UC San Diego Bioengineering Students Looking for Internship Opportunities
The UC San Diego Department of Bioengineering invites you to post internship opportunities to its website.
Interns are an opportunity for your company to benefit from a thoughtful, well trained undergraduate or graduate students eager to utilize their skills to address specific projects for your organization.
Posting an internship is easy and the UC San Diego Bioengineering website is a great place for students to learn about internship opportunities. Just visit the UC San Diego Bioengineering website:
http://careers.be.ucsd.edu/ Create an account and post your internship!
Cancer-focused Genoptix Prospering
Veteran San Diego County biotechnology executive Tina Nova heads Genoptix, a Carlsbad laboratory that helps doctors diagnose certain types of cancer.
The company has grown rapidly. In a little more than a decade since its founding, it has grown to more than 400 employees with $135.3 million in revenue during the first nine months of last year and has been profitable since 2007.
Nova co-founded San Diego-based life science companies Ligand Pharmaceuticals and Nanogen. Early in her career, while at the pioneering San Diego biotech company Hybritech, she helped develop and patent a product that tests for the prostate-specific antigen, which is used to monitor prostate cancer.
She discusses Genoptix’s success and her experience working in the biotech sector in a Union-Tribune interview that can be found here.
Organovo Upbeat on Tissue ‘Printer’
The challenge was to build a new kind of machine: a three-dimensional “printer” that would enable scientists to one day build human organs cell by cell. Last year, a small San Diego biotechnology company, Organovo, commissioned a system that aimed to advance its own work in tissue regeneration while also selling additional machines to academic researchers.
The machine arrived in San Diego in the fall, and Organovo is optimistic about its potential. Chief Executive Keith Murphy said the primary focus initially is blood vessels, with several years of animal and human testing necessary before the company would have an actual medical product. But gaining expertise in building blood-vessel networks would help in building other tissue types, he added.
“Anything that’s a tissue you can contemplate,” Murphy said. “Longer-term, we think this technology can be critical in solving the organ shortage.” The Union-Tribune story also discusses the tissue printer’s process in more detail.
Biogen Idec CEO Jim Mullen Stepping Down, After Tumultuous Year of Shareholder Activism
Biogen Idec, the world’s largest maker of multiple sclerosis drugs and an anchor of Boston’s biotech cluster, is looking for a new CEO. The Cambridge, MA-based company said that longtime CEO James Mullen is stepping down on June 8, and also will be relinquishing his seat on the board at this year’s annual meeting.
Mullen, 51, joined the company in 1989 as director of facilities and engineering, and rose through the ranks on the business side over the next two decades. He became vice president of operations in 1992, and then ran Biogen’s international operations from 1996 to 1999. He was named CEO and president of Biogen in June 2000, and he has held both of those titles since the 2003 merger with San Diego-based Idec Pharmaceuticals.
Mullen noted in a statement: “I have had the opportunity to work with many talented and dedicated colleagues over the past 21 years, and I am proud of all that we have accomplished together. With our strong product portfolio, pipeline, global presence and financial profile, the company is well positioned to continue to enhance the lives of patients and deliver value to its investors.”
Ambrx, Saying Thanks to its Rivals, Rides Wave of Interest in “Empowered” Antibodies
There’s no denying that Ambrx CEO Steve Kaldor is a competitor. Still, when I visited him in his San Diego office a few weeks ago, Kaldor was happy to tip his cap to a couple of trail-blazing competitors who have done a lot over the past year to make his life easier, two in particular being Roche and Waltham, MA-based ImmunoGen and Bothell, WA-based Seattle Genetics.
Why? Those companies have built up a body of evidence that suggests they may have the first “empowered” antibody for cancer that has a chance to become a commercial hit. The drug, called T-DM1, combines the ability of an antibody to seek out diseased cells, with a potent toxin that gives the treatment extra tumor-killing kick. This is supposed to be one of the new frontiers in the world of antibody drugs, which have been around more than a decade and have created a market worth an estimated $30 billion a year. While scientists have dreamed for three decades about making more potent versions of plain antibodies, most efforts have fizzled, usually because the toxin broke off and floated in the bloodstream before it could get to the target, causing side effects.
Ambrx has been around since 2003 and has raised more than $106 million in venture capital to engineer protein drugs with new properties that can make them last longer in the blood, or enable them to carry those potent little toxins. But this was the year Ambrx amped up its effort to make so-called “empowered antibodies” that are sometimes called antibody drug conjugates. About one-third of Ambrx’s staff are now working on empowered antibodies, and half of the company’s resources are going toward antibodies, Kaldor says. One of the reasons is that pharma companies have seen the T-DM1 data and want to find a partner who can help them get in the game, too. Xconomy editor, Luke Timmerman, also asked Kaldor for his thoughts on the big trends he sees in biotech in the coming decade.
