Cancer gene therapy activated by a pill provides personalized treatment

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BOSTON - A unique new cancer treatment uses gene therapy to induce a cancer-fighting immune response whose intensity can then be controlled with a pill. The combination could help tailor treatment to a patients individual response.

The treatment uses the bodys own cells or tumor cells to produce extra copies of a naturally occurring hormone-like molecule called IL-12, which regulates anticancer immune responses. Last week, Ziopharm Oncology announced a clinical study of the treatment for patients with breast cancer. The company is already testing it in patients with melanoma.

Many researchers have explored techniques that rev up the natural response the body uses to detect and attack cancerous cells (see, for example, Engineering Better Immune Cells and Priming the Body to Tackle Cancer). But controlling the killer cells of the immune system can sometimes be a challenge, as researchers found in the 1990s when cancer patients who were given IL-12 in a clinical trial died from toxic side effects.

IL-12 is a very potent [immune system regulator] and can generate a lot of side effects, says Per Basse, a physician-scientist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who studies immune cells and their ability to fight cancer. As a clinician, I would like to be able to dial it up and down so that if it all starts to look not so good, you can stop the process, he says.

To avoid the dangerous side of the molecule, Ziopharms system is designed to control IL-12 with a combined genetic and pharmaceutical switch. A virus is injected into the tumor to deliver the gene for IL-12. The gene starts out in off mode, so it doesnt actually produce any IL-12. To activate the gene, a patient has to take a pill that delivers another molecule. The advantage is that any patient who starts to experience nasty side effects from the IL-12 can stop taking the pill. If things go awry, you have an escape valve, says Ziopharms CEO, Jonathan Lewis.

The key to the inducible system is a version of the receptor that controls molting in arthropods (insects, spiders, and crustaceans), modified so that it determines whether the IL-12 gene is on. The gene for that receptor, which is also delivered into the body by a virus, is always on, but its protein product and thus IL-12 expression is activated by the pill. Ziopharm licensed the control system from Intrexon for use in its oncology treatment.

The inducibility is a great idea, but the trick is getting something that you can get into the tumor, says Ralph Weichselbaum, a cancer researcher at the University of Chicago, who has worked on a cancer therapy induced by radiation. Currently, Ziopharm injects the gene-toting virus directly into patients tumors, but Lewis says the plan is to inject it into muscles in the future. Muscle cells are extremely good protein production factories, he says.

But even injecting the virus into a single tumor has an effect on other tumorsboth in lab animals and in humans. In animal studies, the tumor that receives the injection will at first get bigger because immune cells are accumulating in response to the IL-12. Then it will get smaller and go away, says Lewis. Tumors that received no injection will do the same thinggrow, then shrink, and then disappear. We are seeing similar things in people, says Lewis.

Eventually, the system could be used to deliver multiple genetic treatments at once, says Lewis. With one injection you could be able to control three or four [cancer-fighting] proteins in different ways.

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Cancer gene therapy activated by a pill provides personalized treatment

A Cancer Gene Therapy Activated by a Pill

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Patients can turn off an experimental treatment if side effects get too bad.

A unique new cancer treatment uses gene therapy to induce a cancer-fighting immune response whose intensity can then be controlled with a pill. The combination could help tailor treatment to a patients individual response.

The treatment uses the bodys own cells or tumor cells to produce extra copies of a naturally occurring hormone-like molecule called IL-12, which regulates anticancer immune responses. Last week, Ziopharm Oncology announced a clinical study of the treatment for patients with breast cancer. The company is already testing it in patients with melanoma.

Many researchers have explored techniques that rev up the natural response the body uses to detect and attack cancerous cells (see, for example, Engineering Better Immune Cells and Priming the Body to Tackle Cancer). But controlling the killer cells of the immune system can sometimes be a challenge, as researchers found in the 1990s when cancer patients who were given IL-12 in a clinical trial died from toxic side effects.

IL-12 is a very potent [immune system regulator] and can generate a lot of side effects, says Per Basse, a physician-scientist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who studies immune cells and their ability to fight cancer. As a clinician, I would like to be able to dial it up and down so that if it all starts to look not so good, you can stop the process, he says.

To avoid the dangerous side of the molecule, Ziopharms system is designed to control IL-12 with a combined genetic and pharmaceutical switch. A virus is injected into the tumor to deliver the gene for IL-12. The gene starts out in off mode, so it doesnt actually produce any IL-12. To activate the gene, a patient has to take a pill that delivers another molecule. The advantage is that any patient who starts to experience nasty side effects from the IL-12 can stop taking the pill. If things go awry, you have an escape valve, says Ziopharms CEO, Jonathan Lewis.

