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What does international collaboration mean for you?

We asked three of our speakers what international collaboration means for them as leaders in their fields.

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The Biosynthesis of Cannabinoids

We spoke to Jeremy Friedberg, CSO of LAVVAN, a company pioneering the biosynthesis of cannabinoids.

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The Grass Has Never Been Greener For Engineering Plant Immunity And Resilience

The wide availability of sequencing technologies has been a rare step-change that has unlocked knowledge in a way nobody in the field could have imagined twenty years ago. Knowledge which could make a considerable contribution to food security in the face of changing climates.

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How to beneficially modulate vaginal microbiota to optimise women’s health

Vaginal microbiota plays a crucial role in women’s health and successful reproduction. However, we are just on the verge of discovering the full potential and features of this unique microbial community within women.

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Life Science
Agricultural Biotechnology
Technology

A Paradigm Change in Skin Health

Posted 7th September 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

There has been a rapid acceleration of skin microbiome research. Today about 5% of all microbiome clinical studies and 16% of all probiotic products online are dermatology related. Meanwhile, skin probiotics are growing eight times faster than any other probiotic supplement. In clinical cosmetic studies, the microbiome is the fourth largest category.

Conversation with one of the founders of modern digital pathology

Posted 31st August 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

“Digital pathology has reached the point where if you don’t have digitized slides, you will not be able to do six out of ten things that other pathologists can do today.”

Dr. Anil Parwani

Drug Development for NASH with Fibrosis: Expedited Programs

Posted 30th July 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

George Makar spoke at the Global NASH Congress. He gave a regulatory perspective on Drug Development for NASH with Fibrosis. The views were his own. In part one, we explore expedited programs.

Gut dysbiosis in clinical Huntington’s Disease

Posted 22nd July 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Speaking at the recent Microbiome R&D and Business Collaboration Forum, Anthony Hannan explored research using mouse models for brain disorders, particularly in Huntington’s disease (HD), schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders. He also examined the role of gene-environment interactions involving mental activity, physical activity, stressors, and diet.

Science Communication: challenges to ensure innovation can prove itself scientifically

Posted 6th July 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

John Entine is a science journalist who has been writing about sustainability issues in biotechnology for 30 years. He has written numerous books on both population genetic related issues and agricultural biotechnology. Presenting at the Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress, he gave his perspective on the communication challenges faced by scientists by looking specifically at gene drives and addressing misunderstandings about what the technology can do and active opposition to it by some environmental groups.

Circulating biomarkers in melanoma immunotherapy

Posted 29th June 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Genevieve Boland, speaking at the Research & Technology Series, described the translational research conducted at her laboratory. Using tumour and blood samples from patients before treatment, at meaningful clinical changes, progression, and post-mortem she, and her team are trying to understand the biology of Melanoma to treat patients better.

Guidelines for Validating Whole Slide Imaging for Diagnostic Purposes

Posted 25th May 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Andrew Evans, speaking at the Digital Pathology & AI Congress USA, described new guidelines he helped to draft for validating whole-slide-imaging for diagnostic purposes. First published in 2013 the guidelines were designed to address the fundamental question, “what needs to be done to validate a whole slide imaging for diagnostic use?”. The review producing the new guidelines was published in May 2021.

Using the abYsis database for drug discovery

Posted 30th April 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Professor Andrew Martin, UCL, speaking at the 4th Global Pharma R&D AI, Data Science and Informatics Summit, described using the abYsis database and workbench for drug discovery. He showed how it is possible to explore an annotate antibody sequence and structure, including comparisons with observed residue distributions. The database can also aid with humanization by making sequences more human and library design.

Biobanking Biologics Biomaterials Bioprocessing Blockchain Cyber Security Digital Pathology Flow Cytometry Liquid Biopsies Medicinal Chemistry Microbiome Microfluidics NASH NGS PCR Pharma Informatics Precision Medicine Probiotics Synthetic Biology

A Paradigm Change in Skin Health

Posted 7th September 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

There has been a rapid acceleration of skin microbiome research. Today about 5% of all microbiome clinical studies and 16% of all probiotic products online are dermatology related. Meanwhile, skin probiotics are growing eight times faster than any other probiotic supplement. In clinical cosmetic studies, the microbiome is the fourth largest category.

