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Watch live as NASA reveals a new exoplanet discovery at 1PM – BGR

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

NASAs been finding all kind of cool things out in the depths of space recently, but today the agency is poised to announce something big. NASA will be presenting a new discovery live to the world at 1:00 PM EST, and theyll be live streaming the entire news conference online. You can watch the entire event right here.

Theres only been small hints at exactly what the discovery is all about, but NASA has noted that its related to a discovery beyond our solar system. That means exoplanets planets outside of our own little celestial neighborhood are likely the main focus. Researchers have already made many exoplanet discoveries in recent months, finding Super Earths and Hot Jupiters by the handful, so if NASA thinks its new discovery is worthy of a press conference of its own, it must be pretty important.

According to Space.com, the conference will feature a total of five speakers, all of whom have job titles that confirm well be hearing a lot of big words that we barely understand. The presser will feature:

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters; Michal Gillon, astronomer at the University of Lige in Belgium; Sean Carey, manager of NASAs Spitzer Science Center at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena; Nikole Lewis, astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and Sara Seager, professor of planetary science and physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The full report on NASAs finding will be made available in the journal Nature at the same time as the press conference, so there will undoubtedly be plenty of juicy details to sink your scientific teeth into even after the news is out.

Watch live as NASA reveals a new exoplanet discovery at 1PM - BGR

An inside look at the differences between life at NASA and SpaceX – BGR

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

When Elon Musk sets his sights on an industry, he does so with purpose and with the intention of completely turning said industry on its head. While most people are readily familiar with Musks efforts at Tesla, the groundbreaking work being done by SpaceX, Musks other company, has only recently started to attract attention from the mainstream.

To be sure, Elon Musk was bold for thinking that Tesla could revolutionize the auto industry. That said, Musks plans to enter the aerospace industry with SpaceX and compete with and work alongside NASA wasnt just bold, it was downright crazy. And yet, both of Musks ventures continue to amass greater success with each passing year.

Earlier this month, we stumbled across a thread on Quora asking if its better for engineers to work at NASA or SpaceX. Of course, the question itself was a bit misleading because its not as if one company is superior to the other. Without question, some of the smartest minds on the planet can be found at both. Still, there are a number of interesting differences between the work environment at NASA and SpaceX that are worth highlighting.

Tackling this issue, an engineer named Andre Lavoie who has spent significant time at both companies details a number of fascinating differences between life at NASA and SpaceX.

Not surprisingly, the fact that NASA is a government agency, as opposed to a private company like SpaceX, impacts the work environment in both positive and negative ways. While Lavoie points out that the work-life balance at NASA is a positive, the work there can sometimes be encumbered by an institutional aversion to risk and predictably slow-moving bureaucracy.

Projects can start with much fanfare and then be cancelled. Repeatedly. Maybe this is because there are many worthy things that should be studied but funds are always limited. It can be rewarding because you have more opportunity to really dig in and understand things and learn. Your job is very secure, even when budgets get cut or you yourself dont succeed.

As for life at SpaceX, the work environment there, not surprisingly sounds awfully similar to a forward-thinking start-up, albeit on steroids.

In contrast, Space X is a product company. It designs, builds, sells and launches rockets. Your job there is to make that happen no matter what. Nobody gives up. Failure is acceptable, to a point. Risk taking is expected, but stupidity and recklessness is punished unceremoniously. You just get fired. There is no job security. Schedule is critical because as a privately funded company if it fails to succeed before the money runs out then its game over. The sense of urgency is huge. At Space X you can have plenty of responsibility even if you have little experience. This is great if you are energetic, resourceful and work obsessively. If not you will probably fall behind and then your days will be numbered.

Lavoies full answer, along with the full thread is well worth digesting in its entirety. You can check it out over here.

Excerpt from:

An inside look at the differences between life at NASA and SpaceX - BGR

NASA’s longshot bet on a revolutionary rocket may be about to pay off – Ars Technica

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Franklin Chang-Daz peers into the vacuum chamber during a test firing.

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A view of the plasma plume during a test firing.

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Franklin Chang-Daz.

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Loading the VASIMR engine into the vacuum chamber.

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Where the plasma comes out of the rocket engine.

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The VASIMR engine and the exterior of the vacuum chamber.

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Exterior view of the vacuum chamber.

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Installing cryopumps inside the vacuum chamber.

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Setup of the VASIMR engine (VX 200SS) inside the vacuum chamber during tests. The rocket is at left, and the area of the plume is shown by the purple outline.

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HOUSTONFranklin Chang-Daz bounds up a handful of stairs and peers through a porthole cut into the side of a silver, tanker-truck-sized vacuum chamber. Inside, a blueish-purple light shines, unchanging and constant, like a bright flashlight. It looks kind of boring, Chang-Daz admits. But that plume is 3.5 million degrees. If you stuck your hand in that, it would be very bad.

Truth be told, the plume does not look impressive at all. And yet the engine firing within the vacuum chamber is potentially revolutionary for two simple reasons: first, unlike gas-guzzling conventional rocket engines, it requires little fuel. And second, this engine might one day push spacecraft to velocities sufficient enough to open the Solar System to human exploration.

This has long been the promise of Chang-Dazs plasma-based VASIMR rocket engine. From a theoretical physics standpoint, the rocket has always seemed a reasonable proposition: generate a plasma, excite it, and then push it out a nozzle at high speed. But what about the real-world engineering of actually building such an enginemanaging the plasma and its thermal properties, then successfully firing it for a long period of time? That has proven challenging, and it has led many to doubt the engines practicality.

Sure, the naysayers say, Chang-Daz is a wonderful fellow. Hard worker. Brilliant guy. And at a time when the national discourse assails the value of Spanish-speaking immigrants, his story offers a powerful counter to that narrative. Speaking almost no English at the time, he immigrated to the United States from Costa Rica in 1969 to finish high school. Chang-Daz then earned a doctoral degree in plasma physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Later, as an astronaut, Chang-Daz flew seven Space Shuttle missions, tying Jerry Ross record for most spaceflights by anyone, ever.

All the while, from his first days at Johnson Space Center when he installed an early Internet connection to work with data from his Boston-based plasma physics lab, Chang-Daz nurtured dreams of linking his science background with his career as a flier. Slowly, he developed the theory of a plasma rocket and began to build prototypes. All along, the critics whispered it just wasnt feasible.

NASA

Only, now it just might be. As part of a program to develop the next generation of in-space propulsion systems, NASA awarded Chang-Dazs company, Ad Astra, a three-year, $9 million contract in 2015. This unlocked an opportunity long awaiteda chance to prove the doubters wrong. Naturally,it won't be easy. Ad Astra must fire its plasma rocket for 100 hours, at a power level of 100 kilowatts, next year.

This February, the company has worked about halfway through that contract, and Ars has been keeping tabs on progress in the lab. So far, the immigrant from Costa Rica seems to be holding up his end of the bargain. NASA gave the company a sterling review after the first year of the agreement. Still, there is a ways to go.During a visit this month,the VASIMR engine fired at 100kW for 10 seconds and 50kW for one minute.

The rocket engine starts with a neutral gas as a feedstock for plasma, in this case argon. The first stage of the rocket ionizes the argon and turns it into a relatively cold plasma. The engine then injects the plasma into the second stage, the booster, where it is subjected to a physics phenomenon known as ion cyclotron resonance heating. Essentially, the booster uses a radio frequency that excites the ions, swinging them back and forth.

As the ions resonate and gain more energy, they are spun up into a stream of superheated plasma. This stream then passes through a corkscrew-shaped nozzle and is accelerated out of the back of the rocket, producing a thrust.

Such an engine design offers a couple of key benefits over most existing propulsion technology. Perhaps most notably, unlike chemical rockets, the plasma rocket operates on electricity. As it flies through space, therefore, it does not need massive fuel tanks or a huge reservoir of liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel. Instead, the rocket just needs some solar panels.

