Monsanto, BASF Announce $1.5 Billion Partnership
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News and views from the St. Louis life science community
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March 2007
March 25, 2007
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Where's Brian?
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Don't worry, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth - I've just had a grant proposal consuming my attention for the past 2 weeks. Hopefully it should all be done in the next few days. Look for posts to resume sometime around then.
Thanks for sticking with me!
March 15, 2007
Danforth Center Conversations Series Online
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In case you missed the February 26th Conversations Series talk at the Danforth Plant Science Center, a streaming video recording of the event went up today on the center's online video archive. The topic is "Let's Talk about Renewable Energy: New Fuels From Plants" - well worth a look.
InvestMidwest Presenters Announced
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Last week, the InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum announced the presenting companies for its 2007 meeting and St. Louis received eight nods, more any other municipality. Half of these were related to the life sciences:
- Edunn Biotechnology - Alzheimer's drug development
- Envisioneering - Medical devices for prostate tissue biopsy
- Kereos - Nanotechnology Imaging and drug delivery agents
- Medros- Cancer and diabetes drug discovery using Drosophila screening
InvestMidwest will be held Tuesday, April 11th in Overland Park, KS.
March 14, 2007
The Scientist Ranks Best Institutions for PostDocs
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This month's issue of The Scientist includes a feature on "Best Places to Work: PostDocs". The rankings took into account categories such as job training, access to scientific literature, and the mentoring system, and the St. Louis Region had 3 institutions make the Top-40 list:
- University of Missouri - Columbia: #16 (Last year: #42)
- Washington University in St. Louis: #29 (Last year: #28)
- University of Illinois - Urbana: #36 (Last year: #35)
This was the magazine's fifth annual workplace survey of the nation's postdoctoral researchers.
March 13, 2007
MO Senate Democrats Fight Weakened Funding Bill
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State Sen. Chuck Graham
After the final version gets worked out, I'll be posting some thoughts on the whole affair.
Caveman Watch: $113 Million in State Life Science Funding Officially Scrapped
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Missouri Governor Matt Blunt
Other changes include (from the Kansas City Star):
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- Funding for a plant science center in Mexico, Mo., would grow from $3 million to $5 million.
- A series of smaller projects worth $12 million would be added at the university’s farm research sites throughout the state.
- University of Missouri-St. Louis
- Renovation of the science complex would rise from $18 million to $28.5 million.
- Funding for a proposed $5.5 million addition to the Center for Emerging Technologies was scrapped.
- Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis
- A plan for a $5.5 million CORTEX expansion was canceled and the funds put toward an early childhood and parent education center, which is now worth $15.7 million.
- Linn State Technical College in Linn, Mo.
- Linn State, which received no projects under the earlier plan, would get $5 million for a center to train students in transportation and heavy equipment.
Somewhat ironically, the changes have done nothing to appease Missouri Right-to-Life, who still claim they will oppose any state life science funding as long as embryonic stem cell research is protected by the Missouri constitution. The funds are to come from the liquidation of some assets from a state-run student loan provider.
(...more from the Kansas City Star)
(...more from stltoday.com)
March 9, 2007
Casual Friday: Votes from White Coats
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The past decade has seen the rise of a number of controversial issues spanning the divide between science and public policy. Debates once confined to the hallways of hospitals and universities, over stem cell research, evolution, climate control, now dance across the nightly news and scream out on talk radio. To ensure that the public discussion on these issues remains rooted in fact a group of national scientific leaders founded Scientists and Engineers for America in the fall of 2006.
A nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3), the group is dedicated to reinserting scientific fact back into politics. From their mission statement:
"We envision a future where wise science and technology policy will help every American live in a safe and clean environment, enjoy good health and education, and benefit from a strong system of national defense. Scientists and Engineers for America is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to advancing these goals through the electoral process."
Worth taking a look at.
Upcoming Events for March 12th - 16th
- Washington University Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysical Evenings Seminar
"Progress Towards Ion Channel Biosensors: Bacterial Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Ion Channels"
Joshua Maurer, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis
Cori Auditorium, Washington University School of Medicine
4565 McKinley Ave.
Tuesday, March 13th
5:30 PM
- Danforth Center Seminar Series
"Automated Oligosaccharide Synthesis and Microarray Formation"
Dr. Nicola L. Pohl, Associate Professor or Chemistry, Iowa State University
Danforth Plant Science Center
975 North Warson Road
Wednesday, March 14th
4:00 PM
March 8, 2007
Dr. Danforth Goes to Washington
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Chancellor William Danforth
Thus, further proof that Bill Danforth does not sleep.
