Human Behavior

High-fat diet leads to same intestinal inflammation as a virus – UCLA Newsroom

FINDINGS

A new study by scientists at UCLA found that when mice eat a high-fat diet, the cells in their small intestines respond the same way they do to a viral infection, turning up production of certain immune molecules and causing inflammation throughout the body. The scientists also found that feeding the mice tomatoes containing a protein similar to that in HDL, or good cholesterol, along with the generic cholesterol drug Ezetimibe, reversed the inflammation.

The results could lead to new types of drugs, targeting the intestinal cells, to reduce peoples risk of heart attacks and strokes, or to treat other conditions linked to inflammation, including cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Researchers already knew that prolonged obesity can cause inflammation of the liver and fat tissues, and that this inflammation contributes to the development of diabetes and heart disease. Studies have also shown that higher levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol, reduces a persons risk of heart disease.

The UCLA research team, led by Alan Fogelman, chair of the department of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA,previously developed genetically engineered tomatoes that contained 6F, a protein resembling the main protein in high-density lipoprotein. In early experiments on 6F, they found that the compound was active in the small intestines of mice, and that it reduced inflammation. But exactly how it did this was unclear.

The scientists fed either a standard chow or a high-fat, high-cholesterol Western diet to mice that were especially prone to developing clogged arteries. They also treated some of the mice with either 6F, in the form of a tomato concentrate containing the protein, Ezetimibe, or both. After two weeks, cells from the small intestines of the mice were collected and blood samples were taken. The researchers measured cholesterol levels as well as the levels of inflammatory and immune molecules in both the intestines and throughout the body.

The findings shed light on the molecular details of how high-fat diets cause inflammation in the body, by making the intestines activate the pathway normally triggered by a virus. This suggests that blocking this immune reaction as 6F and Ezetimibe do may treat inflammatory diseases and decrease peoples risk of heart attack and stroke.

The authors of the study are all faculty and researchers at UCLA, affiliated with the Department of Medicine; Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology; Department of Human Genetics; Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior; and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology. The first author is Pallavi Mukherjee; Fogelman is the senior author.

The studywas published June 7, 2017, in the Journal of Lipid Research.

The study was funded by the United States Public Health Service (2P01 HL-30568) and the Castera, Laubisch, and Milt Grey funds at UCLA.

Alan Fogelman, Mohamad Navab and Srinivasa Reddy are principals in Bruin Pharma, which is working to commercialize apoA-I mimetics, including the 6F peptide studied in this paper; Fogelman is additionally an officer of the company.

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High-fat diet leads to same intestinal inflammation as a virus - UCLA Newsroom

Genetics

Myriad Genetics: Worth A Bet On Diagnostics Kit Pricing Expansion? – Seeking Alpha

I generally avoid the biotech/health tech space, but the Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ:MYGN) story is simple enough to understand and evaluate. After riding high for years, the company came under pressure within its core competency: hereditary cancer diagnostics. Diversification and M&A efforts have proven to not be enough to stem the tide of margin erosion from fresh competition, and within a beaten-down sector that values growth highly, it shouldn't be a surprise that the shares have seen their value cut in half over the past two years. 2017 has been a year of recovery for shares, particularly over the last two months. As a fan of the company's business model and story, I'm glad to see it finally building a base. As an investor, however, the question remains simple: Does Myriad Genetics have long-term value potential, and is now the time to buy?

Business Overview, Long-Term Outlook

Founded in 1991 and based out of Salt Lake City, Myriad Genetics focuses on the development and marketing of predictive prognostic medicine tests. Diagnostics the company provides allow the assessment of an individual's risk for developing a disease, identifying the likelihood a patient will respond to certain drug therapies, the risk of recurrence/rate of progression, or providing guidelines for dosing. As a staunch critic of how the United States healthcare system is run, any company that helps to drive down overall costs via the elimination of misdiagnosis and improving early detection, all while improving patient welfare, is going to tend to be in my good graces.

