Top 10 most innovative biotech companies in the world

Biotechnology is multidisciplinary field that can be divided into 4 more specific areas, using color coding system. Red biotechnology is dedicated to design as much products and devices related to the medical field as possible. Green is focused on agricultural improvements and environmental protection. Blue is using ocean resources to develop various products (from food to fuels…) and white is focused on industrial processes. Out of 4 fields mentioned - red biotechnology is the most profitable: billion dollars are spent each year for research and development in medical field.

Here’s the list of 10 most innovative biotech companies and short info on their main research areas.

Life technologies

Life technologies is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It’s founded in 2008, have ~11 000 employees and is highly profitable. 2011 revenue was 3.7 billion dollars. They are developing lab equipment for all kind of genetic testing (Applied Biosystems), products for isolation, quantification and amplifications of RNA (Ambion), biologic drug production associated materials (Gibco), DNA and biology associated products (Invitrogen), molecular probes under the same brand name, products for purification, separation and analysis of proteins (Novex), products used for gene expression experiments (TaqMan) and ion semiconductor DNA sequencing system (Ion Torrent). They have offices in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Genentech

Genentech is pioneer of biotechnology industry. Founded in 1976 with headquarter in South San Francisco. It has over 11 000 employees and as from 2009 it is wholly owned subsidiary of Roche. All scientist, researchers and post-docs are focused on 5 main research areas: oncology, neuroscience, tissue growth and repair, immunology and infectious diseases.

Bug Agentes Biologicos

Company is founded in 1999 and based in Piracicaba, Brazil. It’s focused on development of natural pesticide replacements. Main products are predatory insect eggs and parasitoids used for crop protection. Those are mainly used for soy field’s protection.

Amyris

Amyris is founded in 2003 and it’s focused on providing sustainable alternatives to petroleum derived products. Plant sugar is starting point. It undergoes industrial conversion into various hydrocarbons that will be used for renewable products development later used in cosmetic and polymer industry, for lubricants, flavors….even for jet fuel. Headquarter is in Emeryville, California.

GE (GE Healthcare)

GE Healthcare is only division of GE business that is headquartered outside the USA, in Little Chalfont, United Kingdom. It’s founded in 2004 and it’s focused on medical imaging and diagnostics (equipment they are manufacturing is ranging from X rays to magnetic resonance), drug discovery, pharmaceutical manufacturing…

Diagnostics for all

Diagnostics for all is non-profit organization founded in 2007. Idea was to help solve medical issues in developing and resource poor countries all over the world by creating a simple and cheap diagnostic device - patterned paper. Small piece of paper covered with biological and chemical assays reagent is cheap and fast way to test yourself. By applying small amount of biological fluids, assay zone is changing the color that should be compared with reference color on the device. Money they need for testing, research and manufacture is provided through public donations.

The Plant

The Plant is building in Chicago most famous for being first vertical farm. Vertical farming is becoming very popular as the number of people living in urban area is growing rapidly. The Plant produces aquaponic vegetables. Fertilizers (necessary for proper plant development) are derived from algae that are consuming waste. Idea is to create building that will have net zero energy and waste (level of produced and consumed energy and waste should be equal).

Cellular Dynamics International

Cellular Dynamics International is founded in 2004 with headquarter in Madison, Wisconsin. Company is manipulating with stem cells to produce tissues of various kinds that will be used for drug development process, for tissue engineering or organ regeneration purposes. Roche is using iCell for drug screening.

Humacyte

Humacyte is founded in 2004 in Morrisville, North Carolina. Research is focused on vascular diseases and soft tissue repair application (vein graft development). Human, extracellular matrix derived tissue would help decrease inflammation, clotting and thrombosis, foreign body response after implantation in the body and would demand fewer surgical interventions that are necessary when conventional methods are used.

Harvard Bioscience

Harvard Bioscience is founded over 100 years ago in Holliston, Massachusetts. Company is manufacturing different kind of instruments and equipment that is used in life science and regenerative medicine fields (such as molecular, cellular, and physiology research). Some of the most interesting HB products are artificial trachea, synthetic windpipe and organs made out of body’s own cells. They have 20 wholly owned subsidiaries.

Now when you know their names and research goals – you just have to choose one that suits you the best.
source: bioinovative

Panama Disease - A Growing Threat to Worldwide Banana Production

A variant of the fungal plant disease Fursarium wilt or Panama disease, which has been causing serious damage to banana crops in South-East Asia, has been found to have spread to Jordan, according to a new study in the journal Plant Disease. Panama disease is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). This development increases concerns that banana crops worldwide could be under threat, with the potential for devastating economic and human cost in areas including Latin America and Africa.