Ad Astra Rocket Company

The Sun powers both the production of plasma and the booster exciting the plasma, andthe extent to which it does either can be shifted. When a spacecraft needs more thrust, more power can be put into making plasma. This process uses more propellant, but it provides thethrust needed to moveout of a gravity well, such as Earth orbit. Later, when the vehicle is moving quickly, more power can be shifted to the booster, providing a higher specific impulse and greater fuel economy.

Its like shifting gears in a car, Chang-Daz explained. The engine doesnt change. But if you want to climb a hill, you put more of your engine power into torque and less into rpm, so you climb the hill, slowly, but youre able to climb. And when youre going on a freeway, flat and straight, you upshift. Youre not going to go to Mars in first gear. Thats the problem. Its why we run out of gas going to Mars with a chemical engine.

Another benefit of the engine'sdesign is that the plasma remains confined within a magnetic field, inside the engine, throughout the burn. In practical terms, this should greatly reduce the wear and tear on the enginewhich is useful if youre designing a spacecraft to eventually fly people around the entire Solar System.

Listing image by Ad Astra Rocket Company

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NASA's longshot bet on a revolutionary rocket may be about to pay off - Ars Technica

2016’s Top Patent and Trade Secret Developments for Chemistry and Nanotechnology – JD Supra (press release)

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

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2016's Top Patent and Trade Secret Developments for Chemistry and Nanotechnology - JD Supra (press release)

Nanotechnology Brings Energy-Collecting Windows One Step Closer to Reality – R & D Magazine

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Researchers at the University of Minnesota and University of Milano-Bicocca are bringing the dream of windows that can efficiently collect solar energy one step closer to reality thanks to high tech silicon nanoparticles.

The researchers developed technology to embed the silicon nanoparticles into what they call efficient luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs). These LSCs are the key element of windows that can efficiently collect solar energy. When light shines through the surface, the useful frequencies of light are trapped inside and concentrated to the edges where small solar cells can be put in place to capture the energy.

The research is published today inNature Photonics, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Nature Publishing Group.

Windows that can collect solar energy, called photovoltaic windows, are the next frontier in renewable energy technologies, as they have the potential to largely increase the surface of buildings suitable for energy generation without impacting their aestheticsa crucial aspect, especially in metropolitan areas. LSC-based photovoltaic windows do not require any bulky structure to be applied onto their surface and since the photovoltaic cells are hidden in the window frame, they blend invisibly into the built environment.

The idea of solar concentrators and solar cells integrated into building design has been around for decades, but this study included one key differencesilicon nanoparticles. Until recently, the best results had been achieved using relatively complex nanostructures based either on potentially toxic elements, such as cadmium or lead, or on rare substances like indium, which is already massively utilized for other technologies. Silicon is abundant in the environment and non-toxic. It also works more efficiently by absorbing light at different wavelengths than it emits. However, silicon in its conventional bulk form, does not emit light or luminesce.

In our lab, we trick nature by shirking the dimension of silicon crystals to a few nanometers, that is about one ten-thousandths of the diameter of human hair, said University of Minnesota mechanical engineering professor Uwe Kortshagen, inventor of the process for creating silicon nanoparticles and one of the senior authors of the study. At this size, silicons properties change and it becomes an efficient light emitter, with the important property not to re-absorb its own luminescence. This is the key feature that makes silicon nanoparticles ideally suited for LSC applications.

Using the silicon nanoparticles opened up many new possibilities for the research team.

Over the last few years, the LSC technology has experienced rapid acceleration, thanks also to pioneering studies conducted in Italy, but finding suitable materials for harvesting and concentrating solar light was still an open challenge, said Sergio Brovelli, physics professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca, co-author of the study, and co-founder of the spin-off company Glass to Power that is industrializing LSCs for photovoltaic windows Now, it is possible to replace these elements with silicon nanoparticles.

Researchers say the optical features of silicon nanoparticles and their nearly perfect compatibility with the industrial process for producing the polymer LSCs create a clear path to creating efficient photovoltaic windows that can capture more than 5 percent of the suns energy at unprecedented low costs.

This will make LSC-based photovoltaic windows a real technology for the building-integrated photovoltaic market without the potential limitations of other classes of nanoparticles based on relatively rare materials, said Francesco Meinardi, physics professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca and one of the first authors of the paper.

The silicon nanoparticles are produced in a high-tech process using a plasma reactor and formed into a powder.

Each particle is made up of less than two thousand silicon atoms, said Samantha Ehrenberg, a University of Minnesota mechanical Ph.D. student and another first author of the study. The powder is turned into an ink-like solution and then embedded into a polymer, either forming a sheet of flexible plastic material or coating a surface with a thin film.

The University of Minnesota invented the process for creating silicon nanoparticles about a dozen years ago and holds a number of patents on this technology. In 2015, Kortshagen met Brovelli, who is an expert in LSC fabrication and had already demonstrated various successful approaches to efficient LSCs based on other nanoparticle systems. The potential of silicon nanoparticles for this technology was immediately clear and the partnership was born. The University of Minnesota produced the particles and researchers in Italy fabricated the LSCs by embedding them in polymers through an industrial based method, and it worked.

This was truly a partnership where we gathered the best researchers in their fields to make an old idea truly successful, Kortshagen said. We had the expertise in making the silicon nanoparticles and our partners in Milano had expertise in fabricating the luminescent concentrators. When it all came together, we knew we had something special.

Funding for the research study includes a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Basic Science Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics, an Energy Frontier Research Center and a grant from the European Communitys Seventh Framework Programme. Ehrenberg also received funding from a National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship and the Benjamin Y.H. and Helen Liu Fellowship.

To read the full research paper entitled Highly efficient luminescent solar concentrators based on Earth-abundant indirect-bandgap silicon quantum dots visit theNature Photonicswebsite.

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Nanotechnology Brings Energy-Collecting Windows One Step Closer to Reality - R & D Magazine

Nanotechnology based technology to protect treated surfaces from dirt – The Sunday Times Sri Lanka

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Police and STF search cemetery for LTTE weapons, gold

Land Reform Commission director in Batticaloa injured in shooting

Sri Lankan investigators came looking for local asylum seekers who hid Snowden: Report

Protests held over shooting of Batticaloa Land Reform Comm. Director

Ecocorp Asia last week launched Nanorepel, a surface protection system from Germany that uses nanotechnology to provide a reliable do-it-yourself coating for every household in Sri Lanka.

The system uses incredibly thin layers of liquid glass or quartz glass to coat surfaces. In addition to the positive properties of glass such as temperature resistance or resistance to acids and alkalis, these layers are characterized by high flexibility and extensibility as well as excellent dirt repellency due its anti-adhesive effect. Thus, a simple water or light detergent rinse can help regain the original appearance of any protected surface, the company said in a media release.

The company has imported three ranges of protective systems for automobiles, home and outdoor care along with cleaners to optimize the coatings. This do-it-yourself range, with a simple 3-step process of clean, spray and protect, leaves surfaces with an invisible and odourless coating, which does not affect the appearance of the surface.

Sascha Schwindt, Managing Director of Nanopool GmbH, said, Developments, especially those concerning the key industries of the 21st century, including nanotechnology, are moving at a breathtaking pace. Due to the Nanorepel product line, we can offer more diverse, suitable solutions, especially for the end consumer.

Nanorepels Car Care range provides a comprehensive surface protection system that covers all surfaces of your car (interior and exterior). Whether it is rims, seats, windshields, or car body paint, Nanorepel has a specifically designed product for each surface.

The Home coating surface protection system can be used on several surfaces throughout the home, including glass and ceramic, textile and leather, and natural stone surfaces.

