Rutgers' Human Genetics Institute Wins $19 Million Federal Contract

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Newswise NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has awarded a five-year contract worth up to $19 million to RUCDR Infinite Biologics, a unit of Rutgers Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey. The worlds largest university-based biorepository, RUCDR Infinite Biologics is located on Rutgers Busch Campus in Piscataway.

Under the new contract, RUCDR will expand and enhance the services it provides through its NIDA Center for Genetic Studies, which it has supported for the past 15 years. The Center provides genomic services to NIDA-funded researchers.

Because the Rutgers operation has been continuously acquiring new equipment and systems, and refining the techniques its staff employs, the genomic testing and analysis for NIDA studies will be significantly more sophisticated than in previous years, according to Jay Tischfield, CEO and founder of RUCDR Infinite Biologics and the Duncan and Nancy Macmillan Distinguished Professor of Genetics at Rutgers.

Under this new contract with NIDA, we will be utilizing innovative technologies to support research, such as microarray typing and high-throughput sequencing for genomic and epigenomic analyses, Tischfield said. We also will support NIDA projects that employ induced pluripotent stem cells to facilitate the molecular and cellular study of brain development and addiction processes.

The NIDA Center for Genetic Studies is a scientific resource for informing the human molecular genetics of drug addiction. The center stores clinical and diagnostic data, pedigree information and biomaterials (including DNA, plasma, cryopreserved lymphocytes and/or cell lines) from human subjects participating in studies that form the NIDA Genetics Consortium.

The contract includes receiving data along with blood samples or other biospecimens from funded grants and/or contracts supporting research on the genetics of addiction and addiction vulnerability; processing these data and materials to create databases, serum, DNA, RNA and cell lines; distributing all data and materials in the NIDA Human Genetics Initiative to qualified investigators; and maintaining storage of data and biomaterials.

RUCDR has a similar agreement with the National Institute of Mental Health to support the NIMH Center for Collaborative Genomics Research on Mental Disorders, which provides services to NIMH-funded scientists studying mental disorders. A $44.5 million, five-year cooperative agreement renewal was awarded in 2013.

About RUCDR Infinite Biologics RUCDR Infinite Biologics offers a complete and integrated selection of biological sample processing, analysis and biorepository services to government agencies, academic institutions, foundations and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies within the global scientific community. RUCDR Infinite Biologics provides DNA, RNA and cell lines with clinical data to hundreds of research laboratories for studies on mental health and developmental disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, diabetes and digestive, liver and kidney diseases. RUCDR completed an $11.8 million expansion and renovation of its facilities last year. Read more at http://www.rucdr.org.

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Rutgers' Human Genetics Institute Wins $19 Million Federal Contract

Priyanka Chopra Inaugrates Health Care Global Enterprise Cancer Foundation – Video


Priyanka Chopra Inaugrates Health Care Global Enterprise Cancer Foundation
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In Person as well as Virtually, Mental Health Services Help Sherry Pasedag Get Back on Track – Video


In Person as well as Virtually, Mental Health Services Help Sherry Pasedag Get Back on Track
When a series of changes at work took a toll on Sherry Pasedag #39;s mental health, she made an appointment with Charles Heath, MD, a psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente in Georgia. At first, Sherry...

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Billionaire Heiress Seeks Health-Care Fortune: Corporate India

Roshni Nadar Malhotra, the daughter of Indian billionaire Shiv Nadar, is stepping out of her fathers shadow to make a foray into health care. Shes using her familys computer business as a springboard.

The 33-year-old plans to spend 10 billion rupees ($168 million) to build a network of health clinics to treat acute and chronic ailments including diabetes, asthma, stomach and skin conditions, she said in an interview. Her venture will start with 50 centers in and around New Delhi before expanding to small towns, the only offspring of the founder of HCL Technologies Ltd. (HCLT) and HCL Infosystems Ltd. (HCLI) said.

The focus is on providing outpatient care, something that can fill in for the disappearing tradition of family physicians, Nadar said from her office in the outskirts of the nations capital. We arent building hospitals. Not yet.

