Monthly Archives: June 2021

Philadelphia’s equitable recovery stakeholders on a challenging year: ‘Everybody is changed because of this’ – Technical.ly

Posted: June 23, 2021 at 6:28 am

After a challenging year, a group of high-ranking stakeholders say it takes a coordinated, multidisciplinary effort to envision and build a more equitable future for all Philadelphians.

For the last year, a City of Philadelphia-formed committee of government employees, community stakeholders and business leaders have been meeting regularly to address the racial and economic inequities that were brought into the international spotlight last summer, following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

After weeks of protests and unrest across the city,City officials formed a steering committee to enact meaningful police reforms, reimagine public safety and advance racial justice. The committee, called Pathways to Reform, Transformation and Reconciliation, has met virtually every two weeks for the last year.

Among the partners of the committee, notable names from the tech and innovation community include Independence Blue Cross FoundationPresidentLorina Marshall Blake,Philadelphia WorksPresident and CEOPatrick Clancy,Coded by Kidsfounder and CEOSylvester Mobley, Urban Affairs CoalitionPresident and CEOSharmain Matlock Turner and the Department of Commerces deputy director of entrepreneurship and economic opportunity, Iola Harper.

On Tuesday, the City released its one-year progress report, an update on the work being done on inclusive economic recovery, health equity and police reform. Mayor Jim Kenney said that the work of the committee will continue.

It is with this hope for a better future that I pledge to hold our government accountable to its word, Kenney wrote in a letter at the start of the report. May this effort not just be reactive, but proactive in advancing reforms, protecting lives, and cultivating change for generations to come.

Along with changes to the Philadelphia Police Departments use of force policies, the department has amended its arrest and search warrant policies, and is reviewing its technological tools for instances of bias, like facial recognition technology and license plate readers. The City also created the civilian Police Oversight Commission and admitted fault in the use of tear gas, white smoke, beanbag rounds and plastic pellets on protesters and reporters on Interstate 676 on June 1, 2020, among other changes and initiatives.

The report also addresses equitable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting unemployment jumps and the hit to small business, especially those owned by people of color, women and owners with disabilities. In March, shortly after a citywide lockdown of non essential businesses, the City formed the COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund, which dolled out more than $13.3 million in grants to more than 2,000 business owners in a few weeks. Over the last year, the City offered other, specialized relief programs along with business operation assistance, workforce development programs and assistance in navigating national relief programs.

The report also addresses community reform, such as the removal of the Frank Rizzo statue in Center City and an order that all City departments will conduct racial equity assessments and create racial equity action plans by the end of 2023. It also added Juneteenth as a City holiday, as well as changed the second Monday of October to Indigenous Peoples Day from Columbus Day. The health and wellness portion of the report addresses the inequities found in the spread, treatment and vaccination rates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committees full name Pathways to Reform, Transformation, and Reconciliation was an internal and intentional choice, two members told Technical.ly. Its mission and goals were also formed by the group, said Harper as one of the members representing the Department of Commerce.

We knew the city was in such a tumultuous place, and we got together, came up with a name, and everything you read in the report was created by the group itself, she said. It was really interesting and challenging processes.

Iola Harper. (Photo via phila.gov)

As one of the city leaders in charge of small businesses and entrepreneurship, Harper watched owners struggle throughout the last year. Though the pandemic is easing and the Citys limits on capacity for stores and restaurants have lifted, as many as 40% of Black-owned businesses shut down in the pandemic, and folks are still licking their wounds.

Harper said, though, she and her colleagues were surprised how how quickly they were able to mobilize funds in the first weeks of the pandemic, and how quickly other orgs did so as well. It was ultimately the ability to collaborate with other partners and organizations focused on economic mobility and equity that became the most productive part of the committee, she said.

Everybody is changed because of this, Harper said. We cant help but move forward with our current mindset and model.

This was also true of Philadelphia Works Clancy, who, like Harper, said the committee brought together stakeholders in a way he hadnt ever experienced before. Among the first few meetings last summer, Clancy said his orgs position within the committee was to acknowledge the unrest and economic distress throughout the city and find ways to bring access to workforce services and employment opportunities to folks who needed them.

Clancy said he saw incredible value in the connection the committee has created, including faith-based organizations in neighborhoods, reentry programs and connections to more schools for teen and young adult work ready programs.

Patrick Clancy. (Courtesy photo)

An outcome of this last year is a new ad hoc committee of workforce stakeholders, called the Workforce Recovery Strategies Committee, which is in its beginning stages and made up of 13 partners mapping out a larger comprehensive workforce plan, Clancy said. The effort will look at funding opportunities, training initiatives and the scope of need within the city.