Tests include, but are not limited to, BRACAnalysis and BART (hereditary breast and ovarian cancers), COLARIS (colorectal/uterine cancers), and myPath Melanoma (RNA expression test for melanoma). Overall, Myriad targets six medical specialties: oncology, dermatology, autoimmune, urology, neuroscience, and preventive care. According to the company (as sourced from Clinical Lab Products magazine), diagnostic tests represent just 3% of overall healthcare spending domestically but drive 70% of healthcare decision-making. Figures vary depending on where you look, but overall consensus is that there's hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending in the United States health market, and proper testing and diagnostics could help eliminate a meaningful percentage of that waste.

Strategically, the company wants to hit double-digit revenue growth and improve the international revenue base, all while maintaining a better than 30% operating margin. That's a tall order, particularly given that hereditary cancer revenue, the company's core competency, has been tailing off since fiscal year 2014. While Myriad Genetics does likely have some differentiation due to first-mover advantage (twenty years of experience, nearly 3M patients tested, has identified tens of thousands of variants), the problem keeps coming down to average selling prices ("ASPs"). In the most recent quarter, for instance (Q3 of fiscal 2017), Myriad Genetics grew hereditary cancer testing volumes in a tough quarter seasonally for the first time in five years. Great, right? The problem was hereditary cancer revenue fell 10% y/y, an acceleration from the drop from the 2015/2016 comp drop. The entire decline is therefore attributable to pricing; management also points to revenue recognition delays from an Anthem (NYSE:ANTM) out-of-network decision as well, which is set to continue into the next quarter.

As goes hereditary cancer products, so does consolidated revenue. Revenue was up 3% in fiscal Q3 2017, but only due to the acquisition of GeneSight products ($24 million in revenue contribution), which were added based on the August 2016 acquisition of Assurex Health ($225 million in cash, potential for $185 million in additional payments based on performance milestones). Growth has been great there, with revenues up 44% y/y (7% sequentially). A product from another key acquisition, Vectra DA (acquired from Crescendo Bioscience for $245 million in cash), unfortunately posted y/y declines (9%). However, this quarter marked a return to sequential growth after the company clarified some issues relating to a study with negative results. That ties into the ongoing situation with Medicare non-coverage, but Myriad Genetics is optimistic that there will be a favorable resolution. Supporting data is on the way, with the company recently announcing the completion of enrollment in a 1,200-person clinical study which will provide data within calendar year 2017. Prolaris posted revenue declines, mostly due to a Medicare retrospective payments unfavorable comp last year. Volumes were up, breaching the 20,000 annual run rate for the first time. The comment period on the Medicare Favorable Intermediate LCD concluded recently, and if Medicare confirms, it will expand reimbursement coverage by 50%.

While there are negatives here (namely, volume growth at the expense of ASPs), Myriad spins these business lines as having serious potential, primarily due to higher ASP outlook. The majority of these products have issues with insurance non-coverage, which drives down ASPs to cash-paying customers that want access, as well as denting volume. Driving greater commercial insurance adoption is a key goal, and one that is central to the underlying investment thesis. If Myriad Genetics cannot prove out that its products can save insurance companies significantly - by the company's estimates hundreds of millions per year for large payers - then it is going to struggle.

There are nearly a dozen clinical studies that will conclude over the next two years that could boost visibility of the company's products, particularly in metastatic breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, which could lead to adoption. With that said, I am not convinced that ASPs will see the rise management is expecting. A lot of existing large payer contracts within hereditary have seen pricing concessions in order to lock in longer deals, and I suspect there might be more pressure on pricing than expected. However, non-hereditary products do make up 68% of volume but only 28% of revenue. There is plenty of opportunity for expansion there, at least compared to hereditary as a baseline.

This is a likely reason why there is a strong focus on international sales. The European Union and Canada tend to be much quicker at adopting new technologies in the medical space, although pricing is often much lower than the United States. Expect Prolaris, Vectra DA, EndoPredict, and the various myPlan hereditary platforms to be pushed overseas. The international mix has picked up quite a bit since fiscal 2014 (<1% revenue) to 5% today, and I think it is a more than reasonable expectation that Myriad Genetics reaches its goal of 10% of revenue being sourced internationally by the end of fiscal 2020.