The Outdoor range offers added water repellent properties that prevent liquids such as rainwater from penetrating the surface. Coated clothes, shoes or bags remain breathable while mud and dirt can be easily removed with a simple water rinse.

Malik Fernando, CEO and Managing Director of Ecocorp Asia ( exclusive agents for Nanopool for Sri Lanka and the Maldives), said, Having come across this product four years ago, my in-house R&D team has conducted extensive research to ensure that the product we are introducing works in our climate conditions. Furthermore I find this product to be a cost-effective solution for Sri Lankans who need an easy to use, long lasting and safe product.

With the rising cost of living, investing in a bottle of Nanorepel will result in seldom having to replace anything from your shoes to your home furnishing because of the protective coating it provides.

Police and STF search cemetery for LTTE weapons, gold

Land Reform Commission director in Batticaloa injured in shooting

Sri Lankan investigators came looking for local asylum seekers who hid Snowden: Report

Protests held over shooting of Batticaloa Land Reform Comm. Director

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Nanotechnology based technology to protect treated surfaces from dirt - The Sunday Times Sri Lanka

Seminar held on emerging trends in nanoscience and nanotechnology – NYOOOZ

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

CHANDIGARH: The Department of Sciences at Guru Gobind Singh College for Women organised a national seminar on " Emerging trends in nanoscience and nanotechnology " on Saturday. The seminar was sponsored by the college development council, Panjab University, Chandigarh. The aim of the seminar was to provide a common platform to academicians and young researchers to exchange their new ideas and explore the various aspects of this Emerging Technology.College Principal Dr. Charanjeet Kaur Sohi welcomed chief guest Professor Navdeep Goyal, department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh. Gurdev Singh, IAS (Retd.), president of the SES, and colonel (Retired) Jasmer Singh Bala, secretary of the SES, encouraged the students to achieve new heights in the field of science and technology.Dr. Suvankar Chakraverty, scientist from Institute of Nano Science and Technology Mohali, deliberated on the topic "Nanostructured Devices" and highlighted the current state of understanding the future trends of research in the concerned field. Technologists, scientists, faculty members, research scholars and students from various regional colleges, university and research insti...

News Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/seminar-held-on-emerging-trends-in-nanoscience-and-nanotechnology/articleshow/57236451.cms

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Seminar held on emerging trends in nanoscience and nanotechnology - NYOOOZ

New Technique Cuts HIV Treatment in Half – Controlled Environments Magazine

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Successful results of a University of Liverpool-led trial that utilized nanotechnology to improve drug therapies for HIV patients has been presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Seattle, a leading annual conference of HIV research, clinical practice, and progress.

The healthy volunteer trial, conducted by the collaborative nanomedicine research program led by Pharmacologist Professor Andrew Owen and Materials Chemist Professor Steve Rannard, and in collaboration with the St Stephens AIDS Trust at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital in London, examined the use of nanotechnology to improve the delivery of drugs to HIV patients. The results were from two trials which are the first to use orally dosed nanomedicine to enable HIV therapy optimization.

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale. Nanomedicine is the application of nanotechnology to the prevention and treatment of disease in the human body. By developing smaller pills that are better for patients and less expensive to manufacture, this evolving discipline has the potential to dramatically change medical science and is already having an impact in a number of clinically used therapies and diagnostics worldwide.

Currently, the treatment of HIV requires daily oral dosing of HIV drugs, and chronic oral dosing has significant complications that arise from the high pill burden experienced by many patients across populations with varying conditions leading to non-adherence to therapies.

Recent evaluation of HIV patient groups has shown a willingness to switch to nanomedicine alternatives if benefits can be shown. Research efforts by the Liverpool team have focused on the development of new oral therapies, using Solid Drug Nanoparticle (SDN) technology which can improve drug absorption into the body, reducing both the dose and the cost per dose and enabling existing healthcare budgets to treat more patients.

The trial results confirmed the potential for a 50 percent dose reduction while maintaining therapeutic exposure, using a novel approach to formulation of two drugs: efavirenz (EFV) and, lopinavir (LPV). EFV is the current WHO-recommended preferred regimen, with 70 percent of adult patients on first-line taking an EFV-based HIV treatment regimen in low- and middle-income countries.

The trial is connected to the Universitys ongoing work as part of the multinational consortium OPTIMIZE, a global partnership working to accelerate access to simpler, safer and more affordable HIV treatment. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, OPTIMIZE is led by the Wits Reproductive Health & HIV Institute in Johannesburg, South Africa, and includes the interdisciplinary Liverpool team, Columbia University, Mylan Laboratories, and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). OPTIMIZE is supported by key partners including UNITAID and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).

Benny Kottiri, USAIDs Office of HIV/AIDS Research Division Chief, says, The potential applications for HIV treatment are incredibly promising. By aligning efforts, these integrated investments offer the potential to reduce the doses required to control the HIV virus even further, resulting in real benefits globally. This would enable the costs of therapy to be reduced which is particularly beneficial for resource-limited countries where the burden of disease is highest.

Source: University of Liverpool

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New Technique Cuts HIV Treatment in Half - Controlled Environments Magazine

Chemist Nathan Gianneschi to join Northwestern – Northwestern Now – Northwestern University NewsCenter

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Nathan C. Gianneschi

Chemist Nathan C. Gianneschi, whose interdisciplinary research has the potential to make a significant impact in human health, will join the Northwestern University faculty, effective July 1, the University announced today.

Gianneschi, a Northwestern alumnus, has developed new methods for creating nanomaterials that can sense and respond to biological signals. His work could lead to new approaches for the treatment of disease, through targeted drug delivery, tissue repair and advanced sensor design.

Through Northwesterns International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), we brought together representatives from three different departments and two different schools and were able to recruit a stellar scientist with extraordinary breadth and depth of knowledge, said Chad A. Mirkin, IIN director, the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry, professor of chemical and biological engineering, professor of biomedical engineering, professor of materials science and engineering, and professor of medicine.

Gianneschis research program is focused on solving the problems of how synthetic materials interact with biological systems. In some cases, he and his group seek to mimic biological processes using synthetic systems, and in others, the researchers aim to use completely synthetic materials for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes against heart disease and cancer. The pioneering work involves the study of polymers and polymer-based nanoparticles as well as the development of new methods for analyzing nanomaterials with electron microscopy.

Nathans innovative research transcends traditional disciplines, and we look forward to having him join the University and the IIN team, Mirkin said.

I can think of no better place to do the kind of work my group is focused on, in terms of our efforts in basic materials chemistry and also how it applies to solving problems in biology.

Gianneschi will be a professor of chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of materials science and engineering and of biomedical engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering. He also will be part of the International Institute for Nanotechnology and the Ronald and JoAnne Willens Nano Oncology Center.

Im very excited to join the faculty at Northwestern, Gianneschi said. I can think of no better place to do the kind of work my group is focused on, in terms of our efforts in basic materials chemistry and also how it applies to solving problems in biology. I very much look forward to new adventures, building new programs and working with new colleagues across the University.

In addition to his laboratories in a new wing of the Technological Institute on Northwesterns Evanston campus, Gianneschi also will have labs in the Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center on the Chicago campus.

Currently, Gianneschi is the Teddy Traylor Faculty Scholar and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Materials Science and Engineering and NanoEngineering at the University of California, San Diego.

Gianneschi has received numerous honors during his career. They include Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2016), National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow (2013), recipient of the National Institutes of Health Directors Transformative Research Award (2012), Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow (2012) and recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2009).

Before joining the University of California, San Diego in 2008, Gianneschi was on a Dow Foundation Fellowship through the American Australian Association at The Scripps Research Institute, from 2005 to 2008. He studied semi-synthetic programmable enzymatic systems as selective, responsive elements in biomolecule detection and signal amplification.