Nadar is seeking to tap a market for primary care in the second most-populous country where state delivery is poor or inadequate, while private hospitals run by Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (APHS) and Fortis Healthcare Ltd. (FORH) are unaffordable to a majority. Health-care spending in India may surge sevenfold to $280 billion in the decade to 2020, a study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry shows.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra, daughter of billionaire Shiv Nadar and chief executive officer of HCL Corporation Ltd. Close

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Roshni Nadar Malhotra, daughter of billionaire Shiv Nadar and chief executive officer of HCL Corporation Ltd.

The effort of HCL Avitas, as the venture is known, will be to provide a cheaper alternative for those wanting treatment for the common cold, flu, chest congestion and other conditions, Nadar said. A single appointment at a private hospital in Mumbai might cost $20, compared with $5 at an HCL Avitas facility.

Primary health care that can cut costs is especially vital in India, where the World Bank says more than two-thirds of the population lives on less than $2 a day and 86 percent of health-care spending is paid out of pocket by individuals with no insurance.

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Billionaire Heiress Seeks Health-Care Fortune: Corporate India

2 health care workers exposed to MERS had flu-like symptoms

Two health care workers went to the emergency room with flu-like symptoms after coming into contact with a patient confirmed to have Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, officials said Tuesday.

The Florida patient represents the second confirmed case of MERS brought into the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. MERS is a mysterious virus that can be fatal, and was first found in the Arabian Peninsula in 2012.

One health care worker in Orlando began showing symptoms 72 hours after exposure to the MERS patient but did not meet criteria for admission and was sent home, said Dr. Antonio Crespo, an infectious disease specialist at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, where the MERS patient is being treated. The health care worker will be monitored and seems to be improving, Crespo said.

The other one, whose symptoms began 24 hours after exposure, was admitted to the same hospital, officials said Tuesday at a press conference.

Were just waiting for the results from the testing that was done yesterday to decide about discharge, Crespo said.

At-risk workers at home

The two health care workers are among 20 in the Orlando area who may have been exposed to the MERS patient, and they are being tested for the virus, officials said. They were all notified and told to stay home and not work for 14 days, Crespo said. They also should monitor their temperatures and check for possible symptoms such as a cough, sore throat and fever.

Five health team members who may be at risk have been identified at Orlando Regional Medical Center and 15 at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, Crespo said.

They were all evaluated for signs and symptoms that would be consistent for MERS. Samples were sent to the state lab for testing, said Dr. Ken Michaels, medical director for occupational health at Orlando Health.

Im glad to report that Ive spoken to most of these team members today. They all report that theyre doing great, Michaels said.

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2 health care workers exposed to MERS had flu-like symptoms

UAE- Sharjah Health Care City 'will operate as free zone'

(MENAFN - Arab News) The land lease for constructing health care facilities at sharjah healthcare city (shcc) will start by the last quarter of this year said abdulla ali al-mahyan chairman of sharjah health authority and member of the executive council.

the project which is under the directive and vision of sharjah ruler sheikh sultan bin mohammed al-qassimi is at its detailed designing stage.

'our objective is to establish sharjah as the most sought after destination for health care services" he told arab news during an exclusive interview.

'we want to create a one-stop solution for all the health care needs of every individual" said al-mahyan said.

'shcc plans to make it possible by attracting investors across the health care industry to come and operate inside the health care city. we will provide world-class infrastructure easy licensing procedures single-window service etc" said al-mahyan.

'the sharjah health care city will operate as a free zone and the investors will enjoy 100 percent tax and duty free benefits 100 percent business ownership and 100 percent repatriability" he said.

when asked about investments from saudi arabia he said that the kingdom is one among the closest trade partners of uae and 'we realize the importance that the saudi government gives to this sector."

he said: 'we expect a good number of saudi health care investors in shcc. our delegation will be in riyadh during the third week of this month to meet prospective investors along with other segments of sharjah government."

he said shcc was being set up on an extensive area of 1.2 million square meters. it will offer unmatched facilities for health care centers and related services.

'the health-care trend in the region is encouraging. the demand for hospital beds across the region is expected to rise with uae registering the highest projected growth in demand for hospital beds at 160 percent by 2025. by 2020 the gcc may require an excess of 25000 additional beds with the current level of care" he explained citing statistics.