Roadmap To 2020, Valuation

For shareholders, growth of non-hereditary, both in volume and price, is paramount to a long thesis. Myriad Genetics has a goal of $1,200 million in revenue by fiscal 2020, but it also sees $300 million in run-off of revenue from hereditary, or basically a 50% haircut from current levels. To fill the gap, management is looking for 15% annual growth from the company's so-called stage three products (GeneSight, Vectra DA, Prolaris, EndoPredict), with considerably less emphasis on products not as far along in development. But importantly, the company bases this on 75% reimbursement, which requires significant increases in average selling prices:

*Myriad Genetics, 2017 Investor Presentation

Investors clearly believe in a turnaround; Myriad Genetics is now more expensive on trailing measures (EV/EBITDA, P/E) than it has been for most of its recent history. However, there is a lot of upside if the company can execute; fiscal 2020 would see EBITDA in the $430 million range based on management targets, enough to warrant the shares more than doubling in value (EV to $3,870 million on a 9x multiple, 132%). This is a story of execution and a little bit of faith in whether CEO Mark Capone and team are both setting realistic goals and have the clout to achieve them. Unfortunately, my expertise ends there, and I have no way of assigning a fair probability to achieving those goals. I've got to take a pass on the company as a result, but I can see why many investors are interested, particularly after the recent fall.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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Myriad Genetics: Worth A Bet On Diagnostics Kit Pricing Expansion? - Seeking Alpha

Genetics

Here’s How A Duke Professor Broke Down Wizard Genetics In ‘Harry … – HuffPost

Anyone who has sat through a high school biology lecture on genetics understands the basics of dominant and recessive alleles, which explain, among other things, how two brown-eyed parents can have a blue-eyed baby.

When you start talking magical ability, however, things become more complicated.

That was the topic of one panel at Future Con, a conventionwhere science meets science fiction, held this past weekend. In Harry Potter and the Genetics of Wizarding, Duke University professor Eric Spana discussed the intricacies of wizard DNA.

Fans of Harry Potter know that, while two magical parents will likely have magical children, thats not always the case. Occasionally, an all-magic union will result in a squib, or non-magic, child (think of poor Argus Filch, tasked with cleaning all of Hogwarts without so much as a wand to help him out). On the flip side, Hermione Granger one of the finest witches of all time, IMO was born to two muggle parents. Throughout the series, we learn that students like Seamus Finnigan had one magical and one muggle parent. So how the heck is magical ability passed on?

According to a summary of the panel from Live Science, Spana debated whether magical ability was a recessive trait (much like the Weasley familys red hair), meaning its possible for an individual to carry the gene and potentially pass that gene onto offspring without expressing its traits. He ultimately decided it wasnt, though thanks to one Rubeus Hagrid.

You see, Hagrid was born to a giant mother and a wizard father. This meant Hagrid was born a wizard with only one copy of wizarding DNA in his blood (giants are non-magical). Thus, Spana concluded, magical ability must be a dominant trait.

If thats the case, how did Spana explain children like Hermione, who are the first in her family line with magical powers? A good, old-fashioned genetic mutation, possibly occurring in a sperm or egg cell, or after the egg is fertilized. (Yeah, dont you wish youd remembered more from AP Biology now?) As for squibs, Spana posited that parents could carry a mutation of the wizarding gene and pass it on to their child.

Science, man. Its pretty magical.

From June 1 to 30, HuffPost is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the very first Harry Potter book by reminiscing about all things Hogwarts. Accio childhood memories.

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Here's How A Duke Professor Broke Down Wizard Genetics In 'Harry ... - HuffPost

Genetics

FSU boardmember suggests women’s salaries may be lower due to genetics – WFLA

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CAPITOL NEWS SERVICE) A member of the Florida State University Board of Governors is in hot water, after making a comment at board meeting in which he seemed to suggest differences in starting salaries between men and women maybe genetic and not cultural.

The comment spurred a backlash.

Floridas Board of Governors was told that statistics show women graduates make less than their male counterparts a year after leaving school.

Board member Ed Morton suggested teaching salary negotiating skills for women, but also said the gap may be genetic. The women are given, maybe some of its genetic, I dont know. Im not smart enough to know the difference, he said.