We realized that we should not be duplicating effort, but maximizing it, Clancy said. The outcomes will be better if we work together on these initiatives.

Without the committee, Clancy said he wouldnt be looking at these workforce challenges in the same way.

I did a lot of listening this year and from that, it lead me to think through how to take advantage of these resources, he said. We all want the same thing, for individuals to go to work in good communities and help their families. If we can start some place and scale it, we can attract more investments and people from different areas in this work.

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Kidney Experts Say It’s Time to Remove Race From Medical AlgorithmsDoing So Is Complicated | The Crusader Newspaper Group – The Chicago Cusader

Posted: at 6:28 am

By Rae Ellen Bichell andCara Anthony

Part II of II

Many patients dont know about this equation and how their race has factored into their care.

I really wish someone would have mentioned it, Harried said.

He said it burned him up knowing that this one little test that I didnt know anything about could keep me from or prolong me getting a kidney.

GlendaV.Robertscurbed her kidney disease with a vegan diet and by conducting meetings as an IT executive while walking.

But after more than 40 years of slow decline, her kidney function finally reached the cutoff required to get on the transplant waitlist.

When it did, the decline was swift a patternresearchers have noted in Black patients. It really makes you wonder what the benefit is of having an equation that will cause people who look like me Black people to get referrals later, to have to wait longer before you can get on the transplant list, but then have your disease progress more rapidly, she said.

Roberts, who is now the director of external relations at the University of Washingtons Kidney Research Institute in Seattle and on the national task force, said a genetic test added to her feeling that a Black/non-Black option in an equation was a charade.

In fact, I am not predominantly of African ancestry. Im 25% Native American. Im Swedish and English and French, said Roberts. But I am also 48% from countries that are on the continent of Africa.

The Black/non-Black question also doesnt make sense to Delgado, the University of California nephrologist. I would probably for some people qualify as being non-Black, said Delgado, who is Puerto Rican. But for others, I would qualify as Black.

So, theoretically, if Delgado were to visit two doctors on the same day, and they guessed her race instead of asking, she could come away with two different readings of how well her kidneys are working.

Researchers found that the race factor doesnt work for Black Europeans or patients inWest Africa. Australian researchersfound usingthe race coefficient led them to overestimate the kidney function of Indigenous Australians.

But in the U.S., Levey and other researchersseeking to replacethe race option with physical measurements, such as height and weight, hit a dead end.

To Crews, the Johns Hopkins nephrologist who is also on the national taskforce, the focus on one equation is myopic.

The algorithm suggests that something about Black peoples bodies affects their kidneys.

Crews thinks thats the wrong approach to addressing disparities: The issue is not whats unique about the inner workings of Black bodies, but instead whats going on around them.

I really wish we could measure that instead of using race as a variable in the estimating equations, shesaidon the Freely Filtered podcast. I dont think its ancestry. I dont think its muscle mass.

It might not be that Black bodies are more likely to have more creatinine in the blood, but that Americans who experiencehousing insecurityand barriersto healthy food, quality medical care and timely referrals are more likely to have creatinine in their blood and that many of themhappen to be Black.

Systemic health disparities help explain why Black patients have unusually high rates of kidney failure, since communities of color have less access to regular primary care.

One of the most serious consequences of poorly controlled diabetes and hypertension is failure of the organ.

Direct discrimination intentional or not from providers may also affect outcomes, said Roberts. She recalled a social worker categorizing her as unable to afford the post-transplant drugs required to keep a transplanted organ healthy, which could have delayed her getting a new organ. Roberts has held executive roles at several multimillion-dollar companies.

Delgado and Levey agree that removing race from the formula might feel better on the surface, but it isnt clear the move would actually help people.

Studies recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and theJournal of the American Society of Nephrology noted that removing the race factor could lead to some Black patients being disqualified from using beneficial medications because their kidneys might appear unable to handle them. It could also disqualify some Black people from donating a kidney.

Fiddling with the algorithms is an imperfect way to achieve equity, Levey said.

As researchers debate the math problem and broader societal ones, patients such as Harried, the St. Louis minister and security guard, are still stuck navigating dialysis.

One of things that keeps me going is knowing that soon they may call me for a kidney, Harried said.

He doesnt know how long his name will be on the transplant waitlist or whether the race coefficient has prolonged the wait but he keeps a hospital bag under his bed to be ready.

