VANCOUVER , July 24, 2012 /CNW/ - Polo Biology Global Group Corporation (the "Company") (TSXV-PGG) announced today that, further to its news release of June 6, 2012 , shareholders will shortly be receiving the management prepared Special and Annual General Shareholder Meeting materials in connection with the Company's Meeting to be held on August 16, 2012 . With respect to special business at the Meeting, management have proposed that shareholders approve by special resolution the sale of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Rainbow Trend Limited, to Mark Vantage Limited for cash consideration of $760,000 CND as detailed in the Company's June 6, 2012 news release. The Meeting materials and the Valuation and Fairness Opinion referenced therein are available for review on SEDAR.

To attract equity financings in order for the Company to fund acquisitions, business expansion, and to meet working capital requirements, management of the Company is also proposing to consolidate the Company's issued and outstanding share capital. It is managements' opinion that a Share Consolidation of the Company's share capital on the basis of up to ten (10) existing common shares for one (1) new common share is required in order to attract new equity investment in the Company whether it be through private or public markets. Accordingly, shareholders will be asked to approve such proposed Share Consolidation by way of an ordinary resolution at the Meeting.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the plans for completion of the disposition of all or substantially all of the Company's undertaking, future plans and objectives of the Company, estimation of profitability, the timing and content of upcoming business plans, capital expenditures, success of business operations, risks, and limitations on insurance coverage. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; delays in obtaining shareholder approval; risks related to international operations; actual results of planned expansion activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of supplies and market prices for products; exchange rates for Canadian, Chinese and any other currencies material to the Company's businesses; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the industries that the Company is currently operating in; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financings or in the completion of development activities; Chinese government policies impacting the Company's businesses; general economic, market or business conditions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or information made in this news release, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its "Regulation Services Provider", as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release.

SOURCE: Polo Biology Global Group Corporation

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Polo Biology Global Group Corporation Proposes 1:10 Share Consolidation Concurrent with Sale of Active Business

Story and Photos by Gabriel Aikens, NCCU Summer intern

The bubbling of reactions and the sight of stern-looking, goggle-wearing scientists with lab coats on the verge of discovering the next big cure is what goes on in Dukes biology labs, right? No, not at all.

Besides seeing lab coats and a variety of beakers, one might be surprised to also find people in hoodies or khaki shorts and sneakers listening to their favorite songs and joking with each other.

Morgan Morrison has been working with the plant Arabidopsis thaliana in the lab of Xinnian Dong in Duke Biology.

Dont be fooled by the relaxed environment however. These graduate and undergraduate students are hard at work, including intern Morgan Morrison, a North Carolina Central University senior from Charlotte interning at Dukes Institute of Genome Sciences & Policy (IGSP) Summer Fellowship Program. Morrison and her colleagues spend their days transferring samples into geno-grinders (machines that grind plant tissue), carefully extracting chemicals with pipettes, and handling subzero nitrogen which sizzles and hisses loudly as samples are lowered into it..

Morrison was accepted into other summer internships but chose Dukes because of her interest in genomics and her attraction to the university.

This internship is offered to a select few students from around the nation to take on various projects. Morrison is undergoing two projects, observing plant-microbe interactions and cloning plants to study their transcription of genes.

Im observing the microbes (microscopic organisms) to find useful plant-derived compounds for combatting infections, says Morrison. Im cloning plants to see how resistant they are to a given disease.

Morrison is doing molecular cloning, which is different from making genetically identical copies like cloning in the movies. Molecular cloning is the engineering of transgenic plants, which are plants containing genes transferred from another species. The plant she works with is Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant thats a member of the mustard family.

To perform molecular cloning, she first identifies a protein of interest (POI) that might confer resistance to the Arabidopsis and then through a series of steps inserts the DNA coding sequence of that POI into the DNA of Arabidopsis. Then she conducts experiments test whether the new protein conferred resistance.

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In Duke Biology Lab, NCCU Student Get A Chance to Set Goals

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Gen9, Inc., a pioneer in the development of scalable technologies for synthesizing and assembling DNA, today announced that it has underwritten the first annual G-Prize to celebrate and support innovation in synthetic biology. The inaugural G-Prize contest, conceived and exclusively sponsored by Gen9, was launched to foster creative and innovative approaches for using synthetic DNA constructs to advance industries including chemical and enzyme production, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and even data storage.

