science, problem solving and research, Marissa Kuo is headed to Santa Clara University to study computer science and engineering.

Marissa Kuo

She received the outstanding applied chemistry award from the Portland chapter of the American Chemical Society at the Northwest Science Fair for her research on green chemistry methods for degrading neurotoxic herbicides. She interned at Portland State University in a computer science lab where she studied computer algorithms for night vision. She helped lead her schools Asian Student Union and research club. She competed on the Jesuit swim team. Passionate about computer science, problem solving, and research, she is headed to Santa Clara University to study computer science and engineering.

Lakeridge

Roselyn Dai

She volunteered as a peer intervention specialist at the Portland-based teen crisis hotline YouthLine and was honored by the Oregon Chinese Coalition for her volunteerism. She also volunteered at two local medical centers and was a multi-year member of her schools speech and debate team. She told National Merit officials she is likely to study medicine.

Lake Oswego

Jackie Booth, who played varsity tennis and taught younger students math for three years, is headed to the University of Southern California.

Jaqueline Jackie Booth

She competed all four years on the varsity tennis team and volunteered regularly at Portland Rescue Mission and other community organizations. She co-led the schools fellowship club and worked as a math instructor at Mathnasium Learning Center since her sophomore year. She is headed to the University of Southern California, where she plans to major in philosophy, politics and law.

George Danzelaud, a poet, violin player, singer-songwriter and varsity sprinter, is headed to the University of Southern California to study business and computer science.Randal Leitch Photography

George Danzelaud

A varsity sprinter who loves both science and the arts, he was elected president of his senior class. He performed a virtual concert with his brother to raise money for the Oregon Humane Society in the wake of last summers deadly wildfires. He performed solo violin at Carnegie Hall, won a gold award for his poetry and is a self-taught guitarist and singer who published three songs on iTunes and Spotify. He is headed to the University of Southern California and plans to double major in computer science and business.

Oregon Episcopal School

Lila Schweinfurth

She was the state winner of U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize. Her research on predicting harmful algal blooms to improve water quality also put her among the five Oregon students named semifinalists in the nations oldest and most prestigious math and science compeitions for high school seniors. She plays violin and plans to study science and prepare for a career involving research, according to National Merit officials.

Sunset

Anika Gupta is passionate about the real-world applications of science and technology and has deeply researched aquaponics in pursuit of sustainably growing food. She will attend the University of Southern California, where she plans to double major in business and computer science.

Anika Gupta

Anika Gupta is passionate about equity and real-world applicability of science and technology. Four years ago, she started a classroom aquaponics project that shes since grown into a bioengineering syllabus used by more than 700 student researchers. Shes working alongside the NASA Ames Research Center to learn to grow food sustainably. Anika also co-founded Project Portland Carry, a nonprofit to support students during COVID through educational helplines and accessible lunch delivery. As president of the Sunset speech and debate club, Anika rebuilt her club amid what she called existential challenges and led Sunset to a state championship victory this spring. She personally was named Oregons top extemporaneous speaker. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Coca-Cola Scholarship. She is headed to the University of Southern California, where she plans to study business and computer science.

Amuthan Amu Ilavarasan

He won a scholarship for winning an art competition. He designs and sells t-shirts. He told National Merit officials he was likely to study environmental science.

Eric Kim conducted two years of research on bioinformatics at Oregon Health & Science University, plays clarinet and is a competitive Taekwondo sparring athlete. He is headed to Columbia University.

Eric Kim

He founded and led the Sunset Science Ambassadors program that matches high school science scholars with fifth-graders to mentor them through hands-on science projects. He is one of five Oregon students named a Regeneron Scholar for his biology research as part of the nations oldest and most prestigious science and math competitions for high school seniors. A longtime volunteer for hard-of-hearing individuals, he designed see-through face masks to aid their communication during the pandemic and helped people all over the country get materials and instructions needed to make them. He conducted two years of research on bioinformatics at Oregon Health & Science University, plays clarinet and is a competitive Taekwondo sparring athlete. He is headed to Columbia University.

Kevin Seog led Oregon's top team in the Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science contest in 2020 and 2021. He is headed to Berkeley, where he plans to double major in business and computer science.

Kevin Minjay Seog

He co-led Oregons top team in the Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science contest this spring and last. He provided illustrations for a college-level economics book focusing on risk and insurance. He plays piano and guitar. He is headed to the University of California, Berkeley, where he intends to double major in computer science and business.

Stan Wing founded and led a nonprofit dedicated to providing free debate opportunities to middle schoolers across Oregon. He is headed to New York Universitys Stern School of Business to study business with concentrations in finance and econometrics.

