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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Life Technologies debuts Invitrogen MAGic Sample Processor for addressing reproducibility challenges

Life Technologies Corporation today debuted the life science industry's first benchtop sample preparation system designed to increase productivity while eliminating manual and contamination-related challenges traditionally associated with protein and epigenetic protocols. The Invitrogen MAGic™ Sample Processor enables researchers to cut protocol time in half, dramatically reduce experimental errors, and perform technically challenging experiments in protein purification and epigenetics.

26 Apr 2010

Avecia Biotechnology reaches agreement with Pfizer to market Macugen

Avecia Biotechnology, Inc., a leading provider of drug development and manufacturing services for oligonucleotide therapeutics, has reached agreement with Pfizer Inc. regarding the commercial supply of a key component of Macugen (pegaptanib sodium injection), marketed in the E.U. by Pfizer for the treatment of wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

26 Apr 2010

Santaris Pharma advances into drug development SPC5001 research candidate against PCSK9

Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies, today announced that it has advanced into drug development a discovery research candidate directed against PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9), an important new target for the treatment of high cholesterol. Using its proprietary Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) Drug Platform and Drug Discovery Engine, Santaris Pharma A/S identified and advanced the new drug, SPC5001, in just 18 months.

26 Apr 2010

OICR makes equity investments in three promising Ontario technologies

Frank Stonebanks, Vice-President, Commercialization and Chief Commercial Officer of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research today announced that OICR has made equity investments in three promising Ontario technologies to accelerate their commercialization.

26 Apr 2010

New reprogramming strategies needed for production of iPSCs: Study

Scientists may be one step closer to being able to generate any type of cells and tissues from a patient's own cells. In a study that will appear in the journal Nature and is receiving early online release, investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine (MGH-CRM) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), describe finding that an important cluster of genes is inactivated in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that do not have the full development potential of embryonic stem cells.

26 Apr 2010

Promising research on cryptosporidiosis could lead to effective treatment: Brandeis University biochemist

Discovered in 1976, cryptosporidium lurks worldwide in water, contaminating swimming pools, water parks, and drinking water supplies. Although it has even been featured on the comedy show The Colbert Report, it is no laughing matter-this microscopic pathogen is a leading cause of diarrhea and malnutrition and the most common source of infection in immune-weakened people such as AIDS patients.

26 Apr 2010

Mirina closes Versant led Series A-1 financing

Mirina Corporation, a privately held biotechnology company focused on the generation of novel microRNA (miRNA) therapeutics with improved properties, announced today that it has closed a Series A-1 financing. The round was led by new investor Versant Ventures. Previous investors Alexandria Real Estate Equities, ARCH Venture Partners, OVP Venture Partners and WRF Capital also participated in the round. In conjunction with this financing, Brian Atwood, Managing Director of Versant Ventures, will join the Board of Directors.

26 Apr 2010

Mechanisms pathogenic viruses exploit to evade immune systems of hosts

Viruses have evolved a broad range of strategies that enable them to evade the immune systems of their hosts. A team of researchers led by LMU virologist Professor J-rgen Haas has been studying a novel, recently discovered mechanism that pathogenic viruses exploit for this purpose, and their latest results could point the way to new antiviral therapies. The mechanism is based on the production of short RNA molecules, called microRNAs, by the virus.

24 Apr 2010

Trinean launches DropSense96 and DropPlate 16 G for genomic DNA quantification

Only 6 months after the release of its ground-breaking DropSense 96 spectrophotometer, Trinean, pioneer in high throughput analysis of droplets of samples in microfluidic structures, is now launching another device that will set the tone in scientific circles: the DropPlate 16 G. This upgrade of the current microfluid disposable, the DropPlate 16 U, allows researchers to quantify 96 DNA/RNA samples of only 2 microl in less than 5 minutes.

24 Apr 2010

RXi Pharmaceuticals to present data on rxRNA therapeutic platform development at upcoming conferences

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi), today announced that senior members of its management will be presenting at upcoming conferences and will highlight critical aspects of the development of RXi's next generation rxRNA™ therapeutic platform as well as specific preclinical data generated with this platform.

24 Apr 2010

Golub Capital provides $12.0M of senior subordinated debt to support recapitalization of IDT

Golub Capital today announced that it has provided $12.0 million of senior subordinated debt to support the recapitalization and ongoing growth of Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. This transaction marks the first investment made by GC 2009 Mezzanine Partners, L.P., which is Golub Capital's sixth fund dedicated to middle market mezzanine debt financings.

From Integrated DNA Technologies 24 Apr 2010

Johns Hopkins scientist receives AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research

Joshua T. Mendell, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor in the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist, is the recipient of the 30th annual American Association for Cancer Research Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research.