Most biotechnologies have not yet been imagined, let alone made true, said Dr. Drew Endy of Stanford Bioengineering and a Gen9 co-founder. I am thrilled that Gen9 has decided to enable a diverse research community to dream bigger and make true their ideas via better access to critical bioengineering tools.

Gen9 has developed unique, next-generation technologies for synthesizing and assembling DNA constructs for use in commercializing DNA synthesis and fabrication platforms. Today, Gen9 is manufacturing and shipping double-stranded GeneBits DNA constructs, or gene fragments from 500 to 1,024 base pairs long, with a capacity to generate tens of thousands of synthetic gene fragments per year in just a few square feet of laboratory space.

Synthetic biology represents perhaps the greatest opportunity to modernize industry at Moores law scale since silicon, said Kevin Munnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gen9. The market size for products that can be transformed using synthetic biology is estimated to be multi-billions. We look forward to hearing from the innovative community of researchers who have big ideas for constructively building on the many important industries ripe for modernization via synthetic biology.

The G-Prize contest is open to researchers working at academic or public-benefit organizations only. Entries will be judged by a panel of experts selected by Gen9. Any intellectual property rights specific to an entry will remain the sole property of the contestants or their institution. Four winners will be chosen in the following categories: 1st Place (500 GeneBits, up to 500kb); 2nd Place (300 GeneBits, up 300kb) and; two awards for 3rd Place (100 GeneBits, up to 100kb to two teams). Based on the current average market cost of DNA constructs, the total market value of these prizes exceeds $500,000.

Deadline for entries is September 30, 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.gen9bio.com/g-prize.

About Gen9

Gen9 is building on advances in synthetic biology to power a scalable fabrication capability that will significantly increase the worlds capacity to compile DNA content. The privately held companys next-generation DNA synthesis technology allows for the high-throughput, automated production of DNA constructs at lower cost and higher accuracy than previous methods on the market. Founded by world leaders in synthetic biology, Gen9 aims to ensure the constructive application of synthetic biology in industries ranging from enzyme and chemical production to pharmaceuticals and biofuels. Gen9 is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and can be found online atwww.Gen9bio.com.

Gen9, GeneBits and BioFab are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gen9, Inc. All other brands may be trademarks of their respective holders.

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Gen9 Sponsors Contest to Recognize Innovation in Synthetic Biology

At age 13, Ruiyang Xiao already knows that when it is time for college, he will study biology or a science-related field.

Soft-spoken but not shy, modest but highly intelligent, Xiao said he loves biology, animals and entomology.

Speaking through an interpreter Sunday, Xiao was one of 24 elite students from China visiting Black Hawk College as part of an 18-day tour of the Midwest for credit in a natural resources studies course.

The course is being offered through the Environment & Public Health Network for Chinese Students and Scholars. The organization is a network that connects students, scholars, business and government institutions in China, the United States and other countries to improve the environment and public health.

The idea is to begin a 10-year relationship between the people of the Mississippi and Yangtze river basins using culture, conservation and commerce as diplomatic tools that support a renewal of the Shanghai Communique in 2022.

Mary Shuda of the Quad-City Chinese Association helped to plan the Quad-City leg of the trip for the students, who range in age from 13 to 17.

The educational program is called Rivers as Bridges. Shuda said the students will learn scientific procedures in field research, wet labs and hands-on experiments in natural resources sciences with study about air, water, biology, soil, fisheries, wildlife and wetlands.

This was Xiaos first trip to the United States. Ive been to Canada, Turkey and Malaysia, he added.

Im from Beijing, and got to go to the Olympics, Xiao said. His favorite sports are badminton, table tennis and basketball.

Yiyang Yu, 13, also from Beijing, is in the second year of middle school.

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Chinese students touring Midwest make Q-C stop

Priyanka Kurugala

Four Sri Lankan students won Silver, Bonze and Merit awards at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2012 concluded last week in Singapore.

Pramith Ruwanpathirana of Royal College, Colombo won a Silver, Prasan Thurul Warnakula of Joseph Vas College, Wennappuwa won a Bronze and Janidu Gunarathna of Royal College, Colombo and Madhushani Rodrigo of Vishaka Vidyalaya, Colombo secured Merit awards, Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad Coordinator, Institute of Biology, Prof Hiran Amarasekera said.

Over 230 pre-university Biology students and 205 jury members from 59 countries participated in the competition, he said.

Silver medallist, Pramith Ruwanpathirana obtained the best results in the Bio Science stream in the 2011 GCE A/L examination. Bronze medallist, Prasan Thurul Warnakula has not yet completed the GCE (A/L) examination. Other students intend to follow Medical degree courses in Sri Lanka.