Rae Ellen Bichell and Cara Anthony are both correspondents for Kaiser Health News. This story was produced byKaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of theKaiser Family Foundation.

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Maybe both sides are right: If SARS-CoV-2 was leaked from a Wuhan lab, it doesn’t mean the virus was necessarily engineered – Genetic Literacy Project

Posted: June 21, 2021 at 3:27 pm

The lab leak hypothesis about the origin of Covid-19 has been getting a lot of attention lately, and deservedly so. This is the idea that the SARS-CoV-2 virus accidentally escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, that conducts research on coronaviruses. Just a few weeks ago, a group of highly respected virologists and epidemiologists published a letter in the journal Sciencecalling for a more thorough investigation, stating that the lab leak hypothesis was not taken seriously enough in earlier investigations.

The coincidence of having a major virus research facility, the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), just a short distance from the live animal food market that was originally believed to be the source of the outbreak is too great to ignore. Even more curious is that WIV was actively doing research on coronaviruses in bats, including the bats that carry a strain of SARS-CoV-2 that is the closest known relative to the Covid-19 virus itself.

From the beginning of the outbreak, attention was focused on WIV, and various conspiracy theorists suggested, without any evidence, that the Covid-19 virus was either intentionally engineered, intentionally released, or both. Let me just say right off the bat that I dont believe either of those claims.

However, I do think the lab leak hypothesis is credible, and its also possible that gain of function research (more about this below) might be responsible.

In arguing against (unsupported) claims that the Chinese released the virus on purpose, a group of virologists published a paper very early in the pandemic, in March 2020, which looked at the genome sequence of the virus and concluded that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus. Other studies since then have come to similar conclusions: the virus is very similar to naturally-occurring coronaviruses, and it is possible that it simply evolved naturally in the wild, probably in bats.

Even so, the lab leak hypothesis remains highly credible, regardless of whether or not the virus was genetically engineered. Heres why. First, we know that lab accidents can happen and viruses can escape, even if these accidents are rare. We also know that the Wuhan Institute of Virology had thousands of viruses, including coronaviruses, in its facility. And despite claims that viruses couldnt possibly have escaped accidentally, a 2017Naturearticle describing the then-new Wuhan Institute reported, perhaps prophetically, that worries surround the [Wuhan Institute of Virology], too. The SARS virus has escaped from high-level containment facilities in Beijing multiple times.

The secrecy of the Chinese government, which has not yet allowed independent, outside scientists full access to WIV to investigate, hasnt helped matters. We need to know if any viruses in WIV are similar to the Covid-19 virus, and at this point we cant trust the Chinese governments assurances on this question. Of course, even if they allow outsiders to investigate now, we cannot know that they have preserved all the viruses that were present in the lab in the winter of 2019-2020.

Now lets talk about gain-of-function research. Gain of function, or GoF, refers to research that tries to make viruses or bacteria more harmful, by making them more infectious. This seems crazy, right? And yet its been going on for years, despite the efforts of many scientists to stop it. In the past, GoF research focused on the influenza virus, and in particular on a small number of scientists (highly irresponsible ones, in my view) who were trying to give avian influenzabird fluthe ability to jump from birds into humans. I wrote about this in 2013, and in 2017, and again in 2019, each time calling on the US government to stop funding this extremely dangerous work. The NIH did put a pause on gain-of-function research for a few years, but the work resumed in 2019.

Now, let me explain why GoF research does not require artificially engineering a virus. Viruses mutate very rapidly all by themselves, and RNA viruses like influenza and SARS-CoV-2 mutate even more rapidly than DNA viruses. So a GoF experiment doesnt need to engineer a virus to make it more infectious: instead, scientists can simply grow a few trillion viral particles, which is easy, and design experiments to select the ones that are more infectious. For example, some GoF research on bird flu simply sprays an aerosol mixture of viruses into a ferrets nose (influenza research often uses ferrets, since you cant ethically do this with people), and waits to see if the ferret comes down with the flu. If it does (and this has been done, successfully), the strain that succeeds now has a new function, because it can infect mammals. The viruses that are artificially selected (as opposed to natural selection) in these experiments will appear completely natural; no genetic engineering required.

We know that WIV was conducting gain-of-function experiments, and we know that its work included coronaviruses. Was the Wuhan Institute of Virology running GoF experiments on SARS-CoV-2 viruses from bats? Possibly. And if it was, these experiments could easily have produced a strain that infected humans. If a lab employee was accidentally infected with such a strain, that could have started the pandemic. And even if SARS-CoV-2 wasnt the subject of GoF experiments, a naturally-occurring strain being studied at WIV could still have infected one of their scientists and thereby leaked out into the population.