Stanley Wang

During high school, he honed his skills as a landscape and portrait photographer. He competed as a member of Sunsets golf team. His primary extracurricular involvement during high school was with Health Occupations Students of America, an organization that holds state and international business competitions and conferences for high school students and its health careers counterpart. He helped found and served as president of the Oregon Middle School Speech and Debate League, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free debate opportunities to middle schoolers across Oregon. He is headed to New York Universitys Stern School of Business to study business with concentrations in finance and econometrics.

Lele Yang was a frequent volunteer during high school, including leading a group that taught computer science lessons to middle and high school students. She is headed to Penn State University, where she will take part in an accelerated premedical and medical program.

Lele Zixin Yang

Yang was president of Tech4Girls, in which she taught computer science lessons to middle and high school students. She gathered resources and grants for the program and also trained student teachers to help with the classes. She is an artist and a competitive fencer. Yang will enter the accelerated premedical-medical program at Penn State University in the fall.

Tualatin

Aven Sadighi, who competed in sports and business, is headed to Oregon State Universitys Honors College to study computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence.

Aven Sadighi

The Tualatin High valedictorian volunteered for three years tutoring fellow students. He competed and medaled at the 2020 Health Occupations Students of America state conference. He spent three years as a member of Pack Leaders, the student group that aids incoming freshmen in navigating their first year of high school. He competed freshman year in cross country, baseball and track and spent many hours volunteering in the community as a member of the National Honors Society. Hes headed to Oregon State Universitys Honors College to study computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence.

West Linn

Gillian Herbert

Herbert plans to study public policy in college, National Merit officials indicated.

Westview

Sangana Ilango

Ilango won a Congressional App Challenge for her mobile phone application, Spoiler Alert!, that helps consumers determine if food and medications are safe to use. She founded a club called CodeHERS to help encourage elementary girls to try computer coding. She worked as a research assistant at Oregon Health & Science University in summer 2019, interned at Mentor Graphics in summer 2020 and is interning with the product management team at Oregon Sesame this summer. Shes headed to the University of Southern California and will major in computer science.

Adam Jones

He conducted genomic research in Portland State Universitys Extreme Virus Lab. He competed at least one year for his high schools baseball, track and soccer teams. He is likely to study engineering in college, according to National Merit officials.

Pranav Mandyam, who placed in the top 10 in an international high school competition for biomedical laboratory science, is headed to Rice University to study cell biology and genetics.

Pranav Mandyam

He was named one of the top 10 National finalists biomedical laboratory sciences by the Health Occupations Students of America. He likely plans to major in cell biology, National Merit officials said.

Sophie Ong competed in speech and debate and did two years of research analyzing cancer genome databases and studying the impact of mRNA on tumors. At the University of California, Los Angeles, she plans to study genetics and related fields on a premed track.

Sophia Joy Ong

She competed as a member of Westviews speech and debate team. She served as co-president of Westviews chapter of Health Occupations Students of America and won that groups state championship in prepared speaking. She conducted research on cancer for two years at Oregon Health & Science University. She was also a captain of the school speech and debate team and competed at tournaments on both the state and national level. She is an avid guitar player and holds a third degree black belt in taekwondo. Shes headed to the University of California, Los Angeles, to study microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics.

John Wang

He competed in and volunteered at many middle and high school robotics competitions, including serving as captain of his high school team. He competed as a member of Westviews varsity cross country and track teams. He was captain of the science club and president of the schools quiz bowl team, according to his profile on LinkedIn. He helped conduct research as an intern at Portland State Universitys Extreme Virus Lab. He is likely to study bioinformatics in college, National Merit officials said.

Note: If you know, or better are, one of these students, and I dont have a photo or full information, please contact me so I can make the coverage more complete.

-- Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com; @chalkup

See original here:
Half of Portland areas 22 top National Merit winners hail from just 2 schools - OregonLive

Bellingham, Wash. & Seattle For Michael Tilley and his team at Minuteman Press in Bellingham, the COVID-19 pandemic brought forth unprecedented challenges but also new opportunities for growth as an essential printing business. Michael says, Early on, a lot of our clients asked us if we were open. They were happy to know we were still operating and able to help them communicate to their customers that they were open as well. We put renewed emphasis on fast turnaround and timely delivery, which really set us apart since they knew they could rely on us.

By remaining open and operating, Minuteman Press in Bellingham supported a wide range of businesses and groups that relied on print and marketing to keep the community informed. Michael says, The way we kept growing during the pandemic was that we offered products and services for other essential businesses. We worked with local restaurants, fire departments, police departments, hospitals, schools, and other vital organizations. They all needed signage and direct mail campaigns to promote updated guidelines for employees, customers, patients, and students. We were glad to be able to help spread the word.

