University of Northern Iowa
Posted in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology on Feb 23rd, 2008
(NewsVisual, powered by IntellectSpace) — The San Francisco-based biotechnology company Genentech Inc (NYSE: DNA) announced on Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for one of its drugs to be used metastatic breast cancer. The FDA’s approval means that the company’s drug Avastin can be used in combination along [...]
Posted in Synthetic Biology on Feb 23rd, 2008
How to make biology easy to engineer and what are the consequences of success? Drew Endy exposes his views on these key issues in the field of synthetic biology in a video released in the last issue of EDGE.
As a teaser, here are a few quotes from this interview, summarizing in a nutshell his opinion [...]
Posted in Plant Biotechnology on Feb 22nd, 2008
In Europe the fast-growing poplar is set for a renaissance. It provides renewable raw materials for the paper industry and is becoming increasingly important as a climate-friendly, low-cost fuel. This means that poplar breeding is also becoming attractive again. Genetic engineering could play an important role here. – GMO Safety talks to Matthias Fladung from [...]
Posted in Plant Biotechnology on Feb 22nd, 2008
The Bt toxin produced in Bt maize plants is supposed to be effective only against the pests it is designed to control. But is this actually true? Safety research is concerned with the effects that Bt toxin could have on the numerous organisms which come into direct or indirect contact with the maize.
Overview: Bt maize [...]
Posted in Plant Biotechnology on Feb 22nd, 2008
(January 14, 2007) The cultivation of genetically modified crops worldwide has increased once more. Growing areas have expanded by 12 million hectares to a total of 114 million hectares. In the case of maize, a significant gain of 10 million hectares was noted.
GM crops: cultivation areas increase to 114 million hectares
Blogged with Flock
Posted in Bioenergy on Feb 17th, 2008
Plants trees and algae do it. Even some bacteria and moss do it, but scientists have had a difficult time developing methods to turn sunlight into useful fuel. Now, Penn State researchers have a proof-of-concept device that can split water and produce recoverable hydrogen.
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Blogged with Flock
Posted in Plant Biotechnology on Feb 17th, 2008
On February 8, 2008, South Australian Premier Mike Rann and the Minister for Agriculture Rory McEwen announced a continuation of the ban on genetically modified plants. They can not be grown in South Australia. In a media release Mr Rann said Cabinet has decided to maintain the current moratorium from growing GM canola [...]
Posted in Plant Biotechnology on Feb 17th, 2008
Over 114 million hectares of land was planted to GM crops in 23 countries in 2007. Poland and Chile were new additions with Chile producing GM for seed export and Poland grew Bt maize for the first time. The USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India and China top the list in order of hectares planted according [...]
Posted in Plant Biotechnology on Feb 17th, 2008
Greenpeace have been running a campaign against the planting of new crop varieties in Australia since about 2001 as part of their global campaign against genetically modified (GM) food. The Australian campaign has been phenomenally successful with bans to prevent the planting of GM canola introduced in 2004 by most state governments. The bans [...]
Posted in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology on Feb 16th, 2008
The push to create a regulatory framework for generic versions of biotech drugs fizzled last year in Congress, as legislators seemed to lose interest after failing to attach the measure to a major FDA reform bill. But now it’s back, and has gained some unlikely friends in the Bush administration. The FY2009 federal budget, [...]