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UAE- Sharjah Health Care City 'will operate as free zone'

Health care on wheels: A little push for political will

The health department's roadshow aims to visit 3 provinces every month until June 30, 2016, with a budget of P1 million per region

MANILA, Philippines The Department of Health (DOH) launched on Wednesday, May 14, the DOH on Wheels: Kalusugan Pangkalahatan or KP Roadshow which aims to bring health care advocacies to every corner of the country by 2016.

The roadshow will also leave behind 11,000 nurses and 5,000 midwives in different areas to pursue programs to be started by the health department.

Starting in Quezon City, the KP Roadshow will also be rolled out in the following areas in the coming months:

Health Undersecretary Janette Garin said the roadshow will empower Filipinos to demand from their local government officials better access to health care services. (READ: Aquino to poor: Avail of free healthcare)

"Kasi nandiyan ang commodities, nandiyan 'yung knowledge. The services are there, kulang lang talaga ng konting tulak kasi nga nagwatak-watak because of devolution, she added. (The commodities are there, the knowledge is there, the services are there, but a little push is needed, especially with the division caused by devolution.)

Garin said the biggest challenge is to convince local government units (LGUs) to invest in health care. (READ: Ona: Take health care out of politicians' hands)

"Majority of LGUs have placed health care foremost in their agenda. Unfortunately, there are still some that neglect health care. And sad to say, the impact of that is not affecting them personally; its affecting the community, she said in a mix of English and Filipino.

In January 2014, Health Secretary Enrique Ona mentioned in an interview with Rappler a proposal to amend the Local Government Code and revert to the DOH the direct supervision of provincial health officers and municipal health officers.

HEALTH CARE ON THE ROAD. Inside one of the buses for the KP Roadshow are examination rooms like this one. Photo by Jee Geronimo/Rappler

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Health care on wheels: A little push for political will

20 hospital workers told to stay home

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Two health care workers went to the emergency room with flu-like symptoms after coming into contact with a patient confirmed to have Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, officials said Tuesday.

The Florida patient represents the second confirmed case of MERS brought into the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. MERS is a mysterious virus that can be fatal, and was first found in the Arabian Peninsula in 2012.

One health care worker in Orlando began showing symptoms 72 hours after exposure to the MERS patient but did not meet criteria for admission and was sent home, said Dr. Antonio Crespo, an infectious disease specialist at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, where the MERS patient is being treated. The health care worker will be monitored and seems to be improving, Crespo said.

The other one, whose symptoms began 24 hours after exposure, was admitted to the same hospital, officials said Tuesday at a press conference.

"We're just waiting for the results from the testing that was done yesterday to decide about discharge," Crespo said.

At-risk workers at home

The two health care workers are among 20 in the Orlando area who may have been exposed to the MERS patient, and they are being tested for the virus, officials said. They were all notified and told to stay home and not work for 14 days, Crespo said. They also should monitor their temperatures and check for possible symptoms such as a cough, sore throat and fever.

Five health team members who may be at risk have been identified at Orlando Regional Medical Center and 15 at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, Crespo said.

They were all evaluated for signs and symptoms that would be consistent for MERS. Samples were sent to the state lab for testing, said Dr. Ken Michaels, medical director for occupational health at Orlando Health.

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20 hospital workers told to stay home

Researchers identify genetic marker for OCD

Scientists have identified a genetic marker that may be associated with the development of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

OCD affects an estimated 2 percent of the population and is one of the least understood mental illnesses. The condition is marked by thoughts and images that chronically intrude in the mind and by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety. The standard treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications and behavioral psychotherapy are about 60 to 70 percent effective, but they dont help all patients and only treat disease symptoms.

Identifying a genetic marker for OCD could help scientists develop more effective therapies for the condition.

Like most other medical and psychological conditions, we need to understand what causes conditions, so we can develop real and rational treatments for these conditions and/or prevention, lead study author Dr. Gerald Nestadt, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com. Thats why its important to study or identify genetic causes, if there are any.