Im not saying that any of these events is likely. I am, however, agreeing with the scientists who, in their recent letter toScience, called for a deeper investigation into the cause of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Finally, let me echo a sentiment they expressed in their letter, which is best said by simply quoting them: in this time of unfortunate anti-Asian sentiment in some countries, we note that at the beginning of the pandemic, it was Chinese doctors, scientists, journalists, and citizens who shared with the world crucial information about the spread of the virusoften at great personal cost. Rather than seeking to cast blame, we need to uncover the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, and any behaviors that led to it, as a means to help all societies prevent future pandemics.

Steven Salzberg is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University. He conducts research on genomics and computational biology. Find Steven on Twitter @StevenSalzberg1

A version of this article was originally posted at the Genomics, Medicine and Pseudoscience blog in the Field of Science Network and has been reposted here with permission. Find Field of Science on Twitter @fieldofscience

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Kytopen Awarded NIH Grant of Up to $2M to Unlock the Power of Engineered Natural Killer (NK) Cells via Flowfect Platform – Business Wire

Posted: at 3:27 pm

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kytopen., a transformative biotechnology company offering non-viral delivery that links the discovery, development and manufacturing of engineered cell therapies, today announced it was awarded a SBIR Fast Track grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of the National Institute of Health (NIH). Kytopen is eligible for up to $2M over the course of the 3-year award as project milestones are successfully completed within the Phase I and Phase II portions of the grant.

Natural killer (NK) cells represent a high impact population for cell therapy, but due to limitations in current methodologies for gene delivery, NK cells remain a largely untapped resource. This SBIR grant will be used to demonstrate that non-viral delivery via Kytopens Flowfect platform can alleviate this limitation on NK cell gene editing at both research and manufacturing scale, which is needed for pre-clinical and clinical studies. Due to the major potential impact NK cells represent in a clinical setting, non-viral Cas Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) gene knockout will allow for novel therapeutic applications in infectious disease, autoimmune disorders, and immuno-oncology.

Paulo Garcia, Kytopens CEO and Co-Founder will serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) on the grant. Dr. Garcia explains that engineered NK cells have tremendous therapeutic promise including the potential to treat solid tumors in an allogeneic modality. The Flowfect platform will facilitate high-throughput target discovery while providing a clear path towards clinical manufacturing of next-generation cell products.

NK cells are a subset of innate immune cells that can respond to threat without antibody priming. This quick response to stimuli makes them an ideal immunotherapy candidate. Yet, genetic modification in NK cells has proven to be difficult using conventional viral and non-viral transfection methodologies. Alternative delivery methods are necessary in order to make genetic modifications at reproducible and efficient rates, while maintaining high cell viability and functionality.

The awarded study leverages continuous fluid flow coupled with low energy electric fields for transfection via a proprietary Flowfect platform (Figure 1). This platform represents a novel approach to non-viral delivery in historically hard-to-transfect human cells. The current research proposes to engineer non-activated NK cells with Cas RNPs for gene editing using the Flowfect platform. To achieve this goal, Kytopen has outlined a two-phase research strategy which focuses on stability and functionality of edited NK cells both in vitro and in vivo.

NIH sponsored grant programs are an integral source of capital for early-stage U.S. small businesses that are creating innovative technologies to improve human health. These programs help small businesses break into the federal research and development arena, create life-saving technologies, and stimulate economic growth. Kytopen is honored to be a recipient of this competitive award from the NIH/NIAID and looks forward to unlocking biological capabilities of engineered NK cells for improving patients lives during the performance of this project.

About the Flowfect Technology

Kytopens proprietary Flowfect platform eliminates the complexity of gene editing and integrates discovery, development and manufacturing in one flexible and scalable non-viral delivery solution. The Flowfect technology utilizes electro-mechanical energy to disrupt the cell membrane and introduce genetic material (such as RNA, DNA, or CRISPR/Cas RNP) to a wide variety of hard-to-transfect primary cells. During the Flowfect process, a solution containing cells and genetic payload suspended in a proprietary buffer flows continuously through a channel while the solution is exposed to a low energy electric field. Due to the continuous flow and low electrical energy required, cells engineered using Flowfect exhibit high viability while also exhibiting high transfection efficiency post-processing. The Flowfect technology utilizes relatively high flow rates enabling cell engineering in minutes for discovery and optimization (e.g. 96 well plate in <10 minutes) and direct scale up to manufacturing volumes of >10mL, engineering over 2 billion cells per minute in a single channel.