In the previous century, Foc ravaged banana plantations in Latin America, which were based on the ‘Gros Michel’ cultivar. This cultivar was replaced by Cavendish cultivars, which were resistant to Foc. However, in 1992 a new Foc variant termed tropical race 4 (TR4) was identified in South-East Asia which affects the Cavendish clones. TR4 has spread throughout the region and concern has grown that it may spread to other regions including Latin America and Africa. In Africa, bananas represent a vital dietary component and any threat to bananas would have huge consequences in terms of food security in the region.

The outbreak in Jordan was confirmed to be TR4 by the research group of Dr. Gert Kema of Plant Research International B.V/ Wageningen University in the Netherlands in collaboration with the University of Florida and centres in Jordan including Plant Protection (NCARE) and the University of Jordan. Selective culturing techniques followed by total DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were employed by the Dutch group on the Jordanian samples and the disease-causing agent was confirmed as TR4 after comparison to control samples. The researchers point out that this is the first confirmed outbreak of TR4 affecting Cavendish cultivars outside South-East Asia and is the most northerly outbreak. Some 80% of Jordanian banana plantations are now affected by Panama disease. Dr Kema is concerned at what this spread represents in terms of international banana cultivation and has stated that "A concerted international approach is now needed to prevent the spread of Panama disease and, in the worst-case scenario, contain it."

Sources

GARCIA, F.A., ORDONEZ, N., KONKOL, J., ALQASEM, M., NASER, Z., ABDELWALI, M., SALEM, N.M., WAALWIJK, C., PLOETZ, R.C. and KEMA, G., 2013. First Report of Fusarium oxysporumf. sp.cubenseTropical Race 4 associated with Panama Disease of banana outside Southeast Asia. Plant Disease, 2013: DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-09-13-0954-PDN

Using biological control technologies on maize seeds to increase yields for smallholder farmers.

Joseph Oduor a farmer from South Alego location in Siaya County in Western Kenya is a constantly disappointed man. Poor yields from farming maize over the years have demotivated him. His biggest challenge as with many other farmers in the region is pests and diseases that reduce yields during harvest.

According to statistics from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), maize accounts for 30−50% of low-income household expenditures in eastern and Southern Africa and 85% of its production is used as food.

Joseph cannot afford to buy certified maize seeds. At Kshs. 300 (equivalent to USD 4) on average for a kilogram of certified seed, buying certified seed is prohibitive for smallholder farmers who have to do with less than USD 1.25 a day.

This also applies to use of pesticides, which for farmers like Joseph would mean digging deeper into their pockets for their already constrained resources. Pesticide use also creates further problems like health complications as not many smallholder farmers can afford the protective gear required and negative impact on the environment.

Joseph has to do with recycled maize seeds from previous harvests or seed borrowed from his fellow farmers. Traditionally in sub-Saharan Africa, up to 90% of smallholder farmers use recycled seeds. Due to poor storage practices farmers fail to get expected results.

Bio-Innovate’s project 7 on “Bio-enhanced seeds” is developing technologies for producing seeds and seedlings bio-enhanced with bio-control agents to reduce the impact of biotic and abiotic production constraints in crops, with the focus being to benefit resource-poor farmers. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) working with Real IPM a private company are implementing the project. The biological controls or bio-pesticides are bacterial or fungal microorganisms that naturally control specific pests and diseases. In the case of this innovation, the bio-pesticides are produced and distributed in powder form with usage instructions. The famer produces a solution by mixing the powder with water which he or she coats the seeds prior to planting. The advantage of bio-pesticides over conventional inorganic pesticides is that they are less toxic, are pest specific, and decompose quickly.

Reduced pests and diseases translate to improved yields from the farms. In addition, certain bio-pesticides have proven to have properties that increase yields by improving the plants ability to burrow deeper for water and nutrients, a useful trait particularly in drought conditions.

Collins Wanyama the representative of Real IPM in Nyanza in Western Kenya has been in the heart of engaging farmers in the bio-pesticide on-farm trial runs. From his experience, farmers are very passionate about their work. However, they tend to stick to old practices some of which may be in variance with recommended crop management e.g. recycling seeds. The team has therefore found ways of injecting new ideas but cognizant of the tradition and habits of smallholder famers.

“The bio-pesticide solutions are highly scientific and explaining how they work is a challenge for field officers working with the farmers,” Collins added. “Also running field trials in the open farms and not in controlled environments like in greenhouses has proven to be daunting”.

In addition, there are the lengthy legislation procedures that need to be followed before the bio-pesticides can be commercialized. With all these challenges, Real IPM has a lot of ground to cover before the bio-pesticide can be available to all farmers who would need it.