Today, as more businesses reopen, Minuteman Press is ready to help them ramp up their advertising and marketing efforts. Michael explains, As businesses come back, we are helping them by providing fresh banners, window graphics, flags, and full-color photos on windows. Weve also been printing packaging materials such as labels, tags, boxes, and information sheets. Another popular service we provide is dye sublimation, which enables us to produce custom mugs and branded apparel.

Another way that local businesses can engage and connect with customers right now is by utilizing direct mail campaigns. Michael says, Direct mail was and is getting more popular because it allows businesses and groups to reach out to their target audiences and reinforce operational updates. Weve produced a combination of newsletters, postcards, and letters for local governments, local tribes, non-profit groups, and for-profit businesses.

Its been really great to see more businesses reopen and recover, especially those that were impacted. The local economy is buzzing again and we are getting even busier. -Michael Tilley, owner, Minuteman Press franchise, Bellingham, Washington

As a local small business owner himself, Michael can empathize with his clients and share his own insights from the past year. He says, The most important thing to do is reach out to your current and former customers. Let them know you are there and engage with them. We have developed a multi-faceted marketing plan that includes phone calls, emails, direct mail, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Because weve done it ourselves and have found success, we know it can work for our clients and other local businesses.

Print is a vital marketing channel that can be used in conjunction with digital to deliver tangible results. Michael explains, I think one aspect of this is that the pandemic jogged us back into a physical reality. We are physical beings and we are not cyber creatures. It made people pay more attention to print and how its all around us. Our ability to produce tangible printed items that people can see, feel, and connect with is a real benefit to my business. The printing industry in general makes sure business customers get what they need. Its great to be able to rely on something when the worlds a little bit sideways.

Michael has owned Minuteman Press in Bellingham since September 2014. He shares, Previously, I was a biology professor and I have a PhD in molecular genetics. I lived in Missouri and I moved to Bellingham to be closer to my children, which was the driving force behind switching careers. I was new to owning a business so I wanted to go into something with a framework in place. I bought an established Minuteman Press franchise and liked the potential to build on the existing customer base.

By providing ongoing local support, Minuteman Press International helped Michael transition from his prior career to becoming a business owner in a totally new industry. He says, The support has been really solid all the way around. My Regional Vice President Chris Jutt and Area Manager Jayson Kraus have been great. I can call them anytime and they have been a great resource. I also enjoy the fact that we are provided with marketing strategies, content, and product ideas that we are free to use but that we also have enough freedom to run our franchise the way we see fit. Minuteman Press offers a solid system with a lot of knowledge behind it.

Michael reflects on his time as a business owner, saying, I enjoy the fact that the work I do has a direct impact on how the company performs. I feel its important to have the right staff in place and to also manage the team properly. I have a staff of seven and I know that happy employees do a great job. The satisfaction I get from running my business the right way and growing a successful company is the ultimate reward.

As for what advice he would give to other local business right now, Michael shares, Things are opening up, and business is going to start getting much busier for everyone. Act now so you dont fall behind the curve. Have you worked out what your marketing plan is going to be when things do ramp up? Be prepared organizationally and develop a coherent marketing strategy across all different touchpoints. From web to print, be consistent with your branding and your messaging.

Minuteman Press in Bellingham is located at 4025 Iron Gate Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. For more information, call 360-738-3539 or visit https://www.bellingham.minutemanpress.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com.

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Minuteman Press Franchise in Bellingham Helps Buzzing Local Economy Recover from Pandemic - WhatTheyThink

IRVINE, Calif., June 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --Inari Medical. (NASDAQ: NARI) (Inari) a medical device company focused on developing products to treat and transform the lives of patients suffering from venous diseases, today announced the appointment of Ms. Rebecca Chambers to its board of directors. Ms. Chambers also will serve as a member of the Audit Committee. Ms. Chambers, currently Chief Financial Officer of Outset Medical, Inc., brings more than a decade of healthcare leadership experience. Over the course of her career, Ms. Chambers has led numerous financial functions as well as served in leadership roles in investor relations for publicly traded companies in the healthcare space.

We are pleased to welcome Rebecca as a new independent director to our board. Her extensive healthcare leadership experience in high growth companies will be a valuable asset to Inari as we continue revolutionizing the treatment of venous thromboembolism, said Bill Hoffman, Inaris Chief Executive Officer.

