Improving the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations.
Provista Diagnostics Inc., a Phoenix biotech company marketing blood tests for breast cancer and other diseases, has signed a letter of intent to be acquired by Radient Pharmaceutical Corp. of California
Radient announced today its intent to acquire Provista in a stock-for-stock transaction. Provista has rights, patents and trademarks for diagnostic technologies that Radient believes will strengthen and complement its core business.
In the tradition of caring for patients of all ages, St. Joseph's continues to care for pediatric patients and recently performed the Valley's first pediatric heart transplant. The six-month-old boy was ready to go home just in time for Mother's Day. After three prior open heart surgeries, Kaiden Ramsey Hermosillo received his new heart in mid-April.
Scientific American Mind has dedicated its entire issue to vision researchers Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD, and Stephen Macknik, PhD. at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. All of the content for the 72-page prestigious magazine features visual illusions that have been researched by the Barrow scientists. The magazine will be on newsstands worldwide through Monday, July 22.
In the magazine, the scientists explain why studying illusions can help vision researchers in their work. Eye-popping articles and illustrations about visual illusions fill the publication.
Chromosomal Laboratories Purchases Second Eppendorf epMotion 5075 TMX Robotic Workstation to keep up with the Demand for Forensic DNA Testing
While the country has been plagued with slow economic growth, sluggish consumer spending and weak retail sales, one unfortunate area that continues to thrive is crime. According to statistics through the National Institute of Justice’s DNA Initiative, “at the end of 2004, the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) contained just over 2 million offender profiles. At the end of June 2009, CODIS contained more than 7 million offender profiles.”
The blue-green algae, scientifically called cyanobacteria, is one of the oldest living forms in nature, responsible for generating oxygen in the air we breathe. Researchers Hyun Woo Kim and Raveender Vannela, from the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, are searching for ways to grow these microbes in large quantities. This is also an opportunity for optimizing the photobioreactor(PBR), a device in which these photosynthetic organisms proliferate.
Several methods to produce clean forms of energy and replace fossil fuels were tested, still cyanobacteria turns out to be the most attractive. Hyun Woo Kim explains that the bacteria are much easier to re-engineer because scientists have a lot of information about them. Their growth can be controlled so that a large production of biofuel and biomaterial can be sustained.
Despite difficult financial conditions, one area of Arizona’s economy continues to expand and add jobs — the biosciences. Contributing more than $12.5 billion in annual revenues to the economy and consisting of over 89,000 jobs, the Arizona biosciences have come of age.
Southern Arizona’s bioscience community is a major contributor to this statewide success. Now three of the top 10 pharma companies have a presence here: Roche (which purchased Ventana Medical), Sanofi-aventis and Merck with its investment in High Throughput Genomics. It is also home to the internationally acclaimed Critical Path Institute (C-Path). Here are just a few recent developments.
In 2001, Bio 5 brought together University of Arizona scientists in five key research areas — basic science, agriculture, medicine, pharmacy and engineering — to foster collaboration critical to finding solutions to the complex biology-based challenges affecting humanity today:
How do we prevent, treat and cure the myriad diseases we face? How do we create more resilient crops, nutritious foods and new sources of fuel? How do we address the many environmental problems that surround us today?
Support for research collaborations among Bio 5-affiliated faculty who address these questions is key to Bio 5’s nine-year success. These 200-plus faculty members come from eight UA colleges and represent more than 50 departments and units across campus.
AmpliMed Corporation, a cancer therapeutics company, today announced results from AMP-019, a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II screening trial designed to determine if a Phase III trial was warranted for the combination of gemcitabine (Gemzar, Eli Lilly) plus Amplimexon (AmpliMed Corporation) in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. The statistical design required a 40 percent improvement in overall survival, the primary endpoint, for a positive outcome. Unfortunately, the results showed no improvement in overall survival for the combination of gemcitabine and Amplimexon.
Whenever Jenny Nicoloff feels discomfort in her chest - a tightness, a flutter - she wonders if this time it's "the big one."
Nicoloff, 74, has had two heart attacks, each of which landed her in the hospital.
But heart patients like Nicoloff may get some peace of mind as they join about 1,000 patients in a national test of a new heart-monitoring device.
Depression is widely accepted as a medical diagnosis, but focusing exclusively on the biological side misses important points about why people become depressed.
Chris Segrin, who heads the UA's communication department, argues for a more expansive understanding of depression, one that merges its biological and social influences.
He has authored a chapter, "Depressive Disorders and Interpersonal Processes," that focuses on the influence of social skills deficits and interpersonal connections.
For information about Bioscience, please contact:
bioscience@flinn.org or (602) 744-6831