Conversation with one of the founders of modern digital pathology

Posted 31st August 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

“Digital pathology has reached the point where if you don’t have digitized slides, you will not be able to do six out of ten things that other pathologists can do today.”

Dr. Anil Parwani

Drug Development for NASH with Fibrosis: Expedited Programs

Posted 30th July 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

George Makar spoke at the Global NASH Congress. He gave a regulatory perspective on Drug Development for NASH with Fibrosis. The views were his own. In part one, we explore expedited programs.

Gut dysbiosis in clinical Huntington’s Disease

Posted 22nd July 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Speaking at the recent Microbiome R&D and Business Collaboration Forum, Anthony Hannan explored research using mouse models for brain disorders, particularly in Huntington’s disease (HD), schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders. He also examined the role of gene-environment interactions involving mental activity, physical activity, stressors, and diet.

Circulating biomarkers in melanoma immunotherapy

Posted 29th June 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Genevieve Boland, speaking at the Research & Technology Series, described the translational research conducted at her laboratory. Using tumour and blood samples from patients before treatment, at meaningful clinical changes, progression, and post-mortem she, and her team are trying to understand the biology of Melanoma to treat patients better.

Guidelines for Validating Whole Slide Imaging for Diagnostic Purposes

Posted 25th May 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Andrew Evans, speaking at the Digital Pathology & AI Congress USA, described new guidelines he helped to draft for validating whole-slide-imaging for diagnostic purposes. First published in 2013 the guidelines were designed to address the fundamental question, “what needs to be done to validate a whole slide imaging for diagnostic use?”. The review producing the new guidelines was published in May 2021.

Using the abYsis database for drug discovery

Posted 30th April 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Professor Andrew Martin, UCL, speaking at the 4th Global Pharma R&D AI, Data Science and Informatics Summit, described using the abYsis database and workbench for drug discovery. He showed how it is possible to explore an annotate antibody sequence and structure, including comparisons with observed residue distributions. The database can also aid with humanization by making sequences more human and library design.

Training AI to predict outcomes for cancer patients

Posted 30th March 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

Predicting the outcome of cancer can help the clinical decision-making process related to a patient’s treatment. The potential for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support this was a key facet of the final keynote speech to the online 7th Digital Pathology and AI Congress: Europe, by Johan Lundin, Research Director at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) at the University of Helsinki and Professor of Medical Technology at Karolinska Institutet.

Biologicals Plant Genomics

Science Communication: challenges to ensure innovation can prove itself scientifically

Posted 6th July 2021 by Nicholas Noakes

John Entine is a science journalist who has been writing about sustainability issues in biotechnology for 30 years. He has written numerous books on both population genetic related issues and agricultural biotechnology. Presenting at the Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress, he gave his perspective on the communication challenges faced by scientists by looking specifically at gene drives and addressing misunderstandings about what the technology can do and active opposition to it by some environmental groups.

Why haven’t microbial products been more widely adopted by farmers?

Posted 14th October 2020 by Joshua Sewell

This is a question that drives me each day. Microbial products have been around for a long time; starting with rhizobium in legumes, dating back 125 years. Yet, in the United States, rhizobium inoculants have not been widely adopted by soybean farmers – some indicate less than 15% use overall in the United States. Why?

From Consortia to Recombinants: opportunities and challenges facing the next generation of microbials

Posted 24th August 2020 by Liv Sewell

In this blog post I will discuss two themes that I see driving the next generation of live microbe biologicals for agriculture. These are the rational design and delivery of pairs or consortia (which I will define as more than two microbes) and the commercialization of engineered strains.

What does international collaboration mean for you?

Posted 27th May 2020 by Liv Sewell

The present COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the vital need for knowledge sharing across the global science community. We asked three of our speakers what international collaboration means for them as leaders in their fields.

The Biosynthesis of Cannabinoids

Posted 6th May 2020 by Joshua Sewell

We recently spoke to Jeremy Friedberg, CSO of LAVVAN, a company pioneering the biosynthesis of cannabinoids. The conversation was recorded as a podcast, which can be found here.