Since June 2019, Ms. Chambers has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Outset Medical, Inc., a NASDAQ listed medical technology company pioneering a novel technology to reduce the cost and complexity of dialysis. Prior to that, she was at Illumina, a NASDAQ listed genetic tools company, where she served in a number of roles: as the Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis from July 2017 to May 2019, as Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasury from April 2015 to June 2017, and as Senior Director, Investor Relations from October 2012 to April 2015. Previously, Ms. Chambers served as Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Myriad Genetics, a NASDAQ listed molecular diagnostic company, from January 2011 to October 2012, and in various roles in investor relations at Life Technologies, a biotechnology company, from May 2009 to December 2010. She also previously held positions with Bank of America, a financial services company, and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company that was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. Ms. Chambers holds a B.S. from John Carroll University and an M.B.A. from The S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University.

About Inari Medical, Inc.Inari Medical, Inc. is a medical device company focused on developing products to treat and transform the lives of patients suffering from venous diseases. Inari has developed two minimally-invasive, novel catheter-based mechanical thrombectomy devices that are designed to remove large clots from large vessels and eliminate the need for thrombolytic drugs. The company purpose-built its products for the specific characteristics of the venous system and the treatment of the two distinct manifestations of venous thromboembolism, or VTE: deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The ClotTriever system is 510(k)-cleared by the FDA and CE Mark approved for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis. The FlowTriever system is 510(k)-cleared by the FDA and CE Mark approved for the treatment of pulmonary embolism and clot in transit in the right atrium.

Investor Contact:Westwicke PartnersCaroline CornerPhone +1-415-202-5678caroline.corner@westwicke.com

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Inari Medical Appoints Outset Medical Executive Rebecca Chambers to Board of Directors - BioSpace

CAMBRIDGE, England and BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eighth paragraph, first sentence line should read: In April 2021, Alchemab raised $82 million in a Series A financing led by RA Capital and joined by Lightstone Ventures, DHVC, and DCVC Bio. (instead of In April 2021, Alchemab raised $82 million in a Series A financing led by RA Capital and joined by Lightstone Ventures, DHVC, and Data Collective VC Bio).

The updated release reads:

ALCHEMAB THERAPEUTICS APPOINTS DOUGLAS A. TRECO, PHD AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Industry Veteran Brings Experience and Proven Track Record of Success

Plans for Management Team Expansion and Global Reach Through Newly Established U.S. Office

Alchemab Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of naturally-occurring protective antibodies in neurodegeneration and oncology, today announced the appointment of Douglas A. Treco, PhD as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Treco will join the Companys Board of Directors and will be based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Were excited that Doug will bring his extensive experience to our leadership team as we seek to grow our highly differentiated platform, said Houman Ashrafian, BM BCh, DPhil, Managing Partner at SV Health Investors and Chairman of Alchemabs Board of Directors. Our goal is to develop a world class management team with footprints on both sides of the Atlantic and broaden the Companys exposure to US investigators, investors, and potential employees.

Most recently, Dr. Treco was Co-Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on peptide and small molecule inhibitors of the complement pathway. The company was acquired in April 2020 by UCB S.A. for $2.5 billion.

Alchemabs approach of identifying protective antibodies truly changes the game in terms of creating the next major antibody therapeutics company, said Dr. Treco. We believe this platform gives us a unique ability to develop a robust pipeline of truly innovative neurodegenerative and oncology medicines.

Doug has a proven track record of building successful life science companies and were pleased to team up with him again, said Andrew Levin, MD, PhD, Managing Director at RA Capital. In addition, Alchemab has tremendous scientific leadership, with Jane Osbourn, PhD FMedSci, OBE, spearheading this novel approach. Together, were confident that they will continue to grow Alchemab into a major source of novel drugs to benefit patients.

We are tremendously grateful to Alchemabs founding CEO, Alex Leech, who led the Company since its inception and oversaw the Series A financing, noted SVs Professor Ashrafian. Mr. Leech will return to company creation as a Venture Partner at SV Health Investors.

Previously, Dr. Treco co-founded Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc. (TKT), which was acquired in 2005 by Shire plc. In his position as Senior Vice President of Research and Development, he established and directed TKTs gene activation and protein production efforts, which led to the approval of Dynepo, Replagal, Elaprase, and Vpriv. Dr. Treco is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Inozyme Pharma and is a member of the Board of Directors of CRISPR Therapeutics AG. He is also a scientific advisor to Lightstone Ventures. From January 2008 to May 2014, Dr. Treco served as an entrepreneur-in-residence with Morgenthaler Ventures and was a visiting scientist in the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital and a lecturer in genetics at Harvard Medical School from 2004 to 2007. He received a BA in Biology from the University of Delaware, a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and performed post-doctoral research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Massachusetts General Hospital.