About Kytopen

Kytopen, an MIT spin-out, is a transformative biotechnology company that offers a customizable yet scalable multi-solution platform, which seamlessly links the discovery, development and manufacturing phases of cell engineering. Flowfect, a gentle, non-viral delivery method unlocks new therapeutic approaches, by engineering immune cells with minimal disruption, preserving the functionality and viability of human cells and enhancing the cells biology. The Flowfect platform accelerates therapies from the bench to clinical through flexibility and scalability, which drives higher cell yields, faster approvals, and better outcomes from potentially curative cell-based treatments. Kytopens goal is to enable simple and efficient non-viral manufacturing of cell therapies in days versus weeks to increase access to many more patients. For more information, visit: http://www.kytopen.com

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Genome Editing or Genome Engineering Market Market: Latest Innovations, Drivers and Industry Key Events 2021 2027 The Courier – The Courier

Posted: at 3:27 pm

The report named GlobalGenome Editing or Genome Engineering Market2020 by Company, Regions, Type, and Application, Forecast to 2025 is a broad audit of the market size and patterns with values. The report is a thorough report on worldwide market investigation and experiences. The report is an arrangement of itemized market outline dependent on sorts, application, patterns and openings, consolidations and acquisitions, drivers and restrictions, and a world coming to. The report centers around the arising patterns in the worldwide and provincial spaces on all the huge segments, for example, market limit, cost, value, request and supply, creation, benefit, and serious scene. It offers a board translation of the worldwide Genome Editing or Genome Engineering industry from a scope of data that is gathered through respectable and checked sources.

NOTE:Our experts observing the circumstance across the globe clarifies that the market will create gainful possibilities for makers post COVID-19 emergency. The report means to give an extra outline of the most recent situation, financial stoppage, and COVID-19 effect on the general business.

Market Rundown:

The report investigates past patterns and future possibilities in this report which makes it exceptionally conceivable for the examination of the market. The report gives subtleties of the market by definitions, applications, market plot, item conclusions, and cost structures. The examination moreover shows the market contention scene and a relating point by point examination of the huge dealer/makers in the worldwide Genome Editing or Genome Engineering market. At that point, it presents another endeavor SWOT examination, adventure likelihood, and assessment. The report offers a figure assessment of the valuation of the market 2020-2025.

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The report talks about an entire attitude toward the difficulties existing among the business alongside the rising dangers, imperatives, and constraints. The report contains a full breakdown of the market elements like drivers, development possibilities, item portfolio, mechanical progressions, and a full investigation of the critical contenders of the market. The overall Genome Editing or Genome Engineering market is segmental into types, applications, innovation, end-clients, business verticals, and key geologies.

The central participants concentrated in the report include:Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (U.S.), Origene Technologies Inc (U.S.), Merck KGAA (Germany), Lonza Group Ltd. (Switzerland), Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals Inc (U.S.), Genscript Biotech Corporation (U.S.), New England Biolabs Inc (U.S.), Sangamo Biosciences Inc (U.S.), Integrated DNA Technologies Inc (U.S.), Horizon Discovery Group Plc (U.K.)

The main sorts of worldwide market items shrouded in this report are:CRISPR, TALEN, ZFN, Antisense, Other Technologies

The most generally utilized downstream fields of the worldwide market canvassed in this report are:Cell Line Engineering, Animal Genetic Engineering, Plant Genetic Engineering, Other Applications

Key areas and nations are canvassed in the worldwide Genome Editing or Genome Engineering market as follows: North America (the United States, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, and so forth), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)

The report comprises of a summed up market study and in general insights about the business occasions to key partners to grow their business and catch incomes. The worldwide Genome Editing or Genome Engineering market report offers definite examination upheld by solid insights on special and income by players for the time frame 2015-2020. Different subtleties included are organization depiction, significant business, item presentation, ongoing turns of events, deals by area, type, application, and by deals channel.

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Genome Editing or Genome Engineering Market Market: Latest Innovations, Drivers and Industry Key Events 2021 2027 The Courier - The Courier

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Global CRISPR Gene-Editing Market Recent Trends and Developments, Challenges, key drivers and Restraints and Forecast 2021-2028 The Manomet Current -…

Posted: at 3:27 pm

Washington, June 20, 2021 Databridgemarketresearch.com announces the release of the report Global CRISPR Gene-Editing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By 2027. Market research report proves to be an ideal solution when it comes to a better understanding of the chemical and materials industry and lead the business growth. Market definitions, segmentation, applications, and value chain structure of this industry are all mentioned in the report. This report provides current as well as upcoming technical and financial details of the industry to 2026. According to this report, the market renovation will mainly take place due to the actions of key players or brands like developments, product launches, joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions. The company profiles of all the key players and brands that are dominating this Report have been taken into consideration here.

