SBE – November 2012

November 2012

Biotechnology News

•	New Technique Enables High-Sensitivity View of Cellular Functions Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, including Dr. Jonathan Dordick, have developed an ultrasensitive method for detecting glycans produced by living organisms. This breakthrough is anticipated to help provide a more detailed understanding of cellular functions beyond that based on either genetic or proteomic information. Rensselaer
•	Engineers Control Thousands of Cells Simultaneously Using Magnetic Nanoparticles Using clusters of magnetic nanoparticles, researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have shown that they can manipulate how thousands of cells divide, and morph. NanoWerk
•	Fighting Bacteria with Mucus Results from a recent MIT study suggest a possible new source of protection against biofilm formation: polymers found in mucus. The MIT biological engineers found that these polymers, known as mucins, can trap bacteria and prevent them from clumping together on a surface, rendering them harmless and limiting their deleterious effects in medical and industrial settings. MIT
•	EU Backs Novartis Meningitis Vaccine The European Medicines Agency has recommended the approval of Novartis AG's Bexsero, the first vaccine that works against meningitis B, for use in individuals as young as 2 months. The B strain of meningitis is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, a highly contagious infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord which mainly affects infants and young children. European Medicines Agency
•	Type 1 Diabetes Stem Cell Breakthrough Moves Toward Cure In a breakthrough that signifies a move toward a cure for type 1 diabetes, researchers in Australia have identified stem cells in the pancreas that can be turned into insulin-producing cells. The finding promises to bring closer the day when people with type 1 diabetes will be able to produce their own insulin in their own regenerated insulin-producing pancreatic cells. Medical News Today

SBE News

Dr. Eleftherios Terry Papoutsakis, Eugene Dupont Chair for the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, was awarded the 2012 Jay Bailey Award at the AIChE Annual meeting in Pittsburgh, PA on October 30th. This award is endowed by Cytos. Dr. Papoutsakis was interviewed about the award and his work. Watch it here.

Dr. James Swartz of Stanford University was awarded SBE's D.I.C. Wang Award at the AIChE Annual meeting in Pittsburgh, PA on October 29th. This award is endowed by contributions.

SBE Conferences Update

Register as an early bird for the Fourth International Conference on Biomolecular Engineering (ICBE). It will be held January 13-16, 2013 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Co-chairs Ali Khademhosseini (Harvard) and Kristala Prather (MIT) have organized keynote lectures by George Church (Harvard Medical School), Jim Collins (Boston University), Virginia Cornish (Columbia University) and Nicholas Peppas (University of Texas-Austin). Review the program, or submit a proposal to obtain graduate student funding. Apply for potential funding here. Early bird registration rates end on December 7.

The Call for Papers is open for SBE's 3rd International Conference on Accelerating Biopharmaceutical Development (AccBio 2013). It will be held in February 24-26, 2013 in Coronado Island. Papers are also being accepted with the co-located Quality by Design in Biologics, the conference will review strategies, technical fundamentals, and industrial case studies, and will bring together industry, academia and regulators to address challenges and opportunities for biopharmaceutical development.

Student Corner

Thinking about starting an SBE Student Chapter? Email Evan Flach at evanf@aiche.org for more information. SBE student membership is free and you can become a member here.

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SBE's e-Connections is edited by Adrian Fay, Web Science Editor, with input from the SBE staff. Contact us at bio@aiche.org.

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