In April 2021, Alchemab raised $82 million in a Series A financing led by RA Capital and joined by Lightstone Ventures, DHVC, and DCVC Bio. In 2019, Alchemab raised a seed round led by SV Health Investors and the Dementia Discovery Fund. The Company collaborates closely with Illumina, having been part of the first cohort of companies joining the Illumina Accelerator in Cambridge, UK, and recently announced a partnership with AstraZeneca where Alchemab will use its platform to aid in the development of new treatments for prostate cancer.

About Alchemab

Alchemab has developed a highly differentiated platform which enables the identification of novel drug targets and therapeutics by analysis of patient antibody repertoires. The platform uses well-defined patient samples, deep B cell sequencing, and computational analysis to identify convergent protective antibody responses among individuals that are susceptible but resilient to specific diseases.

Alchemab is building a broad pipeline of protective therapeutics for hard-to-treat diseases, with an initial focus on neurodegenerative conditions and oncology. The highly specialized patient samples that power Alchemabs platform are made available through valued partnerships and collaborations with patient representative groups, biobanks, industry partners, and academic institutions.

For more information, visit http://www.alchemab.com.

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CORRECTING and REPLACING Alchemab Therapeutics Appoints Douglas A. Treco, PhD as Chief Executive Officer - Business Wire

Imagine being able to reverse blindness, cure multiple sclerosis (MS), or rebuild your heart muscles after a heart attack. For the past few decades, research into stem cells, the building blocks of tissues and organs, has raised the prospect of medical advances of this kind yet it has produced relatively few approved treatments. But that could be about to change, says Robin Ali, professor of human molecular genetics of Kings College London. Just as gene therapy went from being a fantasy with little practical value to becoming a major area of treatment, stem cells are within a few years of reaching the medical mainstream. Whats more, developments in synthetic biology, the process of engineering and re-engineering cells, could make stem cells even more effective.

Stem cells are essentially the bodys raw material: basic cells from which all other cells with particular functions are generated. They are found in various organs and tissues, including the brain, blood, bone marrow and skin. The primary promise of adult stem cells lies in regenerative medicine, says Professor Ali.

Stem cells go through several rounds of division in order to produce specialist cells; a blood stem cell can be used to produce blood cells and skin stem cells can be used to produce skin cells. So in theory you can take adult stem cells from one person and transplant them into another person in order to promote the growth of new cells and tissue.

In practice, however, things have proved more complicated, since the number of stem cells in a persons body is relatively limited and they are hard to access. Scientists were also previously restricted by the fact that adult stem cells could only produce one specific type of cell (so blood stem cells couldnt produce skin cells, for instance).

In their quest for a universal stem cell, some scientists initially focused on stem cells from human embryos, but that remains a controversial method, not only because harvesting stem cells involves destroying the embryo, but also because there is a much higher risk of rejection of embryonic stem cells by the recipients immune system.

The good news is that in 2006 Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University and his team discovered a technique for creating what they call induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). The research, for which they won a Nobel Prize in 2012, showed that you can rewind adult stem cells development process so that they became embryo-like stem cells. These cells can then be repurposed into any type of stem cells. So you could turn skin stem cells into iPSCs, which could in turn be turned into blood stem cells.

This major breakthrough has two main benefits. Firstly, because iPSCs are derived from adults, they dont come with the ethical problems associated with embryonic stem cells. Whats more, the risk of the body rejecting the cells is much lower as they come from another adult or are produced by the patient. In recent years scientists have refined this technique to the extent that we now have a recipe for making all types of cells, as well as a growing ability to multiply the number of stem cells, says Professor Ali.

Having the blueprint for manufacturing stem cells isnt quite enough on its own and several barriers remain, admits Professor Ali. For example, we still need to be able to manufacture large numbers of stem cells at a reasonable cost. Ensuring that the stem cells, once they are in the recipient, carry out their function of making new cells and tissue remains a work in progress. Finally, regulators are currently taking a hard line towards the technology, insisting on exhaustive testing and slowing research down.

The good news, Professor Ali believes, is that all these problems are not insurmountable as scientists get better at re-engineering adult cells (a process known as synthetic biology). The costs of manufacturing large numbers of stem cells are falling and this can only speed up as more companies invest in the area. There are also a finite number of different human antigens (the parts of the immune system that lead a body to reject a cell), so it should be possible to produce a bank of iPSC cells for the most popular antigen types.