Team Led by Scripps Research Scientists Develops Technique to Determine Ethnic Origin of Stem Cell Lines
An international team of scientists led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute has developed a straightforward technique to determine the ethnic origin of stem cells.
The Scripps Research scientists initiated the study because the availability of genetically diverse cell lines for cell replacement therapy and drug development could have important medical consequences. Research has shown that discordance between the ethnic origin of organ donors and recipients can influence medical outcomes for tissue transplantation, and that the safety and effectiveness of specific drugs can vary widely depending on ethnic background.
The team’s analysis of a variety of human embryonic stem cell lines currently in use in research laboratories around the world found that these cells originated largely from Caucasian and East Asian populations, with little representation from populations originating in Africa. In response to these results, the scientists used skin cells from an individual of West African Yoruba heritage to create a new stem cell line, the first to carry the genetic profile of this ethnic group.
Seeing Without Looking
Like a spotlight that illuminates an otherwise dark scene, attention brings to mind specific details of our environment while shutting others out. A new study by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies shows that the superior colliculus, a brain structure that primarily had been known for its role in the control of eye and head movements, is crucial for moving the mind's spotlight.
Their findings add new insight to our understanding of how attention is controlled by the brain. The results are closely related to a neurological disorder known as the neglect syndrome, and they may also shed light on the origins of other disorders associated with chronic attention problems, such as autism or attention deficit disorder.
"Our ability to survive in the world depends critically on our ability to respond to relevant pieces of information and ignore others," explains graduate student and first author Lee Lovejoy, who conducted the study together with Richard Krauzlis, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Salk's Systems Neurobiology Laboratory. "Our work shows that the superior colliculus is involved in the selection of things we will respond to, either by looking at them or by thinking about them."
Scripps to Present Future of Genomic Medicine Conference March 5-6
Scripps Translational Science Institute will present its third annual educational conference exploring the latest achievements and challenges in the field of genomics March 5-6, 2010 in San Diego.
The conference, The Future of Genomic Medicine III, will offer a dynamic, interactive forum where human geneticists, genomic scientists, physicians and health care professionals of all disciplines can gain valuable insights from many of the nation’s leading genomics experts. The program will include a series of 28 specialized presentations, interspersed with panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions. The March 5 sessions will focus on the whole genomic sequencing of people. Presentations on March 6 will cover a wide range of topics, such as cancer genomics, genomics of healthy aging and pharmacogenomics.
Presenting this year’s keynote address will be Dr. Leroy Hood, one of the world’s leading scientists in molecular biotechnology and genomics. A special introductory lecture on the future of genomic medicine will be delivered by Life Technologies Chairman and CEO Gregory T. Lucier.
The conference is led by course co-directors Eric J. Topol, M.D. of STSI and Scripps Health and Robert L. Strausberg, Ph.D. of the Ludwig Institute. The program will take place at The Neurosciences Institute Auditorium, located at 10640 John Jay Hopkins Dr., San Diego, Calif., 92121.
Registration for the conference is $80 and is complimentary for all students, residents and fellows. Pre-registration will be accepted through Feb. 26, 2010 on a space-available basis. More information is available on The Future of Genomic Medicine III web page, or by calling Scripps Conference Services & CME at 858-652-5400.
Dual role for immune cells in the brain
We all have at one time or another experienced the typical signs of an infection: the fever, the listlessness, the lack of appetite. They are orchestrated by the brain in response to circulating cytokines, the signaling molecules of the immune system. But just how cytokines' reach extends beyond the almost impenetrable blood-brain barrier has been the topic of much dispute.
In their latest study, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies describe how, depending on the nature of the stimulus, resident macrophages lined up along the blood-brain barrier play opposing roles in the transmission of immune signals into the brain.
The Salk researchers' findings, may pave the way for novel therapies for sufferers of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and prion diseases, in which central inflammatory mechanisms play an important role.
Intellikine Tests First Cancer Drug in Humans, Just Two Years After Opening Labs
Intellikine has only been cooking up new drugs in the laboratory for a little more than two years, and now its first candidate is being tested in human beings. The San Diego-based biotech dosed the first patient in a clinical trial of INK128 just before Christmas Day, says Intellikine CEO Troy Wilson. The experimental drug, a once-daily pill, will be tested at a series of doses among cancer patients with a variety of solid tumors.
