[Source: Research & Innovation] 
EU-funded research has revealed an increased urgency to protect the diversity of animals, showing they play a much larger and more intricate role in the dispersal of plant seeds than previously thought. This is important for maintaining our global environment.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is currently considering a rules change that, if enacted, would significantly improve how it conducts patent challenge proceedings. This is a policy change that BIO has long advocated for.
This proposal, entitled “Changes to the Claims Construction Standard for Interpreting Claims in Trial Proceedings Before the PTAB,” will help ensure that patent claims have the same meaning, whether they are reviewed by the PTO, a federal court, or the International Trade Commission. This will reduce abusive practices, such as answer-shopping and repetitive litigation by dissatisfied patent challengers.
This week BIO submitted comments to the PTO in support of the proposed revisions to the standard for construing disputed claim terms in inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and covered business method reviews (“post-grant proceedings”).
[Source: Research & Innovation] On 20 September 2018 a conference on geothermal renewable energy will take place in Brussels.
The event will provide insights into the impacts of R&D funded through the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation; including providing access to the Geothermal Renewable Energy R&D Impact Report and an opportunity to influence the recommendations to increase future R&D impacts.
During the workshop key industry experts, including TNO, the Joint Research Centre, the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) and Italian National Research Council, Inst. Geosciences and Earth Resources, will share their insights on the future of Geothermal technologies. Additionally there will be opportunities for discussion on how to increase the impacts of your own research projects.
More information and registration
Akcea Therapeutics (NASDAQ: AKCA) has beaten rival Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY) to a first drug approval, getting the nod for its drug inotersen (Tegsedi) in the European Union.
Akcea and Alnylam, both of Cambridge, MA, are developing treatments for the rare genetic disease transthyretin amyloidosis, or ATTR. It stems from a gene mutation that causes the protein transthyretin, which carries vitamin A around the body, to misfold and build up in nerves and other tissues, causing pain, organ failure, and early death. EU regulators approved inotersen to treat neuropathy caused by ATTR.
Akcea is a spinout of Carlsbad,… Read more »
UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS
Labeling of GMOs has been in the news a lot lately. Actually, the issue has been in the news a lot for several years now. People say they have a right to know what’s in their food and how their food is grown. The question is: Why GMOs? Why not other breeding methods like mutagenesis, crossbreeding, or polyploidy? None of them are “natural.” All of them made with man’s intervention. All of them involved changes to DNA. Why now? GMOs have been on the market in the United States for more than 20 years now – why is there a big push for labeling GMOs now?
Young man in supermarket comparing bottles of oil, rear view, close-up
Most importantly, should you care if GMOs are labeled? Should you be worried? Should you avoid GMOs, once you start seeing them being labeled? A new study shows that GMO labels reduce peoples fear of GMOs. But does it matter?
GMO Answers volunteer expert Connie Diekman, M.ED., RD, CSSD, LD, FAND, has written a new op-ed in the Kansas City Star that tells what you really need to know about GMOs and labels.
GMO crops have been around since the 1990s. As outlined in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ review “Advanced Technology in Food Production,” they are grown by farmers in the U.S. and in 28 nations around the globe. The process involves introducing desirable traits in plants, either by selective breeding of healthy strains or by crossbreeding related species.
And
In 2016, the National Academies of Science released a review of more than 1,000 research publications, which concluded that there was no difference between GMO and non-GMO crops in regards to nutritional value or impact on human health. As a registered dietitian, I found strong confirmation in that review of the benefits and safety of these products.
Further, a 2018 systemic review paper in The Journal of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics looked at GE, or genetically engineered, foods – a specialized subset whose genes have been modified using technology – and found their allergenic potential is no different from that of conventional foods.
So while you’re reading these stories about GMO labeling, seeing posts on social media about the issue, remember to stick to the facts and not fall prey to hyperbole and scare tactics.
To learn more about GMOs, visit the GMO Answers website to explore and submit your own questions about the technology.
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals is ending a plan to merge with Idera Pharmaceuticals and form a single company focused on rare diseases.
Durham, NC-based BioCryst (NASDAQ: BCRX) terminated the merger agreement on Tuesday following a meeting that saw shareholders vote overwhelmingly against the proposal. Of the more than 80 million shares represented in the vote, 50.6 million shares were voted against the deal. Meanwhile, shareholders of Idera, which splits its operations between Exton, PA, and Cambridge, MA, supported the merger in a lopsided vote.