The IBO is an internationally conducted competition, where students worldwide compete for medals. The first International Olympiad was held in Eastern Europe in 1959 in Mathematics.

The remaining disciplines are as follows: Physics (1967), Chemistry (1968) and Informatics in (1989). Biology had its first Olympiad in 1990. Science Olympiads as compared with sports are held annually and intended for secondary school students.

The level of questions is above the standard for secondary school education in the world. Theoretical/practical question papers are 5 hours long, each demanding persistence, determination and discipline.

Gold medals are awarded not only to the top achiever, but to the top 10 percent of participants. The Olympiad offers an opportunity for international exchange.

Students were selected out of 2,300 participants in the Sri Lankan Biology Olympiad competition, conducted by the Institute of Biology, in collaboration with Sri Lankan universities and the Education Ministry, in September last year. Professors Hiran Amarasekera and H G Nandadasa from the Sri Jayewardenepura University and Prof M J S Wijeyaratne from the Kelaniya University participated as jury members.

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SL wins Silver, Bronze and Merit at IBO 2012

What does a biological technician actually do all day?

Working in a biology-related business or research facility, biological technicians help biologists conduct tests and procedures that involve living organisms and organic substances. The work can vary greatly: A biological technician might help a biologist in a university conducting genetic research or work for a pharmaceutical company developing a new medicine.

What kind of cash are we talking about here?

The national median wage for biological technicians is $39,480, or $18.76 per hour; in New York, pay is slightly higher. Entry-level wages are usually far lower; those with four-year degrees and seniority will earn more than $50,000 yearly.

What do you have to do to get this job?

A two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelors degree is required. You should have a solid background in chemistry, biology and math, and be very detail-oriented. Most biological technician jobs require proficiency with computers and other technological know-how. Completing an Internship while in school will increase the chances of employment after graduation.

Okay, tell me the bad part.

Some of the duties for entry-level biological technician jobs are rote and not terribly exciting. Biological technicians often work with toxic materials, chemicals, infectious organisms and even radioactive materials, all of which carry risks.

Whats the upside?

Biological technicians may be involved with projects on the cutting edge of biological discovery and scientific advancement. Most technicians work more independently after a few years on the job, and can advance to supervisory positions.

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What’s up with that job?

ScienceDaily (July 21, 2012) In a breakthrough effort for computational biology, the world's first complete computer model of an organism has been completed, Stanford researchers reported last week in the journal Cell.

A team led by Markus Covert, assistant professor of bioengineering, used data from more than 900 scientific papers to account for every molecular interaction that takes place in the life cycle of Mycoplasma genitalium, the world's smallest free-living bacterium.

By encompassing the entirety of an organism in silico, the paper fulfills a longstanding goal for the field. Not only does the model allow researchers to address questions that aren't practical to examine otherwise, it represents a stepping-stone toward the use of computer-aided design in bioengineering and medicine.

"This achievement demonstrates a transforming approach to answering questions about fundamental biological processes," said James M. Anderson, director of the National Institutes of Health Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives. "Comprehensive computer models of entire cells have the potential to advance our understanding of cellular function and, ultimately, to inform new approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of disease."

The research was partially funded by an NIH Director's Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund.

From information to understanding

Biology over the past two decades has been marked by the rise of high-throughput studies producing enormous troves of cellular information. A lack of experimental data is no longer the primary limiting factor for researchers. Instead, it's how to make sense of what they already know.

Most biological experiments, however, still take a reductionist approach to this vast array of data: knocking out a single gene and seeing what happens.

"Many of the issues we're interested in aren't single-gene problems," said Covert. "They're the complex result of hundreds or thousands of genes interacting."

This situation has resulted in a yawning gap between information and understanding that can only be addressed by "bringing all of that data into one place and seeing how it fits together," according to Stanford bioengineering graduate student and co-first author Jayodita Sanghvi.

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Researchers produce first complete computer model of an organism

By Randy Dotinga HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- New research pinpoints a major reason why gay and bisexual men remain so vulnerable to the AIDS epidemic: When it comes to the transmission of HIV, a man who has unprotected anal intercourse is at especially high risk.

In fact, if that kind of intercourse was only as risky as vaginal intercourse, researchers report, HIV cases among gay and bisexual men would shrink dramatically. It would go down even more, they added, if their rates of casual sex declined.