The key to the inducible system is a version of the receptor that controls molting in arthropods (insects, spiders, and crustaceans), modified so that it determines whether the IL-12 gene is on. The gene for that receptor, which is also delivered into the body by a virus, is always on, but its protein product and thus IL-12 expression is activated by the pill. Ziopharm licensed the control system from Intrexon for use in its oncology treatment.

The inducibility is a great idea, but the trick is getting something that you can get into the tumor, says Ralph Weichselbaum, a cancer researcher at the University of Chicago, who has worked on a cancer therapy induced by radiation. Currently, Ziopharm injects the gene-toting virus directly into patients tumors, but Lewis says the plan is to inject it into muscles in the future. Muscle cells are extremely good protein production factories, he says.

But even injecting the virus into a single tumor has an effect on other tumorsboth in lab animals and in humans. In animal studies, the tumor that receives the injection will at first get bigger because immune cells are accumulating in response to the IL-12. Then it will get smaller and go away, says Lewis. Tumors that received no injection will do the same thinggrow, then shrink, and then disappear. We are seeing similar things in people, says Lewis.

Eventually, the system could be used to deliver multiple genetic treatments at once, says Lewis. With one injection you could be able to control three or four [cancer-fighting] proteins in different ways.

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A Cancer Gene Therapy Activated by a Pill

Everyone Is A Futurist Now

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In 1963, in the depths of the Cold War, all of the futurists in the world could probably assemble in a largish conference room and still have space for an overhead projector. Half a century later, it would take a small stadium to hold all of the people who use the title in some form. The world of futures is a broad church today populated by everyone from author and inventor Ray Kurzweil and hisobsessive focus on the singularitytoKanye West with his future-esque fashionfetishes. While its been a relatively quiet profession for a long time, suddenly it seems like futurists are all around, feeding a growing appetite for all things strange, metallic, and digital.

Why, and why now?

Full disclosure:I do this for a living, having been given the title of futurist by an employer a decade ago. My practice hasnt been atypical of working futurists, formally using foresight and research to help big brand names, governments, and nonprofits navigate complexity. With a daily menu that can veer from the topicsdu jour(drones,algorithms gone wild,3D printing,augmented reality, andsmart cities) to long-running classics such asaging populations,green energyorfood sustainability, futurists work is seldom boring and often puts them face-to-face with the unusual, the atemporal, and the downright weird. While the world of the futurist used to be much farther removed from the general public, perhaps only appearing through an interest in science fiction, it now jumps off the front page of the broadsheets.

There are different flavors of futurists. There is the professional, consulting kind, many of whom trained in a formal university or professional program, and use structured methods and tools to help large organizations make sense of trends and develop strategies. There are the self-proclaimed futurists who are enthusiasts of a specific area such as technology, food, health, culture and so on, who dedicate themselves to furthering a favored future (here I would place Kurzweil and kin). Then, there are the broader masses of folk who like the idea of the future, and speak about leading others there, or just surround themselves in the trappings of all that is shiny and future-esque.

Superdensity is now

One could argue,as I have before, that we are in a pretty future-dense moment, with a number of major global issues, from climate change to energy to health to media and communication all very obviously teetering on the edge of massive change. With major natural, social and economic systems facing perturbations, and with the global economy so closely intertwined,we feel the rattle from these shocksin ways we didnt decades ago. Global systems, and real-time awareness, create effects on a worldwide scale. Anuclear accident in one country, can cause a rethink of energy policya continent away, even before the trace radiation spreads.Risks tracked by groups like the World Economic Forumappear to be multiplying; evenCambridge University has recently set up a center for the study of existential risks

Short of world wars and oil embargoes, we havent until recently sensed every shake or shudder in another part of the world. But when a new smartphone or piece of code released in one country this morning can be in the hands of another by tonight, orsupply chains are disrupted quickly by unexpected events, or a biological innovation can be knocked off quickly bysemi-pros working in a closet, not only do business and governments look for advice, but societies also seek some kind of orientation.

Its possible that these volatile times have encouraged more people to identify as futurists, or as future-minded.The usual professional training groundsa handful of universities, corporations with internal future research teams, and specialist agenciesarent producing markedly more futurists these days than they have in the past decade (though several newuniversity programshave joined a few of theoldergraduatedegree programs). There are probably fewer than 100 new graduates from these programs a year, and many dont go on to punditry, but work within companies. However, the market is calling for expert opinions at a far higher rate as the velocity and intensity of the new increases. The boom in tech blogs and major media microsites focusing solely on the future has put more focus on finding people who are on the front lines of making these futures happen, or dealing with their consequencesengineers, social scientists, designers, coders, ethicists, etc., as well as generalist pundits.

From future to recent past, quickly Science fiction writer Bruce Sterling determined that parts of future promised in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s has now reached a present state. For Sterling, this has meant spending more timechronicling that weird present, andcounseling those fashioning the next phaseas a design critic and mentor.