Morton, who was appointed by Governor Rick Scott, was quickly condemned by the Governor in a statement issued by his press secretary.

As a father of two daughters, the Governor absolutely does not agree with this statement.

Morton has since apologized, issuing a statement, but refusing interviews. He says in part I chose my words poorly. My belief is that women and men should be valued equally in the workplace.

The controversy comes after legislation failed in the 2017 regular session that attempted to close the wage gap between men and women.

More women than men graduate from Florida universities, still womens median starting salaries are $5,500 less than men, said Jake Stofen.

Dr. Wayne Hochwarter a professorof Organizational Behavior at FSU says the gap is more likely a result of women choosing professions that pay less.

Whereas you still have a large section of young men who are also in the business school and engineering, he said.

Hockwarter also says research shows women often times are better prepared and better equipped for situations like negotiating salaries.

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FSU boardmember suggests women's salaries may be lower due to genetics - WFLA

Cell Biology

Global Cell Imagers Market – Drivers and Forecasts by Technavio – Business Wire (press release)

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technavio analysts forecast the global cell imagers market to grow at a CAGR of more than 8% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global cell imagers market for 2017-2021. The market is segmented on the application (cell biology, stem cells, development biology, and drug discovery) and product (equipment, consumables, and software). The market is further segmented on end-user (hospitals and diagnostics labs, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies, and academic and research institutes), and geography (the Americas, EMEA, and APAC).

The global cell imagers market is expected to witness strong growth during the forecast period due to the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing demand for HCS techniques, and increased focus on cell-based research. The growth of allied industries such as pharma and biotech will drive the growth of the market further. Also, the increase in the number of research and testing facilities, particularly in the fields of pharmaceutical and biotechnology, will lead to a rise in demand for cell imagers.

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

Technavio research analysts highlight the following three factors that are contributing to the growth of the global cell imagers market:

Growing prevalence of chronic diseases

Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart diseases, and stroke are the leading causes of deaths globally. The prevalence of these diseases is increasing at alarming rates. The CDC estimates that by 2020, the number of new cancer cases is expected to increase by nearly 2 million each year.

Amber Chourasia, a lead lab equipment research analyst at Technavio, says, According to various studies conducted on disease patterns in 2015, cardiovascular diseases were responsible for approximately 15-20 million deaths and cancer was responsible for approximately seven to 10 million deaths worldwide. The growing burden of chronic conditions drives the demand for advanced healthcare and cell imaging systems, which can reduce the burden by intervening at critical diagnostic stages and assist in better disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Increasing demand for high content screening techniques

HCS or HCA is a set of analytical methods that utilize automated microscopy, multi-parameter image processing, and unique visualization tools to generate quantitative data from cells. In their most basic form, these techniques measure one signal averaged over multiple cells that are present within a microplate. The signal could be the expression of a reporter gene or levels of molecules such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Fluorescence imaging is a method that is used for visualizing samples in a high-throughput format and aspects such as the spatial distribution of targets, and the morphology of cells and organelles are reported, adds Amber.

Increased focus on cell-based research

Globally, there is an increase in focus on cell-based research as companies, governments, and research institutions have started to realize the importance of cell biology in analyzing cellular systems to reveal new insights and therapies through the early diagnosis and assessment of therapies.

In the US, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) explicitly stated in its research grant policy that it supports projects involving cell imaging techniques that address areas such as the monitoring of the stages of mitosis, amount of gene expressed, process of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) transport, alterations in nuclear architecture and membranes during cell death or apoptosis, and other processes that occur during cell migration.

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About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.

Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users.

If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com.

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Global Cell Imagers Market - Drivers and Forecasts by Technavio - Business Wire (press release)

Cell Biology

Global Cell Imagers Market 2017-2021 – Research and Markets – PR Newswire (press release)

The global cell imagers market to grow at a CAGR of 8.21% during the period 2017-2021.

Global Cell Imagers Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion operating in this market.