The reality, however, is much different. "Everywhere we looked, HIV is expanding both in high- and low-income countries among men who have sex with men," said study author Dr. Chris Beyrer, director of the Johns Hopkins Fogarty AIDS International Training and Research Program.

The experts were quick to note that, worldwide, it is heterosexual men and women who are by far the majority of those who are infected with HIV. Still, more than 30 years into the AIDS epidemic, gay and bisexual men remain especially vulnerable to infection despite a heavy emphasis on condoms and HIV testing; these men make up the bulk of HIV cases in the United States and other Western countries.

According to UNAIDS, HIV is more common among gay and bisexual men than adults in general in all areas of the world, even Africa. In North America, an estimated 15 percent of gay and bisexual men are infected with HIV; the rate is the highest, 25 percent, in the Caribbean.

Previous research has shown that being on the receiving end of anal intercourse is equally risky whether you're a man or a woman. The risk was estimated at 1.4 percent per sex act with an infected person -- about 18 times more risky than male-to-female vaginal intercourse.

The study authors estimate that if receptive anal intercourse were only as risky as vaginal intercourse, HIV cases would fall by 80 percent to 98 percent among gay and bisexual men over five years. They also estimate that cases would fall by 29 percent to 51 percent if more gay and bisexual men had sex in long-term relationships instead of casual encounters.

The findings appear in the July 20 issue of The Lancet, along with several other studies that examine the prevalence of HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- in gay and bisexual men and offer suggestions about prevention.

Two studies examined the higher risk of HIV infection among black men.

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Biology Leaves Gay Men Highly Vulnerable to HIV: Study

Public release date: 19-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Yvonne Psaila yvonnep@keystonesymposia.org 970-262-2676 Keystone Symposia on Molecular & Cellular Biology

SILVERTHORNE, CO July 19, 2012 Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology is pleased to announce that it has received a fourth grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to promote discoveries that will solve urgent global health problems via support of infectious disease conferences in the "Keystone Symposia Global Health Series." The grant also funds Global Health Travel Awards for investigators from developing countries, a pre-meeting workshop for Travel Awardees, and registration costs for local participants at the conferences that are based in developing countries.

A Colorado, USA-based nonprofit organization, Keystone Symposia received three previous grants from the Foundation, beginning in 2004 and ending with the December 2012 conference on "Immunological Mechanisms of Vaccination" in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, which will be held following the conclusion of the Grand Challenges meeting for that program's grantees. Keystone Symposia typically holds one Global Health Series conference each year in conjunction with the Grand Challenges meeting.

The new grant will provide support for conferences in 2013, 2014 and 2015. It consists of $2.25 million in funding over three years or $750,000 per year.

The five 2012-2013 season Keystone Symposia conferences funded by the new grant are: "Malaria" in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA in January 2013; "HIV Vaccines" in Keystone, Colorado, USA in February 2013; "Tuberculosis: Understanding the Enemy" in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada in March 2013; "Immune Activation in HIV Infection: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Implications" in Breckenridge, Colorado, USA in April 2013 and "The Innate Immune Response in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease" in Ouro Preto, Brazil in May 2013. The latter will be the first conference for Keystone Symposia in Latin America.

More than half of the grant is used to fund Global Health Travel Awards for investigators, clinicians, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from developing countries where the health issues of the meeting topic are endemic. Without these awards, these individuals would not be able to attend the conferences and participate in the valuable knowledge-sharing and collaboration-building that result. To date, more than 1,100 individuals from at least 50 countries have participated in Keystone Symposia conferences as a result of Global Health Travel Awards.

A unique component of the Global Health Series meetings that the funding also supports is a pre-meeting workshop for Travel Awardees in which three to four speakers provide an overview of the field, its current status and primary challenges. This has proved enormously valuable to participants who may be more involved in field work and therefore not as close to the latest research.

The grant will also help fund some registration costs for local scientists, postdoctoral associates and students when the conferences are held in developing countries. This promotes sharing of the latest research advances with those on the frontlines of battling global health challenges. It also stimulates growth of the research enterprise in developing countries.

James Aiken, Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Symposia, expressed his deep appreciation for the grant: "The support from the Foundation is an essential base that we build upon to expand our global science educational activities and to enhance science capability worldwide."

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Keystone Symposia announces new 3-year grant to tackle major global health challenges

igsp headline news Published by KENDALL MORGANTuesday, July 10, 2012

Alex Hartemink, the Alexander F. Hehmeyer Associate Professor of Computer Science, Statistical Science, and Biology, has been appointed as the new Director of the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CBB) Program, effective July 2012. Based in the Duke Institute for Genomes Sciences& Policy, the CBB Program is an integrative, multi-disciplinary doctoral program encompassing the study of biology using computational and quantitative methods.