Gianneschi, a native of Canberra, Australia, received his Ph.D. in chemistry in 2005 from Northwestern, where he studied with professors Chad Mirkin and SonBinh Nguyen. He received his B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Adelaide in 1999.

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Chemist Nathan Gianneschi to join Northwestern - Northwestern Now - Northwestern University NewsCenter

Nano-satellites thrust Australia back into space – Nikkei Asian Review

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

SYDNEY -- A swarm of shoe-box sized satellites is scheduled to begin the first stage of a historic journey into space on March 19, when an Atlas V rocket blasts off from Florida's Cape Canaveral space center with the tiny satellites on board, along with NASA equipment and supplies. All are destined for the International Space Station, a large, habitable spacecraft in orbit around Earth.

Marking Australia's re-entry into the space race after 15 years, Australian universities are sending three of these nano-satellites into space, each weighing about 2kg and costing about $1 million Australian dollars ($760,000) each, including transport to the space station. The tiny spacecraft will undertake research gauging atmospheric density for up to a year, before burning up on re-entry.

"It's amazing [that] you can put a piece of hardware in space for a million dollars," said Elias Aboutanios, deputy director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research and leader of a nano-sat project at the University of New South Wales. "In direct costs that we can account for, it has cost us about a quarter of a million [Australian] dollars in cash, and about three-quarters of a million dollars in kind... That includes everything."

L-R: Dr Joon Wayn Cheong, Cheryl Brown, John Lam, Ben Southwell, Prof Andrew Dempster and Tom Croston (Photo courtesy of UNSW)

As the first Australian spacecraft to make it into space since a scientific research satellite launched from Japan in 2002, these tiny satellites have already ignited a new burst of astronautical interest in Australia, where they are seen as the harbingers of a revolutionary and affordable thrust into orbit.

The launches are part of a cooperative effort by universities and research institutes in 23 nations involved in the European Union-led QB50 project, which planned to use 50 very small satellites to carry out coordinated atmospheric measurements in a string-of-pearls constellation. After they are released from the space station they will disperse and orbit Earth at roughly 7.5km a second, gathering valuable scientific data as they roam.

The first group of 28 QB50 nano-satellites -- known as CubeSats because they are made up of multiples of 10cm x 10cm x 11.35cm cuboid units -- will take soundings in the largely unmeasured lower thermosphere, between 200km and 380km above Earth. A second group of eight QB50 CubeSats is scheduled to be launched into space in April aboard the Indian PLSV Rocket, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, bringing the total to 36 -- the number of nano-sats ready for launch by the EU deadline.

Asian nations involved in the QB50 project include South Korea, Taiwan and, to a certain extent, China, although the two Chinese universities building QB50 CubeSats -- Harbin University of Technology and Nanjing University of Science and Technology -- have registered their spacecraft in Belgium.

Second chance

Space has long been dominated by superpowers with super budgets, enabling the push to the moon by the U.S. and the former Soviet Union, and the American and European Mars probes currently underway. More recently, billionaire space enthusiasts such as Elon Musk, founder of the Tesla car company, have joined the space race with their own rockets.

Apart from the QB50 project, miniaturized satellites herald a new age. India set a record on Feb. 15 when its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre with 104 satellites on board, nearly all CubeSats.

"Nano-sats in general and CubeSats in particular are giving Australia a second chance to enter this business," Aboutanios said. "Nano-sats are putting space within the reach of very small players." The University of NSW CubeSat team built a nano-satellite called ECO, and cooperated with other institutions on a second CubeSat.

"In the 50s, 60s and 70s, countries were working hard to build their space capabilities," Aboutanios told the Nikkei Asian Review. "But it was difficult. It was doable by first world powerful nations. Australia had space capabilities at that time, but gave up on the effort. We don't want to make that mistake again."

It is not only a question of furthering humanity's knowledge of space. It is also a matter of profit. "Globally, the space business is forecast to reach 400 billion ($500 billion) by 2030, Aboutanios said. "The U.K. is driving very hard to get a piece of that. And so should Australia."

The UNSW EC0 Cube Sat in its 3D printed yellow protective casing, ready for final shipment. (Photo courtesy of UNSW)

The CubeSat design was proposed by a group of U.S. science professors in 1999 to allow graduate students to design, build, test and run spacecraft with roughly the same capabilities as the first spacecraft, the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1, launched in 1957. The first CubeSats were launched in 2003, and these days anyone can buy a CubeSat kit, which is marketed online by the San Francisco-based nano-satellite company, Pumpkin Inc.

The QB50 project was designed to capitalize on the size and cost advantages of CubeSats. "One of the main purposes of the QB50 project is to achieve sustained and affordable access to space for small scale research space missions and planetary exploration," the project's mission statement says.

Space researchers around the world have embraced CubeSats, and applauded their capabilities. "CubeSats, when you look at the trends, are exploding, they're mushrooming in number," Aboutanios said. "That's Australia's opportunity. We have no chance of competing with the likes of the U.S., Europe, China and Russia with the big satellites, satellites that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. But we can compete with nano-sats, and their share of the market is growing rapidly."

Most of the QB50 nano-sats will carry one of three devices, or sensors, specified by the QB50 project -- either a multi-needle Langmuir probe, an Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS), or a Flux-Probe experiment, all designed to gauge densities in Earth's lower thermosphere.

"We've chosen the Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer," Aboutanios said. "As the satellite is plowing through space, it collects particles in its path and measures their mass, and then we can tell what atoms exist up there. The thermosphere is very little understood, and that's why we're doing this. This will improve our understanding manyfold."

Each of these QB50 nano-sats will also carry one or more devices devised and manufactured by the university that built the tiny spacecraft. "Apart from the QB50 experiment, we're doing a number of experiments of our own," Aboutanios said.

"The structure of the satellite, the frame of the satellite, is usually made out of aluminum, and usually machined. "Instead, we have used a thermoplastic, and we've 3D-printed the frame of the satellite, and we coated it with nickel for conductivity. That gives us a lightweight, strong structure that we can rapidly make. We're sending it up into space and we're going to monitor how it behaves in the harsh environment of space."

The relatively low cost of these nano-satellites makes them ideal for small-to-medium nations such as Australia, with restricted funds for experiments in space. Regardless of whether they last in space for any length of time, the successful launch of these three tiny spacecraft will be an important step for the nascent Australian space industry.

Assam Don Bosco University: Betting on Nano, But Dreaming Even Bigger – Seasonal Magazine

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Assam Don Bosco University is much like the North Eastern states most famous tree, the Hollong, the iconic vegetation in the region. Perched atop the hills of Assam, the university not only stands out for being the first privately-run state university here but is now increasingly staking its claim as an emerging education ambassador of the state. In its relatively short tenure, ADBU has gone from strength to strength while notably improving its placement record. Although branching out to more niche disciplines like Tea technology, ADBU has perhaps excelled unquestionably in the area of Nanotechnology research. This is sure to make the scientific and student community look up and take notice.

ADBU, sponsored by the Salesians of Don Bosco (started by St. John Bosco), is today the largest Catholic congregation in the world.

Assam Don Bosco University is their 16th global university and the first in the English-speaking world. They operate a total of three campuses namely at Azara, Kharguli, and the picturesque 500-acres campus on the undulating hills, the Tapesia Gardenscatering to the educational needs of the ethnically and culturally rich diversity of India.

Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) is arguably one of the most experienced higher education promoters in the world, running 15 universities worldwide.Assam Don Bosco Universitys Whole Institution approachis intended to promote a higher education community that is improving efficiency, conserving resources and enhancing environmental quality for sustainability and creating healthy living and learning environments. Apart from the life cycle of buildings, grounds and infrastructure, the commitment to a Whole Institution approachencourages research, promotes advocacy efforts, develops curriculum and supports academic and mission-based goals which further sustainability on campus. The University campus is considered as a living laboratory and the endeavor includes students, academic staff, administrative staff as well as visitors to extend learning beyond the class room to develop responsible attitudes and commitment to continuous improvement on sustainability issues. The initiatives of agro forestry and conservation of biodiversity, alternate energy through solar and water and eco friendly waste disposal are critical in the University's plan ofreducing environmental risk and impact and achieving financial savings

Though ADBU has almost all core departments and in-demand courses, its flagship is the undergraduate engineering program with almost half of the on-campus students pursuing their BTech. Although ADBU comes across as the archetypal private self-financing university, it is unique in that its off-campus or distance-learning division - Don Bosco Global - is larger in student strength than its on-campus wing and attracts students from all over the world. Offering a variety of courses with a vibrant thrust on research and abundance of extension activities, ADBU currently has around 2000 students on campus and another 6000 pursuing its online courses.

Led by Fr.(Dr) Stephen Mavely, a leading educationalist with around 40 years of experience in the North East, ADBU is guided by a two-pronged principle that runs through its veins: the employability of their graduates in a knowledge based economy and a globalized world, and the formation of their graduates to become life-long learners capable of adapting to the changing demands of the world of work. In the highly competitive world of today, it is talent and adaptability that matter, not one's background, aptly summarized by the VC Fr. (Dr) Stephen Mavely. Notably, Fr. (Dr) Stephen Mavely was recently awarded with the coveted 100 Most Influential Vice-Chancellors award in Asia-Pacific region by World Education Congress.

In honoring its research commitments, ADBU signed an MoU with Centre of Plasma Physics Institute for Plasma Research (CPP-IPR), Nazirakhat, Sonapur. CPP-IPR is a research center of Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, which is an autonomous body under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India.

Both the institutions agreed to collaborate in scientific research, lend hands in setting up of laboratories, mechanical/electronics workshops and sharing of infrastructure. The immediate areas that open up for collaboration are in the areas of scientific research in nano-materials, thermal engineering, numerical simulation etc. In addition, the university students of science and technology will also be able to do their project works with CPP-IPR facilities under the guidance of CPP-IPR faculty.

This year, ADBU played host to The International Conference on Advances in Nanotechnology, iCAN 2017 in partnership with the School of Technology and Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization, USA. The main objective of the conference was to motivate young researchers from academic and research institutes in the north eastern part of India to explore the possibilities of using nanotechnology and to provide a platform to interact and exchange new ideas and also to explore possible collaborations with the researchers from across the globe working in diverse areas of Nano-science and Nanotechnology.

ADBU further solidified its growing contribution in the field of nanotechnology research by opening a Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology (CoEN). Widely touted to be the trending technological breakthrough of the 21stcentury, Nanotechnology has made a horizontal impact traversing across all types of vertical industrial sectors like computers, telecommunication, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, defense, construction, energy, to name a few.

The CoEN will focus on research in Nano-sciences and Nanotechnology leading to industry-ready technology/products, development of human resources for implementing nanotechnology through interdisciplinary research, initiate strong interactions leading to collaborations with leading academic institutions and industry for innovations, setting up of a state of the art nanotechnology characterization lab.

The CoEN will also advocate the concept ofPoor Mans Nanotechnologyand assist other institutions in setting up basic Nanotechnology research labs. The CoEN plans to set up a library (both printed and electronic) of nanotechnology related books and research publications, organize International and National Conferences, Symposiums, Workshops, etc. and support researchers in submitting research projects to funding agencies.

In another progressive development aimed at promotion of scientific reasearch, a workshop on Open Source Software for Library Automation was heldat ADBU. The workshop was jointly organized by collaboration of DRTC, Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Bangalore and Assam Don Bosco University and was sponsored by ISI in Bangalore.

The workshop aimed at developing an expertise on Open Source Software known as KOHA by providing a thorough training, tutorial, demonstration and hands-on practice. It also aimed at updating the professionals and academic community about content management.

Its vast global network has also enabled the university to go in for several meaningful international tie ups with Salesian and non-Salesian Universities worldwide. Frequent academic and research exchanges between Salesian Institutions of Higher Education (IUS) have also helped in ADBUs adoption of best practices from all around the world.

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Assam Don Bosco University: Betting on Nano, But Dreaming Even Bigger - Seasonal Magazine

AFIS reach new levels as biometrics advance at Moore’s Law pace – SecureIDNews

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Florida county solves cold case with new Automated Fingerprint Identification System

Old criminals beware. The chance that you will be identified from long-ago collected evidence is growing exponentially as biometric systems and Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS) improve. Case in point, Pinellas County, Florida, where a man was arrested on Feb. 17, 2017 for a crime committed 25 years prior.

At the time of the 1992 sexual attack, the Tampa Bay Reporter explains that latent fingerprint evidence was collected from the scene. The prints were run through the AFIS used by the Sheriffs Office at that time to no avail.

Fast forward to July 2016. A new AFIS from MorphoTrak had recently replaced the prior decades-old system used by the county. Latent print examiners once again processed the 25-year-old fingerprint evidence collected in the cold case. Thanks to the vastly improved matching algorithms and architecture, the new AFIS hit on a single suspect.

Several months later, the man was arrested, charged with sexual battery and taken to the jail.

In Pinellas County, the new AFIS system is returning more than 230 hits on latent print checks each month, an increase of more than 50% from the prior generation technology.

That is impressive, but is it a mere glimpse of things to come?

Biometric systems for AFIS solutions, border control, identity management, authentication, mobile ID, digital identity, etc. are advancing at a Moores Law style rate. Each incarnation breeds more significant advances than its predecessor, and the incarnations or generations are coming more and more rapidly.

We are in the midst of an unprecedented rise in the acceptance of biometrics. With acceptance comes investment. And this will result in massive and spiraling gains in all areas required for exponential growth: intellectual pursuit, financial investment, technical gains chip, software, processing, cloud, et al, government and standards interest, and more.

It is very likely that the same level of improvement seen in Pinellas Countys AFIS between 1992 and 2016 will again be seen between 2016 and 2020. That next factor of advancement could take just months post 2020. And the sky is the limit from there.

New AFIS solutions hold the promise of far better identification and accuracy, streamlined human inputs and overall efficiencies, and ever-increasing processing power, storage and cross-system sharing.

One day (soon), criminals may be unable to hide.

If I had committed a past crime and left fingerprint evidence, Id be preparing for relocation to somewhere without extradition as the opportunity to avoid identification will be slimming rapidly.

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AFIS reach new levels as biometrics advance at Moore's Law pace - SecureIDNews

Feinstein Institute, Molecular Medicine Award Ross Prize to Rockefeller University’s Jeffrey Ravetch – PR Newswire (press release)

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

The Ross Prize is made possible by the generosity of Feinstein Institute board members Robin and Jack Ross. It is awarded annually by Molecular Medicine to scientists who have made a demonstrable impact in the understanding of human diseases pathogenesis and/or treatment, and who hold significant promise for making even greater contributions to the general field of molecular medicine.

"Jeffery Ravetch's investigations of the immune system's molecular structure solved the medical mystery of how antibodies can both activate and inhibit the immune response," said Feinstein Institute President and CEO Kevin J. Tracey, MD, who also serves as editor emeritus of Molecular Medicine. "His discoveries have provided the fundamental knowledge that enable scientists to engineer antibodies to treat a variety of autoimmune conditions."

After a brief award presentation, a research symposium will be held during which Dr. Ravetch will discuss his discoveries in the field of Fc receptor biology. Rafi Ahmed, PhD, director of the Emory Vaccine Center, and Ronald Levy, MD, professor and chief of the Division of Oncology at Stanford Medicine, will also speak during the symposium. To learn more about the Ross Prize celebration and symposium, and to register for the event, please visit http://www.nyas.org/RossPrize2017.

