about 10 hours ago Updated: about 8 hours ago

Dublin-based pig breeder Hermitage has entered into a strategic partnership with UK animal genetics group Genus. Under the deal, which is still subject to several closing conditions, Genuss PIC porcine unit will acquire the genetic rights and intellectual property of Hermitage.

The partnership will also see the Irish company become a strategic supply chain and distribution partner for PIC. PIC will acquire certain Hermitage customer relationships in Russia, the US and several European countries. The deal is expected to be finalised by the end of next month.

Established in 1958, Hermitage is one of the longest running porcine breeding and genetics companies in Europe, serving big producers in Europe and elsewhere. Its infrastructure includes nucleus farms and boar studs in Ireland and across Europe.

Commenting on the deal, Hermitage owner Ned Nolan said: This is an exciting step for Hermitage, as we join forces with a global pioneer in our field.

Our partnership with PIC will allow the continued use of the Hermitage gene pool to provide enhanced genetics to our global customer base, he added.

Genus chief executive Karim Bitar said: The partnership with Hermitage is an ideal fit with our porcine strategy.

It will provide Genus with the opportunity to accelerate genetic improvement by combining the PIC and Hermitage gene pools, he said.

In addition, Hermitages strong supply chain and customer-service oriented team will strengthen our ability to serve pig producers efficiently and reliably, he added.

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Dublin-based pig breeder joins genetics group Genus - Irish Times

February 24, 2017 Generation of recombinant rotavirus from cloned cDNA. Credit: Osaka University

Rotaviruses are the most common cause of severe diarrhea and kill hundreds of thousands of infants a year. Although current vaccines are effective in preventing aggravation of rotaviruses, the development of more effective vaccines at lower cost is expected. Technology cannot study well how rotaviruses invade and replicate in a cell. To identify which genes are crucial for the infection of rotaviruses, scientists at the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases at Osaka University report a new plasmid-based reverse genetics system. The study can be read in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

"Reverse genetics allows us to generate artificially engineered viruses", says Associate Professor Takeshi Kobayashi, who led the study. "Using reverse genetics, we can mutate a gene and see its effects on the virus," he added.

Reverse genetics systems have been developed for a wide number of viruses to study the conditions in which a virus thrives, but systems for multiple-segmented RNA-based viruses like rotaviruses have proven more difficult. Kobayashi's group solved this problem by including two viral proteins, FAST and VV capping enzyme, into their plasmid-based system. Taking advantage, the researchers tested their system by mutating a single protein of rotaviruses, NSP1, finding that they could decrease viral replication.

Through comprehensive testing of all proteins in future studies, Kobayashi expects to find the key determinants that make rotaviruses a severe pubic threat. "We could modify the propagation and pathogenicity of the rotavirus", he said.

Kobayashi is optimistic about how plasmid-based reverse genetics system will bring new innovations to combat rotaviruses. "Because no one could synthesize rotaviruses artificially, less is known about the replication and pathogenesis." He expects the system will increase the number of labs working on rotaviruses and lead to more effective vaccines.

Explore further: Researchers find chink in the armor of viral 'tummy bug'

More information: Yuta Kanai et al. Entirely plasmid-based reverse genetics system for rotaviruses, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1618424114

Researchers at Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Melbourne have moved a step closer to identifying a broad spectrum treatment for the dreaded 'viral tummy ...

Researchers from Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics and the University of Melbourne have significantly advanced understanding of a virus that kills up to half a million children each year.

A five-year research partnership between the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has revealed the atomic-level structure of the bluetongue virus (BTV), a disease ...

Vaccine developers have successfully protected mice against Zika by injecting synthetic messenger RNA that encodes for virus proteins into the animals. The cells of the mice then build parts of the virus, training the immune ...

Our immunosensory system detects virus such as influenza via specific characteristics of viral ribonucleic acid. Previously, it was unclear how the immune system prevents viruses from simply donning molecular camouflage in ...

Using nanotechnology and a patented signal enhancing technique developed at the University of Georgia, UGA researchers have discovered a rapid, sensitive and cost-effective method to detect and identify a number of rotavirus ...

Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new tool to identify interactions between RNA and DNA molecules. The tool, called MARGI (Mapping RNA Genome Interactions), is the first technology that's ...

Small "bubbles" frequently form on membranes of cells and are taken up into their interior. The process involves EHD proteins - a focus of research by Prof. Oliver Daumke of the MDC. He and his team have now shed light on ...

Scientists from The University of Western Australia have identified a tiny mutation in plants that can influence how well a plant recovers from stressful conditions, and ultimately impact a plant's survival.

The first skirmish was fought last week in what could be a long war over a revolutionary patent on gene-editing technology, with colossal amounts of money at stake.

Waterhemp has been locked in an arms race with farmers for decades. Nearly every time farmers attack the weed with a new herbicide, waterhemp becomes resistant to it, reducing or eliminating the efficacy of the chemical. ...