In collaboration with seven universities, Nestadt and his colleagues conducted a genome-wide association study of 1,400 people with OCD. For their control group, researchers studied the genomes of 1,000 parents of OCD patients. Researchers looked for an association between the condition and a particular genetic marker. They were able to identify a genetic marker located near a gene that encodes the protein tyrosine phosphokinase.In the study, more people in the OCD group had the genetic marker, compared to those in the control group.

A genetic marker typically is not the specific abnormality, but tells researchers something very close to the marker is the variant of interest, Nestadt said. Researchers note that, while they have a found a genetic marker, they have yet to discover the exact variant associated with OCD and therefore do not know the exact genetic cause of the disease.

That is the goal. The idea is that if we know what chemical or protein is affected in the condition, then we can work out what problem is in the brain that causes the condition and the next step is to find a pharmaceutical that changes that or affects that so as to improve the condition, said Nestadt, who is also director of Johns Hopkins Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder program.

While there has been significant genetic research into other physical diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, OCD has been less studied. Nestadt believes its because there are fewer researchers in the field of OCD genetics, as well as less availability of funds and a lack of understanding of the disease.

We all have friends who say, Well, Im a little OCD. I think that has actually hurt the individuals who truly suffer from the condition everybody thinks of it as a joke or not serious or not disabling. If you seriously meet someone who has OCD and see what life is like, youll absolutely change your mind, he said.

The only known risk factor for OCD is having a family member with the disease. In previous research, Nestadt had found that 40 percent of people with OCD had a first-degree relative with the disease.

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Researchers identify genetic marker for OCD

Large Panel Genetic Testing Produces More Questions than Answers in Breast Cancer

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Newswise PHILADELPHIAWhile large genetic testing panels promise to uncover clues about patients DNA, a team of researchers from Penn Medicines Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) has found that those powerful tests tend to produce more questions than they answer. In a study of 278 women with early onset breast cancer who did not have the BRCA genes, the researchers found that only 2.5 percent of the patients had inherited mutations that were actually clinically actionable. Experts dont yet know how to interpret most of the mutations discovered by the testknown as massively parallel gene sequencing.

Results of the study, led by author Kara Maxwell, MD, PhD, a fellow in the division of Hematology-Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will be presented during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago in early June (Abstract #1510).

Large genetic testing panels sometimes reveal mutations in genes that are associated with an increased risk in developing cancer. BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes are prime examples, where women can opt for mastectomies and ovary removal surgerywhich research shows slashes their risk of developing those cancers. However, there is not yet guidance for clinicians on how to care for patients who exhibit other types of mutations, such as CHEK2 and ATM. These are known as variants of unknown significance (VUS).

Were in a time where the testing technology has outpaced what we know from a clinical standpoint. Theres going to be a lot of unknown variants that were going to have to deal with as more patients undergo large genetic testing panels, said Maxwell. Its crucial that we figure out the right way to counsel women on these issues, because it can really provoke a lot of anxiety for a patient when you tell them, We found a change in your DNA and we dont know what it means.

The team, which includes Susan Domchek, MD, the Basser Professor in Oncology and director of the Basser Research Center for BRCA in Penns ACC, and Katherine Nathanson, MD, an associate professor in the division of Translational Medicine and Chief Oncogenomics Physician for the ACC, studied 278 patients who had been diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40, were not carriers of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, and had no family history of ovarian cancer.

The researchers performed massively parallel gene sequencing to detect 22 known or proposed breast cancer susceptibility genes in each woman. Though the testing did reveal multiple variants of genes that are known to confer increased risk of breast cancer in patients who develop the disease young, only 2.5 percent of patients tested were found to have mutations that are actionable under current treatment guidelines, including TP53, CDKN2A, MSH2, and MUTYH.

In all, the sequencing revealed reportable variants in over 30 percent of the patients.

Knowing there is a mutation may not help us any more than knowing that the person has a positive family history which we already know, Nathanson said. We dont know yet what to do with the information on an individual basis, and there certainly are no clinical standards.