Big brands have also entered the fray, taking advantage of the lack of a coherent narrative about the future to do what I call strategic bending.These companiesposition themselvesas creators of The Future in high-budget marketing of the kind we now see around cars, mobile phones, and defense systems.Because so much of their business is wrapped up in the sales of so-called ecosystems of complementary products and services (think iEverything), they need the average person to see their brands way as the path into to the future.

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Everyone Is A Futurist Now

From Ray Kurzweil to Kanye West, everyone’s a futurist now

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In 1963, in the depths of the Cold War, all of the futurists in the world could probably assemble in a largish conference room and still have space for an overhead projector. Half a century later, it would take a small stadium to hold all of the people who use the title in some form. The world of futures is a broad church today populated by everyone from author and inventor Ray Kurzweil and hisobsessive focus on the singularityto Kanye West with his future-esque fashion fetishes. While its been a relatively quiet profession for a long time, suddenly it seems like futurists are all around, feeding a growing appetite for all things strange, metallic, and digital.

Why, and why now?

Full disclosure: I do this for a living, having been given the title of futurist by an employer a decade ago. My practice hasnt been atypical of working futurists, formally using foresight and research to help big brand names, governments, and nonprofits navigate complexity. With a daily menu that can veer from the topics du jour (drones, algorithms gone wild, 3D printing, augmented reality, and smart cities) to long-running classics such as aging populations, green energy or food sustainability, futurists work is seldom boring and often puts them face-to-face with the unusual, the atemporal, and the downright weird. While the world of the futurist used to be much farther removed from the general public, perhaps only appearing through an interest in science fiction, it now jumps off the front page of the broadsheets.

There are different flavors of futurists. There is the professional, consulting kind, many of whom trained in a formal university or professional program, and use structured methods and tools to help large organizations make sense of trends and develop strategies. There are the self-proclaimed futurists who are enthusiasts of a specific area such as technology, food, health, culture and so on, who dedicate themselves to furthering a favored future (here I would place Kurzweil and kin). Then, there are the broader masses of folk who like the idea of the future, and speak about leading others there, or just surround themselves in the trappings of all that is shiny and future-esque.

Superdensity is now

One could argue, as I have before , that we are in a pretty future-dense moment, with a number of major global issues, from climate change to energy to health to media and communication all very obviously teetering on the edge of massive change. With major natural, social and economic systems facing perturbations, and with the global economy so closely intertwined, we feel the rattle from these shocks in ways we didnt decades ago. Global systems, and real-time awareness, create effects on a worldwide scale. A nuclear accident in one country, can cause a rethink of energy policy a continent away, even before the trace radiation spreads. Risks tracked by groups like the World Economic Forum appear to be multiplying; even Cambridge University has recently set up a center for the study of existential risks .

Short of world wars and oil embargoes, we havent until recently sensed every shake or shudder in another part of the world. But when a new smartphone or piece of code released in one country this morning can be in the hands of another by tonight, or supply chains are disrupted quickly by unexpected events, or a biological innovation can be knocked off quickly by semi-pros working in a closet, not only do business and governments look for advice, but societies also seek some kind of orientation.

Its possible that these volatile times have encouraged more people to identify as futurists, or as future-minded.The usual professional training groundsa handful of universities, corporations with internal future research teams, and specialist agenciesarent producing markedly more futurists these days than they have in the past decade (though several new university programs have joined a few of theolder graduate degree programs). There are probably fewer than 100 new graduates from these programs a year, and many dont go on to punditry, but work within companies. However, the market is calling for expert opinions at a far higher rate as the velocity and intensity of the new increases. The boom in tech blogs and major media microsites focusing solely on the future has put more focus on finding people who are on the front lines of making these futures happen, or dealing with their consequencesengineers, social scientists, designers, coders, ethicists, etc., as well as generalist pundits.

From future to recent past, quickly Science fiction writer Bruce Sterling determined that parts of future promised in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s has now reached a present state. For Sterling, this has meant spending more time chronicling that weird present, and counseling those fashioning the next phase as a design critic and mentor.

Big brands have also entered the fray, taking advantage of the lack of a coherent narrative about the future to do what I call strategic bending. These companiesposition themselves as creators of The Future in high-budget marketing of the kind we now see around cars, mobile phones, and defense systems.Because so much of their business is wrapped up in the sales of so-called ecosystems of complementary products and services (think iEverything), they need the average person to see their brands way as the path into to the future.

