Immunology

Study: Innate lymphoid cells are involved in many aspects of human health, disease – News-Medical.Net

Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) announced today that a study about the manipulation of bone marrow stem cells into innate lymphoid and natural killer cells will be published in Science Immunology, a well-respected, high-impact medical journal.

It is well established that bone marrow stem cells give rise to all types of blood cells. However, the conditions that drive this process are not understood. The Children's Colorado research conducted on the Anschutz Medical Campus characterizes how the cancer-fighting Natural Killer (NK) cells develop.

The work also shows how another blood cell type, called "innate lymphoid cells" develops. This latter cell type is involved in many aspects of human health and disease.

By understanding these factors, researchers will be able to manipulate the stem cells and tailor therapies for children and adults who are receiving cancer treatments in the years to come. Based on the results of the Children's Colorado CCBD study, the team applied for intellectual property protection around the methods used in the research, and the paper was accepted by Science Immunology.

We are very encouraged by the results of this study and believe the results will help us better treat children and adults in the future. This significant research and subsequent publication in Science Immunology distinguishes Children's Colorado as a leader in the medical community and sets us up for meaningful advances in cancer treatment and therapies in the future."

Mike Verneris, MD, Professor, Pediatrics-Hematology/Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Children's Hospital Colorado

As the holder of the Barton Family Endowed Chair in Bone Marrow Transplant, Dr. Verneris has relied on philanthropic support to advance his groundbreaking research. In addition to federal research funding, the investment of generous donors played a critical role in this breakthrough.

Source:

Journal reference:

Tufa, D. M., et al. (2020) Human innate lymphoid cell precursors express CD48 that modulates ILC differentiation through 2B4 signaling. Science Immunology. doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.aay4218.

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Study: Innate lymphoid cells are involved in many aspects of human health, disease - News-Medical.Net

Immunology

The global market for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was valued at USD 172.29 Million in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.46%…

New York, Dec. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Market, By Product, By Application, By Technique, By Source, By Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05953172/?utm_source=GNW

The global market for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was valued at USD 172.29 Million in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.46% during 2020 - 2025. The PBMC are crucial to carry out the biology and pathology related studies as well as in clinical research. Besides, PBMCs are also utilized in research related to fatal diseases, immunology, vaccine development, etc. However, high cost of PBMCs related studies might act as a challenge for the adoption of technology, especially in developing economies.

The global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market is segmented based on product, application, technique, source, and region.The product segment is further divided into cryopreserved or frozen PBMC, cultured or fresh PBMC and peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation & viability kits.

As of 2019, the cryopreserved PBMC or the frozen PBMC segment held the dominant market share as they can be used for longer durations of time if stored carefully at lower temperatures. Based on regional analysis, North America accounted for the largest market share in the year 2019, on the back of a number of pre-existing peripheral blood mononuclear cells-based companies in the region. The economy of the region is also rich enough, which makes it easier to carry out the complex and costly R&D procedures.

Major players operating in the global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market include Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Corning Incorporate, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Cellero, LLC, Life Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd., Cell Applications, Inc., DAPCEL, Inc., Creative Bioarray, iXCells Biotechnologies USA, LLC, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & CO. KG, STEMCELL Technologies Inc., Precision Medicine Group, LLC., StemExpress, LLC, HemaCare Corporation, BioVision, Inc., BioLegend, Inc., BioIVT LLC, Biopredic International, Zen-Bio Inc., etc.

Years considered for this report:

Historical Years: 2015 - 2018 Base Year: 2019 Estimated Year: 2020 Forecast Period: 2021 - 2025

Objective of the Study:

To analyze and forecast the market size of global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market. To classify and forecast global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market based on product, application, technique, source, and region. To identify drivers and challenges for global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market. To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market. To conduct pricing analysis for global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market. To identify and analyze the profile of leading players operating in global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market. The analyst performed both primary as well as exhaustive secondary research for this study.Initially, the analyst sourced a list of leading market players across the globe.

Subsequently, the analyst conducted primary research surveys with the identified companies.While interviewing, the respondents were also enquired about their competitors.

Through this technique, the analyst could include the research organizations and companies which could not be identified due to the limitations of secondary research. The analyst examined the research organizations and companies, and presence of all major players across the globe. The analyst calculated the market size of global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market using a bottom-up approach, wherein data for various end-user segments was recorded and forecast for the future years. The analyst sourced these values from the industry experts and company representatives and externally validated through analyzing historical data of these product types and applications for getting an appropriate, overall market size.