24 Apr 2010

Researchers discover and characterize general mechanism controlling transcription elongation in bacteria

Researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered and characterized a general mechanism that controls transcription elongation in bacteria. The mechanism, described in the April 23 issue of Science, relies on physical cooperation between a moving ribosome and RNA polymerase (RNAP) that allows for a precise adjustment of the transcriptional yield in response to translational needs. The study could lead to the development of new ways to interfere with bacterial gene expression and serve as a new target for antimicrobial therapy.

23 Apr 2010

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals presents new data on ALN-TTR01 RNAi therapeutic at amyloidosis symposium

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, presented new pre-clinical data from its ALN-TTR program at the XII International Symposium on Amyloidosis in Rome on April 18 - 21, 2010. ALN-TTR01 is a systemically delivered RNAi therapeutic being developed for the treatment of transthyretin (TTR)-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR), including familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) and familial amyloidotic cardiomyopathy (FAC).

22 Apr 2010

Initial results of gallium-containing compound to treat serious infection presented at AACR 2010

Genta Incorporated today announced the presentation of initial results from the first human use of a gallium-containing compound to treat serious infection. In a patient with cystic fibrosis and a highly resistant lung infection, who has been treated over a 2-year period, high concentrations of gallium were achieved in sputum.

21 Apr 2010

Silence Therapeutics, AstraZeneca announce one-year extension of ongoing siRNA delivery collaboration

Silence Therapeutics plc announces that the Company and AstraZeneca have agreed to a one-year extension of their ongoing small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery collaboration. Under this collaboration, which was originally entered into in March 2008, the companies are leveraging a number of Silence's proprietary lipid delivery and targeting technologies to develop new and enhanced delivery approaches for RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics.

21 Apr 2010

Ghent University signs agreement to use Roche's LightCycler 1536 Instrument for cancer research

Roche and Ghent University (Belgium) have signed an agreement for the use of Roche's LightCycler® 1536 Instrument in various cancer research projects in Ghent. Studies include multigene expression signature profiling on cancer research samples and, digital PCR for sensitive detection of mutant cancer cells in a background of normal cells.

21 Apr 2010

Updates on development of Truvada and TMC278

Gilead Sciences, Inc. provided an update today on the development of the fixed-dose combination of Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and Tibotec Pharmaceuticals' investigational non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor TMC278 (rilpivirine hydrochloride, 25 mg).

21 Apr 2010

NanoString Technologies launches new miRNA assay kits

NanoString Technologies, Inc., a privately held life sciences company marketing a complete solution for detecting and counting large sets of target molecules in biological samples, today announced a unique new product for miRNA analysis that includes a multiplexed assay for profiling the human miRNA transcriptome in a single tube. The company introduced the new assay kit, which expands the applications for its nCounter® Analysis System, at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.

From NanoString Technologies 20 Apr 2010

Life Technologies introduces new ViiA 7 Real-Time PCR System

Life Technologies Corporation today announced the expansion of its industry-leading family of real-time PCR systems with the introduction of a new high-productivity instrument. The Applied Biosystems ViiA™ 7 Real-Time PCR System seamlessly integrates a variety of quantitative PCR (qPCR) and genotyping applications, enabling researchers to enter a new era of lab productivity.

20 Apr 2010

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Life Technologies debuts Invitrogen MAGic Sample Processor for addressing reproducibility challenges

Avecia Biotechnology reaches agreement with Pfizer to market Macugen

Santaris Pharma advances into drug development SPC5001 research candidate against PCSK9

OICR makes equity investments in three promising Ontario technologies

New reprogramming strategies needed for production of iPSCs: Study

Promising research on cryptosporidiosis could lead to effective treatment: Brandeis University biochemist

Mirina closes Versant led Series A-1 financing

Mechanisms pathogenic viruses exploit to evade immune systems of hosts

Trinean launches DropSense96 and DropPlate 16 G for genomic DNA quantification

RXi Pharmaceuticals to present data on rxRNA therapeutic platform development at upcoming conferences

Golub Capital provides $12.0M of senior subordinated debt to support recapitalization of IDT

Johns Hopkins scientist receives AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research

Researchers discover and characterize general mechanism controlling transcription elongation in bacteria

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals presents new data on ALN-TTR01 RNAi therapeutic at amyloidosis symposium

Initial results of gallium-containing compound to treat serious infection presented at AACR 2010

Silence Therapeutics, AstraZeneca announce one-year extension of ongoing siRNA delivery collaboration

Ghent University signs agreement to use Roche's LightCycler 1536 Instrument for cancer research

Updates on development of Truvada and TMC278

NanoString Technologies launches new miRNA assay kits

Life Technologies introduces new ViiA 7 Real-Time PCR System

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