The Intellikine study is one to watch, because the company raised $28.5 million last July from a prominent group of investors who are betting it will become a strong competitor among companies seeking to block a hot target for cancer, the PI3 kinase. Intellikine is developing a vast portfolio of drug candidates that can block various types (known as isoforms) of this particular kinase. But Intellikine’s lead drug is actually aiming for target that operates a little further downstream, called TORC1 and TORC2. These are enzymes that are involved in sending signals vital to cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, and energy use, Wilson says.
There are already drugs on the market—Pfizer’s temsirolimus (Torisel) and Novartis’ everolimus (Affinitor)—that work by blocking the first enzyme, TORC1, but not the second, Wilson says. While those drugs have proven themselves and won FDA approval, Intellikine and other competitors like OSI Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca hope that if they can also shut down TORC2, they will block one of the escape valves that enables tumors to develop resistance to the anti-cancer drug, Wilson says. OSI and AstraZeneca are already in early-phase clinical trials, racing ahead of Intellikine’s drug, Wilson says.
How Flu Succeeds
Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation have identified 295 human cell factors that influenza A strains must harness to infect a cell, including the currently circulating swine-origin H1N1. The team also identified small molecule compounds that act on several of these factors and inhibit viral replication, pointing to new ways to treat flu.
Influenza A virus contains only enough genetic information (RNA) to produce 11 proteins and must co-opt host cellular machinery to complete its life cycle. Sumit Chanda, Ph.D., of Burnham, Megan Shaw, Ph.D., of Mount Sinai, John Young, Ph.D., of Salk, Yingyao Zhou, Ph.D., of GNF and others used RNAi screening technology to selectively turn off more than 19,000 human genes to determine which human factors facilitate viral entry, uncoating, nuclear import, viral replication and other necessary functions of the virus.
“This study has provided us with crucial knowledge of the cellular pathways and factors the influenza virus exploits to replicate” added Dr. Shaw. “Each of these represents an ‘Achilles heel’ of the virus and vastly increases the number of potential targets for new influenza antiviral drugs.”
Life Technologies Uses Sound Wave Technology to Crack Into New Instrument Market
Carlsbad, CA-based Life Technologies sells a bunch of stuff to biomedical researchers, but one market it has never tried to capture is the one for flow cytometers. These are common lab tools that can count and catalog large numbers of cells in a biological sample. They can be useful in many ways, including, say, looking to add up the number of certain white blood cells a patient produces when infected with HIV.
The big players who make these tools are firmly entrenched. Becton Dickinson, Beckman Coulter, and Millipore dominate a market worth an estimated $1.4 billion a year, which is still growing at an 8 percent annual clip. Now Life Technologies is on a mission to grab some market share with a first-of-its-kind tool it calls the Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer. Xconomy got an overview of the product and the business strategy behind it from Nicolas Barthelemy, the company’s president of cell systems.
Barthelemy says Life Tech is hopeful this tool, and the consumable chemicals needed to operate it, will become popular enough to generate $100 million in annual sales by its third year on the market. At least in the beginning, Life Tech hopes to market the tool to scientists who don’t already use flow cytometers, offering them a product that is compact enough to fit on a lab bench, and costs less than $100,000, making it tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than the competition, Barthelemy says.
La Jolla Institute Appoints Amnon Altman as Director of Scientific Affairs
The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has appointed distinguished scientist Amnon Altman, Ph.D., a longtime faculty member, to the newly created position of director, scientific affairs. As director, Dr. Altman will assist Institute President & Chief Scientific Officer Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., with expanding management activities related to the Institute’s recent growth and dynamic research program.
“Dr. Altman is highly respected for his scientific accomplishments and judgment,” said Dr. Kronenberg, noting that Dr. Altman
is a prominent researcher whose career has significantly advanced scientific understanding of the signals governing how white
blood cells are activated. This is important for understanding autoimmune diseases such as type I diabetes as well as protective
immune responses against infectious agents. “He brings the insight and wisdom of a veteran scientist, along with excellent
managerial skills, which will be a major asset as our Institute continues to accelerate research toward new treatments for
immune-mediated diseases.”"As part of the changes, Dr. Kronenberg, previously president & scientific director, has been promoted to the additional
role of chief scientific officer. “With the recent expansion of our scientific faculty and the prolific activity of our researchers,
Dr. Altman’s assistance with day-to-day operations will enable me to focus more intensely on the Institute’s high-level goals,
strategic vision and continued success.”
Scientists Reveal Key Structure from Ebola Virus
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of a critical protein from the Ebola virus, which, though rare, is one of the deadliest viruses on the planet killing between 50 and 90 percent of those infected. The research reveals how a key component of the Ebola virus, called VP35, blocks the human immune system, allowing the virus uncontrolled replication. The structure represents a major step forward in understanding how the deadly virus works, and may be useful in the development of potential treatments for those infected.