Various secondary sources such as company websites, news articles, press releases, company annual reports, investor presentations and financial reports were also studied by the analyst.

Key Target Audience:

Biotechnology and pharma companies and other stakeholders Government bodies such as regulating authorities and policy makers Organizations, forums and alliances related to peripheral blood mononuclear cells Market research and consulting firms The study is useful in providing answers to several critical questions that are important for the industry stakeholders such as research organizations & companies and partners, end users, etc., besides allowing them in strategizing investments and capitalizing on market opportunities.

Report Scope:

In this report, global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: Market, By Product: o Cryopreserved or Frozen PBMC o Cultured or Fresh PBMC o Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Isolation & Viability Kits Market, By Application: o Immunology o Infectious disease o Hematology o Others Market, By Technique: o Density gradient centrifugation process o Leukapheresis Market, By Source: o Human o Animals Market, By Region: o Asia-Pacific - China - India - Japan - South Korea - Singapore - Australia o Europe - France - Germany - United Kingdom - Italy o North America - United States - Mexico - Canada o South America - Brazil - Argentina - Colombia o Middle east & Africa - South Africa - Saudi Arabia - UAE

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in global peripheral blood mononuclear cells market.

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, we offers customizations according to a companys specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05953172/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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The global market for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was valued at USD 172.29 Million in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.46%...

Immunology

Gossamer Bio to Host Webcast Focused on GB002 and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) on December 15, 2020 – Business Wire

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gossamer Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOSS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, acquiring, developing and commercializing therapeutics in the disease areas of immunology, inflammation and oncology, today announced that it will host a conference call and webcast for investors and analysts on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 11:00am ET to discuss GB002, its inhaled PDGFR inhibitor, for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

This webcast will include a discussion of GB002s development program in PAH and initial results from the ongoing two-week Phase 1b clinical trial in patients, in addition to the PAH treatment landscape and unmet therapeutic need. Gossamer management will present along with the key PAH opinion leaders, Lewis Rubin, M.D., Emeritus Professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and Vallerie McLaughlin, M.D., the Kim A. Eagle, M.D. Endowed Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine at University of Michigan. As part of the event, Gossamer Bio management, Dr. Rubin and Dr. McLaughlin will be available for questions.

Lewis J. Rubin, M.D., is Professor of Medicine, Emeritus and former Director of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers and seventy-five book chapters, and he has edited seven books dealing with the pulmonary circulation. He has been the Principal Investigator or a Steering Committee member for the clinical trials leading to regulatory approval of most currently approved medical therapies for PAH. He has served on the editorial boards of the Annals of Internal Medicine and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and as senior consulting editor for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. He has served as an advisor to the NIH, the FDA, and numerous medical and scientific organizations worldwide. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Yeshiva University. He is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and the recipient of the Dickinson Richards Memorial Award from the American Heart Association, the Simon Dack Award from the American College of Cardiology, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute. He was listed among Thomson Reuters Most Influential Researchers in the World in 2014 and 2015, and he received the CHEST College Medalist Award from the American College of CHEST Physicians in 2016. Most recently, Dr. Rubin was presented with the European Respiratory Societys ERS Award for Lifetime Achievement in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Vallerie V. McLaughlin, M.D., is the Kim A. Eagle, M.D., Endowed Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, Associate Chief Clinical Officer for Cardiovascular Services of the UMMG, Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Program, and Associate Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American College of CHEST Physicians and the American Heart Association, and she is a member of the American Thoracic Society. She has served as Chair of the American Heart Association Women in Cardiology Committee, Chair of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Clinical Expert Consensus Document on PH, member of the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions Program Committee, and member of the Scientific Committee for the World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension 2008, 2013, and 2018. Professor McLaughlin is a past Chair of the Scientific Leadership Council of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, past Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension and past Chair of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Board of Trustees. She was inaugurated as a charter member into the Clinical Excellence Society at the University of Michigan and is a founding member of the World Symposia on Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Conference Call and Webcast

Gossamer will host a conference call and live audio webcast at 11:00 am ET on Tuesday, December 15. The live audio webcast may be accessed through the Events / Presentations page in the Investors section of the Company's website at http://www.gossamerbio.com. Alternatively, the conference call may be accessed through the following:

Conference ID: 6947845Domestic Dial-in Number: (833) 640-7726International Dial-in Number: (602) 585-9912Live Webcast: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/ztf8h6mc

A replay of the audio webcast will be available for 30 days on the Investors section of the Company's website, http://www.gossamerbio.com.