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Large Panel Genetic Testing Produces More Questions than Answers in Breast Cancer

New life from artificial DNA

A scientific breakthrough has expanded the way genetic information can be stored.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- All of life as we know it on Earth -- pigs, pandas, fish, bacteria and everything else -- has genetic information encoded in the same way, with the same biological alphabet.

Now, for the first time, scientists have shown it is possible to alter that alphabet and still have a living organism that passes on the genetic information. They reported their findings in the journal Nature.

"This is the first experimental demonstration that life can exist with information that's not coded the way nature does (it)," said Floyd Romesberg, associate professor of chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.

Medicine can greatly benefit from this discovery, Romesberg said. There's potential for better antibiotics and treatments for a slew of diseases for which drug development has been challenging, including cancers.

The findings also suggest that DNA as we know it on Earth may not be the only solution to coding for life, Romesberg said. There may be other organisms elsewhere in space that use genetic letters we have never seen -- or that don't use DNA at all.

"Is this alien life? No," he said. "Does it suggest that there could be other ways of storing information? Yes."

How they did it

For their genetic experiments, Romesberg and colleagues used molecules, called X and Y, that are completely different from the four building blocks of DNA.

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New life from artificial DNA

Qatar- First date palm genetic map made

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) have published the first genetic map of the date palm, paving the way for Qatar to become a leader in date palm genetics and biotechnology.

The map shows the order in which the date palm's chromosomes are placed and which chromosome is responsible for reproduction.

In theory, the information could one day allow growers to manipulate the development of seeds, creating more female fruit-bearing plants than male plants,which do not produce dates. It also places Qatar at the head of research into the date palm, an important food source for much of the Middle East. The map has been produced by the genomics group under the direction of Dr Joel Malek, Assistant Professor of Genetic Medicine, in collaboration with Dr Karsten Suhre, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and with help from colleagues at the Ministry of Environment's Biotechnology Centre and its Department of Agricultural Affairs.

The programme 'Establishing World Leadership in Date Palm Research in Qatar' (NPRP-EP X-014-4-001) was funded by Qatar National Research Fund's NPRP Exceptional Proposal programme that provided 4.5m for the research.

Dr Malek said, "This is us laying the foundation for establishing world leadership in date palm research. To be a world leader, you have to have infrastructure and I consider this a genetic infrastructure that will allow us to be the leaders when it comes date palm biotechnology."

Three years ago, he and his team produced a draft version of the date palm genome which paved the way for the more accurate map. To create the map, Dr Malek and Dr Suhre worked with the centre and the Department of Agricultural Affairs. The ministry provided 150 seeds from a female tree and they were then propagated by Ameena Al Malki at the centre. Once they were large enough, leaves and DNA were taken from the seedlings. A new process 'genotyping-by-sequencing' was applied which sequenced portions of the genomes of all seedlings. It allowed the researchers to look at the parent tree and ascertain how it passed her DNA to her offspring.

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Qatar- First date palm genetic map made

From the Gate News ~ Genetic Engineering… Turning Stem Cells into Sperms Cells – Video


From the Gate News ~ Genetic Engineering... Turning Stem Cells into Sperms Cells
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gocchurch Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

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From the Gate News ~ Genetic Engineering... Turning Stem Cells into Sperms Cells - Video

Spark Therapeutics to open headquarters in West Philadelphia

Spark Therapeutics, a gene therapy medical company, this week signed an agreement for a headquarters in West Philadelphia. Spark Therapeutics, spun out of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in October with $50 million in capital, will build out a 28,000-square-foot facility at 3737 Market St. to house its business operations, clinical research and development, and manufacturing.

Jeffrey D. Marrazzo, cofounder and chief executive, said the new facility "will support the continued expansion of our team and expand our manufacturing capacity to support our clinical development and commercial plans."

Spark anticipates moving into its new headquarters and expanding to 50 full-time employees by the end of 2014. Spark is preparing to complete clinical development of its lead, Phase 3 clinical program to address inherited retinal dystrophies caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene.

- Erin Arvedlund

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Spark Therapeutics to open headquarters in West Philadelphia

AOL's digital prophet: It's all about storytelling

AOL's David Shing is known for his wild hair and eyebrow-raising title. His job: a futurist.