BioCryst and Idera reached their merger agreement in January. The companies framed the tie-up as way… Read more »
UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS
When it comes to digital marketing in China, people tend to think of WeChat, Weibo or new favourite, Douyin (Tik Tok).
It seems that creating a prominent profile on these platforms has become a standard requirement for brands wanting to market themselves to a Chinese audience. But despite their popularity, are they really ideal platforms for everyone?
Grail has appointed George Golumbeski to serve as president of the Menlo Park, CA, cancer test developer. He has also joined Grail’s board of directors. Golumbeski was most recently executive vice president of business development at Celgene (NYSE: CELG). In May, Grail closed a $300 million Series C round of financing to continue its work to develop and validate a blood test that can detect cancer early.
UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS
[Source: Research & Innovation] InnoTrans is the leading international trade fair for transport technology and takes places every two years in Berlin. The InnoTrans Convention, the event’s top-level supporting programme, complements the trade fair.A unique feature of InnoTrans is its outdoor and track display area, where everything from tank wagons to high-speed trains are displayed on 3 500 metres of track.Since 2016 InnoTrans offers vehicle manufacturers the possibility to demonstrate busses on a static display area and the adjacent Demonstration Course.
Next week is the 2018 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology in Philadelphia. This year’s conference features robust programming for anyone working in industrial biotechnology, including four plenary sessions, 28 breakout sessions across seven tracks, 10 GreenTech Investor Sessions and more than 50 company and technical presentations.
Not to be missed, however, are several sponsored workshops designed to assist attendees of the 2018 BIO World Congress in taking advantage of invaluable opportunities to advance their companies. From learning about finance programs available to help companies develop and commercialize their products to an overview of new technologies revolutionizing the industry, you won’t want to miss any of the sponsored workshops.
The four sponsored workshops will take place Wednesday, July 18, from 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. and include:
A Thriving Bioeconomy: USDA’s Role, Outreach and Finance Programs
Sponsored by USDA Rural Development
A thriving bioeconomy requires research, commercialization, programs and policy to bring biobased products to market. Included in USDA’s Rural Development efforts are research and development, technology transfer-marketing and verification, commercialization and government procurement programs. Additionally, USDA’s grant and guaranteed loan programs finance construction and development of commercial-scale biorefineries and manufacturing facilities and advancement of new and emerging technologies for the production of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased products. At this workshop, you’ll learn about the various opportunities available through USDA to help your company advance in the biobased economy.
Renewable Chemicals and Biofuels Processes Use of Sartorius ambr ® 250 Platform and Umetrics Software for Process Optimization, Scale-Up and Advanced Analytics
Sponsored by Sartorius Stedim
Process development and optimization in industrial biotechnology requires technical solutions which reduce timelines, increase efficiency, and raise likelihood of success. Sartorius’ (booth #317) ambr®15 and ambr®250 fermenters as well as Umetrics Suite of software for advanced analytics has been widely applied to speed up process development and implement advanced data analytics in manufacturing. Ginkgo Bioworks will detail case studies involving process optimization and scale up from ambr® to 50kL, minimizing developing timelines including an example of taking a shake flask process to economically viable titers in 2 months, scale down from 400kL to 15 and 250mL scale in order perform strain screening experiments, and demonstrating similar performance to 2.5L benchtops when modeling a commercially available process using an insoluble media. This workshop provides an overview of the technology through product reviews, customer case studies and visions for the future. It wraps up with a Q&A session.
Successful Deals on How to Structure and Close Biobased Economy Financing
Sponsored by Faegre Baker Daniels, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, and New Energy Risk
In this workshop, expert panelists will review the strategies on the first commercial bioeconomy transactions financially closed in 2017 and 2018. Our panelists and moderators constitute the principal investment bankers, lenders, investors and attorneys that structured, funded and/or closed each of these transactions involving biojet, renewable chemicals, biobased products, and renewable diesel projects throughout the country. Each of the transactions were financially closed under different and very sophisticated project financing structures which bodes well for successfully executing new technologies emerging in the respective biobased economy industries now and in the future.
USDA BioPreferred® Program Stakeholder Meeting
Sponsored by USDA BioPreferred Program
During this workshop, you’ll hear from representatives from BIO member companies as they share information about the role of high-value bioproducts in the global bioeconomy, learn about the benefits of working with the BioPreferred program and get the opportunity to provide suggestions and feedback for improvements to the BioPreferred program.
For more information about sponsored workshops, click here. For more information about the 2018 BIO World Congress, click here.