While the attitude of regulators is harder to predict, Professor Ali is confident that it needs only one major breakthrough for the entire sector to secure a large amount of research from the top drug and biotech firms. Indeed, he believes that effective applications are likely in the next few years in areas where there are already established transplant procedures, such as blood transfusion, cartilage and corneas. The breakthrough may come in ophthalmology (the treatment of eye disorders) as you only need to stimulate the development of a relatively small number of cells to restore someones eyesight.

In addition to helping the body repair its own tissues and organs by creating new cells, adult stem cells can also indirectly aid regeneration by delivering other molecules and proteins to parts of the body where they are needed, says Ralph Kern, president and chief medical officer of biotechnology company BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics.

For example, BrainStorm has developed NurOwn, a cellular technology using peoples own cells to deliver neurotrophic factors (NTFs), proteins that can promote the repair of tissue in the nervous system. NurOwn works by modifying so-called Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from a persons bone marrow. The re-transplanted mesenchymal stem cells can then deliver higher quantities of NTFs and other repair molecules.

At present BrainStorm is using its stem-cell therapy to focus on diseases of the brain and nervous system, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease), MS and Huntingtons disease. The data from a recent final-stage trial suggests that the treatment may be able to halt the progression of ALS in those who have the early stage of the disease. Phase-two trial (the second of three stages of clinical trials) of the technique in MS patients also showed that those who underwent the treatment experienced an improvement in the functioning of their body.

Kern notes that MSCs are a particularly promising area of research. They are considered relatively safe, with few side effects, and can be frozen, which improves efficiency and drastically cuts down the amount of bone marrow that needs to be extracted from each patient.

Because the manufacture of MSC cells has become so efficient, NurOwn can be used to get years of therapy in one blood draw. Whats more, the cells can be reintroduced into patients bodies via a simple lumbar puncture into the spine, which can be done as an outpatient procedure, with no need for an overnight stay in hospital.

Kern emphasises that the rapid progress in our ability to modify cells is opening up new opportunities for using stem cells as a molecular delivery platform. Through taking advantage of the latest advances in the science of cellular therapies, BrainStorm is developing a technique to vary the molecules that its stem cells deliver so they can be more closely targeted to the particular condition being treated. BrainStorm is also trying to use smaller fragments of the modified cells, known as exosomes, in the hope that these can be more easily delivered and absorbed by the body and further improve its ability to avoid immune-system reactions to unrelated donors. One of BrainStorms most interesting projects is to use exosomes to repair the long-term lung damage from Covid-19, a particular problem for those with long Covid-19. Early preclinical trials show that modified exosomes delivered into the lungs of animals led to remarkable improvements in their condition. This included increasing the lungs oxygen capacity, reducing inflammation, and decreasing clotting.

Overall, while Kern admits that you cant say that stem cells are a cure for every condition, there is a lot of evidence that in many specific cases they have the potential to be the best option, with fewer side effects. With Americas Food and Drug Administration recently deciding to approve Biogens Alzheimers drug, Kern thinks that they have become much more open to approving products in diseases that are currently considered untreatable. As a result, he thinks that a significant number of adult stem-cell treatments will be approved within the next five to ten years.

Adult stem cells and synthetic biology arent just useful in treatments, says Dr Mark Kotter, CEO and founder of Bit Bio, a company spun out of Cambridge University. They are also set to revolutionise drug discovery. At present, companies start out by testing large numbers of different drug combinations in animals, before finding one that seems to be most effective. They then start a process of clinical trials with humans to test whether the drug is safe, followed by an analysis to see whether it has any effects.

Not only is this process extremely lengthy, but it is also inefficient, because human and animal biology, while similar in many respects, can differ greatly for many conditions. Many drugs that seem promising in animals end up being rejected when they are used on humans. This leads to a high failure rate. Indeed, when you take the failures into account, it has been estimated that it may cost as much to around $2bn to develop the typical drug.

As a result, pharma companies are now realising that you have to insert the human element at a pre-clinical stage by at least using human tissues, says Kotter. The problem is that until recently such tissues were scarce, since they were only available from biopsies or surgery. However, by using synthetic biology to transform adult stem cells from the skin or other parts of the body into other types of stem cells, researchers can potentially grow their own cells, or even whole tissues, in the laboratory, allowing them to integrate the human element at a much earlier stage.

Kotter has direct experience of this himself. He originally spent several decades studying the brain. However, because he had to rely on animal tissue for much of his research he became frustrated that he was turning into a rat doctor.

And when it came to the brain, the differences between human and rat biology were particularly stark. In fact, some human conditions, such as Alzheimers, dont even naturally appear in rodents, so researchers typically use mice and rats engineered to develop something that looks like Alzheimers. But even this isnt a completely accurate representation of what happens in humans.