Dr. Ravetch's research focuses on identifying the genetic components that cause immune system cells to respond to specific antibodies. His laboratory's mission is to gain a better understanding of how a functioning immune system protects organisms from invaders, and how a dysfunctional immune system attacks the body's own tissues. His work has specifically focused on a family of protein receptors called Fc receptors, which he and his team have been studying for the past 30 years. His work has defined these receptors and demonstrated their essential role in immune response.

Past recipients of the Ross Prize are: Charles N. Serhan, PhD, DSc, director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Simon Gelman Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School and professor at Harvard School of Dental Medicine; Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, the Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital; John J. O'Shea, MD, scientific director at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS); and Dan R. Littman, MD, PhD, the Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Professor of Molecular Immunology in the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at New York University School of Medicine.

About the Feinstein InstituteThe Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is the research arm of Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider in New York. Home to 50 research laboratories and to clinical research throughout dozens of hospitals and outpatient facilities, the 3,500 researchers and staff of the Feinstein aremaking breakthroughs in molecular medicine, genetics, oncology, brain research, mental health, autoimmunity, and bioelectronic medicine a new field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. For more information about how we empower imagination and pioneer discovery, visitFeinsteinInstitute.org.

About Molecular MedicineMolecular Medicine is an open access, international, peer-reviewed biomedical journal published by The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Molecular Medicine addresses disease pathogenesis at the cellular and molecular levels and novel molecular tools for disease diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention. To learn more, go to molmed.org.

About the New York Academy of SciencesThe New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide. With more than 20,000 members in 100 countries around the world, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. Please visit us online at nyas.org.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/feinstein-institute-molecular-medicine-award-ross-prize-to-rockefeller-universitys-jeffrey-ravetch-300410709.html

SOURCE The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

http://www.feinsteininstitute.org/

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Feinstein Institute, Molecular Medicine Award Ross Prize to Rockefeller University's Jeffrey Ravetch - PR Newswire (press release)

Atreca, Inc. Presents New Preclinical Findings for Novel Cancer … – Business Wire (press release)

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Atreca, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics based on a deep understanding of the human immune response, announced today the presentation of positive preclinical findings in its immuno-oncology program, generated via the Companys Immune Repertoire Capture (IRC) technology platform. Atrecas IRC technology identifies and generates sequences of native antibodies and T cell receptors (TCRs) from active human immune responses, including natively paired and complete variable regions of receptors expressed by specifically selected B- and T-cells. New findings from Atrecas lead program are being highlighted at the 24th annual Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, taking place at the Moscone North Convention Center in San Francisco, CA, February 19-24, 2017.

In a presentation, titled The Immune Repertoire Capture (IRC) Technology Platform, Daniel Emerling, Ph.D., Atrecas Senior Vice President, Research, is presenting key preclinical findings today at 12:10 p.m. Pacific Time, including:

We are thrilled with the continued momentum of our programs based on successful anti-tumor immune responses in cancer patients undergoing treatment, stated N. Michael Greenberg, PhD, Atrecas Chief Scientific Officer. Our most recent data validate our next-generation approach in monotherapy as well as combination therapy, potentially addressing the substantial need to enhance patient responses to checkpoint inhibition. The unique features and capabilities of our platform allow us to pursue diverse applications outside of cancer as well, and we look forward to our progress as we advance toward IND-enabling studies in our lead program.

Atreca applies IRC to generate sequences of native antibodies and TCRs from cancer patients who have responded well to immunotherapy and other treatments, patients with autoimmune disease, vaccinated subjects, and patients who resolve infections. Analyses of the resulting essentially unbiased and error-free repertoires yield insights into immunology, as well as potent antibodies targeting tumors, pathogens, and autoimmune epitopes.

About Atreca, Inc.

Atreca is a privately held biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics drawn from human immune responses, including effective anti-cancer immune responses. We are able to measure and analyze the structure of clinically relevant immune responses to identify the antibodies, T cell receptors, and targets that are key to successful treatment outcomes. Atrecas proprietary Immune Repertoire Capture technology profiles a patients immune response at the single-cell level at very high throughput without bias or error, enabling the identification and generation of functional human antibodies and TCRs without prior knowledge of antigen. The Company is advancing a pipeline of candidates with the objective of enhancing engagement of the human immune response in cancer treatment and other indications, thus optimizing therapeutic outcomes. For more information on Atreca, please visit http://www.atreca.com.

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Atreca, Inc. Presents New Preclinical Findings for Novel Cancer ... - Business Wire (press release)

Foundation Medicine Announces 2016 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results, Recent Highlights and 2017 Outlook – Business Wire (press release)

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Foundation Medicine (NASDAQ:FMI) today reported financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and year endedDecember 31, 2016. Highlights for the quarter and year included:

Since its inception just six years ago, Foundation Medicine has established itself as the clear leader in molecular information and precision medicine in oncology, statedTroy Cox, chief executive officer ofFoundation Medicine. We believe 2017 will be a year of continued growth and value creation particularly as we progress through Parallel Review of FoundationOne with FDA and CMS and simultaneously collaborate with healthcare providers, payers and biopharma partners to apply our molecular information to accelerate personalized cancer care.

The company reported total revenue of$28.8 millionin the fourth quarter of 2016, compared to$26.1 millionin the fourth quarter of 2015. Total revenue for the year endedDecember 31, 2016was$116.9 million, compared to$93.2 millionin 2015.

Revenue from biopharmaceutical partners was$19.0 millionin the fourth quarter, representing a 35% increase from the same period in 2015. For the full year, revenue from biopharmaceutical partners was$78.8 million, a 79% increase from $44.0 millionin 2015. These increases in revenue from biopharmaceutical partners highlight the company's continued leading and broadening role within targeted oncology drug development.

Revenue from clinical testing in the fourth quarter of 2016 was$9.8 million, compared to$12.0 millionin the fourth quarter of 2015. For the full year, revenue from clinical testing was $38.1 million, compared to $49.2 million in 2015. The decreases were driven by various factors, the most significant of which was the transition in-network with a large national payer for stage IV NSCLC testing, which resulted in the termination of out of network payments for testing in other indications.

The company reported 12,788 clinical tests, which includes 10,108 FoundationOnetests, 1,407 FoundationOne Heme tests and 1,273 FoundationACT tests, in the fourth quarter of 2016, a 54% increase from the total reported clinical tests in the fourth quarter of 2015. An additional 1,860 tests were reported to biopharmaceutical partners in the fourth quarter of 2016. The company reported 43,686 clinical tests, which includes 36,327 FoundationOne tests, 5,008 FoundationOne Heme tests and 2,351 FoundationACT tests, for the full year 2016, a 32% increase compared to the total reported clinical tests in 2015.

Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2016 were approximately$47.1 millioncompared with$34.0 millionfor the fourth quarter of 2015. For the full year, operating expenses were$173.9 million, compared to$143.5 millionin 2015. Net loss was$35.6 millionin the fourth quarter of 2016, or a$1.02loss per share, and net loss for the full year was$113.2 million, or a$3.25loss per share. AtDecember 31, 2016, the company held approximately$143.0 millionin cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

2017 Outlook

Conference Call and Webcast Details

The company will conduct a conference call today, Wednesday, February 22nd at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial performance for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2016 and other business activities, including matters related to future performance. To access the conference call via phone, dial 1-855-420-0652 from the United States and Canada, or dial 1-484-365-2939 internationally, and for either number reference Foundation Medicine and provide the passcode 61272791. Dial in approximately ten minutes prior to the start of the call. The live, listen-only webcast of the conference call may be accessed by visiting the investors section of the companys website at investors.foundationmedicine.com. A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and will be archived on the companys website for two weeks following the call.

