Biotechnology

(Image: Carmat) If you stayed awake during biology in school, you might recognise the shapes at the left and top right of this image: they are models of the heart. The object at lower right, looking like a cross between a tape dispenser and a second-world-war gas mask, will be less familiar. Developed by French firm Carmat, this is an artificial heart designed for people whose hearts are so weak that they can no longer pump enough blood to sustain life. It was implanted in its first human patient on 18 December 2013 at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris. The device replaces the real heart and is meant to keep patients going while they wait for a donor: Carmat claims it can be used for up to five years. Lithium-ion batteries outside the body keep it pumping, while sensors monitor and automatically control blood flow to adapt to the patient's activity. Biomaterials in the artificial heart help to prevent t...

Take a breather, spacewalkers. Working tirelessly over the holiday, astronauts equipped with snorkels successfully repaired damage to the vital cooling system on board the International Space Station. The system circulates ammonia to keep internal and external instruments at the correct temperature. NASA had to power down parts of three ISS modules when the system malfunctioned on 11 December. On 24 December, astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins completed the second of three planned spacewalks to replace a failed pump module on the station's exterior. Although they were hit by a "mini blizzard" of toxic ammonia flakes that burst from a supply line, they finished the job ahead of schedule, eliminating the need for a third outing. Snorkels on standby Hopkins was wearing the same spacesuit used last July by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, who nearly drowned when his helmet started filling with water. N...

Read more: "2014 preview: 10 ideas that will matter next year" Did you know that the Empire State Building's spire was designed as a mooring point for hydrogen airships? That proved too dangerous, though, and then a deadly fire on the Hindenburg in 1937 brought the hydrogen fad to an abrupt end. Now the lightest of elements is making a comeback as the first mass-market hydrogen car gears up to hit the road. Whereas airships harnessed hydrogen's buoyancy, the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell, an SUV, uses it to make electricity. Its fuel cell combines hydrogen from the tank with oxygen in the air, creating an electrochemical reaction that generates current to supply electric motors. Water is the only waste product, making the cars green. Unlike battery-powered vehicles, which need hours to charge, refuelling takes minutes â€" and a full tank should last for 480 kilometres. Hyundai says the Tucson can hit 160 kilometres per hour. ...

Position Objective: The Biotechnology Research and Development (BioRD) group at Cargill will provide an internship opportunity for a student with a career interest in Molecular Biology, Enzymology or Fermentation. This internship will provide the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a business environment. Projects will be determined based on individual qualifications. Principal Accountabilities: Gain immediate hands on work experience in one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies Participate in orientation, networking, mentoring relationships and other opportunities targeted towards personal and professional development Receive periodic and candid feedback on job performance Environment: Internships are typically 12 weeks in duration. Cargill expects that its internships will present a win/win scenario for the intern and itself. Job Locations: Minnetonka, MN or Excelsior, MN Qualifications Req...

Scientist Biotechnology (Computational Biologist)-1301862 BASF is proud to be an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. Description The position is being created to strengthen the Microbiology & Industrial Biotechnology Research Team in Tarrytown. The team is an integral part of BASF’s Fine Chemicals and Biocatalysis Research within the global Specialty Chemical Research Platform. The team works closely with other research and development teams and business units of BASF, inside and outside the US. In addition, the team maintains and supports numerous collaborations with non-BASF partners, incl. universities and other research organizations. The Computational Biology Scientist will develop computational tools to assist with Strains & Enzymes development for the production of bio-based chemicals within the Microbiology & Industrial Biotechnology Research Group. Major Responsibilities · Analyze and compare genome-wide next generation sequencing data (inc...

BIGFOOT was finally discovered in 2009 â€" at least, according to rumours circulating on Twitter. With misinformation rife on social media, users could do with a tool that can sift truth from fiction. Now Sejeong Kwon and colleagues at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon have designed an AI system that, they claim, does this correctly around 90 per cent of the time. If built into social networks, it could help us avoid embarrassing retweets or reshares. The system analysed language used in more than 100 rumours â€" some later confirmed, others unfounded â€" that went viral on Twitter over a period of three and a half years. The researchers found that false rumours were far more likely to contain negative terms such as "no" or "not" than positive terms such as "like" or "love". Being mentioned in "singleton" tweets â€" ones that were nei...