The last Neanderthal died 40,000 years ago, but much of their genome lives on, in bits and pieces, through modern humans. The impact of Neanderthals' genetic contribution has been uncertain: Do these snippets affect our genome's ...

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Scientists generate a new plasmid-based reverse genetics system for rotaviruses - Phys.Org

Home General Health Losing your hair? Genetics may be to blame

Men who suffer from hair loss may have genetics to blame, according to new research from the University of Edinburgh. Previous research has found only a small group of genetic regions associated with baldness, but this newest study has identified almost 300, meaning scientists are another step closer to potentially preventing male pattern baldness.

The study reviewed genetic data taken from over 52,000 men and identified 287 regions that were associated with severe hair loss. The majority of these genes were linked to hair structure, growth, and development, and researchers were interested to find many of the genetic indicators of male pattern baldness were from the X chromosome. Men receive the X chromosome from their mothers, meaning that baldness could come from the maternal side rather than the paternal.

Identifying the specific genetic regions associated with hair loss may allow researchers to develop treatments that directly target these genes to slow and, ultimately, prevent balding. While these results are promising and could eventually lead to effective treatments for hair loss, researchers stress that these findings do not guarantee a cure for baldness is coming right away. Rather, this research enhances the understanding of the role genetics plays in hair loss and opens the door for further, more in-depth studies.

Co-leader of the study, David Hill, explained: In this study, data were collected on hair loss pattern but not the age of onset; we would expect to see an even stronger genetic signal if we were able to identify those with early onset hair loss. Further research into the age of onset could not only help to identify those predisposed to early onset male pattern baldness, but may eventually aid in the prevention of this condition.

Related: Is glaucoma hereditary or a genetic disease?

Related Reading:

Best natural remedies to tackle hair loss

There May Be A Gene To Blame When It Comes To Your Hair Loss

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/news/20170214/geneticists-hair-loss-men

Excerpt from:
Losing your hair? Genetics may be to blame - Bel Marra Health

Frank Phillips College on Thursday celebrated the opening of its new Livestock Genetics Center in Borger.

The center will focus on cattle embryo transfer: Embryos harvested from high-priced, sought-after cows are placed into less expensive cows that essentially serve as surrogates.

Were multiplying superior genetics quicker, said Byron Housewright, chairman of the ag department at the college.

Faculty and students will use a hormone to make genetically superior cows produce 15 to 20 embryos instead of one, Housewright explained. The extra embryos are then harvested, examined under a microscope and transplanted into surrogates.

Instead of getting one calf a year out of a single cow, we can get 20, Housewright said.

The center will open housing two top end cows donated to the college from a ranch in Stephenville, he said.

The 4,500-square-foot facility will include a classroom and a covered area to house the cattle. Housewright said the center could quadruple the size of the genetics programs enrollment. The program began last year with five students.

The centers $164,000 cost was offset by a $100,000 grant from the Borger Economic Development Corp.

We felt like that would be a good thing for the college and also do something for the cattle industry, said Dan Redd, chief executive of the Borger EDC.

The center was also funded by the the City of Borger, Borger Chamber of Commerce and grants from Agrium Inc. and Monsanto Co., Housewright said.

Housewright said a commercial service to ranchers in the region would come alongside educational opportunities for students, who can earn certification in artificial insemination.

Our first commercial customer will be in June, and its a Texas Future Farmers of America chapter that has had show heifers and they want babies out of those heifers, he said.

This is a procedure that has become very, very popular in the beef industry, Housewright added.

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Livestock Genetics Center opens in Borger - Amarillo.com

At times a biomedical, pharma, or a medical company has one very strong drug or product that enables the company to research and develop other new drugs while their primary drug is bringing in the necessary revenues. But when your big drug starts to see a significant decline in expected sales, no matter how good your pipeline is, it begins to negatively impact other parts of the business. This issue is compounded if operating and R&D expenses increase at the same time. These are the issues facing our Zacks Bear of the Day, Seattle Genetics (SGEN - Free Report) .

SGEN, a Zacks Ranked #5 (Strong Sell), is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. Seattle Genetics is leading the field in developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a technology designed to harness the targeting ability of antibodies to deliver cell-killing agents directly to cancer cells. The company's lead product, ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC that, in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, is commercially available for two indications in more than 45 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Japan and members of the European Union. Additionally, ADCETRIS is being evaluated broadly in more than 30 ongoing clinical trials.

Recent Earnings Data

On February 9th, SGEN announced earnings where they missed both the Zacks consensus earnings and revenue estimates. During the announcement management stated that their primary drug ADCETRISs annual sales would only show 9% annual sales growth in FY 17, half of what was achieved in 2016, and well below the previously expected 30% annual sales growth. Further, it was learned that one of their other key growth drivers CTCL will not get in the product label until 2018. This news caused analysts to cut their estimates through FY 2018.