As a result of his frustration, Kotter sought a way to create human tissues. It initially took six months. However, his company, Bit Bio, managed to cut costs and greatly accelerate the process. The companys technology now allows it to grow tissues in the laboratory in a matter of days, on an industrial scale. Whats more, the tissues can also be designed not just for particular conditions, such as dementia and Huntingdons disease, but also for particular sub-types of diseases.

Kotter and Bit Bio are currently working with Charles River Laboratories, a global company that has been involved in around 80% of drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration over the last three years, to commercialise this product. They have already attracted interest from some of the ten largest drug companies in the world, who believe that it will not only reduce the chances of failure, but also speed up development. Early estimates suggest that the process could double the chance of a successful trial, effectively cutting the cost of each approved drug by around 50% from $2bn to just $1bn. This in turn could increase the number of successful drugs on the market.

Two years ago my colleague Dr Mike Tubbs tipped Fate Therapeutics (Nasdaq: FATE). Since then, the share price has soared by 280%, thanks to growing interest from other drug companies (such as Janssen Biotech and ONO Pharmaceutical) in its cancer treatments involving genetically modified iPSCs.

Fate has no fewer than seven iPSC-derived treatments undergoing trials, with several more in the pre-clinical stage. While it is still losing money, it has over $790m cash on hand, which should be more than enough to support it while it develops its drugs.

As mentioned in the main story, the American-Israeli biotechnology company BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BCLI) is developing treatments that aim to use stem cells as a delivery mechanism for proteins. While the phase-three trial (the final stage of clinical trials) of its proprietary NurOwn system for treatment of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrigs disease) did not fully succeed, promising results for those in the early stages of the disease mean that the company is thinking about running a new trial aimed at those patients. It also has an ongoing phase-two trial for those with MS, a phase-one trial in Alzheimers patients, as well as various preclinical programmes aimed at Parkinsons, Huntingtons, autistic spectrum disorder and peripheral nerve injury. Like Fate Therapeutics, BrainStorm is currently unprofitable.

Australian biotechnology company Mesoblast (Nasdaq: MESO) takes mesenchymal stem cells from the patient and modifies them so that they can absorb proteins that promote tissue repair and regeneration. At present Mesoblast is working with larger drug and biotech companies, including Novartis, to develop this technique for conditions ranging from heart disease to Covid-19. Several of these projects are close to being completed.

While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) controversially rejected Mesoblasts treatment remestemcel-L for use in children who have suffered from reactions to bone-marrow transplants against the advice of the Food and Drug Administrations own advisory committee the firm is confident that the FDA will eventually change its mind.

One stem-cell company that has already reached profitability is Vericel (Nasdaq: VCEL). Vericels flagship MACI products use adult stem cells taken from the patient to grow replacement cartilage, which can then be re-transplanted into the patient, speeding up their recovery from knee injuries. It has also developed a skin replacement based on skin stem cells.

While earnings remain relatively small, Vericel expects profitability to soar fivefold over the next year alone as the company starts to benefit from economies of scale and runs further trials to expand the range of patients who can benefit.

British micro-cap biotech ReNeuron (Aim: RENE) is developing adult stem-cell treatments for several conditions. It is currently carrying out clinical trials for patients with retinal degeneration and those recovering from the effects of having a stroke. ReNeuron has also developed its own induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) platform for research purposes and is seeking collaborations with other drug and biotech companies.

Like other small biotech firms in this area, it is not making any money, so it is an extremely risky investment although the rewards could be huge if any of its treatments show positive results from their clinical trials.

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Investing in stem cells, the building blocks of the body - MoneyWeek

With the evolution of science and the advancement of technology, the traditional thin line that exists between engineering and biology is slowly fading away. As the medical machines and instruments are shrinking and becoming faster than their previous versions, biotechnologys emerging field is easing doctors procedures. Its inventions and innovation have proven beneficial for the patients and affordable for the entire healthcare system.

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Over time, several researchers and scientists have made remarkable inventions and innovations that have revolutionized traditional medical treatments. They have discovered techniques that made the lengthy medical processes less complicated and have brought immense relief to patients' lives. Among the many people who are striving to work for more effective solutions is Dr. Roberto Crea. Known as one of the 'fathers of human (or synthetic) insulin,' this personality is considered a biotechnology pioneer. With more than 40 years of work experience in Biotechnology and Nutritional Sciences, Dr. Crea has given birth to many unconventional ideas and processes that have stirred many changes in the field of biology and medicine.