About Gossamer Bio

Gossamer Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, acquiring, developing and commercializing therapeutics in the disease areas of immunology, inflammation and oncology. Its goal is to be an industry leader in each of these therapeutic areas and to enhance and extend the lives of patients suffering from such diseases.

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Gossamer Bio to Host Webcast Focused on GB002 and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) on December 15, 2020 - Business Wire

Immunology

CollPlant to Supply rhCollagen to STEMCELL Technologies for Use in a Broad Range of Cell Culture Applications – PRNewswire

REHOVOT, Israel and VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CollPlant (NASDAQ: CLGN), a regenerative medicine company, and STEMCELL Technologies, Canada's largest privately owned biotechnology company, which develops cell culture media, cell separation systems, instruments, and other reagents for life sciences research, today jointly announced they have entered into aproduct manufacturing and supply agreement. CollPlant will sell its proprietary recombinant human Type I collagen (rhCollagen), the world's first plant-based rhCollagen, to STEMCELL Technologies, which will incorporate CollPlant's product into cell culture media kits.

The recently signed agreement follows the companies' established business relationship, which started in 2014 when STEMCELL began purchasing and incorporating CollPlant's rhCollagen into some of its cell culture expansion and differentiation media kits. To date, hundreds of companies, as well as research and academic institutes, have used these kits for research and development projects. STEMCELL will distribute the kits globally for use in the regenerative medicine research market.

"Incorporation of rhCollagen into STEMCELL's cell culture applications sold to researchers worldwide is designed to help advance the science in a broad range of dynamic fields including stem cells, immunology, cancer, regenerative medicine, and cellular therapy. We are happy to have entered into this agreement with STEMCELL, which, as Canada's largest biotechnology company, is very well positioned to make rhCollagen-containing cell culture kits widely available in the market," stated Yehiel Tal, Chief Executive Officer of CollPlant. "The cell culture market is just one example of the vast potential of our rhCollagen platform technology in life science applications. We continuously evaluate new fields in which CollPlant's products and technologies have the potential to enable breakthroughs that improve patients' lives."

Dr. Sharon Louis, STEMCELL's Senior Vice President of Research and Development noted that "STEMCELL is pleased to utilize CollPlant's animal component free rhCollagen to promote cell attachment in several products that support the culture of diverse human progenitor cell types. The quality and animal component-free composition of CollPlant's rhCollagen is what first brought this product to STEMCELL's attention, and the robust performance rhCollagen provides with a variety of STEMCELL media is what we want to be able to provide to our customers. Upon entering into this agreement, STEMCELL and CollPlant will together provide high-quality reagents that will be used to further our understanding in life sciences and potentiate regenerative medicine research."

About STEMCELL Technologies

STEMCELL Technologies is Canada's largest biotechnology company. Based in Vancouver, STEMCELL supports life sciences research around the world with more than 2,500 specialized reagents, tools, and services. STEMCELL offers high-quality cell culture media, cell separation technologies, instruments, accessory products, and educational resources that are used by scientists advancing the stem cell, immunology, cancer, regenerative medicine, microbiology, and cellular therapy fields.

Find more information at http://www.stemcell.com

About CollPlant Biotechnologies

CollPlant is a regenerative and aesthetic medicine company focused on 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs, and medical aesthetics. Our products are based on our rhCollagen (recombinant human collagen) that is produced with CollPlant's proprietary plant based genetic engineering technology.

Our products address indications for the diverse fields of tissue repair, aesthetics and organ manufacturing, and, we believe, are ushering in a new era in regenerative and aesthetic medicine.