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From Ray Kurzweil to Kanye West, everyone’s a futurist now

Iconic Inventor, Author, and Futurist Ray Kurzweil to Keynote Kodak Global Directions 2013 Conference

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ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Kodak today announced that renowned author, inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil will keynote its Global Directions 2013 conferencean annual technology and educational event sponsored by the companys document capture and enterprise software business unit. The conference, scheduled for September 22-25 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C., will explore "Intelligent Information Management" and how its deployment provides businesses with a competitive advantage. This years theme includes topics on the importance of collaboration platforms for enterprise-wide information management, managing social media as a vital information stream, and the next generation of software that not only manipulates and stores vast amounts of data but can also intelligently process the valuable information contained within it.

Kurzweil is uniquely qualified to discuss new approaches to information management. He was recently named Director of Engineering at Google and is widely regarded as one of the greatest inventors of our time. He was the principal developer of the first omni-front optical character recognition (OCR), the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, and the first CCD flat-bed scanner. PBS honored Kurzweil as one of "16 Revolutionaries Who Made America," Forbes magazine has referred to him as "the ultimate thinking machine and Inc. magazine described him as the rightful heir to Thomas Edison.

Ray Kurzweil is a pioneer of our industry, said Dolores Kruchten, President, Document Imaging and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. Without his contributions, we might not be having this conference. Ray is the perfect headliner for a blockbuster lineup of speakers and exhibitors.

Business leaders attend Global Directions (http://www.globaldirections2013.com/) to examine solutions to critical issues affecting their organizations. The conference agenda features cutting-edge case studies, end user presentations and technology demonstrations. Notable attendees include some of the most renowned thought leaders, analysts and journalists in the information management industry. The event is designed to advance education, knowledge and actionable business strategies in the application of information management to meet the future needs of the global business community. Topics range from extracting business content from scanned paper documents, to document processing workflows for enterprise platforms such as Microsoft SharePoint, to high performance software that can understand, classify, extract and automate data flows from a variety of input sources such as documents, voice mail and social media.

To learn more about the Global Directions 2013 conference agenda and registration, please visit http://www.globaldirections2013.com. Also, please join the conversation on Twitter by following @KodakDI (hash tag #gd13).

About Kodak's Document Imaging Business

Kodak's Document Imaging business enables customers to capture and manage valuable information from electronic and paper documents. Our solutions include award-winning scanners and capture software, information workflow software, an expanding range of professional services, and industry-leading service and support. From small offices to global operations, Kodak has the solutions to automate your business processes and intelligently deliver the information your enterprise needs.

For more information, please visit kodak.com/go/docimaging. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/kodakdi.

(Kodak is a trademark of Eastman Kodak Company.)

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Iconic Inventor, Author, and Futurist Ray Kurzweil to Keynote Kodak Global Directions 2013 Conference

Freedom for Somali jailed over rape interview

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Abdiaziz Abdinuur... international outrage over his jailing. Photo: AFP

MOGADISHU: Somalia's Supreme Court has freed a reporter imprisoned for interviewing a woman who alleged she had been raped by soldiers, in a case that sparked widespread international criticism.

Supreme Court judge Aidid Abdulahi Ilkahanaf said the charges had been dropped and the court "has given journalist Abdiaziz Abdinuur his freedom back".

Both Abdinuur and the woman were initially sentenced to a year in prison for "offending state institutions". But all charges were dropped against the woman earlier this month, while Abdinuur's sentence was halved.

His release, following more than two months' incarceration and after an appeals court ruled he must remain in jail, came as a surprise to many.

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The 25-year-old reporter walked out of the courtroom offering prayers of thanks for his release and thanking those who had supported him.

"I'm very happy that I got my freedom back, I thank those who worked in this process that helped my release, including my lawyers," he said.

Abdinuur was detained on January 10 while researching sexual violence in Somalia, but did not air or print a story after interviewing the woman.

He was also found guilty of "making a false interview and entering the house of a woman whose husband was not present".

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Freedom for Somali jailed over rape interview

Freedom Drug Rehab Releases Family Survival Guide to a Loved One’s Addiction Treatment

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Freedom Treatment Center offers personalized recovery programs to help people overcome drug and alcohol addiction and sustain a life of successful recovery. Located in Southern Michigan, the facility has welcomed people from across the nation and is now reaching out to all the families of those suffering from addiction with its Family Survival Guide to a Loved Ones Addiction Treatment.

Albion, MI (PRWEB) March 18, 2013

The guide, which is available online at the Freedom Treatment Center website, begins by noting that a familys struggle with addiction can be equally as painful as the person's struggling with addiction. Family members are typically not desensitized to the situation and can neither escape reality through nor blame their behaviors on substance abuse. Family members can typically very clearly see the harm befalling a loved one, even if the loved one is unable to see or admit to the problem.