About Foundation Medicine

Foundation Medicine (NASDAQ:FMI) is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patients unique cancer. The company offers a full suite of comprehensive genomic profiling assays to identify the molecular alterations in a patients cancer and match them with relevant targeted therapies, immunotherapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicine's molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit http://www.FoundationMedicine.com or follow Foundation Medicine on Twitter (@FoundationATCG).

Foundation Medicineand FoundationOneare registered trademarks, and FoundationACT, FoundationFocusand FoundationCOREare trademarks, of Foundation Medicine, Inc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the benefits of our products to physicians, biopharmaceutical companies, payers and patients in the treatment of cancer and personalized cancer care; the generation of revenue, the number of tests to be conducted, and the incurrence of operating expenses in 2017; the benefits provided by a FDA-approved and CMS-covered version of FoundationOne and progress with the Parallel Review process with FDA and CMS; the scope and timing of any approval of FoundationOne as a medical device by theFDAand any coverage decision by CMS; and strategies for achieving Medicare coverage decisions at the local or national level and new and expanded coverage from third-party payers. All such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include the risks thattheFDA does not approve FoundationOne as a medical device or that CMS does not decide to offer FoundationOne as a covered benefit under Medicare; theFDAor CMS is delayed in the completion of the Parallel Review process; the companys new facilities in North Carolina and Germany do not facilitate the companys ability to achieve it business objectives; the companys distribution partner outside the United States is not able to achieve market penetration in new and existing markets as quickly or as extensively as projected; Foundation Medicine's relationships withthird-party or government payers do not increase or expand; Foundation Medicine is unable to sustain or grow relationships with biopharmaceutical partners; the companys revenue, test or operating expense projections may turn out to be inaccurate because of the preliminary nature of the forecasts; the company's expectations and beliefs regarding the future conduct and growth of the company's business are inaccurate; Foundation Medicineis unable to achieve profitability, to compete successfully, to manage its growth, or to develop its molecular information platform; and the risks described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Foundation Medicine's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year endedDecember 31, 2015, which is on file with theSecurities and Exchange Commission, as well as other risks detailed in Foundation Medicine's subsequent filings with theSecurities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, andFoundation Medicineundertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

FOUNDATION MEDICINE, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

(35,705)

(19,113)

(113,816)

(89,755)

(19,020)

(113,192)

(89,631)

(1.02)

(0.55)

(3.25)

(2.73)

FOUNDATION MEDICINE, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands)

(unaudited)

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Foundation Medicine Announces 2016 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results, Recent Highlights and 2017 Outlook - Business Wire (press release)

Cue Biopharma Strengthens Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board … – Yahoo Finance

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

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

Cue Biopharma, Inc. (Cue), an immunotherapy company developing biologics engineered to selectively modulate disease-relevant T cell subsets to treat cancer and autoimmune disease, announced the appointment of three new key opinion leaders to its scientific/clinical advisory board (SAB). The new members include Kenneth Pienta, M.D.; Jacques Banchereau, Ph.D.; and Karolina Palucka, M.D., Ph.D. These new members join Cues industry-leading SAB, which consists of three experts in immunology, immuno-oncology and protein design.

We are very pleased with the additional knowledge and expertise that these three leading researchers and clinicians bring to our SAB in the fields of immunology and immuno-oncology, as Cue continues to advance its programs towards the clinic, said Daniel Passeri, M.Sc., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cue Biopharma.

These new scientific/clinical advisory board members bring invaluable experience that complements our existing members, and we have already begun integrating them into our advisory function, said Steven Almo, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, scientific founder of Cue and Chairman of the Cue Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board.

Cues scientific and clinical advisory board now contains six leading oncology, immuno-oncology, immunology and protein design experts:

About Cue Biopharma

Immune Responses, On Cue. Cue Biopharma(Cue) is an immunotherapy company developing biologics engineered to selectively communicate with disease-relevant T cell subsets to treat cancer and autoimmune disease. Cue biologics have the potential to be highly effective as monotherapies as well as synergistic with existing checkpoint inhibitors, while reducing collateral toxicities often seen with less selective immunotherapies. Through this platform approach, Cue has developed a promising pipeline with its lead candidate currently approaching the clinic. Headquartered in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA, Cue is led by a strong, experienced management team and scientific/clinical advisory board with deep expertise in the design and clinical development of protein biologics, immunology and immuno-oncology.

For more information, visitwww.cuebio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170222005333/en/

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Cue Biopharma Strengthens Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board ... - Yahoo Finance

Scripps doubles down on venture capital with new board members – South Florida Business Journal

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Scripps doubles down on venture capital with new board members
South Florida Business Journal
The Scripps Research Institute this week appointed new members to its board of directors, including a number of venture capital veterans, as the La Jolla, California- and Jupiter-based biotechnology nonprofit works to expand its influence on both coasts.

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Scripps doubles down on venture capital with new board members - South Florida Business Journal

Life Extension Science Live Forever and Don’t Pay Taxes – Nanalyze

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

They say there are only two things in life you cant avoid taxes and death. For our U.S. readers, you can actually avoid taxes by staying out of the country for 335 days or more. Its called a Foreign Earned Income Exclusionand it gives you about100K in tax-free income every single year. Youre welcome. As for death, we cant tell you how to avoid that yet but were going to let you know when that nut gets cracked becauselife extension science is the hip thing for billionaires to invest in at the moment.

In an article last year, we touched on the topic of aging which is an easier theme to discuss than death, but we didnt quite get into the bigger picture of extending life. There is actually a field on extending life called life extension science in which anti-aging is one of just many broad themes. Life extension sciencecomes in many names such as anti-aging medicine, experimental gerontology, biomedical gerontology, and indefinite life extension. Heres the textbook definition:

Life extension science is the study of reversing or slowing down the processes of aging to extend the average or maximum lifespan.

According to Zion Market Research, the global demand for the anti-aging marketwas valued at $140.3 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach $216.52 billion by 2021. Medical experts, however, declared that the use of these products has not proven to have any effect on the aging process, a reason medical practitioners do not want to equate life extension science to the anti-aging industry identified closely with cosmetics and dermatology.

There seem to be two major schools of thoughts on dealing with prolonging life expectancy: life prior to death and life after clinical death. Life prior to death seem to have the most investment support, probably because its easier to invest in andwrite a check yourself while youre still alive. There are many ways to approach life extension including the following:

Curing age-related diseases or attacking the root cause of aging seem to hold the most promise because of the recent advances in genetics. Curing cancer is still in the detection and diagnostic era with a real cure still years to go. There will likely never be a single cure for cancer, but many different advancements such as earlier detection which reduces the mortality rate by up to 90% for some cancers. In the future, your smart toilet will read your urine in the morning and detect the cancer while your smart smoothie maker will automatically mixin aproper prescription so that by the time you get to work fire up your virtual reality simulator, youll be cured.

Digging deeper into nanotechnology, cloning, genetic modification, and SENS, you will realize, it is all about attacking the challenge of aging at the molecular or cellular level. (The exception is cyborg technology where you replace partly or wholly the human body with robotic technology). Were going to just dive right into 7 companies that are attacking the root cause of aging.

We last wrote about Human Longevity (HLI)in April of last year when they officially became a unicorn after taking in a $220 million Series B round bringing their total funding to $300 million. Last month they hired Cynthia Collins as their new Chief Executive Officer replacing Craig Venter, Ph.D., Co-founder and former CEO, who will remain at HLI as Executive Chairman and will continue to guide scientific vision and strategy. HLI unveiled their genome search engine last October 2016, in which they were exploringindividual human genomes in great detail. At that time, they had already sequenced 10,545 human genomesand went on to state:

The 10,545 human genomes are part of the HLIs database, which currently contains more than 30,000 high-quality genomic and phenotypic integrated health records. HLIs goal is to have one million integrated health records in the database by 2020.

With $300 million, theyre well on their way to building the worlds largest and most comprehensive database of whole genome, phenotype and clinical data.