According to the report, one of the major drivers for this market is growing prevalence of chronic diseases. Globally, chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart diseases, and stroke are the leading causes of deaths. The prevalence of these diseases is increasing at alarming rates. The CDC estimates that by 2020, the number of new cancer cases is expected to increase by nearly 2 million each year.

The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is extensive use of automation in live cell imaging. Cell imaging is an important tool for the efficient study of cell biology and discovery of drugs. Hence, the automation of cell imaging can reduce the time spent by researchers on tasks such as sample loading, which allows them to spend time on analyzing and interpreting the results obtained from cell imaging. Automated microscopy solutions are offered by most vendors and are being increasingly deployed in various diagnostic centers and research laboratories. These solutions increase the overall lab output as they assist in analyzing more samples.

Further, the report states that one of the major factors hindering the growth of this market is technical and economic challenges of super resolution. To achieve better results and generate more insights about cellular processes, there has been an immense need to develop imaging equipment that provide better resolution. However, the various approaches used to achieve this have been ineffective to solve real-world problems. Issues related to resolution have been the most common cited challenge among key opinion leaders at various annual conferences held to discuss advancements and issues related to microscopy.

Key vendors:

Other prominent vendors:

Key Topics Covered:

Part 01: Executive summary

Part 02: Scope of the report

Part 03: Research Methodology

Part 04: Market landscape

Part 05: Market segmentation by application

Part 06: Market segmentation by product type

Part 07: Market segmentation by end-user

Part 08: Geographical segmentation

Part 09: Decision framework

Part 10: Drivers and challenges

Part 11: Market trends

Part 12: Vendor landscape

Part 13: Key vendor analysis

Part 14: Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xlpqcb/global_cell

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com

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Global Cell Imagers Market 2017-2021 - Research and Markets - PR Newswire (press release)

Biochemistry

Research of Biochemistry Reagent Industry in Global and Chinese: Technology, Applications, Growth and Status 2017 – MilTech

The Global and Chinese Biochemistry Reagent Industry 2017 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Biochemistry Reagent industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Biochemistry Reagent market manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry

The report firstly reviews the basic information of Biochemistry Reagent market including its classification, application and manufacturing technology. The report then explores global and Chinas top manufacturers of Biochemistry Reagent market listing their product specification, capacity, Production value, and market share etc. The report further analyses quantitatively 2010-2015 global and Chinas total market of Biochemistry Reagent by calculation of main economic parameters of each company.

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Absolute Reports

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The Global and Chinese Biochemistry Reagent Industry 2017 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Biochemistry Reagent industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Biochemistry Reagent market manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry

The report firstly reviews the basic information of Biochemistry Reagent market including its classification, application and manufacturing technology. The report then explores global and Chinas top manufacturers of Biochemistry Reagent market listing their product specification, capacity, Production value, and market share etc. The report further analyses quantitatively 2010-2015 global and Chinas total market of Biochemistry Reagent by calculation of main economic parameters of each company.

Have any query? ask our expert @ http://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/10887137

Scope

Get a PDF Sample of Biochemistry Reagent Market Research Report at: http://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/10887137

Key Topics Covered:

Contact

Mr. Ameya Pingaley

Absolute Reports

+1-408 520 9750

Email sales@absolutereports.com

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Research of Biochemistry Reagent Industry in Global and Chinese: Technology, Applications, Growth and Status 2017 - MilTech

Biochemistry

Self-assembling reagents with tunable colors and brightness enable … – Phys.Org

June 21, 2017 These fluorescence images show a matrix representing 124 distinct metafluorophores, that are generated by combining three fluorescent dyes with varying intensity levels. In the future, the metafluorophore's unique and identifiable color patterns can be used to analyze the molecular components of complex samples. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Biomedical researchers are understanding the functions of molecules within the body's cells in ever greater detail by increasing the resolution of their microscopes. However, what's lagging behind is their ability to simultaneously visualize the many different molecules that mediate complex molecular processes in a single snap-shot.

Now, a team from Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, the LMU Munich, and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, has engineered highly versatile metafluorophores by integrating commonly used small fluorescent probes into self-folding DNA structures where their colors and brightness can be digitally programmed. This nanotechnological approach offers a palette of 124 virtual colors for microscopic imaging or other analytical methods that can be adapted in the future to visualize multiple molecular players at the same time with ultra-high definition. The method is reported in Science Advances.