Watching a loved being brought down by addiction can be very, very painful for friends and family, said Freedom Treatment Center representative Brian Kuehne. Their pain may prompt them to do things they think are helping their loved one when in reality they may be hurting them. Our guide can help family and friends understand addiction and choose the best course to take.

Freedoms Family Survival Guide offers suggestions and a plan of action for a family to effectively deal with addiction in a loved one. Key points include identifying the problem as early as possible and ensuring the family members themselves do not add to the problem. Family members and friends who are unaware of addictions insidious and manipulative features may unknowingly become enablers that only serve to fuel the addiction to a deeper level.

Tough love can sometimes be the answer, [ABC News reports, especially when the person ignores house rules, betrays trust or otherwise harms the family with addictive behaviors. An even more drastic move is an intervention, which may seem severe but may be the only way to save a loved ones life.

Our Family Survival Guide offers strategies on getting a person suffering from addiction into treatment and what to do during and after the treatment, Kuehne said. We have seen families heed the suggestions by attending group therapy sessions and supporting their loved ones at every step of their recovery. This allows family members to grow and heal individually and as a family.

Located in a semi-residential pocket of Southern Michigan, Freedom Treatment Center provides the soothing and safe environment and assistance so vital for helping people overcome drug and alcohol addiction. Treatment begins with a natural detoxification and continues with counseling, education and lifestyle changes that help ensure an ongoing and successful recovery.

Nick Thiel Freedom Drug Rehab (877) 341-2311 Email Information

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Freedom Drug Rehab Releases Family Survival Guide to a Loved One's Addiction Treatment

Freedom High misses grand prize in national Samsung competition

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OAKLEY -- Freedom High School here has lost out on the grand prize in a national contest for a wealth of technology.

Sponsored by Samsung, the competition recently awarded prizes to five grand prize winners, one of which was determined by the number of votes schools received from the public.

Freedom High received 4,908 votes as compared with the 72,441 that a Los Angeles high school collected in this "Community Choice" award category.

Each of the five schools won approximately $110,000 in electronic equipment, such smart boards, LED televisions and laptop computers.

Freedom High School didn't leave empty-handed, however.

Environmental sciences teacher John Sierra, who entered the contest along with 1,615 other schools, survived two cuts before being eliminated in the final round.

As semifinalists, he and his students won a Samsung camcorder, laptop, and Adobe video editing software to create a video, which they entered in the next round of competition.

The clip they submitted showed how the nearly 6,000-square-foot garden of native plants they're creating will improve the local environment by teaching the importance of water conservation and habitat preservation.

Solve for Tomorrow is a competition designed to raise young people's enthusiasm for math and the sciences.

Contact Rowena Coetsee at 925-779-7141. Follow her at Twitter.com/RowenaCoetsee.

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Freedom High misses grand prize in national Samsung competition

Astronomy club to hold star party for Pan-STARRS comet

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The Friends of Galileo Astronomy Club will hold a public star party Wednesday evening to view Comet Pan-STARRS, a newly discovered comet that recently made its closest approach to the sun.

Astronomers discovered the comet in June 2011 by using the Pan-STARRS telescope located near the summit of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. The comet has been wowing observers in the Northern Hemisphere now that is has zipped into the inner solar system. It passed closest to Earth on March 5.

The star gazing party starts at 6:45 p.m. at the track behind Mark Morris High School. Entry is from 17th Avenue off Ocean Beach Highway. Club members will share telescopes, but non-members are encouraged to bring star-gazing equipment such as telescopes and binoculars.

Jupiter and the moon also will be highlighted.

In case of cloudy, weather the club will hold a program called Deadly Meteors and Comets in the Learning Center inside the school next to the cafeteria.

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Astronomy club to hold star party for Pan-STARRS comet

Engaging the U.S. Astronomy Community – NSF Awards Partnership-Planning Grant to TMT

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Newswise Today the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a cooperative agreement to the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Observatory Corporation to explore a potential partnership between the organizations.

The award is a milestone for the TMT project, initiating a broad dialog between TMT, the NSF and the United States' astronomical community. The partnership-planning award also paves the way for the NSF to confer with TMT's international partners.

"The NSF award is a key development in our vision for TMT," said Henry Yang, Chancellor of the University of California - Santa Barbara, and Chair of the TMT Collaborative Board. "The full promise of this revolutionary telescope will be realizable with the engagement of the national astronomical community."

The NSF award allocates $250,000 per year for five years to partnership-planning activities that include scientific workshops and participation by U.S. scientists in the TMT Science Advisory Committee and the TMT Collaborative Board. The five-year program of engagement and planning will deliver a plan that addresses science, education and public outreach, instrumentation, and operation of the facility from the perspective of the U.S. astronomy community. This plan will be developed and refined in a series of joint meetings bringing together all U.S. and international stakeholders.