"I'm really excited to be doing this because of the many people who have contributed their time and energy to build the program to its present level of excellence," Hartemink said. "It's exciting to be involved with a program that inspires that kind of commitment, and I look forward to working with colleagues and students to make the program even better going forward."

In his new role, Hartemink will be responsible for the overall leadership, management, and maintenance of the PhD and certificate training activities of the program. Hartemink says that in addition to focusing on the existing doctoral program, he will also consider the potential for other innovative opportunities in computational biology and bioinformatics at Duke, including at the undergraduate and post-doctoral levels.

"This is an important time for the field because several strands are coming together at the same time," Hartemink says. "As one example, next-generation sequencing technology and the plummeting cost of sequencing has really changed the amount of data people regularly collect, and we need to be able to understand those data in a computationally efficient and statistically principled way. Quantitative expertise has become increasingly valuable in this big data world."

Learn more about the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program.

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Hartemink Named New Director for Duke's Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program

Newswise Boise State University's one-of-a-kind master's degree program in raptor biology and partnering Idaho Bird Observatory have soared to new heights with the establishment of the Fall Migration Travel Award.

The raptor biology program has long provided students with a unique graduate experience aimed at understanding the science and conservation of birds of prey. The Idaho Bird Observatory now enhances that experience by offering qualified students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of raptor biology in an international setting.

Last summer, graduate students Micah Scholer and Martina Zucchini traveled to Tarifa, Spain, for three months to work with non-profit and sister organization to the Idaho Bird Observatory, Fundacin Migres. The students learned about the population dynamics of migratory birds, the ecology of European raptors and exchanged cultural experiences with the Spanish people.

For a raptor biologist such as myself, the chance to participate in monitoring one of the worlds greatest avian migrations presented an extraordinary opportunity for me to develop as a professional, in addition to gaining a new cultural perspective, Scholer said.

Scholer is returning to Spain later this month to spend another three months as a volunteer coordinator and work on research collaborations with Fundacin Migres preparing manuscripts for publication.

Fundacin Migres mission is to monitor population changes of migratory birds in Spain and the rest of Western Europe. Their migration observatories are situated on the coast of Spain looking out across the Strait of Gibraltar. Each year, hundreds of thousands of soaring birds and an estimated 20-40 million songbirds pass through this area as they cross the Strait at its narrowest point on their voyage between Europe and Africa. This makes the Strait an excellent place to study the phenomenon of avian migration.

Scholer and Zucchini helped count 29 different species of nearly 400,000 birds. More information about the project is available at the Fundacin Migres web site.

For more information on the travel award or program, contact Idaho Bird Observatory Director Greg Kaltenecker at 426-4354 or gregorykaltenecker@boisestate.edu, or biology professor Marc Bechard at 426-3530 or mbechard@boisestate.edu.

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Migration at Gibraltar: Boise State University Raptor Biology Graduate Students Gain International Perspective in Spain

Public release date: 16-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Aaron Lovell aaron.lovell@wilsoncenter.org 202-691-4320 Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars/Science and Technology Innovation Program

WASHINGTON Federal agencies have started taking steps to address the recommendations in a 2010 report from the presidential bioethics commission to improve the governance of synthetic biology research and development, though the government has not fully addressed any of the report recommendations, according to a scorecard tracking the efforts.

The Synthetic Biology Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars launched the web-based Synthetic Biology Scorecard in February to track federal and non-federal efforts to implement the recommendations in New Directions: The Ethics of Synthetic Biology and Emerging Technologies, a December 2010 report from the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. The recommendations seek to minimize risks from the technology while ensuring that social and economic benefits are realized.

Eighteen months after the release of the report, information collected by the Project and submitted by users finds that steps have been taken by the U.S. government over the past four months to continue addressing the report recommendations. These measures include a new White House-led interagency working group looking at government work on the issue; a recent six-party meeting at the National Academy of Sciences (the last in a series of three meetings between the United States, United Kingdom and China); and the development and release of the National Bioeconomy Blueprint.

Still, the Scorecard finds that none of the recommendations have been fully addressed, including six recommendations that called for federal action within 18 months, or by mid-June 2012. Of the six recommendations calling for action within 18 months, five of the recommendations saw some level of government activity.