In Mundika sub-location in Busia County, Lennox Barasa another maize farmer has been participating in the Real IPM field trials. So far he has participated in three trials, which according to him “offers an affordable alternative to use of pesticides in farming maize.”

The Bio-Innovate Program is happy with the progress thus far. The collaboration between JKUAT and Real IPM has been rewarding. The team is also looking to apply this innovation to tomato and eggplant seeds, which are popular horticultural choices in the current project phase.

Source:  Bioinnovate-africa

Prevent Sleeping Sickness with Genetically Engineered Bacteria

The use of the genetically engineered bacterium Sodalis glossinidius against the parasite Trypanosoma brucei could be a solution to control and prevent the fatal disease “sleeping sickness”.

African trypanosomiasis commonly called as sleeping sickness is a deadly endemic disease native of Africa. The disease is been continuously reported in majority of the population and the outcome of a recent study on the risk of infection among the population revealed the fact that about 69.3 million people are in the risk category of being infected.

Sleeping sickness is a parasitic infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Tsetse flies acts as a host for this particular protozoan species and aids the transmission of this parasite into humans through bites. Trypanosoma brucei enters the blood stream of a healthy individual following a bite by the tsetse fly and continue to multiply in the body fluid of the infected individual and has the potential to cross the blood brain barrier thus affecting the brain of the infected individual. Infection by this parasite deteriorates both physical and mental health of the individual and causes some disturbance in the regular sleep pattern, thus acquiring the name sleeping sickness. Also the transmission of the parasite from human to the tsetse fly occurs when the fly stings an infected person.

The rate of infection is accelerating due to the lack of proper prevention and treatment methods. Recently US research scientists spelled out the names of two bacteria Sodalis glossinidius which forms a part of the gut flora of the tsetse fly and Wolbachia which is established in the reproductive system of the fly as tools to prevent and control the Trypanosoma brucei infection. As a first step Sodalis glossinidius is genetically modified to express resistance to the Trypanosome brucei parasites present in the fly and with an effort to pass on the genetically reconstructed bacteria Sodalis glossinidius to successive fly population (progeny), the team used Wolbachia as a tool. Paratransgenesis is the method used which will ensure the absence of the parasite in successive progeny of the fly.The outcome of the research is identified as a fruitful approach in eliminating the deadly disease if established properly.

If the above discovery gets acknowledged in eradicating sleeping sickness then it will pave way for eradicating other insect transmitted diseases (e.g. Malaria) in a similar manner.

Reference

http://london-student.net/science/11/16/...-sickness/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_try...cite_ref-7
http://m.scidev.net/global/gm/news/gm-ba...kness.html
http://www.itg.be/itg/generalsite/Defaul...ID=252&L=E

The Green Revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa

The term green revolution refers to all the technological developments that happened in the field of agriculture in the 1960s. This revolution started during the neo-colonial era when agriculture was viewed as a commercial activity rather than a subsistence activity led Norman Borlaug-a green revolution father. Green revolution started with a single private-public experiment with the Mexican wheat. Although the term Green Revolution initially meant development in wheat and rice, high yielding varieties have since then been incorporated in the system. These crops include major crops in developing countries such as sorghum, cassava, millet, maize, beans and millet. However, this historic transformation of traditional farming methods was not universal as it did not continue in Africa at that time.

 

Sub Saharan Africa contains sixteen countries of the eighteen most undernourished countries worldwide. This is because that region registers a continually worsening per-capita production of food yearly. This is happening despite having the largest population predominantly practicing small scale farming, being the most hunger and poverty stricken region and being the continent that receives the most attention from the international community.

In low-income regions elsewhere in the world like Colombia and Asia , the introduction of fertilizer, high-yield seeds and small-scale irrigation that began in the mid-1960s boosted food productivity and opened the escape route from extreme poverty for huge populations. This agricultural takeoff in sub-Saharan is an urgent need and a possibility. This part of Africa faces a myriad of challenges that can only be resolved by introduction of new methods that can revamp agricultural production so as to enable the region cater for its immensely growing population. Sub-Saharan Africa experiences perennial droughts, animal and plant diseases, environmental degradation and climatic change, depletion on soil nutrients, soaring world food prices, political instabilities, pestilence and lack of personnel to help in revamping this important sector in the economy.

In this 21st century, The Rockefeller Foundation started a six-year program on improved crop varieties in Africa. This was based on specific pillars that have seen a major advancement in food security especially in East and South African countries. Cultivation of local talent in plant science, scientific development of more productive fertilizers and crops, modern farming methods, appropriate agricultural policies and getting government’ commitment on agriculture, creating conducive agricultural environments and irrigation were the main structures that were put in place to ensure the six-year plan was a success.

