BiotecVisions 2010, May–June

News: Ethanol biofuels from orange peels – Targeting leukaemia's gene addiction – Pea-derived solar cells – HIV is a kick in the head – Nano-scale DNA reader – Membrane in black – Cheese improves the immune response of elderly – Synthetic proteins built from standard parts – Therapeutic proteins produced in algae – Biosensor detects 100 mycoplasma cells – Protecting maggots against bacteria – Advanced biofuels from microbes – Fluorescent bacterial uptake – Two disparate stem cell states – Brachypodium genome sequenced Encyclopedia of Life Sciences: Nuclear transfer for cell lines WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology: Nanoparticle detection of respiratory infection Journal Highlights: Biocatalysis – Synthetic Biology In the news: Nanobiotech to detect cancer Most Read Industry News: Biomarker assays for personalized medicine – Bioplastic industry defies economic crisis – SDS-PAGE monitoring of mAB Awards: BTJ Editors elected members of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Meeting highlight Writing tips: Figure preparation made simple – Some useful tutorials on the web Book Highlights: Molecular Biotechnology – Bacterial Signaling – Yeast Test your knowledge: Do you recognize this? WIREs Authors Spotlight: Nanotechnology and orthopedics     

BiotecVisions 2010, March–April

News: Attraction of adipose tissue – Swine flu vaccine from insectcells – MicroRNA in multiple sclerosis – Proteomic detection of adenoma – Systematic engineering for arsenic removal – Bacterial cellulose to make blood vessels – The recipe for primordial soup: acid or bitter, hot or warm – Increased O₂ in hollow fiber bioreactors – Eye stem cells to treat immune disease – Super-strong collagen – Designing functional metalloproteins – Higher oil content in tobacco leaves – Alternative metabolic routes – New compass point blot helps find hTERT factors – Extracellular signals – doomed cells in the bacterial community Journal Highlights : Oils and fats for the chemical industry – Molecular Nutrition Reviews New from the Encyclopedia of Life Sciences: EM analysis of protein structure Opinion: Ethics body asks: How green are new biofuels? Most Cited in 2009 Tips and tricks: Storing bacterial strains Award: Garden Award 2010 Funding News: Euro 400.000 for new malaria drug – Cardiovascular biomarker research – Support to cholera surveillance Industry News: Human genome sequencing projects – Fighting Huntington's disease – Multiple sclerosis collaboration Book Highlights: AIDS and tuberculosis – Perinatal stem cells Test your knowledge: Do you recognize this? Meeting Preview: The 9th Annual Biological Production Forum 2010     

Biotec Visions 2010, January–February

News: Plastics from E. coli – Looking again (carefully) at thalidomide – Don't kiss the chimps – Imaging microbial interactions – Probiotics prevent intestinal diseases – Drug resistance in cancer stem cell populations – Triple tag technique turns up tight and loose complexes – It pays to have an immune mother – DNA hybridization mechanisms – Chip-based breast tissue analysis – Nutrient support for engineered tissue – Nano-spheres support axon recovery – Bop-a-hepcidin Environmental News: Blueprint for molecular basis of global warming – Environmental biosensors – Predicting the fate of underground carbon Journal Highlights: Focus on Biochips – Neglected tropical diseases – New online portal Opinion: Outwitting evolution: We should pay as much for strategy as technology Most Read Industry News: Life Sciences Industry – Collaboration on forensics – New center for Systems Biology Tips and tricks: Melting your DNA Special Broadcast: Watch 50 years of B&B on YouTube Writing Tips: Get the figures right – Figure or Table? – Figure legend Algae and plants in brief: Plasmid-based methods in mosses – Antibody production in algal chloroplasts – Polysaccharides from foam cultures Test your knowledge: Do you recognize this? WIREs Author Spotlight: Toxicity of Nanomaterials     

Next issue (January 2008): Methods and Advances in Biotech

Edited by Dr. Barbara Janssens, Managing Editor – Recombinant therapeutic proteins – Technical aspects of biocatalysis – Advances in safe and efficient DNA therapy – SeSaM-Tv: A random mutagenesis method – Bioinformatics: Identifying interacting residues using boolean learning and support vector machines – 3D imaging flow cytometry – Flow cytometry technology responding to HIV-tuberculosis coinfections – Stem cell cultures: Technical aspects Many of these exciting articles are already available online under “Early View”! A sneak preview of other content can be found under “News”.     

Biotec Visions September 2009

News: Fighting iron deficiency – Measuring cellular forces – Better photobioreactor design for hydrogen production – Artificial nerve cell – After GFP: Infrared IFP – Predictable transfection – RNAi for improved protein production – 3D protein map – Self-irrigating rhubarb – Cool plasma to fight biofilms – Pus elasticity – Plants surviving the frost Special Issues: Imaging host-pathogen interactions – Plant in vitro technologies – Biodiesel WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology: Drug-eluting stent coatings – Particle fabrication for diagnostic imaging and drug delivery Encyclopaedia of Life Sciences: Antiprotozoan drugs – Autoimmune disease: Treatment Opinion: A Korean vision on Green Growth Most Read Metagenomics Tips and Tricks: Increase your protein solubility – Printing viable cells Writing tips: The title impact In short: Cell cloning in micropallet array – Bioprocesses for air pollution control – Cells surviving the frost – Oil spilling onto seafloor sediments Test your Knowledge Briefs     

GENDER issues: media news value?