Of the 17 recommendations tracked by the Scorecard, 13 had some level of federal activity and four had no activity, including a recommendation calling for risk assessments before research organisms or commercial products involving the technology are released into the environment and a recommendation calling for the identification of reliable containment and control mechanisms.

President Obama requested the Commission's report more than two years ago in response to important advancements in the field of synthetic biology. On May 20, 2010, scientists at the J.C. Venter Institute unveiled a bacterial cell controlled by a synthetic genome. The same day, the president asked the Commission to study "the implications of this scientific milestone . . . [and] consider the potential medical, environmental, security, and other benefits of this field of research, as well as any potential health, security, or other risks."

The Scorecard has new features to improve usability. People are encouraged to submit work by agencies, organizations, states and others that fulfill the Commission recommendations. The Project plans to continue to highlight the progress towards implementing the recommendations.

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Synthetic Biology Scorecard finds federal agencies responding to bioethics report

Dr. David Easterla, distinguished professor of biology at Northwest Missouri State University, recently had what was probably his last foray in the U.S. Masters Swimming competition in Omaha.

The 74-year-old, who is the oldest professor on campus, competed in the U.S. Masters Swimming Nationals in Omaha, placing in nine of the events, including a third-place finish in the 200 meter individual medley.

Ive never felt better in my life, said Dr. Easterla, who weighs the same, 177 pounds, as he did when he wrestled at the University of Missouri Columbia in 1959. This is it. This is my last hurrah.

Dr. Easterla regularly trained for his swimming events at the university pool, which was closed in April due to budget constraints. The closest lap pool to Maryville is in Clarinda, Iowa, he said. Commuting back and forth was taking too much out of the day.

Youve got to train, he said of competing in the events, which include multiple races per day, including a 500 yard race. If youre not in shape, you will die.

He qualified for Nationals after winning nine gold, two silver and three bronze medals at the Missouri Senior Games in Columbia last month. He competed in the Iowa Senior Games a week later and took 11 gold, four silver and two bronze medals.

Unless things change, he said of the budget situation in public higher education funding, I suppose this will be my last hurrah.

In his 48 years of teaching at Northwest, Dr. Easterla has published 229 scientific articles. He has published a book on the birds of Missouri, and is spending the summer researching vertebrate paleontology, archeology and birds.

Jimmy Myers can be reached at jimmy.myers@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SJNPMyers.

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Biology professor scores at senior olympics

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Bethany Lorenz, a biology teacher at Putnam City North High School, is the 2012 recipient of the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Oklahoma.

Bethany Lorenz, a biology teacher at Putnam City North High School, is the 2012 recipient of the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Oklahoma. The award is given each year by the National Association of Biology Teachers to a life science teacher in each state who demonstrates exemplary practice in the teaching of life science. Photo provided

Although I oversee a great deal, the students are responsible for the design of their own experiment. Not only does this provide ownership for the students in their learning, but I find that students retain more information for longer period of time because their interest is piqued.

Bethany Lorenz

Putnam City North High School biology teacher

The award is given each year by the National Association of Biology Teachers to a life science teacher in each state who demonstrates exemplary practice in the teaching of life science.

Lorenz has been a biology teacher at Putnam City North since 2001 and will be teaching biology, anatomy and physiology in the coming school year.

A nationally board-certified teacher, she was named in March as teacher of the year for all Putnam City schools.

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Putnam City North biology teacher wins national award

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease, today announced the publication of key data isolating beige fat cells and describing their unique genetic profile for the first time. The study, published in the journal Cell, found that beige fat cells - which burn caloric energy like brown fat cells - are specifically targeted by the hormone irisin.

This breakthrough beige fat research was led by Bruce Spiegelman, Ph.D., professor of cell biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, and a co-founder of Ember, and was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the JPB Foundation and the American Heart Association. Ember recently completed a licensing agreement with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for intellectual property related to this beige fat discovery.

This study from the lab of one of Embers scientific co-founders sheds additional light on the complex matter of brown, beige and white fat, said Louis Tartaglia, Ph.D., president and interim chief executive officer of Ember. Importantly, the data provides further understanding of the nature of brown fat in humans, thus allowing more rational approaches to effectively and safely develop drugs that augment this tissue in patients. Ember is aggressively working on translating world-class research in the brown fat space to meet the critical need for novel approaches to metabolic diseases.

The newly isolated beige fat cells are a type of brown fat cell that is distinct from the classic brown fat most highly studied in small mammals and human infants. Beige fat cells are produced from white fat depots when triggered by specific conditions such as exercise and cold. Similar to brown fat, beige fat burns caloric energy, whereas white fat stores excess energy.