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Studied at the University of Pavia, Italy, Dr. Roberto Crea graduated in Biological Chemistry in 1972. He then went on to the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, where he discovered the unique combination of biology and the synthesis of DNA and RNA. His intellectual thoughts and innovative approaches to work with synthetic DNA and RNA caught the eye of Genentech, Inc.in California. In 1977, Roberto was offered a position in the Gene synthesis team at City of Hope Medical School, in Duarte ,California, With the help of some scientists from Japan and Poland and his own scientific creativity, Dr. Crea made crucial improvements to the synthesis of DNA, which resulted in the production of the first human insulin from bacteria.

The discovery of recombinant human insulin added new life to the dull therapy of diabetic patients around the world. Not only did it is eased and improved their lives, but it also saved many as most of the patients were allergic to animal insulin. The invention of synthetic insulin raised their hopes once again. Crea's contribution to this discovery has been a pivotal one. Dr. Roberto has also co-authored the first report of recombinant DNA production of a mammalian hormone in bacteria. He was the sole inventor of the first two U.S. Patents assigned to Genentech and the Rumbough Award recipient by the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation in 1979.

Having achieved so much in such short period of time, Dr. Roberto Crea, because of his vast knowledge, was appointed as Director of the Nucleic Acid department at Genentech, in 1978 and one of its first four scientific founders. In 1980,he accepted a position as Professor at the University of Messina to teach Molecular Genetics. Leiden University had previously appointed him as an Associate Professor in DNA Chemical Synthesis and a faculty member of Chemistry Gorlaeus Laboratoria.

The power of combining technology and biology had opened new doors of opportunities for Dr. Roberto Crea. Having profound knowledge and creativity and complete grip on his research subjects and work concepts, Dr. Crea set his foot in business with its first company, Creative Biomolecules, in 1982. He founded this company to use biotechnology to develop improved healthcare products for soft and hard tissue repair (bone repair) and cancer. In 1990, the company merged into Curis, Inc., a NASDAQ publicly-traded company.

Dr. Crea's second venture was Creagen, Inc, in 1991. This Biotechnology company aimed to combine proteins with superior binding properties and engineer catalytic activities for human and animal health care applications. Dr. Crea was responsible for the overall company business, its scientific directions, and technology development. Creagen Inc. merged with Neurex Corporation, a publicly-traded company, in July 1994. Neurex, Inc. of Menlo Park, CA., was then acquired by Elan Pharmaceuticals for $700 million in 1997.

On the wave of his success, Dr. Crea started founding many startup companies. Some of which are Bioren Inc, Allevium Therapeutics, Inc., SynGen and Creagri, Inc. Bioren Inc. was sold to Pfizer, the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, and Roberto's entrepreneurial career became legendary. Dr. Crea is currently associated with ProtElix, Inc., a company he founded in 2006, and Oliphenol, LLC. in 2019. ProtElix's objective is to focus on using proprietary DNA mutagenesis technology and Bioinformatics for Antibody Mimics' design and production to improve on the many Monoclonal Antibody drugs developed in the last 20 years for cancer and inflammation diseases.

Oliphenol, LLC., his latest corporation, has laid its foundation on olive polyphenols and their multiple benefits in human health and wellness. This is a nutraceutical company dedicated to the extraction of natural bioactive compounds. Dr. Crea has created novel techniques of co-extracting technology from agricultural waste, medicinal plants, and fruits. The idea for this company came to him while roaming in Italy. He spotted a machine that pit olives before pressing for olive oil. This process yields a purer oil, clean from the deleterious and bitter residues from the pits. As a biologist and chemist, he had the intuition that vegetable water, i.e., olives' juice, was rich in natural antioxidants, which could benefit the human body in many ways. He discovered a new process to harvest them in industrial quantities and study them for their unique anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities. Dr. Crea spent several years optimizing this process that ultimately led to the launch of a dietary supplement of concentrated antioxidants to prevent aging and arteriosclerosis. This all-natural product, Hidrox, is available in the American and International market. A single tablet of this natural extract would be equivalent to consuming a liter of the best olive oil and contain a proportionate antioxidant quantity, without the fats and calories. This led to the foundation of his last company.

Dr. Roberto Crea has been recognized for his achievements by several esteemed international platforms such as Lions International Club in Reggio in Italy gave him the 'Golden Bergamot.' Award . He was also given the title of 'Man of the Year' by Academia Fiord of Rhegium and many more. In 2021, the Washington D.C.-based National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) awarded Roberto Crea with a Special Achievement Award in Biotechnology (Science and Medicine).

The career journey of Dr. Roberto Crea is an inspiration for many. His drive to improve the medical processes and integrate technology with medicine has given birth to an altogether new field, which has become the gateway of opportunities to improve lives worldwide.

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Coalescing Technology With Biology - ValueWalk