Our flagship rhCollagen BioInk product line is ideal for 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs. In October 2018, we entered into a licensing agreement with United Therapeutics, whereby United Therapeutics is using CollPlant's BioInks in the manufacture of 3D bioprinted lungs for transplant in humans.Recently, the parties announced the expansion of the collaboration with the exercise by United Therapeutics of its option to cover a second lifesaving organ, human kidneys.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to CollPlant's objectives, plans and strategies, as well as statements, other than historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that CollPlant intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as "believes," "hopes," "may," "anticipates," "should," "intends," "plans," "will," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "positioned," "strategy" and similar expressions and are based on assumptions and assessments made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Many factors could cause CollPlant's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the CollPlant's history of significant losses and its need to raise additional capital and its inability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all; CollPlant's expectations regarding the timing and cost of commencing clinical trials; regulatory action with respect to rhCollagen-based products, including but not limited to acceptance of an application for marketing authorization, review and approval of such application, and, if approved, the scope of the approved indication and labeling; commercial success and market acceptance of the CollPlant's rhCollagen-based BioInk; CollPlant's ability to establish sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties and its reliance on third-party distributors and resellers; CollPlant's reliance on third parties to conduct some aspects of its product manufacturing; the scope of protection CollPlant is able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights and the company's ability to operate its business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; the overall global economic environment; the impact of competition and new technologies; general market, political, and economic conditions in the countries in which the company operates; projected capital expenditures and liquidity; changes in the company's strategy; and litigation and regulatory proceedings. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting CollPlant is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" included in CollPlant's most recent annual report on Form 20-F, filed with the SEC, and in other filings that CollPlant has made. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and reflect CollPlant's current views with respect to future events, and CollPlant does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact atCollPlant:

Eran RotemDeputy CEO & CFOTel: + 972-73-2325600[emailprotected]

Contact at STEMCELL: Luba Metlitskaia Vice President, Business Development & Licensing [emailprotected]

SOURCE CollPlant

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CollPlant to Supply rhCollagen to STEMCELL Technologies for Use in a Broad Range of Cell Culture Applications - PRNewswire

Immunology

Silicon Therapeutics Announces Members of Scientific Advisory Board – Business Wire

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Silicon Therapeutics, a privately-held, integrated therapeutics company with a pioneering drug discovery platform based on physics-driven molecular simulations, today announced the members of the Silicon Therapeutics scientific advisory board (SAB), which include Dr. Elliot L. Chaikof, Dr. Timothy P. Heffernan, Dr. Sun Hur, Dr. Pasi A. Jnne and Dr. Lijun Sun.

The Silicon Therapeutics SAB is comprised of experts in biophysics, medicinal chemistry, translational medicine and research and development (R&D) in oncology and immunology. These experts will serve as a strategic resource for Silicon Therapeutics to provide scientific review and high-level advice about the companys drug discovery strategy as it continues to advance the companys therapeutic pipeline using its proprietary simulation platform.

We are honored to officially welcome Drs. Chaikof, Heffernan, Hur, Jnne and Sun as members of our SAB, said Christopher Winter, Ph.D., chief of research and development. Each members expertise, insights and direction will provide a tremendous knowledge base that will help inform our approach regarding research and clinical development activities, which will be invaluable as we head into the next phase of our growth advancing our in-house research programs developed utilizing our proprietary drug discovery platform.

The SAB will be involved in strategic discussions related to targets, research and pre-clinical development, as well as the next generation, first-in-class therapeutic pipeline.

Silicon Therapeutics is focused on the discovery and development of first-in-class small molecules targeting key drivers of disease in cancer and inflammation that have proven difficult to treat with prior approaches and thus previously considered undruggable. The companys unique discovery platform is fully integrated with Silicon Therapeutics internal laboratories using cutting edge experimental capabilities in biophysics, biology and chemistry.

ABOUT THE SILICON THERAPEUTICS SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

Elliot L. Chaikof, M.D., Ph.D. is a co-founder of Silicon Therapeutics and chair of the Roberta and Stephen R. Weiner department of surgery and surgeon-in-chief at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), as well as the Johnson & Johnson professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Chaikof is a member of the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering of Harvard University and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, also in Boston.

Dr. Chaikof earned a bachelor of arts degree and medical doctor degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and a doctor of philosophy degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, where he focused on the design of artificial organs. Dr. Chaikof completed his training in general surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and in vascular surgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Timothy P. Heffernan, Ph.D. is head of oncology research within the division of therapeutics discovery and development at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr. Heffernan also serves as executive director for the Translational Research to Advance Therapeutics and Innovation in Oncology (TRACTION) platform, a translational research unit focused on accelerating the pre-clinical evaluation of novel drugs to inform innovative clinical trials.