The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, AZ will play an important role in carrying out the activities of the cooperative agreement. NOAO will establish a U.S. TMT liaison activity within its System Community Development group and NOAO astronomer Todd Boroson has been selected as the U.S. TMT Liaison Scientist.

"With this award by the NSF, an important process has begun of engaging the astronomical community in the ongoing design and development of TMT," said Boroson. "Astronomers nationwide have a great opportunity to offer their expertise in advancing the TMT project."

The TMT partnership plans to initiate construction in 2014. At present, the NSF does not commit to helping fund the construction costs of TMT; however TMT planning allows the entry of the NSF later in the construction period. TMTs development plan calls for it to provide valuable research opportunities and discoveries for 50 years.

As the partnership planning moves ahead as a result of the NSF award, international partner organizations and their governments will soon be able to consult more closely on TMT's development.

"We are delighted by the dialog the NSF partnership-planning award enables. This elevates the dialog to the national and international levels," said Ed Stone, David Morrisroe Professor of Physics at Caltech, and Vice-Chair of the TMT Collaborative Board.

###

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Engaging the U.S. Astronomy Community - NSF Awards Partnership-Planning Grant to TMT

Engaging the US astronomy community — NSF awards partnership-planning grant to TMT

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Public release date: 18-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Gordon K. Squires squires@tmt.org 626-216-4257 California Institute of Technology

Today the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a cooperative agreement to the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Observatory Corporation to explore a potential partnership between the organizations.

The award is a milestone for the TMT project, initiating a broad dialog between TMT, the NSF and the United States' astronomical community. The partnership-planning award also paves the way for the NSF to confer with TMT's international partners.

"The NSF award is a key development in our vision for TMT," said Henry Yang, Chancellor of the University of California - Santa Barbara, and Chair of the TMT Collaborative Board. "The full promise of this revolutionary telescope will be realizable with the engagement of the national astronomical community."

The NSF award allocates $250,000 per year for five years to partnership-planning activities that include scientific workshops and participation by U.S. scientists in the TMT Science Advisory Committee and the TMT Collaborative Board. The five-year program of engagement and planning will deliver a plan that addresses science, education and public outreach, instrumentation, and operation of the facility from the perspective of the U.S. astronomy community. This plan will be developed and refined in a series of joint meetings bringing together all U.S. and international stakeholders.

The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, AZ will play an important role in carrying out the activities of the cooperative agreement. NOAO will establish a U.S. TMT liaison activity within its System Community Development group and NOAO astronomer Todd Boroson has been selected as the U.S. TMT Liaison Scientist.

"With this award by the NSF, an important process has begun of engaging the astronomical community in the ongoing design and development of TMT," said Boroson. "Astronomers nationwide have a great opportunity to offer their expertise in advancing the TMT project."

The TMT partnership plans to initiate construction in 2014. At present, the NSF does not commit to helping fund the construction costs of TMT; however TMT planning allows the entry of the NSF later in the construction period. The long lifespan of a major telescope endeavor such as TMT ensures that any partners will have ample opportunities to contribute during various phases of the project. TMT's development plan calls for it to provide valuable research opportunities and discoveries for 50 years.

As the partnership planning moves ahead as a result of the NSF award, international partner organizations and their governments will soon be able to consult more closely on TMT's development.

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Engaging the US astronomy community -- NSF awards partnership-planning grant to TMT

Things are looking up: Record astronomy lesson

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NASA / Chris Gunn

A full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope was on display from March 8-10 at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.

By Megan GannonSpace.com

With their eyes turned up at the Texas night sky, NASA and 526 space fans in Austin have set a new Guinness World Record for the largest outdoor astronomy lesson.

Guinness World Records

About 529 people attended the South by Southwest festival (SXSW) presentation on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and astronomy on March 10, 2013, setting a new Guinness World Record.

The huge group gathered on the lawn of the Long Center for the Performing Arts at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on March 10 to learn about how astronomers use light and color to understand cosmic objects, from the moon to distantgalaxies.

"Astronomy awakens the natural curiosity and awe in all of us," Frank Summers, an astrophysicist from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, said in a statement. "Many people think that astronomy and physics is only complicated math equations. They don't recognize how natural it is and how much they already know."

Summers and Dan McCallister, an education specialist at STScI, used colored filter glasses to show how light can be broken down into its different wavelengths. They explained how certain wavelengths are selected for specific studies of an astronomical object. In the background of the lesson was a full-scale model of NASA's next giant space observatory, theJames Webb Space Telescope, which is the size of a tennis court and as tall as a four-story building. The real space observatory is slated to launch in 2018.

Guinness World Records

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Things are looking up: Record astronomy lesson

NASA Helps Break Guinness World Record for Biggest Astronomy Lesson

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With their eyes turned up at the Texas night sky, NASA and 526 space fans have set a new Guinness World Record for the largest outdoor astronomy lesson in Austin.