"After infection, the virus and immune system are in a race," said Erica Ollmann Saphire, associate professor at Scripps Research, who led the three-year effort to solve the structure. "If the virus can hide its molecular signatures, it can suppress immune responses and replicate unchecked. This new understanding of the mechanism that Ebola virus uses to evade the immune system opens the door for developing drug therapies."
A signature of Ebola virus infection is the presence of the virus's double-stranded RNA, which, when detected by immune system proteins, triggers a full immune response. The new research describes how the VP35 protein of the Ebola virus masks the double-stranded RNA to prevent the immune response.
Researchers Identify MicroRNA Targets in C. elegans
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that impact almost every aspect of biology. In recent years, they have been strongly implicated in stem cell biology, tissue and organism development, as well as human conditions ranging from mental disorders to cancer. For the most part, miRNAs control gene expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) targets. Unlike mRNAs, which are translated into proteins, miRNAs function as short, untranslated molecules that regulate specific mRNAs through base-pairing interactions. Since miRNAs bind limited stretches of consecutive bases in mRNAs, identifying which mRNAs are targets of individual miRNAs has been a bottleneck of biomedical research, as researchers have had to rely largely on computational predictions.
Now, researchers at the University of California, San Diego have identified the binding sites of these miRNAs in one of the foremost model organisms, C. elegans, using biochemical means to capture targeted mRNA sequences in vivo.
Argonaute proteins are key players in gene-silencing pathways; miRNAs are anchored into specific binding sites to guide Argonaute proteins to target mRNA molecules for silencing or destruction. By cross-linking interactions between the Argonaute protein bound to miRNA and mRNA duplexes, principal investigators Gene Yeo, PhD, assistant professor in UCSD’s Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Amy Pasquinelli, PhD, associate professor in UCSD's Division of Biological Sciences, were able to globally identify their specific binding sites in the nematode.
Scientists Find New Link Between Insulin and Core Body Temperature
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a direct link between insulin—a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes—and core body temperature. While much research has been conducted on insulin since its discovery in the 1920s, this is the first time the hormone has been connected to the fundamental process of temperature regulation.
The scientists found that when insulin was injected directly into a specific area of the brain in rodents, core body temperature rose, metabolism increased, and brown adipose (fat) tissue was activated to release heat. The research team also found that these effects were dose-dependent—up to a point, the more insulin, the more these metabolic measures rose.
"Scientists have known for many years that insulin is involved in glucose regulation in tissues outside the brain," said Scripps Research neurobiologist Manuel Sanchez-Alavez, who was first author of the new paper with Bartfai lab colleagues Iustin V. Tabarean and Olivia Osborn (now at the University of California, San Diego). "The connection to temperature regulation in the brain is new."
Scientists Crack Mystery of Protein's Dual Function
Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have solved a 10-year-old mystery of how a single protein from an ancient family of enzymes can have two completely distinct roles in the body. In addition to providing guidance for understanding other molecules in the family, the research supplies a theoretical underpinning for the protein's possible use for combating diseases including cancer and macular degeneration.
The scientists, led by Scripps Research Associate Professor Xiang-Lei Yang, focused on a molecule called human tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS), finding that it contains a "functional switch" that enables it to perform two different functions. In one of its forms, the molecule acts to facilitate protein synthesis. In the second form, the same molecule works to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels—an effect that, if successfully harnessed, could be medically useful.
"I'm very excited about these findings," said Yang. "This piece of work provides a very deep mechanistic understanding. It has really shown that the activity of this tRNA synthetase is of biological significance and that it's a good example of the many, many different functions that have been found with the tRNA synthetase family."
Team Restores Some Function to Cells from Cystic Fibrosis Patients
In an encouraging new development, a team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has restored partial function to lung cells collected from patients with cystic fibrosis. While there is still much work to be done before the therapy can be tested in humans, the discovery opens the door to a new class of therapies for this and a host of other chronic diseases.
"We are very excited by these results," said team leader Professor William Balch, a professor in the Departments of Cell Biology and Chemical Physiology and member of the Institute for Childhood and Neglected Diseases, who also receives support from the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, all at Scripps Research. "Because we came at the problem of restoring cell function from a new perspective—using biology to correct biology—these findings have the potential to be game-changing."
The new study, performed in collaboration with a large number of cystic fibrosis investigators across the United States and Canada, showed that a compound called suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), which is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for lymphoma, can restore about 28 percent of normal function to lung surface cells with the most common, yet severe, cystic fibrosis mutation that results in complete loss-of-function in homozygous patients (those receiving a copy of the mutated gene from both parents).