Through African agricultural research institutions, the idea of green revolution has been greatly boosted in the advancement of Norman Borlaug’s idea. Through institutions like the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) funded by the Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation, the Rockeffeler Foundation and other government sponsored institutions and universities, having African scientists have rolled their sleeves in the quest of this achievement.

Among the major achievements attained by this program, it has supported the development and release of more than one hundred new crop varieties, dozens of which is a breeding of a breakthrough rice variety that is proved equal to the challenges facing other rice farmers in Africa such as weeds, pests, weeds, drought and diseases that have hindered the rice farming for decades. Since the 1990s, new varieties have been developed including the New Rice for Africa or Nerica among others that are now been cultivated on more than 350 000 acres in the sub-Saharan African countries. These crop varieties have proved successful and sustainable in this hostile African environment.



Nerica, besides its advantages in food supply and source of income, it has far-reaching social effects. It has a short growth cycle, weed, disease and pest resistant. However, the Nerica program has been beset by problems getting the rice into the hands of farmers, and to date the only success has been in Guinea where it currently accounts for 16% of rice cultivation

The introduction of the Green revolution in Africa has however faced challenges that have seen it less successful. Some of the major reasons stated as hindering the revolution include insecurity, widespread corruption, and lack of proper infrastructure, land partitioning, lack of knowledge and general lack of political good will from African governments to appreciate and incorporate agricultural biotechnology in their farming habits. Poor infrastructure has posed a challenge in that farmers in the remote areas can no longer access modern and high-yielding farm inputs that are resistant to the hostile environmental conditions. In Africa, there is a more diverse range of suitable crops that fits the climate and soils. This makes engineering of farm inputs difficult. Yet it is possible to develop these higher-yielding crops suitable to Africa’s diverse regions, especially if the region’s farmers become part of the breeding, testing and selection processes in the production path.

Additionally, Africa has fewer teams of trained scientist that are available to put the knowledge into practice for the purposes of large breeding programs. Division of land into small pieces has also hindered the progress of the revolution. These farms favor small scale farming instead of commercial farming.

To achieve their objectives, these foundations have given in to the need of developing genetically engineered seeds and recruitment and training of local African scientists familiar with circumstances on particular areas where they work so as to practice crop-breeding programs. The Rockeffeler foundation is currently supporting 25 crop breeding teams in various agricultural research institutes as well as training 35 to 40 masters’ students and 50 plant breeding doctoral students from Africa in different learning and research institutions in the world. The founders of this foundation, however, recognize that for a full-scale Green Revolution in Africa, there is need to educate more talent so as to multiply the number of output to the desired level.

INITIATING DEBATE ON GMOs-Tanzania

Before we can proceed to talk about GMOs (Genetically modified organisms) we may need to talk on how they came about. Briefly, a GMO is any organism in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered/modified in a way which does not occur naturally (by mating or recombination) through the use of modern advances in biotechnology.

Biotechnology can be defined in many ways, but according to the convention on Biological Diversity, biotechnology is defined as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for the specific use. Biotechnology provides a set of tools that, if appropriately integrated with other technologies, can be applied for the sustainable development agriculture, livestock, fisheries, wildlife and forestry, pharmaceutical and medical industries as well as in the protection of the environment.

Modern advances in biotechnology include:

 Genetic engineering – the transfer of specific genes from one organism to another. It is generally defined as the science of altering the genetic material of an organism in order to eliminate undesirable characteristics or to produce desirable new ones. Genetic engineering is used to increase crop and livestock production, to diagnose disease, improve medical treatment through the production of vaccines and other useful drugs; and to help dispose off industrial waste.

 Genetic engineering technology has therefore resulted into the productions of transgenic plants and animals popularly known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) also known as Living modified organisms (LMOs).

 Cloning – the maintenance and growth of genetically uniform plants and animals.

 In Agriculture and food production, more than 20 crop species have been genetically modified using this technology. Most of these modifications have been targeted towards higher production levels through weed, pest and disease management. Genetically engineered crops include maize, soybean, tomato, cotton, tobacco, rice, wheat, canola/rapeseed, potato, squash, and papaya. Most of these crops and/or products thereof are now sold throughout the world.

The questions posed:
Is the Tanzanian general public aware of the advances in biotechnology?
Is Tanzania prepared to meet the challenges of the new technology?
Have you eaten any of the GMO products – knowingly or unknowingly?
If YES, have you felt differently?

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