Global CRISPR gene-editing market is rising gradually with a healthy CAGR of 23.35 % in the forecast period of 2019-2026. Growing prevalence of cancer worldwide and expanding the application of CRISPR technology by innovative research from the different academic organizations are the key factors for market growth.

Get a Free Sample Copy of the Report @ (Use Corporate email ID to Get Higher Priority) @https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-crispr-gene-editing-market

Few of the major competitors currently working in the global CRISPR gene-editing market are Applied StemCell, ACEA BIO, Synthego, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, GenScript, Addgene, Merck KGaA, Intellia Therapeutics, Inc, Cellectis, Precision Biosciences, Caribou Biosciences, Inc, Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc, OriGene Technologies, Inc, Novartis AG, New England Biolabs among others

Global CRISPR Gene-Editing Market By Therapeutic Application (Oncology, Autoimmune/Inflammatory), Application (Genome Engineering, Disease Models, Functional Genomics and Others), Technology (CRISPR/Cas9, Zinc Finger Nucleases and Others), Services (Design Tools, Plasmid and Vector, Cas9 and g-RNA, Delivery System Products and Others), Products (GenCrispr/Cas9 kits, GenCrispr Cas9 Antibodies, GenCrispr Cas9 Enzymes and Others), End-Users (Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Companies, Academic & Government Research Institutes, Contract Research Organizations and Others), Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2026

Global CRISPR Gene-Editing Research Methodology

Data Bridge Market Research presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The data thus presented is comprehensive, reliable, and the result of extensive research, both primary and secondary. The analysts have presented the various facets of the market with a particular focus on identifying the key industry influencers.

Market Drivers

Market Restraints

Some of the Major Highlights of TOC covers:

Chapter 1: Methodology & Scope

Definition and forecast parameters

Methodology and forecast parameters

Data Sources

Chapter 2: Executive Summary

Business trends

Regional trends

Product trends

End-use trends

Chapter 3: CRISPR Gene-Editing Industry Insights

Industry segmentation

Industry landscape

Vendor matrix

Technological and innovation landscape

Chapter 4: CRISPR Gene-Editing Market, By Region

Chapter 5: Company Profile

Business Overview

Financial Data

Product Landscape

Strategic Outlook

SWOT Analysis

Complete report is available (TOC) @https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-crispr-gene-editing-market

Key Developments in the Market:

In April 2019, GenScript has launched Single-stranded DNA Service for CRISPR-based Gene Editing which help the key researchers to have access on the high quality, pure ssDNA for CRISPR-based gene insertion and hence can accelerate the development of gene as well as cell therapy for cancer immunotherapy

In February 2018, Cellectis has received two U.S. patents (US#9,855,297 and US#9,890,393) entiled as Methods for engineering T cells for immunotherapy by using RNA-guided CAS nuclease system for CRISPR Use in T-Cells. The U.S. grant of these patents, the company can generate revenue by out-licensing the products to the pharma companies that are ready to use CRISPR technologies in T-cells

Competitive Analysis:

Global CRISPR gene-editing market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of CRISPR gene-editing market for Global, Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa.

Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

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Gain Of Function Research And Why It Matters – Science 2.0

Posted: at 3:27 pm

Due to unanswered questions into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, both the U.S. government and scientists have called for a deeper examination into the validity of claims that a virus could have escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China.

Much of the discussion surrounds gain-of-function research. So The Conversation asked David Gillum and Rebecca Moritz, who work closely with virologists on a day-to-day basis to ensure the safety and security of the research, and Sam Weiss Evans and Megan Palmer, who are science and technology policy experts, to explain what this term means and why this kind of research is important.

Any organism can acquire a new ability or property, or gain a function. This can happen through natural selection or a researchers experiments. In research, many different types of experiments generate functions, and some pose certain safety and security concerns.

Scientists use a variety of techniques to modify organisms depending on the properties of the organism itself and the end goal. Some of these methods involve directly making changes at the level of genetic code. Others may involve placing organisms in environments that select for functions linked to genetic changes.