CV News Digest is a daily news briefing selected from thousands of media sources (including Wall Street Journal and New York Times). The mission of CV News Digest is to alert ACC members about cardiovascular-related information that their patients may read or hear in the media that day or week.     

Next issue: Methods and Advances in Biotech

The March 2008 issue of BTJ is again entirely devoted to Methods and Advances; featuring articles on: – BRET technology and application to screening assays – Using a commercial DNA extraction kit to obtain RNA for RT-PCR – Method of tracking nanogel particles in vivo and in vitro – RNA interference: An emerging generation of biologicals – Whole genome amplification using single primer PCR – Enzyme restriction and ligation-independent recombination expression vectors – Protoplast isolation and transient gene expression in switchgrass – Roust macroporous matrixes for cell immobilization – Hepatogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells using microfluidic chips – A transformation procedure for the recalcitrant tomato – Bioreactor scale-up and oxygen transfer rate in microbial processes: An overview – Recent research of the genus Aspergillus for food and biotech applications Many of these exciting articles are already available online under “Early View”! A sneak preview of other content can be found under “News”. http://www.biotechnology-journal.com     

Biotec Visions July 2009

News: Mutagenic biodiesel blends – Technicolor cancer imaging – Anticancer nanoparticle – Increased oxygen transfer in baffled microtiter plates – Transgenic barley growing on acid soil – Brain music – Laser light-induced brain waves – First genome sequence of ruminant species Special issues: Cytometry of microbes – Food-borne Mycotoxins Book highlights: Biotech funding trends – Biotechnology in Flavor Production Opinion: Another biofuel blunder? Tips and tricks: Good to know: Gel Electrophoresis Test your knowledge. Do you recognize this? Most read Writing tips Briefs: A hypothetical new model of LDL – Gaden Award – Patenting hES cells in Europe     

BTJ future topical issues

Next issue: Biotech in Korea The May 2008 issue of BTJ is devoted to Biotech in Korea. Featuring articles on: – Recent progress in microbial genome projects of Korea – Bio-Vision 2016: the 2nd Base Plan for biotechnology promotion in Korea – Strategies for systems-level metabolic engineering – Cell engineering strategies for improved therapeutic protein production in CHO cells – Development of bioadhesives from marine mussels – Dynamical analysis of the calcium signaling pathway in cardiac myocytes – Systems biology of heart and calcium signaling networks – Non-labeled detection of waterborne pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum – Injectable and sustained delivery of human growth hormone: A new method – Exploring sequence space: Screening for ω-aminotransferases Many of these exciting articles are already available online under "Early View"! A sneak preview of other content can be found under “News”. http://www.biotechnology-journal.com     

Print news coverage of cancer: What prevention messages are conveyed when screening is newsworthy?

Background: Americans are generally favorable towards cancer screening, but fatalistic about cancer prevention. News coverage shapes perceptions of cancer control in meaningful ways, but there is little consensus as to the impact of news on our understanding of and engagement in cancer screening practices. Our analysis of cancer screening-related print news coverage during a four month period in 2005 suggests that the newsworthiness of new screening technologies may undermine public confidence in currently available and effective secondary prevention programs, while promoting tests whose effectiveness is debated or not yet established. Methods and results: We conducted a structured text analysis of 517 cancer-related news articles from 15 leading daily newspapers and a subsequent qualitative analysis of the 79 screening news articles. Screening articles were analyzed for content related to criteria for screening effectiveness. Content patterns for each type of screening and cancer were also noted. News coverage consistently conveyed screening as important and highlighted the need to protect and expand access to screening. At the same time, to the extent that story content was framed by the newsworthiness of new tests and technologies this often indirectly called into question effective and established protocols and programs without providing any actionable alternative. Conclusion: This analysis revealed unexpected messages about screening that are potentially problematic for cancer control. The cancer control community should continue efforts to understand and shape news coverage of screening in order to promote balanced and action-oriented content. Research has shown that Americans hold conflicting views regarding cancer—having a favorable opinion of screening while simultaneously feeling fatalistic about prevention. Our analysis of print news stories on cancer screening suggests that the determination of screening's “newsworthiness” is related to newly developed tests and protocols, which may create demand for new tests whose effectiveness is unknown and undermine confidence in established and effective screening programs.     

Next issue: Mitochondria and ageing

The June 2008 issue of BTJ is devoted to Mitochondria and ageing. Featuring articles on: – Dietary restriction genes involved in energy metabolism – Structural implications of mitochondrial dynamics – Mitochondrial protein quality control: Implications in ageing – Age-related mitochondrial degenerative diseases in humans – The impact of mitochondrial DNA on human life span – Insulin-like growth factor induced signals activate mitochondrial respiration – Senescence factors in Podospora anserina independent of intrinsic senescence – Native-DIGE: A new look at the mitochondrial membrane proteome – Fusion and fission genes and the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics Many of these exciting articles are already available online under “Early View”! A sneak preview of other content can be found under “News”.     