Read more: "2014 preview: 10 ideas that will matter next year" Mars is calling, and the vehicles that might take us there are about to be road-tested. The maiden flights of two spacecraft, one government and one private, could make or break plans to put humans on the Red Planet within the next few decades. In September, NASA will launch its Orion capsule on a 4-hour jaunt around Earth. Echoing the Apollo capsules that took humans to the moon, Orion is designed to carry people on long-range space missions. The upcoming tests will showcase Orion's flightworthiness and the ability of its heat shield to withstand a fiery re-entry. NASA hopes the pilotless flight will inform its current vision for space exploration, which involves a crewed orbit around the moon in 2021, a visit to an asteroid in 2025 and a Mars mission by the 2030s. Next year will also see the first launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket, built by p...

- 10119527-20131218 Description Project Description: The BioProcess Center of Excellence is looking for an outstanding student majoring in either in Biology or Biotechnology for a summer position (3-4 months) with the BioProcessing CoE. Knowledge of ELISA, Cell culture, and general aseptic technique are preferred skills, but not required, we will train the right candidate. The student selected will gain vast knowledge in the field of cell culture and learn many valuable skills for future industry work. Requirements: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and must be returning IDEXX interns or have completed at least one year of college. A track record of student success and potential as demonstrated by GPA, research portfolio, prior work experiences and/or the recommendation of a professor is preferred. About the IDEXX Intern Program: IDEXX Interns will have the opportunity for hands-on research and work experience in our cutting-edge research facility to supplement course o...

Anyone who has ever worked in a lab knows that a lot of scientific equipment is made of glass â€" the penny usually drops when the first test tube hits the floor. When expensive lab equipment breaks, the stakes are higher. That's where scientific glass-blowers come in. Stephen Ramsey, the scientific glass-blower at Imperial College London, is on hand to save experiments by repairing equipment as well as designing and creating custom-made tools. But Steve isn't confined to the lab. His long and varied career in glass-blowing has led him to the vaults of the Natural History Museum, a film studio next door to Phil Collins shooting a music video and the Tate Britain, one of London's premier art galleries. Steve's workshop is tucked away on the top floor of Imperial's chemistry building. Here, he uses a "lamp" â€" a device that looks like a Bunsen burner but reaches higher temperatures â€" to melt and mould...

Description · Identifies and implements changes by updating manufacturing processes documents that support cost reduction and/or quality enhancements via established change control processes. · Assures finished products conform to internal and customer requirements, government regulations and applicable ISO standards. · Executes assigned projects and communicates project status. · Assures that material movement transactions are executed in SAP system . · Participates in the development and initiation of business strategies/plans to meet company goals. · Develops and revises Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and other related documentation. · Support process validation efforts. · Investigates deviations generated in their area and take the appropriate actions. · Carries out Human Resources Management responsibilities including but not limited to: · · Executes assigned responsibilities related to hiring, job assignments, terminations, transfers, promotions, em...

Read more: "2014 preview: 10 ideas that will matter next year" Continuing revelations of the US National Security Agency's massive spying apparatus redefined the term "surveillance state" in 2013. But researchers are developing new technologies to preserve online freedoms, including private, secure wireless networks and ways of disguising web traffic. The year has been about more than just spooks, of course: robots are taking architecture to superhuman heights , computers are learning to diagnose and help treat depression , and kids are learning to program computers even before they can read. Virtual reality is getting in on the act, too, with some of the most exciting developments in decades hinting at a future where computer worlds become mesmerisingly immersive. We also launched ButtonMasher, our new column about video games and gaming culture. But while technology is undeniably making our lives better, eas...

Snorkels could become lifesavers on the International Space Station. NASA announced on Wednesday that during a series of three spacewalks scheduled for the coming week, astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins will replace a failed pump module on the station's exterior â€" part of the ISS's vital cooling system â€" with this unusual tool to protect them. Find out how snorkels could save the astronauts' lives in our rundown of surprising gear that has turned out to be vital in space. 1. Safety snorkel         During the spacewalks, the last of which takes place on Christmas day, Hopkins will be wearing the same spacesuit used by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, who nearly drowned in July when his helmet started filling with water. Spacesuits contain water for both cooling and drinking. NASA investigators have since concluded that the most likely cause of Parmitano's problem was contamination in the cooling syste...