Gain of function can occur in an organism in either nature or the laboratory. Some lab examples include creating more salt- and drought-resistant plants or modifying disease vectors to produce mosquitoes that are resistant to transmitting dengue fever. Gain of function can also be useful for environmental reasons, such as modifying E. coli so that it can convert plastic waste into a valuable commodity.

In the current debate around SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, gain of function has a much narrower meaning related to a virus becoming easier to move between humans, or becoming more lethal in humans. It is important to remember, though, that the term gain of function by itself covers much more than this type of research.

Two researchers working in a high-containment laboratory hold cell cultures infected with the novel coronavirus.picture alliance via Getty provided by The Conversation,

Gain-of-function experiments may help researchers test scientific theories, develop new technologies and find treatments for infectious diseases. For example, in 2003, when the original SARS-CoV outbreak occurred, researchers developed a method to study the virus in the laboratory. One of the experiments was to grow the virus in mice so they could study it. This work led to a model for researching the virus and testing potential vaccines and treatments.

Gain-of-function research that focuses on potential pandemic pathogens has been supported on the premise that it will help researchers better understand the evolving pathogenic landscape, be better prepared for a pandemic response and develop treatments and countermeasures.

But critics argue that this research to anticipate potential pandemic pathogens does not lead to substantial benefit and is not worth the potential risks. And they say getting out ahead of such threats can be achieved through other means biological research and otherwise. For instance, the current pandemic has provided numerous lessons on the social and behavioral dynamics of disease prevention measures, which could lead to robust new research programs on the cultural aspects of pandemic preparedness. Understanding when the risks of gain-of-function research outweigh the potential benefits and alternatives, therefore, continues to be subject to debate.

Some potential outcomes of gain-of-function research may include the creation of organisms that are more transmissible or more virulent than the original organism or those that evade current detection methods and available treatments. Other examples include engineering organisms that can evade current detection methods and available treatments, or grow in another part of an organism, such as the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

There is no such thing as zero risk in conducting experiments. So the question is whether certain gain-of-function research can be performed at an acceptable level of safety and security by utilizing risk-mitigation measures. These strategies for reducing risk include the use of biocontainment facilities, exposure control plans, strict operating procedures and training, incident response planning and much more. These efforts involve dedication and meticulous attention to detail at multiple levels of an institution.

Lab incidents will still occur. A robust biosafety and biosecurity system, along with appropriate institutional response, helps to ensure that these incidents are inconsequential. The challenge is to make sure that any research conducted gain-of-function or otherwise doesnt pose unreasonable risks to researchers, the public and the environment.

Determining whether specific experiments with potential pathogens should be conducted remains a difficult and contentious topic.

There are multiple ways to answer this question. The first is if the research is intended to develop a biological weapon. The United Nations Biological Weapons Convention, which went into effect in 1975, forbids state parties from developing, producing, stockpiling, or otherwise acquiring or sharing biological agents, toxins and equipment that have no justification for peaceful or defensive purposes. There should be no research, then, whether gain-of-function or otherwise, that seeks to purposefully develop a biological weapon.

Another way to answer the question is by focusing on the content of the research, rather than its intent. Through experience, researchers and governments have developed lists of both experiments and organisms that need additional oversight because of their potential safety and security risks. One example of this arose when flu researchers placed a self-imposed pause on gain-of-function research involving the transmissibility of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses in 2012. The U.S. government subsequently imposed a moratorium on the work in 2014. Both moratoriums were lifted by the end of 2017 following a lengthy debate and study of the risks and the development of additional oversight and reporting requirements.

In the past decade, the United States has developed oversight for research that could be directly misused for nefarious purposes. This includes policies on dual-use research of concern (DURC) and policies on pathogens of pandemic potential enhanced to gain transmissibility or virulence.

The main point is that our understanding is constantly evolving. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic began, the U.S. government had started to review and update its policies. It is an open question what lessons will be learned from this pandemic, and how that will reshape our understanding of the value of gain-of-function research. One thing that is likely to happen, though, is that we will rethink the assumptions we have been making about the relationships between biological research, security and society. This may be an opportunity to review and enhance systems of biosecurity and biosafety governance.

