Bio Screening Industry News

Science Daily - Determining the structure of a protein called hemagglutinin on the surface of influenza B is giving researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University in Houston clues as to what kinds of mutations could spark the next flu pandemic.

In a new online report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Drs. Qinghua Wang, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at BCM, and Jianpeng Ma, associate professor in the same department and their colleagues describe the actual structure of influenza B virus hemagglutinin and compare it to a similar protein on influenza A virus.

That comparison may be key to understanding the changes that will have to occur before avian flu (which is a form of influenza A virus) mutates to a form that can easily infect humans, said Ma, who holds a joint appointment at Rice. He and Wang have identified a particular residue or portion of the protein that may play a role in how different types of hemagglutinin bind to human cells.

“What would it take for the bird flu to mutate and start killing people” That’s the next part of our work,” said Ma. Understanding that change may give scientists a handle on how to stymie it.

There are two main forms of influenza virus — A and B. Influenza B virus infects only people while influenza A infects people and birds. In the past, influenza A has been the source of major worldwide epidemics (called pandemics) of flu that have swept the globe, killing millions of people. The most famous of these was the Pandemic of 1918-1919, which is believed to have killed between 20 and 40 million people worldwide. It killed more people than World War I, which directly preceded it.

The Asian flu pandemic of 1957-1958 is believed to have killed as many as 1.5 million people worldwide, and the so-called Hong Kong flu pandemic of 1968-1969 is credited with as many as 1 million deaths. Each scourge was accompanied by a major change in the proteins on the surface of the virus.

Hemagglutinin sits on the membrane or surface of the virus. When it finds a receptor in a cell, it clicks in — just as a key fits into a lock and enters to infect the cell. The hemagglutinin on influenza B only fits into a receptor on human cells. However, influenza A virus hemagglutinin fits into receptors on human and bird cells. Understanding the differences in the two “keys” may provide a clue as to how the avian flu virus, which infects only bird cells easily now, must change to infect humans easily. Understanding those changes could provide researchers with information about how likely a pandemic of bird flu might be, said Ma.

Others who took part in this work include Xia Tian and Xiaorui Chen, both of BCM. Funding for this work came from the National Institutes of Health and the Welch Foundation.

Note: This story has been adapted from material provided by Baylor College of Medicine.

Source: Science Daily

US AI Experts, Public Health, Military and Homeland Security Officials, Vaccine Manufacturers and Other Stakeholders to Join Their Counterparts from 35 Nations this September in the 5th International Bird Flu Summit

More than 400 bird flu policy makers representing 35 countries are expected to gather at the 5th International Bird Flu Summit to examine the worlds preparedness and response plans against a bird flu pandemic.

Washington, DC (New-Fields) September 5, 2007 - More than 400 registered participants are expected to attend the 5th International Bird Flu Summit (IBFS) in Las Vegas on September 27 and 28, 2007.
The summit, which will have the participation of delegates from 35 countries, is expected to create a global perspective as well as offer practical approaches to the bird flu threat, to protect nations, communities, businesses, and way of life. With the number of delegates exceeding that of the last four summits, issues on health, economics, security and related concerns are expected to be tackled on a more global scale.

“The heightened interest and participation in the IBFS is a strong indication that the world needs to continue to reinforce its defenses against a possible pandemic bird flu,” explains Samir Farajallah, president and CEO of New-Fields, the summit organizer.

“Practical applications of breakthroughs in science, technology and infection control are some of the significant additions top the topics to be presented at the 5th Summit. These practical means to beat the avian influenza (AI) virus are seen as a boost in the global preparation against AI. This is very important as it is coming at the wake of bird flu related deaths in Indonesia,” Farajallah explains further.

As in the previous summits, distinguished scientists, public health officials, business leaders, law enforcers, first responders and other experts will discuss the latest in pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

The summit will also address the threat of a bird flu pandemic and a possible human-to-human transmission.
Participants, like in the past summits, will have a unique chance to come face-to-face with doctors who have treated fatal human cases of bird flu, such as Dr. Sardikin Giripatro of the Indonesian Investigation and Verification Team for Avian Influenza Outbreaks.

More participants are expected to join the 5th IBFS. Since its first staging in February 2006, the IBFS has established a strong global network of partners dedicated to the fight against the bird flu. The Summit continues to build on the success of the four previous summits held in Washington and Geneva, Switzerland.

This global event is open to all interested businesses and organizations from all countries. To obtain further information about the conference, please contact our Washington DC office at 202.536.5000 or visit us at www.new-fields.com.

About New-Fields

New-Fields Exhibitions, Inc. is a leading emerging markets and business information provider, producing trade shows that produce results for companies worldwide. Woth offices in the Asia Pacific Region and Washington DC, the company provides marketing services in the areas of construction, energy, oil & gas, telecommunications and health care.