The paper, Beige Adipocytes are a Distinct Type of Thermogenic Fat Cell in Mouse and Human, is now available online and will publish in the print edition of Cell on July 20.

About Ember Therapeutics, Inc.

Ember Therapeutics is a product-focused company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease. Todays rising epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes coupled with the lack of innovation in the industrys metabolic disorder treatment pipeline underscores the need for novel, peripherally-acting treatments with improved safety profiles. Embers unique approach leverages recent research breakthroughs in brown fat biology to develop a pipeline of proprietary large and small molecules designed to amplify the bodys innate ability to efficiently burn fuels like glucose. Embers expertise is also driving the development of the next generation of highly selective insulin sensitizers that have robust anti-diabetic effects, but lack the serious side effects of currently approved insulin sensitizers. Ember is a private company launched in 2011 by renowned scientific founders, an experienced leadership team and Third Rock Ventures. For more information, please visit http://www.embertx.com.

Originally posted here:
Ember Therapeutics Announces Cell Publication of Key Beige Fat Discovery; Technology Licensed from the Dana-Farber ...

Orlando Salinas WDBJ7 Reporter

6:27 p.m. EDT, July 13, 2012

Most of you may not know it, but deep in the heart of Mountain Lake in Giles County, the University of Virginia is doing some summer time research.

The Research Experience for Undergraduates or REU has been going on for 20 years, part of the National Science Foundation and smack in the middle of the forest.

Talk about a living lab. A handful of smart and lucky college students from around the country are working in the woods behind Mountain Lake. Dirty Dancing Mountain Lake.

Caitlin Alford is a UVA student and says this Summer program makes sense. "After taking classes here I really found out I like being in nature. I like exploring questions that I just ask walking in the woods."

One of many projects focuses on birds and how maybe like people, they only like other birds that smell good.

More than 250 acres make up this University of Virginia outdoor biology lab, just minutes from the Virginia Tech campus.

Students design, collect data and then get cracking on their projects. One includes this forked fungus beetle that gives off a nasty smell of blood. This reporter watched as another student blew his breath on that beetle. The beetle gave off an ugly smell. Eric Wice was quick to say, "Hopefully it's not my breath!" Wice wants to know why baby beetles fight each other to the death, and then some. Wice said, "The larvae will actually eat each other and cannabilize each other."

The students get a 5000 dollar summer allowance and free room and board.

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Mountain Lake holds UVA biology lab

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Photo courtesy of Bellarmine College Preparatory Nikhil Buduma wears the gold medal he recently won at the USA Biology Olympiad National Finals at Purdue University. Nihil, an incoming senior at Bellarmine College Preparatoy is now one of four students on the USA team heading to Singapore for the 23rd International Biology Olympiad, July 8-15.

Nikhil Buduma will start his senior year at Bellarmine College Preparatory a well traveled young man.

Nikhil is one of four high school students selected for the U.S. team competing in the 23rd International Biology Olympiad July 8-15 in Singapore.

Nikhil won his slot at the 10th annual USA Biology Olympiad National Finals held at Purdue University in June. There, he was competing in a field of 20, selected from more than 10,000 applicants.

At the two-week session at Purdue, leading U.S. biologists in the fields of cellular biology, biotechnology, microbiology, animal anatomy and physiology, plant anatomy and physiology, genetics and evolution, ethology, ecology and biosystematics worked with the 20 finalists.

Nikhil, who was a finalist for the second time, earned his spot with high scores on the practical and theoretical exam at the end of the USA Biology Olympiad.

"I'm extremely honored," Nikhil says of winning a place on the team. "I'll be studying hard for the competition, but I look forward to the preparation."

Rod Wong, chairman of the science department at Bellarmine, says, "Nikhil has been an outstanding science student since his arrival, and his participation and success in the USABO during the past two years has been amazing.

"He is a leader and a role model in the Bellarmine Science Club and will play a key role in the development of the new Bellarmine STEM-Med (Science, Technology, Engineering,

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One of four students on this country's International Biology Olympiad is from Bellarmine Prep in San Jose

The Irish Times - Friday, July 13, 2012

DICK AHLSTROM, Science Editor

THE LINE separating the digital world and the biological world is blurring and may soon fade away. It will lead to a time when our personal biology will be transmitted across the internet at the speed of light, the geneticist Dr Craig Venter has said.