Just last month, Google Alphabet took in a whopping $800 million investment into their life sciences branch Verily which makes us feel better about the fact that we havent heard squat lately from Calico. We first discussed theCalifornia Life Company (Calico) back in 2014 and since then this stealth mode startup has murmured very little about what they are doing with the staggering $1.5 billion in funding they have on hand. Since Larry Page of Google, its main advocate, is more driven by the technical challenge of solving the mysteries of ROI rather than aging, informing the public of Calicos progress isnt really on the top of his agenda.

One interesting anti-aginglife extension science company we covered before wasElysium Health. Unfortunately,the only news this startup is turning out lately isbad news. The only supplier of the two key ingredients (pterostilbene and nicotinamide riboside) in Elysiums anti-aging pill, Basis, just filed a lawsuit against Elysium this January 2017, for failing to make payments and for breach of royalties and trademark agreements. Added to this is a growing public criticism of Elysiums general marketing campaign which consumers believe ismisleading. Apparently, Basis which seem to be the only unique value proposition for Elysium is not the only company marketing pills containing the key ingredients pterostilbene and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR). ChromaDex, Elysiums only supplier of these ingredients, is also a supplier (probably the only supplier) of these same ingredients to dozens of other anti-aging brands under the trademark NIAGEN. Since they have 30 of the worlds top scientists on staff they should be able to think of a wayto clean this mess up.

Unity Biotechnology, Inc., a startup incorporated in 2009, is in the business of preventing, reversing, and halting the various diseases attributed to aging by working on senescent cells. Heres how they describe it:

Cellular senescence is a biological emergency brake cells use to stop dividing. Its an important anti-tumor mechanism, because it prevents cells from multiplying out of control. But after this brake has been pulled, senescent cells remain in the body, accumulating with age. And unlike normal cells, these cells secrete inflammatory molecules that harm neighboring cellsand tissues

And heres their pipeline:

The Company completed a Series B funding of $116 millionin October 2016 so they have plenty of funds to execute. Not surprisingly,Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPalis an investor alongside some big names like Fidelity, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and Paul Allen of Microsoft.

SENS Research Foundation or Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) Research Foundation is not actually a business startup but a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2009 by Aubrey de Grey. Peter Thielputs in $600,000 a year, while its founder and chief science officer, Aubrey de Grey, provides $5 million annually for this research foundation. SENS Foundations research emphasizes the use of regenerative medicine to age-related disease, with the intention of repairing damage to our bodys tissues, cells, and molecular processes.

Speaking of Peter Thiel, we all know whathes been up to and it makes some people question just how groundedthe man really is. Hes all over the news because of something thats downright uncomfortable for us to think about. Thats right, Peter Thiel is said to be thinking about getting blood transfusions from young men to help stop the effects of aging. Its a life extension science called parabiosis which is currently being investigated by at least two startups.

Mr. Thiel presently sits on the board of a startup called Alkahest which is studying the effects of parabiosis. $4.5 billion Spanish plasma company Grifols (NASDAQ:GRFS) owns 45% of the Company so theres a way for retail investors to get a bit of exposure. Theyre operating in stealth mode so not a lotof information available except for recent news that they appointed a Chief Medical Officer.

Alkahest isnt the only startupexploring parabiosis. According to an article by Vice Magazine, a Silicon Valley company called Ambrosia is working on human clinical trials. They charge $8,000 for the privilege of participating in the study and apparently at least 600 people signed up.Sounds like those young bloodshave something to offer us after all.

So there weve given you 7solid companies looking to extend your life span. Maybe you should slap some dollars in a robo-advisor like Betterment just in case you live to be 130 because soon thats going to happen. Of course this opens up a whole can of worms about sustainability of our planet. For those of you who are going to be nice and just die so the rest of us can live longer with more resources, we will still hook you up.

There are those who believe the possibility of life after you are clinically dead. These are advocates who put up companies that build facilities for cryonics and for uploading your mind into some machine. Mind uploading is an exciting space to explore because of the possible merging of current technologies such as brain activity mapping, AI, BCI, and machine learning. Still, there are companies catering to those who simply believe in being remembered and having a purpose even after death such as Bios for its environmentally friendly burial urns and Capsula Mundi for its burial pods. That whole mind uploading thing sounds amazing so we may have to cover that in a future article. Stay tuned and enjoy all those tax-free $$$.

Looking to buy shares in companies before they IPO?A company called Motif Investing lets you buy pre-IPO shares in companies that are led by JP Morgan. You can open an account with Motif with no deposit required so that you are ready to buy pre-IPO shares when they are offered.

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Life Extension Science Live Forever and Don't Pay Taxes - Nanalyze

Making Your Phone Take Dictation – New York Times

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

Making Your Phone Take Dictation
New York Times
Keep in mind that with many dictation apps, a recording of your voice is uploaded to the company's servers for software-based transcription. Converting live speech is one thing, but if you have a collection of previously recorded memos you want to ...

DICE 2017: Squanchtendo Says ‘We Have a Long-Form’ VR Game in Development – UploadVR

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Danzig

At the D.I.C.E. 2017 Summit, developers, press, and entertainment industry veterans gathered from around the world this week to discuss cutting edge technology and design principles. One of the most applicable discussions thus far for our audience took place today as Geoff Keighley hosted a live interview session with both Tanya Watson and Justin Roiland of Squanchtendo. The duo discussed their views on the budding VR industry, what made their debut effort in Accounting(created in collaboration with Crows Crows Crows) so special, and most interestingly, what theyre working on next.

Tanya Watson brings years of AAA game industry experience, having worked at Epic Games, and Roiland, a self-described student of gaming his entire life, is the co-creator of Rick and Morty and possesses one of the most iconic comedic personalities in the entertainment scene today. Their combination led to the creation of Squanchtendo, a brand new game studio, last year.

During their talk, Watson and Roiland issued very slight and minor teases about their next project. According to Watson, We have a long-form game, a traditional game length game that I cant talk too much about that we are in development on for VR, she said. But we would also love to make more of those dense, short-form experiences like Accounting as continued experiments.

Judging by the hilarity and innovative interactivity of Accounting, were putting our money on this larger game retaining that same sense of humor. In last years interview, they also alluded to their next project being something of a comedic-action RPG, but thats all we really know. It certainly sounds like it will no only be quite robust, but also likely just as witty and clever as wed expect.

But that may not have always been the case.

There was a period of time where I was going away from comedy and thinking about making a VR experience that was more eerie said Roiland. Even going down that road it kept going back to comedy for me. Im so drawn to absurd comedy I realized pretty quickly we shouldnt try to do that.

Accounting was released and marketed as a Vive-exclusive title, although it seems to work just fine when played with an Oculus Rift and Touch controllers through Steam. Designing the game with Vive in mind wasnt meant to anger non-Vive owners, but rather was meant to make the game as good as it can possibly be.

There is something to love about every piece of VR hardware, explained Roiland. My thought is, How can I use these constraints as a benefit, what can I do with these limitations? All of this stuff is in my sketchbooks: game design, stories, charactersWe have pitches that work for seated gamepad, some are designed for roomscale, there are some experiences that you cant port over properly.

Elaborating on that point, Watson said, Designing bespoke for a platform is important and taking advantage of what makes the platform special. How do you put the player in the world? Thats been the thing weve been approaching for all of our pitches. Making it more than just a screen on your face.

There are no tentative release plans for Squanchtendos next project, but well keep you posted as we find out more information. In the meantime, you can check out Accounting for free on Steam right now. And keep an eye out for more details on Owlchemys upcoming Rick and Morty VR game(teased above), built with feedback and input from Justin Roiland himself.

Tagged with: accounting, DICE, Justin Roiland, squanchtendo, tanya watson

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DICE 2017: Squanchtendo Says 'We Have a Long-Form' VR Game in Development - UploadVR

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