Next issue (April 2008): Novel Approaches to Drug Discovery in Signal Transduction

Edited by Lodewijk Dekker, Nottingham, UK – Computational chemistry approaches – Cell-based assays for G-Protein-coupled Receptors – Cell-based label-free technologies Methods and Advances in Biotech – Application of proteomics in biotechnology – Mining marine biological wastes for bioactive molecules – PCR-based strategy to express endogenous protein levels in yeast – Method for tracking nanogel particles – Gene expression studies on bio-electrosprayed primary cardiac myocytes Many of these exciting articles are already available online under “Early View”! A sneak preview of other content can be found under “News”. http://www.biotechnology-journal.com     

Interpretation of Results of Studies Evaluating an Intervention Highlighted in Google Health News: A Cross-Sectional Study of News

Background

Mass media through the Internet is a powerful means of disseminating medical research. We aimed to determine whether and how the interpretation of research results is misrepresented by the use of “spin” in the health section of Google News. Spin was defined as specific way of reporting, from whatever motive (intentional or unintentional), to emphasize that the beneficial effect of the intervention is greater than that shown by the results.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of news highlighted in the health section of US, UK and Canada editions of Google News between July 2013 and January 2014. We searched for news items for 3 days a week (i.e., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) during 6 months and selected a sample of 130 news items reporting a scientific article evaluating the effect of an intervention on human health.

Results

In total, 78% of the news did not provide a full reference or electronic link to the scientific article. We found at least one spin in 114 (88%) news items and 18 different types of spin in news. These spin were mainly related to misleading reporting (59%) such as not reporting adverse events that were reported in the scientific article (25%), misleading interpretation (69%) such as claiming a causal effect despite non-randomized study design (49%) and overgeneralization/misleading extrapolation (41%) of the results such as extrapolating a beneficial effect from an animal study to humans (21%). We also identified some new types of spin such as highlighting a single patient experience for the success of a new treatment instead of focusing on the group results.

Conclusions

Interpretation of research results was frequently misrepresented in the health section of Google News. However, we do not know whether these spin were from the scientific articles themselves or added in the news.     

Upcoming articles in BTJ

Next issue: RNA-assisted Protein Folding The July 2008 issue of BTJ is devoted to RNA-assisted Protein Folding, edited by Professor Marc Blondel (Brest, France). BTJ will be featuring articles on: – Role of ribosomes in protein folding – Tools for the study of Ribosome-borne Protein Folding Activity (RPFA) – RNA-driven cyclin-dependent kinase regulation – The presence of rRNA sequences in polyadenylated RNAs and its potential functions – Non-coding RNAs in neurodegeneration and stress response – Folding at the rhythm of the rare codon beat Many of these exciting articles are already available online under “Early View”! A sneak preview of other content can be found under “News”. http://www.biotechnology-journal.com     

News from the Biological Stain Commission No. 12

Abstract

In this 12^th issue of News from the Biological Stain Commission (BSC) under the heading of Regulatory affairs, the Biological Stain Commission’s International Affairs Committee presents information from the meetings of ISO/TC 212/WG 1 Quality and competence in the medical laboratory and ISO/TC 212/WG 3 In vitro diagnostic products both held on 2 – 3 June 2010, plus information on the second plenary meeting of ISO/TC 212 Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems held on 4 June 2010. All meetings took place in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Finally, information is provided concerning the 25^th meeting of CEN/TC 140 In vitro diagnostic medical devices held on 23 June 2010 in Berlin, Germany.     

BiotecVisions 2010, July

News: Feeding the stem cells GM or not-GM? How spiders spin their silk Cell test for airborne compounds Imaging stem cell niches Global map of gene expression Biofilm reactor design Watching photosynthesis Fluorine MRI applications Ecotype evolution Omega-3 phospholipids better than oil Malaria suppresses DC antigen presentation Why do bacteria matter? Nanocages for medical imaging Double-barreled drug delivery? Special Issue: Bug soaps Opinion: Public opinion on GM crops Book Highlights: Encyclopedia of Marine Natural Products Handbook of Therapeutic Antibodies High-Pressure Bioscience and Biotechnology Most Read Scientific Writing: Shortcuts for typing scientific texts Meeting Highlight: ESBES Symposium ChemistryViews.org Test your knowledge: Do you recognize this? Awards: EMBO Gold Medal 2010     

"Antibodies--Europe. Engineering the next generation of antibodies"

Meeting report: “Antibodies-Europe. Engineering the Next Generation of Antibodies” News from academia: FEBS/EMBO Women in Science Award 2008 Teaching biotech: The stem cell game     

News from the Biological Stain Commission No. 11

The 11th issue of News from the Biological Stain Commission (BSC) provides our first impressions of the REACH and ECHA programs. We intend to give a more thorough account of what these important programs actually mean in later editions of News from the Biological Stain Commission. Under the heading of Regulatory Affairs, the Biological Stain Commission's International Affairs Committee presents information from the opening session of the meeting of the International Standards Organization ISO/TC 212 Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems held on 2-4 June 2010 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.