Position Summary: Highly consultative professional will sell the company’s products and services in the pharmaceutical research market to new and current customers in an assigned geographic region through direct, face-to-face contact. This is a powerful opportunity for an entrepreneurial sales pro to develop the market for this novel technology and be rewarded accordingly in this commission based position. Various territories open: Boston, NY/NJ/PA, San Francisco. The company is an innovative, privately funded, growth-stage biotechnology tools provider that has developed advanced translational research technologies to improve the drug development process. Secondary markets may include academic researchers as they generate human-relevant discoveries. The Company is looking for a high-energy, dynamic Sales Specialist with the experience and the skills to aggressively grow the company’s business in this competitive market. Job Tasks:...

So why is Google suddenly so interested in robots? That's the question everyone's asking after it emerged this month that the internet giant has quietly amassed a portfolio of eight advanced-robotics firms. Google is describing the venture as partly a long term "moonshot" project â€" the name given to its more outlandish or ambitious ideas, such as its self-driving car or broadband via high-altitude balloons. But it also says it aims to launch a raft of robotics products in the short term. Based in the US and Japan, the new acquisitions make diverse products, ranging from walking humanoids, to many-legged, animal-like packhorses for the military, to assembly robots, machine-vision systems and robotic special-effects movie cameras. Are they creating a cloud-powered humanoid who uses Google Glass? A line of robot pets? Or just a more efficient warehouse robot? Andy Rubin isn't saying. He runs Google's new robotics divis...

(Image: HAP/Quirky China News/Rex) Yutu's journey has begun. The Chinese moon rover has moved away from its parent spacecraft, Chang'e-3, which successfully landed on the moon on Saturday â€" and the pair have already started snapping photos of each other and beaming them back to Earth. Chang'e-3 took the image above, which shows the rover's tyre tracks in moon dust after it was deployed down a ramp from the lander. Yutu â€" whose name means Jade Rabbit â€" was also videoed taking its first journey onto the lunar surface. If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Creating and working with RNA editing techniques; use of guide RNA’s used for the development of research animal models. Department URL Address: Click here for more information Principal Responsibilities 1. Actively participates in biotechnology research design, implementation, and daily operation of the lab. Develops and modifies procedures and instrument operating programs. 2. Independently carries out research projects, including experimental design, development of methods, analysis of results, and translation of results to high-throughput protocols based on results. Prepares results for discussion and reporting purposes. 3. Understands, plans, and performs complex analyses and/or syntheses of nucleic acids, proteins, or other molecules. Determines the best analytical procedures to accomplish research goals. Contributes to the development of new analysis, synthesis and technologies. 4. Programs equipment with special cycle combinations and ensures special procedures are properl...

Your body may use it to catch a tan, but now the skin pigment melanin has been repurposed for the first time to make batteries. These may one day offer a safer way to power electronic devices that can be swallowed or inserted into the human body for drug delivery or internal monitoring. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are widely used in electronics because they are very efficient and can hold their charge for long periods. But because they contain lithium, these batteries are potentially toxic if used long-term inside the body. So Christopher Bettinger at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wanted to find a way to build batteries from biological materials. "If we could safely ingest devices, then we could overcome a lot of the issues we have with current implanted devices, such as infection and inflammation," says Bettinger. "So we started with substances that are biologically derived and occur in the human bod...

It's not all grim in the post-apocalypse (Image: Jana Chiellino) In the aftermath of a technological meltdown, how might we all live? The exhibition Welcome to Happy Redoubt makes visitors unplug and rethink "Before the crash, the whole world was a web, controlled by the cloud." So begins the new creation story. Pieced together after an imagined apocalypse, it tells of a technological Golden Age and the catastrophe that destroyed it. In the aftermath of this "infocalypse", humans have little access to technology, but artificial intelligence rules us all. We have gone back to basics, making things by hand and bartering these wares. This is the backdrop to Welcome to Happy Redoubt , an inventive art installation at Somerset House, King's College London. It is itself a redoubt or retreat from the constant buzz of the city outside, raising thoughtful questions about our relationship with technology. ...

Devices that fire microwave blasts, scrambling cars' onboard computers, could soon allow the authorities to rein in suspect vehicles IMAGINE you could disable a car remotely just by pressing a button. It's not a distant dream: devices that use radio waves to disrupt the control computers of modern cars are already in the pipeline. Police will be able to use them to halt suspect vehicles in their tracks. At the request of police in France, Spain and Germany, a European Commission-funded consortium is developing such a device. Meanwhile, electronics firm E2V of Chelmsford, UK, is developing a similar system for both the police and the military, and successfully tested its technology last week. Europe has given €4.3 million to the SAVELEC (Safe Control of Noncooperative Vehicles Through Electromagnetic Means) project. As part of this, engineers at the German Aerospace Center DLR in Stuttgart have pored over automotive Engine Control Uni...