The grass has never been greener for engineering plant immunity and resilience

Posted 18th March 2020 by Liv Sewell

Scientific research is always working at the frontiers of knowledge, but plant genomics technologies have had a dramatic impact on plant science even by our standards. The wide availability of sequencing technologies has been a rare step-change that has unlocked knowledge in a way nobody in the field could have imagined twenty years ago. Knowledge which could make a considerable contribution to food security in the face of changing climates.

New Breeding Techniques: cloning major resistance genes in cereals

Posted 13th March 2020 by Liv Sewell

Advances in breeding techniques for cereal crops will be a focus at the 8^th Plant Genomics and Gene Editing Congress: USA. We asked Burleigh Dodds, an agricultural science publisher, to share an extract from one of their recent publications, ‘Advances in breeding techniques for cereal crops’.

Plant biotech in Europe: Present and future

Posted 4th March 2020 by Liv Sewell

Marcel Kuntz is a panellist for the panel discussion on the regulatory landscape for plant biotechnology at the 8^th Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress: Europe. Here he provides us with some background for the discussion.

Multiplex and high fidelity: the potential of qPCR

Posted 28th August 2020 by Joshua Sewell

Ahead of the qPCR & Digital PCR Congress, we sat down with David Zhang to talk about his work with PCR as a diagnostic platform.

Examining Blockchain Systems & Designing Smart Contracts

Posted 13th August 2018 by Jane Williams

The blockchain has the potential to enable the collaboration between patients, researchers, and care providers to provide individualised care for patients, but how can this technology be harnessed in a practical way?

This was one of the key questions that was asked at the Blockchain in Healthcare Congress and we had the pleasure of welcoming an array of expert speakers from pharma, academia, and industry to provide the answer.

The role of extrinsic motivation in sports and physical activity

Posted 20th June 2018 by Jane Williams

Motivation is one of the most significant psychological concepts in many areas of life – from work and education to achieving personal goals. In sports and physical activity, motivation plays an especially important part due to the fact that, to millions of people worldwide, staying fit and active is not an obligation or a professional prerequisite, but rather a personal goal. Blockchain technology, together with elements of gamification, may actually help people achieve this goal.

Conciliating Blockchain and GDPR

Posted 8th June 2018 by Jane Williams

Aurélie Bayle is a Data Protection Officer at be-ys: a role she considers to be at the heart of the new legal framework for any company.

Before GDPR came into effect on 25^th May 2018, she was working towards global compliance, which involved completing all the steps given by the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, an advisory board made up of a representative from the data authority of each EU Member State, the European Data Protection Supervisor, and the European Commission. Her duties have included auditing the structures and processes, preparing the data protection impact assessments, checking the compliance of processing activities, analysing the risks of the processing in the medical area, preparing new processes and policies about data protection, and asking data processors about their own compliance.

When Blockchain Meets the Right to be Forgotten: Technology Versus Law

Posted 2nd May 2018 by Jane Williams

Over the past few years, the popularity of the blockchain and cryptocurrencies has increased and has reached important notoriety, not only in scientiﬁc and IT journals, but also in the media. Although there are many kinds of cryptocurrencies in circulation nowadays, the most popular is Bitcoin.

Supporting Blockchain Startups: An Open Letter from Katherine Merton

Posted 27th April 2018 by Jane Williams

Dear colleagues,

The blockchain technology market is expected to grow to 2.3 billion US dollars by 2021, from 339.5 million US dollars in 2017. [1] With an annual growth rate of 61.5%, it is one of the fastest growing technologies in the healthcare industry.

The Big List of Microfluidics Companies & Investors

Posted 25th April 2018 by Jane Williams

The microfluidic-based devices market has been growing since 2014 due to the increasing point of care testing demand and the miniaturisation of microfluidic chips.

What will we do with all this data?

Posted 16th April 2018 by Jane Williams

The amount of data we are creating every day has increased exponentially to match the rise in use of smart and connected devices. The internet of things has connected every aspect of our lives to the digital realm: most of these devices operate by tracking your habits, movements, preferences, voice, and more, then logging those habits online. Specifically, the collection of health data has become abundant, because most people now have or wear some sort of device to track daily patterns, steps, cycles, and more. Even our phones often default to track these things for us, whether we choose to enable the function or not.

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