NanomedicineCenter.com

Some biotech companies lose funding

When the financial meltdown knocked on the door of the global financial market, many thought that biotech and related fields won’t be affected at all. However, they were wrong. It may be true that biotech companies are fine when compared to other companies from other industry branches, but they also suffered a certain loss. Some of the companies even sought bankruptcy protection. Why? Because their “financial suppliers” cancelled the funding.

As an example, let’s take Advanced Cell Technology, a company who was granted a financial injection of $3 billion for stem cell research. They expanded their units to Alameda, California. However, they had to close it down. “Our financial suppliers have been cutting back and hunkering down.” said Daniel Schustak, company’s spokesman.
Another company called Avigen, Inc. is about to let go 70% of their workers because clinical trials they’ve been working on have failed to deliver, thus making the funding uncertain. Now the company is looking for buyers for their two new drugs — for nerve pain and hemophilia. “A lot of people are calling us, but we have nothing finalized yet.” said Michael Coffee, an Avigen representative.

What does this mean for an ordinary man who is just looking to invest some money? Wondering how to earn money in this financial storm? Experts keep saying that this is the time to buy… But what to buy? History has shown that the stock market is a place where you can earn money, but you can also lose it. However, many experts think that, in the long-term, biotech companies are a safe investment.

Is using nanotech in food production safe?

Two world’s largest food and health organizations – FAO and WHO have come to a conclusion that a scientific analysis of using nanotech in food production is needed to prevent potential problems in the future. The global market is very interested in using nanotechnology principles in food production, since it would help a lot and would make food production much easier.

To discuss the subject, FAO and WHO have already scheduled an Expert Meeting which will be held in June 2009. They will discuss safety implications of nanotechnology in food and agriculture and possible risks. They will also make guidelines for producers, which should minimize the potential issues.

The Expert Meeting should cover several areas:

• The application of nanotechnologies in all aspects of the primary production of foods of plant and animal origin
• The application of nanotechnology in food processing, packaging and distribution
• The use of nano-diagnostic tools for detection and monitoring in food and agriculture production

The main purpose of the Expert Meeting is to make guidelines for the members of the organizations’ about using nanotechnology (nanoparticles) in food production, possible risks, instructions, how-to’s and much more.

DNA strands become fibre optic cables

At the Chalmers University in Sweden, a team of scientists led by Bo Albinsson have created a method which turns DNA strands into fibre optic cables. They guide light, which could be of use in optical computers which use light instead of electricity to perform calculations or in artificial photosyntesis devices.

Those kinds of devices need small light-carrying wires that are able to carry photons. That’s what the Swedish research crew discovered. The wires are built by mixing DNA molecules and chromophores. In this research, scientists used a specific chromophore molecule called YO which has a strong affinity for DNA. As a result, DNA strands turn into very small photonic wires (length ~20nm, diameter ~2nm).

How did they prove this? They implanted a molecule on one end of the DNA strand which was supposed to absorb light, and another one, on the other end of the strand, which was supposed to emit light when it receives it from the neighbouring molecule. After that, researchers shone UV light on a collection of the DNA strands after they had been treated with YO and the finished wires transmitted around 30% of the light received by the input molecule along to the emitting molecule.