Continue reading page | 1 | 2 Book information Crossover by Cecil Balmond Published by: Prestel/Random House Price: $60/£40 Building higher (Image: Greg Girard/Gallerystock) Crossover by Cecil Balmond blends maths, engineering, art and architecture and adds a dash of mythology. The result is an interdisciplinary masterpiece THE work of structural engineer and architect Cecil Balmond tends to polarise opinion. Some of his sculptures and buildings have been hailed as "awe-inspiring" and "beguiling", while others have been reviled as "pornographic" or "Meccano on crack". Balmond is the non-celebrity half of audacious collaborations, from The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, in 2002 with Japanese architect Toyo Ito to the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower built for London's 2012 Olympics with Turner prizewinner Anish Kapoor. Now, in Crossover, he chronicle...

Description Monsanto is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as the Global Biotechnology Laboratory Stewardship Lead within the Biotech Strategy Program. This leadership role provides oversight for the Global Quality Management System for the Biotechnology organization, including ensuring that appropriate risk management strategies, training and documentation are in place to support our Biotech trait and Microbials activities. The Laboratory Stewardship Lead will work across a broad cross-functional team of research platforms to execute value-added quality systems with focus on compliance and utilization of key performance indicators leading to improvement and continued product innovation. The team will directly lead a team of Quality professionals as well as a Seed Management group which is responsible for all regulated shipping and archival activities for Biotech out of the CV site. Excellent project management, communic...

Europe wastes more heat than it uses to keep buildings warm. Now projects across the continent will tap everything from subways to sewers to keep homes cosy TAKE the escalator down to platform level at any deep London Underground station and a wave of warm air wafts over you. Dug in the 19th century, the poorly ventilated tunnels were not designed for today's train and passenger volumes, trapping heat from engines, brakes and the bodies of London's commuters. It is not just unpleasant on a summer's day â€" that heat represents a huge amount of energy going to waste. And so it was announced last month that some of this energy will be channelled to nearby homes. It is one of five such projects in the works. Urban heat sources across European cities, such as waste water from baths and washing machines, could soon be tapped to cut heating bills and help Europe hit its carbon emissions targets. That is the aim of Celsius, a €25-m...

The Biotechnology Associate is responsible for the day to day operations of a laboratory with significant expertise in the development and implementation of molecular methods for the purpose of converting research assays into clinical tests. Will oversee clinical validation, proficiency testing, regulatory compliance, document control, protection of PHI, and reporting of results. 1. Manages the daily activities of the laboratory. 2. Determines methods for clinical testing, followed by development, validating, and then implementing molecular testing. 3. Responsible for the training of clinical lab personnel and oversight of the overall R&D program. 4. Develops, Interprets, and analyzes the results of clinical projects. 5. Determines and establishes policies and procedures for the laboratory. 6. Develops and evaluates new techniques and equipment 7. Determines and establishes policies and procedures on laboratory safety 8. May perform other duties as assigned. Principal Respo...

The Lecturer will assume responsibility for outcomes assessment in one or more courses in the discipline, participate on college committees including Middle States, and contribute in a meaningful way to the college community. This is a non-tenure track appointment. The lecturer will provide instruction (lectures and labs) within biology program; assist academic administrators with curriculum development, student advising, program enrollment; provide institutional support and community service. Overall Purpose and Responsibility: The primary and most important overall responsibility is to provide service in a pleasant, helpful, and effective manner to all prospective BCC students and to all members of the college community. Institutional Effectiveness: Accepts responsibility for the timely preparation of student outcomes assessment efforts of the faculty in planning, collecting data, and reporting dates as they relate to course outcomes, program outcomes, general education outcomes...

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott. AbbVie combines the focus and passion of a leading-edge biotech with the expertise and capabilities of a long-established pharmaceutical leader to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world’s most complex and serious diseases. In 2013, AbbVie will employ approximately 21,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. The student Intern for AbbVie Biotechnology/ Biochemical Engineering will provide support to the Protein Purification Process Development and Process Support Area, working on different projects such as an assay improvement, process characterization and protocol preparation, protocol execution, etc. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V Qualifications Education: Minimum of third year of college with courses within the Biochemical Engineering Area. Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Must provide proof (lat...