Managements Take

According to Clay Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Our accomplishments in 2016 were substantial, highlighted by strong progress with our ADCETRIS phase 3 trials: ALCANZA, ECHELON-1 and ECHELON-2. This progress positions us to potentially achieve a series of regulatory and commercial milestones in 2017 and 2018. Also during 2016 we initiated the phase 3 CASCADE clinical trial of vadastuximab talirine (SGN-CD33A; 33A) and reported phase 1 data from enfortumab vedotin (ASG-22ME) that we believe support advancement of this program into registrational trials. As we evolve into a global, multi-product oncology company, we are focused on continuing to deliver on our goals of advancing our pipeline and establishing ADCs as a key component of the future of cancer care.

Price and Earnings Consensus Graph

As you can see below, due to reduced sales guidance, we get a kind of odd graph; the stock price is up, but analysts expectations have decreased significantly.

Seattle Genetics, Inc. Price and Consensus | Seattle Genetics, Inc. Quote

Declining Estimates

Due to the reduced sales guidance, and increased operating and R&D expenses estimates for Q1 17, Q2 17, FY 17, and FY 18 have all see negative revisions over the past 30 days; Q1 17 fell from -$0.27 to -$0.42, Q2 17 dropped from -$0.27 to -$0.45, FY 17 slipped from -$0.89 to -$1.55, and FY 17 plummeted from -$0.18 to -$1.27.

Bottom Line

While the company has a nice pipeline of drugs, the big decline in revenues from their main drug ADCETRIS, and increase in overall expenses has us on the sidelines with this stock until FY 2018 when CTCL gets its product label.

If you are inclined to invest in the Biomedical and Genetic sector, you would be best served by looking into Cellectis S.A. (CLLS - Free Report) , and or Momenta Pharma (MNTA - Free Report) , both of which currently carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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Bear of the Day: Seattle Genetics (SGEN) - Zacks.com

Artists Wendy DesChene and Jeff Schmuki run Plantbot Genetics, a parody of a biotech corporation that develops combinations of robots and plants. Their mission: Spark a discussion about the environment.

The Plantbot duo delivered a presentation recently at First City Art Center in downtown Pensacola.

The talk was part of STEAM2017, a five-week program of lectures, workshops and talks with artists and scientists sponsored by the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of West Florida. STEAM2017 explores how art adds to the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math to examine issues related to the environment.

We use silly singing and dancing plants to call attention to serious issues, Schmuki said. Humor is a way to engage people and get them to listen to your message.

Schmuki and DesChene talked to the crowd of more than 100 people for about an hour. Topics ranged from planting native wildflowers and avoiding the use of chemical pesticides to helping counteract the declining bee population.

Its about being aware of whats happening in your own backyard, DesChene said.

She encouraged attendees to think of themselves as powerful.

When it comes to environmental issues, people often get overwhelmed and think of the problems as too big, DesChene said. Thats not true. Just think of the example of the water bottle.

DesChene explained that during her lifetime, she has seen people go from not drinking bottled water at all during the 1970s to seeing it become ubiquitous during the 1980s.

By the 1990s we were asking ourselves what we were going to do with all the plastic bottles. And now, today, we see that there are opportunities to recycle plastic bottles all over the place. So we have solved that problem over the course of 30 years.

DesChene said the evolution of how we think of reusing water bottles illustrates that people can make a difference in the environment.

We change as a society; we arent stuck with our bad habits, she said. As long as people are aware of the problems and talking about them, we have a chance to make a difference.

Talking about the environment is the point of any Plantbot exhibit, which DesChene and Schmuki stage all over the country in their portable trailer. People who attend their talks can walk through the trailer and ask questions.

We are all about starting a conversation, Schmuki said.

When they are not presiding over a Plantbot exhibit out of their trailer, Schumki teaches ceramics at Georgia Southern University, and DesChene teaches painting and drawing at Auburn University.

I like how they merge science and art to get peoples attention, said Madi Heinze, a junior majoring in studio art at UWF who attended the talk at First City Arts Center.

Others who attended the talk commented about the usefulness of the information disseminated during the Plantbot presentation.

Im getting into gardening, and I want to do it in an environmentally friendly way, said Cooper Dalrymple, a student at Pensacola State College. Its important to keep your eye out for information, thats why I came to the presentation. It was interesting to hear about organic pesticides. I am growing rosemary, thyme, basil and cilantro and tomatoes in my little backyard garden, so I can use definitely use the tips I heard about tonight. I think its important to help out the environment in any way that you can.

This article is part of a collaboration between WUWF and the UWF Center for Research and Economic Opportunity.

The rest is here:
Plantbot Genetics Talk, Exhibit Start Conversations About Green Issues - WUWF