With their new method, the researchers address the problem that thus far only a limited number of molecular species can be visualized simultaneously with fluorescence microscopy in a biological or clinical sample. By introducing fluorescent DNA nanostructures called metafluorophoresversatile fluorescent dyes whose colors are determined by how their individual components are arranged in 3-dimensional structuresthey overcome this bottleneck.

"We use DNA nanostructures as molecular pegboards: by functionalizing specific component strands at defined positions of the DNA nanostructure with one of three different fluorescent dyes, we achieve a broad spectrum of up to 124 fluorescent signals with unique color compositions and intensities," said Yin, who is a Core Faculty member at the Wyss Institute and Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. "Our study provides a framework that allows researchers to construct a large collection of metafluorophores with digitally programmable optical properties that they can use to visualize multiple targets in the samples they are interested in."

The DNA nanostructure-based approach can be used like a barcoding system to visually profile the presence of many specific DNA or RNA sequences in samples in what is called multiplexing.

To enable the visualization of multiple molecular structures in tissue samples whose thickness can limit the movement of larger DNA nanostructures and make it difficult for them to find their targets, and to reduce the possibility that they attach themselves to non-specific targets producing false fluorescence signals, the team took additional engineering steps.

"We developed a triggered version of our metafluorophore that dynamically self-assembles from small component strands that take on their prescribed shape only when they bind their target," said Ralf Jungmann, Ph.D., who is faculty at the LMU Munich and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry and co-conducted the study together with Yin. "These in-situ assembled metafluorophores can not only be introduced into complex samples with similar combinatorial possibilities as the prefabricated ones to visualize DNA, but they could also be leveraged to label antibodies as widely used detection reagents for proteins and other biomolecules."

"This new type of programmable, microscopy-enhancing DNA nanotechnology reveals how work in the Wyss Institute's Molecular Robotics Initiative can invent new ways to solve long-standing problems in biology and medicine. These metafluorophores that can be programmed to self-assemble when they bind their target, and that have defined fluorescent barcode readouts, represent a new form of nanoscale devices that could help to reveal complex, multi-component, biological interactions that we know exist but have no way of studying today," said Wyss Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., who is also the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Explore further: From super to ultra-resolution microscopy: New method pushes the frontier in imaging resolution

More information: "Sub100-nm metafluorophores with digitally tunable optical properties self-assembled from DNA" Science Advances (2017). advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/6/e1602128

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Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy is bringing back classic character Dr Teddy Altman in season 14 – DigitalSpy.com

Grey's Anatomy is bringing back a fan favourite for season 14.

Deadline reports that Kim Raver will return to the ABC medical drama as Dr Teddy Altman for a guest arc on the upcoming season, although it's not yet clear what her storyline will be.

Dr Altman was last seen in the season eight finale when she was fired from Seattle Grace by her crush Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) for a good reason as it allowed her to take her dream job at MEDCOM.

ABC

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It wasn't the last we heard of her though, as Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) spoke to her on the phone in season 13 when Owen's presumed dead sister was treated at Altman's hospital.

Raver will also be seen in the fifth season of Ray Donovan in a recurring role as a surgeon.

Grey's Anatomy fans were left relieved, but sad, when the season 13 finale last month saw series regular Jerrika Hinton leave her role as Dr Stephanie Edwards after five seasons on the show.

Kelsey McNeal/ABC via Getty Images

The dramatic season finale saw Dr Edwards perform surgery on the leg of a young girl as they attempted to escape a fire at Grey Sloan, with the ordeal leaving them alive but shaking Stephanie so much that she quit her job.

Grey's Anatomy airs on ABC in the US and Sky Living in the UK.

