• A QuantuMDx Leap for Handheld DNA Sequencing

    Bio-IT World | Speaking for the first time in his life as a commercial consultant rather than a public servant, Sir John Burn, a highly respected clinical geneticist in the United Kingdom, provided the first glimpse at a nanowire technology for rapid DNA genotyping that could eventually mature into the world’s first handheld DNA sequencer.

    Jan 16, 2012

  • Scientists Offer The Edge Their Most Beautiful Explanations

    The Edge | A stunning assembly of almost 200 scientists and artists -- including the likes of Richard Dawkins, George Church, Nathan Myhrvold, Brian Eno and Alan Alda -- answer The Edge.org's Question of the Year: 'What is your favorite deep, elegant, or beautiful explanation?'

    Jan 15, 2012

  • Health Care's X-Prize

    The Guardian | The X-Prize has launched a new competition with a $10m prize to be the first to [re?] invent Dr. Spock's tricorder. The Tricorder Qualcomm X-Prize, co-funded by Qualcomm and the X-Prize Foundation, is named for the instant-diagnosis gadget from Star Trek. The competition's goal is a consumer-friendly product that will diagnose 15 common conditions.

    Jan 13, 2012

  • Mary Jane's First iPad App

    Bio-IT World | Kevin McKernan's new venture, Medicinal Genomics, is focusing on the cannabis genome, and the company has just released a new iPad app called "Jane-Ome" that allows  users to explore the scientific basis for medical marijuana use.

    Jan 13, 2012

  • Researchers Find Familial Prostate Cancer Gene Mutation

    MedPage Today | Scientists writing in the New England Journal of Medicine have identified the first hereditary mutation for prostate cancer risk in a gene called HOXB13, a discovery that could provide new mechanistic insights into this common cancer.

     

    Jan 12, 2012

  • Picture This: Molecular Maya Puts Life in Life Science Animations

    Bio-IT World | In 2010, a reporter sat in a Life Technologies hotel suite admiring a promotional video illustrating one of the company’s latest research projects—a single-molecule sequencing system featuring enzymes tethered to fluorescing quantum dots. The video was impressive not merely for pushing the boundaries of sequencing technology, but equally for showcasing some powerful production qualities in 3D animation and rendering that, until recently, would have seemed the provenance of a Pixar movie.  

     

    Jan 12, 2012

  • National Human Genome Research Institute Proposes Reorganizing

    genome.gov | The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), under director Eric Green, is proposing to expand from two divisions to seven divisions, adding new divisions dedicated to genome sciences, genomic medicine, and genomics and society. The reorganization will be discussed at two upcoming public meetings. 

    Jan 11, 2012

  • Do We Need Doctors Or Algorithms?

    Tech Crunch | Vinod Khosla, the legendary Silicon Valley investor and founder of Khosla Ventures, discusses the wide-ranging impact of technology -- from mobile technology to increasingly sophisticated algorithms -- on medicine and healthcare, helping to empower patients.

    Jan 11, 2012

  • Sanofi Inks Two New Genomics Partnerships in Boston

    Mass High Tech | It's been a busy month for French pharma company Sanofi, as they ink deals with two Boston-based genomics firms, cancer diagnostic company Foundation Medicine and natural products start-up Warp Drive Bio, in which Sanofi will invest up to $125 million.

    Jan 11, 2012

  • The Unstable Equilibrium of the Bioinformatics Org Chart

    Bio-IT World  | In most organizations, the human resources of bioinformatics are a regular source of tension. Unless you’re particularly lucky, you can be plagued by politics, illogical decision making, disappointment, and low productivity. While you can have these problems in a properly-balanced organization, there are certain org charts in which they are endemic. 

    Jan 11, 2012

  • Ion Torrent Introduces New Sequencer, Touts Imminent Arrival of the $1,000 Genome

    Reuters | Life Technologies, the parent company of Ion Torrent Systems, says it is taking orders for the new benchtop Ion Proton Sequencer, which it predicts will have the capacity in the next 12 months to deliver a $1,000 human genome in a day. 

    Jan 10, 2012

  • Knome’s New CEO Signals New Directions in Genome Interpretation

    Bio-IT World | Knome, the first company to offer direct-to-consumer genome analysis, has appointed neurologist and biotech executive Martin Tolar as its new CEO as it seeks to push further into two prime markets for genome interpretation software -- biopharma and clinical genomics.

    Jan 7, 2012

  • 2012 Best Practices Deadline Extension

    Bio-IT World | Bio-IT World is announcing a deadline extension for its 2012 Best Practices awards program. In keeping with extensions given in previous years, the 2012 extended deadline is February 15.

    Jan 8, 2012

  • BGI Crunches Human Genome With GPU Chips

    Wired.com | China's BGI, the world's largest genome sequencing center, has switched to servers that use GPUs built by Nvidia, helping slash the genome analysis time by more than an order of magnitude. But challenges in data representation and interpretation remain.

    Jan 7, 2012

  • Pacific Biosciences Taps ex-ABI Chief Michael Hunkapiller as New CEO

    Bio-IT World | Pacific Biosciences has appointed former Applied Biosystems CEO Michael W. Hunkapiller as its president and CEO effective immediately, succeeding founding CEO Hugh Martin, in an effort to buoy the next-gen sequencing company's business. 

     

    Jan 6, 2012

  • More 2012 Big Ideas

    Wired | Wired magazine has 25 big ideas for 2012--everything from wireless cars to predicting Facebook's next move to sousveillance. In life sciences, the predictions center around epigenetics and microfluidics.

     

    Jan 5, 2012

  • Predictions for Supercomputing 2012

    Bio-IT World | Guest Commentary | As we welcome 2012, it’s becoming increasingly clear that we are entering a new golden age of high performance computing (HPC) that will drive progress and growth in many other fields. The reason for this is profound: the capabilities of the world’s largest computers running in research facilities, laboratories, and educational institutions, have crossed an important threshold, and we are moving from the information age to the “knowledge age.” With that, here are my ten predictions for high performance computing in the coming year. 

    Jan 4, 2012

  • Texas Genomic Medicine Institute Comes Under Scrutiny

    The Eagle | Six years after Texas Governor Rick Perry created the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine (TIGM) with a $50 million grant promising to attract thousands of new jobs, the institute employs just nine people.

    Jan 3, 2012

  • Eric Lander: Bravery and Optimism

    New York Times | Eric Lander's Ph.D. in mathematics has taken a back seat to his career in molecular biology, medicine, and genomics as the founding director of the Broad Institute, science advisor to President Obama, and PI. His success can be attributed to two characteristics, says an old friend: bravery combined with optimism.

    Jan 2, 2012

  • 2012 Predictions for Biotech and Medicine

    Forbes | It's the season for soothsaying, and Forbes' Matthew Herper has a few predictions for biotech and medicine. Among them: super-expensive drugs, a tough environment for medical devices, and the stalling of health information technology. Cheery 

    Dec 30, 2011