Sigma-Aldrich Releases First Two siRNA Druggable Genome Libraries
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On Tuesday, life science and high technology developer Sigma-Aldrich Corp. announced the release of its first two MISSION siRNA Druggable Genome Libraries for human and rat. The libraries are organized into 17 gene family panels, and each siRNA sequence has been optimized to reduce off-target effects using a set of design rules developed by Rosetta Inpharmatics, a subsidiary of Merk & Co. The MISSION siRNA line can be used by researchers to reduce, or “knock down”, the expression of specific genes in model organisms. Instead of creating their own siRNA molecules from scratch, the new genome libraries allow investigators to instead focus on broader research or drug discovery questions.
March 7, 2007
Monsanto, Solae to Co-Develop Omega-3 Products
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A Monsanto soybean field
UMSL Receives $150k Gift from Sigma-Aldrich
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Early last month, life science and high technology developer Sigma-Aldrich Corp. presented a $150,000 gift to the University of Missouri–St. Louis College of Education to help improve math and science teaching. The gift will fund a new facility to be located on the university’s south campus, featuring a science laboratory, computer lab, library, and rooftop observatory. Funds will also go towards expanding the school’s online course offerings.
March 6, 2007
Wash U Researchers Explore Gene Linked to Intelligence
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In a report in the online edition of Behavioral Genetics, researchers at Wash U describe the links between CHRM2, a gene associated with mental function, and a specific type of human intelligence. A team led by Danielle M. Dick, Ph.D, assistant professor of psychiatry examined the IQ scores of more than 2,100 individuals and matched them to the appearance of certain genetic markers. CHRM2 stood out as being especially well correlated to the subjects' "performance IQ", involving how people place things in order. Although this link had previously been suspected, Dick's team was the first to explore the connection in such detail.
(...more from mednews.wustl.edu)
March 5, 2007
Startup Investing from Gilman Louie
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Paul Kedrosky has an interesting PowerPoint from Gilman Louie (of Alsop-Louie Partners, a Bay Area VC firm) about early-stage investment strategies. It's mostly geared towards those with the money, but there are some good tips for potential entrepreneurs there too. After all, if you want funding these are the questions you should have answers for!
(...more from paul.kedrosky.com)
March 2, 2007
Casual Friday: This Does What, Exactly?
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This week's bit of fun is the "Useless Account" from Jim Whimprey of Brisbane Creative. Something of a play on all the internet junk we've grown accustomed to enduring, Useless Account lets users:
- Sign Up!
- Alter your account info!
- Possibly forget your password!
That's about it. It's good for a chuckle, or possibly a birthday present for someone around the office. Especially if you tell them there's a secret reward for multiple referrals...
Upcoming Events for March 5th - 9th
- Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center Seminar Series
"Realtime MRI: Its Applications for Diagnosis And Therapy"
Elliot McVeigh, Principal Investigator, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Washington University in St. Louis
Whitaker Hall, Rm. 218
Monday, March 5th
5:30 PM - Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics Biophysical Evenings Seminar
"Progress Towards Ion Channel Biosensors: Bacterial Cyclic Nucleotide Gated Ion Channels"
Joshua Maurer, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Washington University
Washington University School of Medicine
McDonnell Science Building, Cori Auditorium
Tuesday, March 6th
5:30 PM - Siteman Cancer Center Basic Science Seminar Series
"Biochemical Studies of Apoptosis"
Stanley J. Korsmeyer Memorial Lecture
Xiaodong Wang, George L. MacGregor Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Washington University School of Medicine
Eric P. Newman Education Center
Thursday, March 8th
3:00 PM
March 1, 2007
Abegonea to Recieve $76 Million for Cellulosic Ethanol Facility
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Switchgrass, coming to
a Shell station near you?
(...more from stltoday.com)
MO to Promote Key Biotech Sectors
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The Missouri Department of Economic Development will be expanding its efforts to promote eight key industries in the state, including three involving biotechnology: Life science, agribusiness and energy. Money from a special state fund, initially budgeted in 2005 to help promote out-of-state investment, will go towards hiring an economic development specialist to focus on each industry. In addition, the Hawthorn Foundation, a statewide nonprofit, will periodically convene advisory panels of eight to fifteen leaders to brainstorm new project initiatives.
(...more from stltoday.com)