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Grey's Anatomy is bringing back classic character Dr Teddy Altman in season 14 - DigitalSpy.com

Anatomy

Royal Court’s Anatomy of a Suicide deserves a prize for most obtuse script of the year – Spectator.co.uk

Anatomy of a Suicide looks at three generations of women in various phases of mental collapse. They line up on a stage that resembles a grey dungeon while sad events unfold around them. The first woman gets pregnant. The second takes heroin. The third argues with a lesbian about a fish. Their lives span several decades but their stories are presented simultaneously, and this tripartite method conceals the plain fact that the events dramatised are too flimsy to merit theatrical portrayal. A soap opera would baulk at such scenes: a druggie teenager bores a cameraman with a list of gloomy soundbites; a female wedding guest is partially seduced by a giggling gatecrasher; a patient in a hospital invites a nurse to eat some haddock.

Writer Alice Birch aims her characterisation at the chicklit crowd. All the females are sympathetic because theyre lost, miserable and a bit whiney. The males are uniformly horrible, aggressive, sentimental boors. With one exception: a black male character who seems so sweet and intelligent that he might be an honorary woman. Each change of scene involves a flash of lesbian titillation. The actresses are stripped to their bikinis by stage hands who pass them fresh costumes to climb into. Some scenes end with a massive CRUMP! and a surge of lights as if to remind us that a momentous art work is in progress. And the actors move to their new positions in super-slow motion, which gives a strong hint that This Play Deserves A Prize. It does, in a way, deserve a prize for the most obtuse script of the year.

The dialogue has been crafted as an act of sabotage. Rather than editing and refining normal conversation to give it tension, shape and direction, Ms Birch has retained all the banal and pointless detritus of everyday speech. This trick is perfectly easy to accomplish if you have copious quantities of stage time to fill and nothing significant to say. Both conditions are met here. One wonders why the actors agreed to participate in a show that demeans their artistry and sets out, quite deliberately, to discover how thoroughly an audience can be demoralised within a two-hour timescale. And although the production takes itself very seriously, it fails to extend the same courtesy to mental illness. Suicide is treated as one of those things that sort of, you know, kind of happens, like rheumatism or bad teeth. Of the three main characters, two kill themselves and the third seeks a surgeon who can cut out her ovaries for her, as if infertility were the pathway to happiness. Anyone with mental-health problems should avoid this play. It discusses various life-ending techniques and demonstrates one of them on stage. How odd of the Royal Court to create an ode to extinction and a hymn to self-slaughter. If Isis had an Arts Council, this would be among its proudest commissions.

Emma Rices subtle, clever and fabulously entertaining show, Tristan and Yseult, opens with a chorus of anoraked nerds identifying themselves as the love-spotters. They belong to The Club of the Unloved and the title is spelled out for us in vivid neon lights. Perhaps this is a sly dig at the Globes management, which is said to have lost patience with Ms Rices taste for modern dress, stage lights and electrical instruments played live. But why? This show is a triumphant blend of fun, jokes, pop tunes and satirical slapstick.

Only a couple of drawbacks. The story is short of detailed incident and the three lead actors are not the companys best strengths. Mike Shepherd is too solemn as King Mark. Yseult, played by Hannah Vassallo, relies too much on her giggly smile and Dominic Marshs Tristan is short of energy and grandeur. This leaves a vacuum which the minor players rush to fill. Kyle Lima (Frocin) is an exceptional clown with a wonderfully bendy physique. He may be slim and handsome (both are drawbacks for a physical comic), but he has a terrific way of parading his sexual charisma while parodying it at the same time. Kirsty Woodward, as Whitehands, shimmies around the stage in a Jackie-O outfit making sardonic comments on the action. Best of all is Niall Ashdown as Yseults cross-dressing maid, Brangian. His comic gift is matched by his absolute mastery of the crowd.

The building itself helps, of course. In some mysterious way the Globes atmosphere seems to combine the riotous air of a cup final with the warmth and intimacy of a pub gig. Emma Rice will be a hard act to follow. Her experiments with music, lighting and on-stage acrobatics have stopped the Globe from becoming a museum, or even a mausoleum, of Shakespeare. The snag is that we have only one Globe to play with. Lets build a replica, dedicate it to musical theatre, and put the newly elevated Dame Emma in charge.

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Royal Court's Anatomy of a Suicide deserves a prize for most obtuse script of the year - Spectator.co.uk