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Researchers decode key DNA in evolution of aging, development and fertility

UC Irvine researchers have deciphered how lowly fruit flies bred to rapidly develop and reproduce actually evolve over time. The findings, reported in the Sept. 15 online issue of Nature, contradict the long-held belief that sexual beings evolve the same way simpler organisms do and could fundamentally alter the direction of genetic research for new pharmaceuticals and other products.

17 Sep 2010

New anti-pathogenic drugs render MRSA harmless without killing bacteria

Menachem Shoham, PhD, associate professor and researcher in the department of biochemistry at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has identified new anti-pathogenic drugs that, without killing the bacteria, render Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) harmless by preventing the production of toxins that cause disease.

17 Sep 2010

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center research team wins 2010 BioFlux Innovation Award

Fluxion Biosciences, Inc. announced today that a research team from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center has won the 2010 BioFlux Innovation Award competition. Laura Sycuro, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research fellow in the lab of David Fredricks, M.D., authored the winning submission which focuses on screening and characterizing bacterial strains involved in biofilm-related infections known to affect women's reproductive health.

From Fluxion Biosciences 17 Sep 2010

Researchers identify bacteria responsible for chronic intestinal inflammation

Certain bacteria that inhabit the intestine provide the environmental trigger that initiates and perpetuates chronic intestinal inflammation in individuals who are genetically susceptible to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a study led by Harvard School of Public Health researchers has found.

17 Sep 2010

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals delivers poster presentations on Aganocide compound at ICAAC Conference

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class, anti-infective compounds for the treatment and prevention of antibiotic resistant infections, delivered four poster presentations on its Aganocide compounds at the 50th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in Boston, MA.

16 Sep 2010

Researchers develop infected tissue model for Aganocide compounds

Two common and important human pathogens, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, are implicated in many clinical diseases of the eye and skin, including keratitis and impetigo, respectively. Infections with their associated toxins can result in the destruction of underlying tissue.

16 Sep 2010

Researchers identify mechanism to reduce pathogenic effect of bacillus bacteria

A European-Asian collaboration of scientists, notably including CNRS, the Institut Pasteur in Paris, the Institut Pasteur Korea in Seoul (IP Korea/Equipe Avenir Inserm and the Université de Toulouse have identified ten virulence genes of the tubercle bacillus. The inactivation of these genes lessens the pathogenic effects of the bacillus.

16 Sep 2010

PolyMedix presents defensin mimetic antibiotics data at ICAAC Conference

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat acute cardiovascular disorders and infectious diseases, today presented five posters at the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).

16 Sep 2010

Cranberry juice prevents urinary tract infections: Study

Scientists reported new evidence on the effectiveness of that old folk remedy cranberry juice for urinary tract infections at the ACS' 240th National Meeting. "A number of controlled clinical trials these are carefully designed and conducted scientific studies done in humans have concluded that cranberry juice really is effective for preventing urinary tract infections," said Terri Anne Camesano, Ph.D., who led the study.

16 Sep 2010

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals presents preclinical data of TP-434 antibacterial drug

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today presented encouraging preclinical data for its lead drug candidate, TP-434, which showed the potent antibacterial activity of TP-434 against a very broad spectrum of susceptible and multidrug-resistant pathogens.

16 Sep 2010

ViroPharma presents Phase 1 study data of VP20621 at ICAAC 2010

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced the presentation of data from its Phase 1 study of VP20621 (non-toxigenic Clostridium difficile), a novel treatment approach for preventing recurrent Clostridium difficile infections, a common and dangerous gastrointestinal infection typically occurring in older adults after use of antibiotic medications.

16 Sep 2010

Novel Compound's NVC-422 broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent kills P. mirabilis bacteria in catheters

Patients fitted with long-term bladder catheters often face a potentially serious complication caused by a Gram-negative bacteria Proteus mirabilis that can colonize the catheters.

16 Sep 2010

Waterlogic launches new Firewall water purification system

Waterlogic has launched the most effective water purification system ever seen in drinking water dispensers, the 'Firewall' available on its top of the range model, the Waterlogic 4.

15 Sep 2010

Norgen Biotek launches three novel kits for urine sampling

Norgen Biotek Corp, a privately held Canadian biotechnology company focusing principally on advancing a powerful proprietary technology for application in sample preparation for nucleic acid (DNA, RNA and microRNA) and protein purification, today announced the expansion of its basket of urine-based sample preparation products by launching 3 new urine concentration, preservation and isolation kits.

15 Sep 2010

Scientist to develop antibiotics for drug-resistant superbugs

Antibiotics can work miracles, knocking out common infections like bronchitis and tonsillitis. But according to the Center for Disease Control, each year 90,000 people in the U.S. die of drug resistant "superbugs" bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a deadly form of staph infection resistant to normal antibiotics. Although hospital patients are particularly susceptible as a result of open wounds and weakened immune systems, the bacteria can infect anyone. Dr. Micha Fridman of Tel Aviv University's Department of Chemistry is now developing the next generation of antibiotics designed to overcome this kind of bacteria. And the key, he says, is in the bacteria itself.

15 Sep 2010

NIH grants award to expand Human Microbiome Project

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a three-year, $1.1 million grant to a team of scientists at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory to develop a technology for studying the link between human health and disease and the microorganisms that reside in or on the human body.

15 Sep 2010

Cetaphil launches Restoraderm for management of eczema and atopic dermatitis skin

The Cetaphil® brand, the #1 dermatologist-recommended brand of cleansers and moisturizers announced the launch of Cetaphil® Restoraderm® products, formulated specifically for the needs of eczema and atopic dermatitis skin. Cetaphil® Restoraderm® Skin Restoring Body Wash and Skin Restoring Moisturizer soothes itching associated with skin affected by eczema and atopic dermatitis.

14 Sep 2010

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals presents positive preclinical data for delafloxacin at ICAAC Conference

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage antibiotics company with a broad product pipeline based on its innovative discovery platform, today announced the presentation of positive preclinical data for delafloxacin in four poster sessions at the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).

14 Sep 2010

NIH awards QuantaLife $6 million to build platform for detecting MRSA infections

QuantaLife, a new life science tool company developing the third generation of PCR, has received an NIH grant totaling ~$6 million over 5 years for the development of rapid, cost-effective technology for detecting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. The grant, from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health, will fund the project.

14 Sep 2010

Trius Therapeutics reports torezolid antibiotic resistance mechanism for MRSA strains

Trius Therapeutics, Inc. today reported new findings on torezolid phosphate (TR-701), a second generation oxazolidinone antibiotic now in Phase 3 clinical development. The data elucidate the mechanism by which torezolid retains full activity against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) carrying the cfr gene which confers resistance to first generation oxazolidinones such as linezolid, marketed by Pfizer as Zyvox.

14 Sep 2010