Aarhus Denmark, April 30, 2007 — CLC bio, the IT University of Copenhagen, and the Department of Molecular Biology at the interdisciplinary nano science centre (iNANO) of University of Aarhus are proud to announce that the Danish Council for Strategic Research has approved to fund the ambitious and ground-breaking research project PC Mini Grids for Prediction of Viral RNA Structure and Evolution.

Professor at the Department of Molecular Biology at University of Aarhus iNANO center, Jørgen Kjems, states:
“Being part of this research project and collaborating with the top scientists from IT University of Copenhagen and CLC bio will provide us with innovative and valuable tools as well as input for new and ground-breaking research into RNA-based diseases. We are thrilled to be a part of this interdisciplinary research project, and have great expectations of the outcome.”

The project aims at designing a collaborative, peer-to-peer software architecture for distributed bioinformatics algorithms, to make research into RNA-based diseases like HIV, SARS, and bird flu faster and more efficient than with current approaches. An important part of the project is to develop better and more user-friendly bioinformatics software for theoretical analysis of RNA available for conventional biology laboratories.

Detailed search and analyses on large amounts of data and time consuming calculations are significant components when doing research in RNA-based diseases. Work efficiency is enhanced with the development of novel software systems, which utilize ordinary workstation computers for analysis, and by improving the user-friendliness and robustness of such distributed parallel computing. This implies such analyses can be performed by non-technical persons, including biologists working in the laboratory. In other words: by developing this kind of solution, this project will dramatically help scientists and researchers worldwide get better RNA-research results in less time, through a simple graphical user interface on a standard computer.

The project will take four years and the total costs amount to 2.5 million USD of which half is funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research and the other half is co-financed by the three parties involved.

An interesting feature about the project is the involvement of different fields of science. The project is truly interdisciplinary by involving researchers from computer science, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and nano technology.

With the participation in this research project, CLC bio takes an important step toward assuring that CLC RNA Workbench - the upcoming bioinformatics software package for advanced RNA sequence analysis - will continuously be ahead of competing products when it comes to user-friendliness, scientific level, and innovative use of the latest IT technology.

About CLC bio
CLC bio is the world’s leading full-service bioinformatics solution provider, solely focusing on the development of bioinformatics: software, hardware, data analysis, and custom-designed bioinformatics algorithms. CLC bio is an Apple solution provider and value added reseller.

CLC bio’s mission is to be among the most innovative bioinformatics companies in the 21st century. This is realized through:

Development of bioinformatics software and hardware based on the latest scientific findings
User-friendly, integrated and intuitive software solutions
Continuous focus on customer needs and superior customer service
Frequent product updates including the latest IT technologies and bioinformatics algorithms
A flexible IT architecture, enabling customers to buy or develop individualized solutions at a reasonable price.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have set the stage for the rapid identification of compounds to fight against severe acquired respiratory syndrome (SARS), the atypical pneumonia responsible for about 800 deaths worldwide since first recognized in late 2002. Researchers from Brookhaven’s biology department and the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) characterized a component of the virus that will be the target of new anti-SARS virus drugs. The results were published online by Biochemistry on November 17, 2006.

“Although vaccines against viruses are very effective, vaccines for viruses that mutate rapidly - such as the viruses that cause SARS, AIDS, and bird flu - are much more difficult to obtain,” said Brookhaven biologist Walter Mangel, the lead author of the paper. “Even if a vaccine is available, antiviral agents are important in stopping the spread of highly infectious viruses. If antiviral agents for SARS had been available, they could have been used to contain the outbreak to the initial site of the infection.”

The researchers studied the SARS main proteinase, an enzyme used by the virus during infection to cut newly made viral proteins into gene-sized, functioning pieces. If the proteinase is prevented from working, the virus infection is aborted. Previous studies have revealed that the proteinase is inactive when in the form of single molecules. But once two of those molecules bind together to make what is called a dimer, the enzyme becomes active and is able to play its role in SARS virus reproduction. The challenge for researchers, and the focus of the Brookhaven study, was to determine the concentration at which individual proteinase molecules form active dimers. Knowing this concentration, for which estimates at other laboratories have varied greatly, would allow researchers to search for anti-SARS drugs more efficiently by ensuring that the proteinase used in tests is initially in its active form.

Using three different scientific techniques, including x-ray scattering at the NSLS, the Brookhaven researchers obtained almost identical values for this concentration. Now that this crucial value has been narrowed down to a precise range, researchers can focus on finding compounds that bind to the active form of the enzyme.

“Targets for antiviral drugs must be carefully chosen such that binding to it prevents the virus from reproducing,” Mangel said. “Viral proteinases are excellent targets for antiviral drugs. One reason so many people are surviving the AIDS epidemic is the effectiveness of drugs targeted to the proteinase of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).”