We are in waht I call the digital age of biology, he told a packed out audience assembled in the examination hall on the Trinity College campus, an event taking place as part of the ongoing EuroScience Open Forum based at the Convention Centre Dublin.

He pictured a time in the not too distant future when digitised biological samples collected at an influenza outbreak could be transmitted to a laboratory and analysed to identify a vaccine target.

The result would in turn be transmitted to vaccine manufacturers around the world to stop a pandemic before it could start. This is biology moving at the speed of light, Dr Venter said.

His talk, entitled: What is Life?, was a reprise of a series of lectures first given in 1943 at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies by physicist Erwin Schrdinger.

Although a physicist, Schrdinger delivered an lecture on the processes that control life, talks that later went on to inspire a generation of biologists.

One such biologist attended yesterdays talk, Nobel Prize winner James Watson. Also present was the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who in a piece of interlocking history attended last nights lecture at Trinity just as his predecessor of 1943 had, one Eamon de Valara.

Dr Venter opened his address by declaring it was a considerable honour to be asked to deliver the presentation. He talked about the lectures and their impact, pointing out that the notion of a DNA code was first used by Schrdinger in his description of a code script.

Originally posted here:
Leading geneticist heralds digital age of biology

Field Biology may be one the most romanticized career tracks of the sciences. Images of exotic wild places, muddy boots, trekking through forests or mountains or grasslands, enduring the elements, swatting mosquitoes and other pesky insects a scientist on an exhilarating journey exploring nature. Field work can be simultaneously amazing and exhausting, filled with lots of time waiting and negotiating, dealing with international bureaucrat systems, avoiding miscommunications, and at times dangerous. But isnt that what makes an adventure? I certainly think so.

Three days from now Ill be embarking on what is sure to be the most exciting adventure of my life: Field research in Tanzania, Africa! And yes, Ill share the whole experience with you! Demystifying science. Its what I do.

Dispatches from Tanzania (art work by @Lalsox)

This summer, July 2012, I am going to Tanzania, Africa to begin my field research studying African Giant Pouched Rats, Cricetomys gambianus one of the largest rodent species in Africa. Also called Gambian rat, it is most popular for its humanitarian work detecting landmines and tuberculosis. However, much less has been recorded about the natural behavior and biology of this animal. Ill be leading a field expedition to assess the natural history and basic behavioral biology of the African giant pouched rat. I will spend two and a half months in Tanzania, near the city of Morogoro, trapping, marking, releasing, and following these animals in the wild. I will collect information such as the number of males and females I catch, their reproductive condition, and the GPS coordinates of where I find them. I can then use this information to assess the mating system, dispersal patterns, and population structure of this interesting species.

African Giant Pouched Rat

In addition to the exciting research, I am also looking forward to visiting Africa. It is a beautiful and culturally rich land. Scientists have visited this beautiful continent for decades, sharing stories of discovery and wonder. However, rarely have these scientific explorers been women or persons of color. I want to share my experiences, as researcher, as an African-American, and as a woman, and offer an alternative image and narrative of a foreign explorer in Africa. Visiting Africa for the first time is as much a personal journey as it is professional endeavor to me. I want to share my personal accounts such as learning the culture and language, getting to know people, experiencing the food and sights, as well as behind the scenes of field research. Ill be living and researching in Tanzania for nearly three months.

Dispatches Sharing the experience, engaging the public Dispatches will be my electronic field notebook. I will share what I am doing on location. I will demystify the outdoor research experience and give readers a first look at the wildlife and ecosystems I encounter. With each expedition, the online audience will accompany me to exciting locations all over the world, visiting new ecosystems and learning about local wildlife and local cultures.

Essentially, Dispatches is a three-part science outreach platform to connect people directly to science, discovery and nature. As I travel to new places and participate in various research projects, audience will be right there participating in the discovery and exploration. The three-part platform includes:

I will make regular updates to my blog, tagging those posts as #DispatchesDNLee, so that you can follow the hashtag and keep up with everything. Post will include narratives of my experiences and photographs plus videos. For the videos Im partnering with the Summer Field Work Project coordinated by Carin Bondar of PsiVid. I will moderate my comments and answer readers questions, as time allows.

Something that I have always done whenever I travel around the world is send post cards back home to keep family and friends abreast of my safety and my adventures. I will send postcards with hand written updates from me while in Tanzania to people in the United States or anywhere in the world interested in knowing more about field biology, Gambian rats, Tanzania, as well as lovers of nature and world cultures.

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The Urban Scientist presents Dispatches from Tanzania #DispatchesDNLee