The huge group gathered on the lawn of the Long Center for the Performing Arts at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on March 10 to learn about how astronomers use light and color to understand cosmic objects, from the moon to distantgalaxies.

"Astronomy awakens the natural curiosity and awe in all of us," Frank Summers, an astrophysicist from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, said in a statement. "Many people think that astronomy and physics is only complicated math equations. They don't recognize how natural it is and how much they already know."

Summers and Dan McCallister, an education specialist at STScI, used colored filter glasses to show how light can be broken down into its different wavelengths. They explained how certain wavelengths are selected for specific studies of an astronomical object. In the background of the lesson was a full-scale model of NASA's next giant space observatory, theJames Webb Space Telescope, which is the size of a tennis court and as tall as a four-story building. The real space observatory is slated to launch in 2018.

Sunday's event was organized by NASA, STScI and Northrop Grumman, which are all involved in the Webb Telescope mission. It was intended to highlight how amazing space telescope pictures help answer big questions about the universe.

"Astronomy tries to answer the questions that everyone wonders about like, 'how did we get here?'" Alberto Conti, an astrophysicist and Webb Telescope innovation scientist at STScI, who was also at SXSW, added in a statement. "Astronomy showcases the physical laws of nature. It shows all of the processes. You can learn a lot about physics and nature by studying it."

The record for the largest astronomy lesson was previously held by Mexico, which hosted a similar event including 458 participants, organized by Juarez Competitiva, on Oct. 14, 2011.

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NASA Helps Break Guinness World Record for Biggest Astronomy Lesson

New UK aerospace institute planned with £2bn backing

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Britain is to open a new research centre to keep its aerospace industry world-class, backed by 2bn investment from business and Government over the next seven years.

The UK Aerospace Technology Institute will work on developing the next generation of faster, quieter and more energy-efficient aircraft, in an effort to maintain the industrys position as the biggest in Europe, second only to the US.

A core team of 30 to 50 staff, mostly seconded from industry and academic, will carry out aerospace research and development at a site likely to be based closed to a university, ministers said.

The institute forms part of a wider industrial strategy devised by business, Government and academics , which will focus funding on four key areas in which the UK already excels: wings, engines, aerostructures and advanced systems.

The Government pledged to provide more than 1bn in funding, which will be matched by companies. Officials said that represented fresh state funding, other than 90m announced in the last year.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: This long-term commitment of 2bn investment in aerospace research and development - half Government, half private - will anchor the sector in the UK for a long time to come.

Ministers said the seven-year funding commitment, running into end of the next parliament, offered the long-term support the industry needed.

This is all part of rebalancing the economy and playing to our strengths, said Michael Fallon, the Business Minister. We are the best in Europe [in aerospace] but we cannot sit back. Its very important that we retain high-value manufacturing in this country.

Katja Hall, chief policy director at the CBI business lobby group, said: This is an ambitious strategy showing the Government can balance the long view with shorter-term priorities.

Separately, Indonesian carrier Lion Air agreed to buy 234 A320 jets worth $24bn (16bn) from European aerospace giant Airbus (Paris: NL0000235190 - news) , reflecting the countrys rapid passenger growth of 20pc annually.

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New UK aerospace institute planned with £2bn backing

Clegg: UK aerospace to recieve investment windfall

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Britain's aerospace industry will receive investment totalling hundreds of millions of pounds in an effort to keep it ahead of international competition, Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, will announce on Monday.

Ministers are keen to flag their support of the industry after the collapse of the $45bn (30bn) merger between BAE Systems (LSE: BA.L - news) and EADS (Paris: NL0000235190 - news) , the owner of Airbus, last year . That deal was expected to offer surety that Airbus production would continue in Britain.

Under the plans, the Government is expected to pledge to match-fund investment by companies in the sector over the next few years. The funding will be detailed as Mr Clegg uses a visit to an Airbus plant in Bristol to set out a strategy intended to secure the sectors future growth.

The plans will be the result of an existing Government initiative to support the industry, called the Aerospace Growth Partnership.

The UK aerospace industry currently holds a 17pc share of the global market, according to industry body ADS. Half the worlds modern large aircraft fly on Airbus wings manufactured in the UK.

However, British aerospace faces increasing competition from not just traditional rivals, but also from developing manufacturing powers.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of ADS Group said: The UK aerospace industry is the largest in Europe and second only to the US globally. The sector makes a significant contribution to the UK economy so it is important that it is supported in maximising opportunities in the future.

It is critical that we develop a long-term strategy to support the entire supply chain.

Aerospace already supports more than 100,000 jobs directly in the UK, with annual revenues in the region of 24bn.