David Gillum, Senior Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Chief Safety Officer, Arizona State University and Rebecca Moritz, Biosafety Director and Responsible Official, Colorado State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Disclosures: David Gillum is the past president of the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) International. He is a past-judge and member of the safety and security committee for the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition. Megan J. Palmer receives funding from the Open Philanthropy Project and the Nuclear Threat Initiative. She is on the Council of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, co-chairs a World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Synthetic Biology, is an Advisor to the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, is a member of a World Health Organization Working Group on the Responsible Use of Life Sciences, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Revive and Restore. Sam Weiss Evans receives funding from the Schmidt Futures Foundation. He is a member of the Engineering Biology Research Consortiums Security Working Group, and an Advisor to the international Genetically Engineered Machines Competition. Rebecca Moritz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Return of the Alamo: How the iconic theater chain emerged from bankruptcy – KXAN.com

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by: Paul Thompson/Austin Business Journal

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) Last December marked an all-time low for Alamo Drafthouse Cinema LLC.

Revenue was essentially nonexistent as the COVID-19 pandemic rushed into another devastating surge. Despite the companys best efforts, executives looked toward the new year and realized they wouldnt have the funds to make payroll.

We had done our absolute best to make the limited amount of money we had in the bank last, said Alamo Drafthouse founderTim League, now executive chairman of the company he started with wifeKarrie Leaguein 1997.

What we had to do between December and March is we had to reduce our debt, negotiate with the bank, negotiate with landlords, he added. If we were able to hit this benchmark, then we would not go into bankruptcy. And we didnt hit it.

The result: aMarch Chapter 11 bankruptcy filingand a plan to sell substantially all of its assets to a lender group led by Altamont Capital Partners, Fortress Investment Group andTim League.

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Arabtec Holding and units bankruptcy approved by Dubai court – Arab News

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DUBAI: The reluctance of Gulf states to hike taxes is among the reasons that the region will remain dependent on hydrocarbons for at least a decade, Moodys said.Gulf states reliance on hydrocarbons will remain the key credit constraint despite ongoing diversification efforts, it saidEconomic diversification away from hydrocarbons remains the most frequently stated policy objective in the region but will likely take many years to achieve, said Alexander Perjessy, a senior analyst at Moodys and the author of the report. The announced plans to boost hydrocarbon production capacity and government commitments to zero or very low taxes make it unlikely that heavy reliance on hydrocarbons will diminish significantly in the coming years.

For most Gulf countries, oil and gas still account for at least a fifth of GDP, more than 65 percent of total exports and at least 50 percent of government revenue.Despite ambitious governments plans, diversification efforts since 2014 have yielded only limited results and will be held back by lower oil prices, Moodys warned.While diversification momentum may accelerate, it is likely to be held back by the reduced availability of resources to fund projects as well as intra-GCC competition in a narrow range of sectors.Hydrocarbon revenue, collected in the form of profit taxes, royalties and dividends (paid by the national oil companies), still account for the lions share of government income across the region.Moodys sees this partly as a consequence of GCC governments long-standing commitment to a zero or very low tax environment, which is part of the implicit social contract between the rulers and the citizens but also reflects the desire to incentivize non-oil sector growth and development. it said.It estimates that GCC sovereign states collected non-hydrocarbon tax revenues equivalent, on average, to less than 4 percent of non-shuhydrocarbon GDP in 2019. That compares to an equivalent rate of more than 22 percent for major high-income economies.Moodys said that if oil prices average $55 per barrel (around the middle of its medium range forecast) hydrocarbons would likely remain the single largest contributor to GCC sovereigns GDP and the main source of government revenue over at least the next decade.

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Human development and family studies professor joins Recovery Rising initiative | Penn State University – Penn State News

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. H. Harrington Bo Cleveland, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Recovery Rising initiative.

H. Harrington Bo Cleveland

Recovery Rising works to foster a resilient, diverse and accessible recovery framework in Pennsylvania, including pathways to improved health and wellness, community acceptance, and personal empowerment.

Cleveland joins an advisory commission of individuals in clinical, policy, family and community roles that will work to create a framework of recovery support services. The commission will consider research and data to offer specific steps to implement a full range of recovery options, which will be provided to service providers, community organizations, and policymakers to generate widespread support.

For Cleveland, who has worked with Penn States Collegiate Recovery Program for over 10 years, it is important that research play a part in shaping the commonwealths policy on recovery.

I hope to see policies that support removing barriers to people attempting to build and maintain their recovery from substance abuse, said Cleveland, who studies individual differences and experiences in substance use and abuse. Recovery is difficult for everyone. But it is especially hard, if not bordering on impossible, for Pennsylvanias citizens whose efforts to build stable and purposeful lives are consistently blocked by economic and structural barriers.

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) works to reduce the stigma of recovery, increase prevention programs, strengthen treatment systems, and empower sustained recovery for individuals with opioid use disorder.

Last Updated June 21, 2021

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