One way to obtain compounds that bind to a proteinase is via high-throughput screening. Chemical libraries containing tens of thousands of small compounds are available that can be searched for effective drugs against various diseases. Small amounts of a target, e.g., an active viral proteinase, are placed in tiny wells in a plate, and a different compound from the library is added to each well.

To determine whether a compound binds to and inhibits the proteinase, an additional molecule is added that changes color in the presence of an active proteinase. Wells that don’t show a color change therefore contain compounds that inhibit the proteinase, and could be effective antiviral agents. Earlier this year, Mangel’s research group published a procedure on the synthesis of a new compound that changes color in the presence of the active form of the SARS main proteinase.

However, for this screening process to work, the SARS proteinase inserted into the wells has to be active to begin with. Knowing the concentration range for dimer formation will therefore help researchers in their search for a compound to stop the virus. “Now that the stage is set, high-throughput screening can begin,” Mangel said. “Hopefully, it will yield an antiviral agent that can be stockpiled before a virulent strain of the virus reappears.”

###

This research was supported by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences within the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health.

DUBLIN, Ireland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug 24, 2006 - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c41023) has announced the addition of Avian Influenza: The Threatening Pandemic to their offering.

The purpose of this report is to describe the threatening world pandemic caused by avian influenza, also known as bird flu. This report discusses the origins of the disease, the bird-to-human infection risks, the catastrophic health crisis avian flu poses, and the efforts by world governments and international health organizations to mitigate the impact of the threat to humans.

Chapter Titles Include:

1. Overview

2. Introduction and Executive Summary

3. The Basics of Human Influenza

4. The Basics of Avian Influenza

5. Epidemiology of Avian Influenza

6. Influenza Diagnosis & Laboratory Issues

7. Preparedness

8. Economics of Avian Influenza

9. Fighting the Flu

List of Tables

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c41023

Contact Research and Markets Laura Wood Fax: +353 1 4100 980 press@researchandmarkets.com

BIOWIRE

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Has Released Sequences from Influenza Strains Including Those from the Recent Human Deaths in Indonesia

Acacia Research Corporation announced today that its CombiMatrix group (Nasdaq:CBMX) (Nasdaq:ACTG) is making available an updated version of its Influenza A Array. Incorporated into version 3.0 are the new sequences that have been released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which include the strains from the recent infections and deaths in Indonesia.

For more information about the CDC’s release, see the following link: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CDC_FLU_GENES?SITE=AP& SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-08-23-01-15-16. (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser’s address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

CombiMatrix’s arrays are being used today in various testing programs in different regions of the world to track Eurasian avian influenza H5N1, or bird flu. These tests are utilizing version 2.0 of the Influenza A Array. Subsequent programs will utilize version 3.0 and other updated versions that CombiMatrix will make available as new sequence and mutation information becomes public.

As before, the new Influenza A Microarray can identify all strains of Influenza A, including bird and human varieties. By tracking changes in genetic makeup of the virus, this array can differentiate highly pathogenic from less-lethal flu strains and can identify strains that may be resistant to drug therapy.

“Again we demonstrate the strength of our technology in taking the most up-to-date genetic information and incorporating it into an array that can be used for research and diagnostics,” said Dr. Amit Kumar, President and CEO of CombiMatrix. “We applaud the CDC in its effort to make this information public, and we support its efforts as well as that of the WHO in encouraging other labs around the world to do the same.”

ABOUT ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION

Acacia Research Corporation comprises two operating groups, Acacia Technologies group and CombiMatrix group.

The CombiMatrix group is developing a platform technology to rapidly produce CUSTOMARRAYS(TM), which are semiconductor-based tools for use in identifying and determining the roles of genes, gene mutations and proteins. The CombiMatrix’s group’s technology has a wide range of potential applications in the areas of genomics, proteomics, biosensors, drug discovery, drug development, diagnostics, combinatorial chemistry, material sciences and nanotechnology.

The Acacia Technologies group develops, acquires, and licenses patented technologies. Acacia controls 46 patent portfolios covering technologies used in a wide variety of industries including audio/video enhancement & synchronization, broadcast data retrieval, computer memory cache coherency, credit card fraud protection, database management, data encryption & product activation, digital media transmission (DMT(R)), digital video production, dynamic manufacturing modeling, enhanced Internet navigation, hearing aid ECS, image resolution enhancement, interactive data sharing, interactive television, laptop docking station connectivity, microprocessor enhancement, multi-dimensional bar codes, network data storage, resource scheduling, rotational video imaging, spreadsheet automation, user activated Internet advertising and web conferencing & collaboration software.

Acacia Research-Acacia Technologies (Nasdaq:ACTG) and Acacia Research-CombiMatrix (Nasdaq:CBMX) are both classes of common stock issued by Acacia Research Corporation and are intended to reflect the performance of the respective operating groups and are not issued by the operating groups.