Whether David Shing, AOLs Digital Prophet, knows what hes talking about, we wont know for a few years until his prophecies have come to pass. What we do know is that hes reinvigorating aging digital property AOL and grabbing media attention for his wild hair and eyebrow-raising title. His job: a futurist.

The buzz he creates was exactly what the Ad Club was looking for and nabbed him as a keynote for this years Interactive Day San Diego, which starts on Thursday. Shing says he spends most of his time observing and mingling with people who have insight into trends that could impact the future. Then he reports back to AOL with ideas and opportunities to help the digital company develop a more engaging brand.

Shing answered some questions from the U-T about the future using one of the older forms of digital interaction: email.

Q: How is the industry changing? Or how does it need to change?

A: A better question is how the landscape is not changing. As digital matures the ability to engage becomes even more powerful. From 6-second storytelling with examples from how-to pieces from Lowe's Hardware to magical Nike Kobe Bryant's ball-to-boot 6-second video to a long-form video series from Chipotle Farmed and Dangerous. Its all about storytelling.

While storytelling opportunities evolve, so have the way to advertise to consumers. The advent of programmatic advertising is enabling better creative because technology is helping to ensure the advertisement is meeting the right consumer in the right context. Imagine the ability to deliver a highly personalized advertisement to the right person at the right place, at the right time, with a customized message. That time is now and AOL is thrilled to be the driving force behind this.

Q: Why is interactive marketing/advertising important? Is it/should it be important even to small, non-tech companies?

A: Interactive marketing should be called experience. It does not matter whether the company is small or large, tech or non-tech. What does matter is whether the brand or company has the passion to explore the why people should engage with them. The what and how seems to be the default in a lot of creative (circles), but explore the ways the brand can be humanized.

However, interactive technology, especially around advertising now allows brands to develop targeted experiences to personalize real-time information delivered to people in the context (mobile, desktop, video interaction) they want to be met. The net effect is highly relevant advertising and marketing, meeting people, when, where, why and how.

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Everything new is old

It was easy to become depressed after the lecture by Professor Leonardo Sonnoli at a conference marking the centenary of Futurism at Bezalel.

The first reason was what Sonnoli had to say about the need to be familiar with the history of your field, in order to become a better designer - an issue that frequently seems no interest at all to the local design audience.

The second reason was the examples Sonnoli presented when he spoke about the influence of Futurism on current typography and graphics. Nearly every aspect of today's typography, which seems so original and contemporary, has its source in a 100-year-old movement: double spreads in newspapers; typography that stretches the limits of readability and mixes top, bottom, left and right; the use of white space in order to break up text; different sizes, colors and types of letters on a single page, and so on.

This was done not only for aesthetic reasons, but rather in the name of the ideological message of Futurism and its founder, the poet Fillipo Marinetti. Marinetti wished to exalt aggression, violence and danger; considered speed fundamental to modernity; and was opposed to the past, its institutions and its art. Traditional typography did not suit his vision.

The interesting thing about Marinetti's manifestos is that they are about typography. In this respect, the Futurists were the first to understand the importance of typography in transmitting a message, something that is now studied by first-year design students.

They addressed how a page's size, color and weight contributes to the experience of reading, as well as book formats. As an example, Sonnoli brought books too large to fit onto a standard bookshelf, with folded pages of different sizes and shapes that related to space and limits in an innovative way for their time.

Sonnoli, 47 and a graduate of the Urbino Academy of Fine Arts, is a graphic designer who specializes in work for cultural institutions, exhibitions and publishing houses. He has won many prizes, and has exhibited in shows around the world. He lives in Rimini, northeastern Italy, and teaches typography and experimental book design in Venice and Urbino.

He says his interest in Futurism stems from a desire to seek out his roots.

"I always teach my students that our future is found in the past; maybe we don't know what will happen in the future, but we know what happened in the past. There are new topics to deal with and new technologies that make new things possible. The trick is to give your own interpretation.

"I know many designers who have read the same books and use the same sources, but their products are different, because we are different. I want to understand the history of where I live and to know what happened before me.

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Everything new is old