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Clegg: UK aerospace to recieve investment windfall

U.K. industry in aerospace push

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Published: March. 18, 2013 at 12:23 PM

LONDON, March 18 (UPI) -- Britain's government and industry will invest $3 billion in the country's aerospace manufacturing sector, a top government official said Monday.

British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the long-term investment will secure 115,000 jobs in the country and will enable Britain to remain a world leader in the sector amid increasing foreign competition and rapid technology change.

"Aerospace experts with highly specialized skills are working hard to make sure the U.K. remains Europe's number one aerospace manufacturer," he said. "We're doing all we can to maintain this jewel in our crown, which is why government is working hand in hand with industry to inject ($3 billon) into a unique long-term strategy to maintain Britain's position as the center of aerospace technology.

The government said it would also invest about $775 million in other industry sectors and hopes to double that amount.

"The U.K.'s best technical experts can ensure we remain the word's preferred supplier and continue to build and design the planes of the future -- lighter, quieter, faster, and more fuel efficient," Clegg said.

The seven-year funding will create the U.K. Aerospace Technology Institute, which will allow industry and academic researchers to develop technology for the next generation of aircraft by securing research and development activity necessary to win work on future aircraft programs.

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U.K. industry in aerospace push

Britain partners with industry to fund $3 billion aerospace centre

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LONDON (Reuters) - The government said on Monday it will join industrial partners to create a 2 billion pound aerospace centre, part of efforts to bolster manufacturers as it struggles to revive a flagging economy.

Aerospace is one of Britain's most important industrial sectors, and the new UK Aerospace Technology Institute is expected to focus on developing technology for the next generation of quieter, more energy-efficient aircraft.

Each partner is providing half the funding for the venture, which the government expects to secure up to 115,000 jobs in the aerospace sector and its supply chain.

Almost all the government contribution is new money, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said.

The announcement comes two days ahead of the state budget, in which Chancellor George Osborne is expected to stick to his guns on austerity, despite mounting calls for a change of course in an economic environment characterised by near-zero growth and slow progress on deficit reduction.

"We're doing all we can to maintain this jewel in our crown (and)... maintain Britain's position as the centre of aerospace technology," Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said in a statement.

The government says aerospace supports more than 3,000 companies and employs 230,000 people in Britain, and expects the global civil aerospace market to grow to become worth more than $4.5 trillion (2.97 trillion pounds) by 2031.

Companies with aerospace operations in Britain include BAE Systems (LSE: BA.L - news) , EADS (Paris: NL0000235190 - news) and Boeing (NYSE: BA - news) .

The government also said it had committed an additional 500 million pounds to boosting sectors in which Britain has a comparative global advantage, such as agricultural technology and life sciences.

While Britain does have a relative head start in some high-tech sectors, others are catching up. China has replaced Britain in the world's top five arms-exporting countries, a Swedish think-tank said on Monday.

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Britain partners with industry to fund $3 billion aerospace centre

Aerospace institute plan unveiled

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The aerospace industry and the Government have announced a 2 billion investment to keep the UK at the forefront of world manufacturing.

The Government is investing 1 billion and the aerospace industry is matching the amount.

The money, which is being invested over a seven-year period, will be used to create a UK Aerospace Technology Institute.

The institute will help to develop the next generation of quieter and more energy-efficient aircraft, and it is estimated the investment will secure in the long term up to 115,000 jobs in the aerospace industry and its supply chain.

Making the announcement during a visit to Airbus in Filton, Bristol, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "Aerospace experts with highly specialised skills are working hard to make sure the UK remains Europe's number one aerospace manufacturer.

"We're doing all we can to maintain this jewel in our crown, which is why government is working hand in hand with industry to inject 2 billion into a unique long-term strategy to maintain Britain's position as the centre of aerospace technology.

"The UK's best technical experts can ensure we remain the world's preferred supplier and continue to build and design the planes of the future - lighter, quieter, faster and more fuel- efficient."

Among the firms taking part in the Aerospace Technology Institute are Airbus, GKN Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, ADS, Messier-Dowty and AugustaWestland.

Business Secretary Vince Cable, who chairs an aerospace business leaders' group, said: "This long-term commitment of 2 billion investment in aerospace research and development - half Government, half private - will anchor the sector in the UK for a long time to come. Our aerospace sector already supports more than 3,000 companies and employs 230,000 people across the UK."

Marcus Bryson, chief executive officer of GKN Aerospace and Land Systems and co-chair of the Aerospace Growth Partnership, said: "The creation of an Aerospace Technology Institute puts the UK in a strong position to deliver the technologies, skills, capabilities and investment we need to take advantage of the exciting growth opportunities that are forecast for the sector."

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Aerospace institute plan unveiled