Information about the Acacia Technologies group and the CombiMatrix group is available at www.acaciaresearch.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon our current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof. Our actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and uncertainties, including the economic slowdown affecting technology companies, our ability to successfully develop products, rapid technological change in our markets, changes in demand for our future products, legislative, regulatory and competitive developments and general economic conditions. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, recent and forthcoming Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Forms 8-K and 8-K/A, and other SEC filings discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Washington - The United States Health and Human Services Department released another $225-million to states and cities on Tuesday to use in preparing for a pandemic of bird flu or other disease.

The allotment is the largest share of $350-million designated to help state and local governments buy supplies and fix up medical and emergency services. The first $100-million was distributed in February to identify the gaps.

“These funds will build on the work begun at the summits and help local, tribal, territorial and state public health officials as they undertake critical preparedness planning that communities must do themselves,” HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement.

HHS has stressed that state and local governments, businesses and individuals must bear most of the burden of preparing for a pandemic or biological attack. Leavitt says the federal government is not equipped to do all the work and does not have enough money.

Infectious disease experts agree that a pandemic of some sort of influenza is overdue. The H5N1 avian flu virus that has affected birds in about 50 countries is considered the most likely candidate.

H5N1 rarely infects humans but it has killed 131 people out of 229 who contracted the illness in nine countries.

Experts argue that even if a pandemic does not come, the money is well spent to shore up neglected public health services globally and a thin vaccine industry.

The US Congress has authorised $6,1-billion of bird flu funds out of $7,1-billion requested by President George Bush. Most is aimed at vaccine research and development.

The United States has also pledged to help other counties but has spent only about $71-million out of the $334-million it promised, according to a United Nations report.

The money is meant to help countries watch for flu, upgrade veterinary systems, hold vaccination drives and educate people about about animal and human hygiene.

Amman, 03 July (Petra)–Specialists, participating in a one day workshop on bird flue disease, on Monday affirmed the importance of communication strategies between health sector and mass media in the field of confronting bird flue. The workshop, organized by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in cooperation with UN ICEF and WHO, is meant to further strengthen communication and information exchange between governmental and non-governmental institutions and the concerned international organizations concerning bird flue.

UNICEF communication and media Bureau Hend Mango pointed out that since the the disease appeared on the world level, the number of cases reached 228 which lead to 130 deaths.

GEN ID Lab Services, Inc. (”GEN ID”) (OTC:GDLB) today announced that with the assistance of S2 Biosciences, Inc. (”S2″), a privately held company, it will be developing new drug candidates to treat Bird Flu infections in humans.

Current treatment of H5N1 avian influenza infection includes the use of antiviral therapy such as ribavirin and amantadine and neuraminidase inhibitors such as oseltamivir and zanamivir. The presence of Asp31 in the M2 protein of some variants of H5N1 confers resistance to the antiviral compounds, making this treatment option ineffective. While the neuraminidase inhibitors group of compounds are effective against influenza infections, recent isolates of H5N1 have been shown to contain amino acid substitutions in the neuraminidase enzyme making these variants resistant to this alternative treatment option.

In its research efforts with S2, GEN ID is seeking to develop yet another class of compounds to counteract the resistance that H5N1 is acquiring through mutations.

Hector A. Veron, President of GEN ID, stated, “We are very excited about the prospect of developing a new totally effective drug as a first line of defense against this deadly virus.”

The mortality rate in avian flu infection reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) is very high, over 50% (for more information go to www.who.int). The first outbreak of documented avian flu infection with H5N1 virus subtype was in 18 patients and resulted in 6 deaths in Hong Kong in 1997 (33%). As of May 5, 2006, there have been 206 confirmed human cases of H5N1 influenza worldwide of whom 114 have died (55%).

About GEN ID:

GEN ID is a diversified medical testing company that seeks to provide physicians with more necessary and personalized treatment data, individualized towards patients and based on genetic screening technologies, such as SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) testing. This analysis will provide information on genetic predisposition to various diseases, such as different forms of cancer, cardiovascular abnormalities, dermatological diseases and predicting pharmacodynamic patterns pertinent to individual drugs for individual patients. GEN ID plans to leverage its strong relationships within the genomics community to maximize its presence in the market. For more information, visit the company’s website: www.GenIDLabs.com

About S2 Biosciences:

S2 Biosciences, Inc. is a privately held, Montreal-based company providing preclinical contract research services to the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. S2 also conducts molecular biology and biotechnology research and development and has specific expertise in virology and communicable diseases. S2 has developed several technologies which it has licensed to companies in the U.S. and Canada.

This news release may include “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact included or incorporated herein may constitute forward-looking statements. Although GEN ID believes that the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may affect GEN ID’s operations and financial performance. Among the factors that could cause results to differ materially are those risks discussed in GEN ID’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-KSB.