Dr. Heffernan earned a doctor of philosophy degree in cell and molecular pathology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, N.C. and performed his postdoctoral training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Sun Hur, Ph.D. is an Oscar M. Schloss professor in the department of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology in the department of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Dr. Hur earned a bachelor of science degree in physics from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea and a doctor of philosophy degree in physical chemistry with Dr. Thomas C. Bruice at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Hur did her post-doctoral work in x-ray crystallography with Dr. Robert M. Stroud at the University of California, San Francisco. She joined Harvard Medical School in 2008 as an assistant professor and became affiliated with Boston Childrens Hospital in 2010.

Pasi A. Jnne, M.D., Ph.D. is a thoracic medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a professor at Harvard Medical School, director of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology and director of the Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science in Boston.

Dr. Jnne earned a medical doctor degree and doctor of philosophy degree at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He completed postgraduate training in internal medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital and in medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Lijun Sun, Ph.D. is a co-founder of Silicon Therapeutics and an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Dr. Sun earned a doctor of philosophy degree in organic chemistry from Emory University in Atlanta and completed postdoctoral training in biomaterial research at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta.

ABOUT SILICON THERAPEUTICS

Silicon Therapeutics is a privately held, fully integrated drug design and development company focused on small molecule therapeutics. The Silicon Therapeutics proprietary physics-driven drug design platform combines quantum physics, statistical thermodynamics, molecular simulations, a dedicated HPC super-computing cluster, purpose-built software, in-house laboratories and clinical development capabilities. The platform was built from the ground up to address difficult targets using physics-based simulations and experiments to pioneer a new path for drug design with the prime goal of delivering novel medicines to improve the lives of patients.

Silicon Therapeutics is currently the only company that owns the entire spectrum of proprietary physics-driven drug discovery from chip-to-clinic. The companys lead program is a highly differentiated small molecule Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) agonist for the treatment of cancer, which entered the clinic in November 2020. The companys headquarters are located in Boston. To learn more about Silicon Therapeutics, please visit our website at http://www.silicontx.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Silicon Therapeutics Announces Members of Scientific Advisory Board - Business Wire

Biochemistry

Cortez named interim chair in the Department of Biochemistry; York named Impossible Foods chief science officer – Vanderbilt University News

David Cortez, Richard N. ArmstrongChairforInnovation inBiochemistryandprofessor of biochemistry, has been named interimchairintheDepartment ofBiochemistrybeginningJan. 1.

This follows the departure of John York, who was recently named chief science officer of food technology startup Impossible Foods and will be moving to California.

The investments that Dr. York directed into the infrastructure, training and people in the Department of Biochemistry have been transformative. Simply put, I want to build on this momentum, Cortez said. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff and trainees to continue our shared pursuit of excellence in science discovery and education. The people in this department and at Vanderbilt make it special, and I will do everything I can to support them as they pursue their goals.

Cortez, also associate director for basic sciences research at theVanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, specializes in understanding the function of DNA damage response pathways in maintaining a healthy genome, and in understanding how those pathways are activated. His labs current projects include identifying new proteins involved in DNA damage response and developing cancer therapeutics that target that response. The trans-institutional Cortez lab is connected to theGenome Maintenance Research Programwithin the VICC,the Center in Molecular Toxicology,Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biologyand the Department of Biochemistry.

During Yorks tenure, the Department of Biochemistry became 2019s top NIH-funded department in the nation.

During Yorks tenure, the Department of Biochemistry became 2019s top NIH-funded department in the nation. With an expanded and diversified faculty, he invigorated the graduate and development research programs, building a shared sense of purpose and community in the department. These efforts fostered an environment that supports discovery science and curiosity-driven research, saidLawrence Marnett, dean of School of Medicine Basic Sciences.

My time at Vanderbilt has been a remarkable professional experience and a tremendous privilege. Together, we have built a discovery-science environment for recruitment of diverse faculty and trainees, York said. The commitment to academic excellence and pursuit of transformative solutions to problems facing the world shared by my colleagues and students is unparalleled, and the department is well-positioned to continue its steep upward trajectory. Iintend to maintain the One Vanderbilt spirit of collaboration in the next phase of my career and will remain a friend to all the wonderful colleagues I have worked with over the past nine years.

It has been an honor to work with John, who not only significantly increased funding for the Department of Biochemistry, but has also helped to establish Vanderbilt as a top destination for world-class faculty and scholars determined to make life-changing discoveries, said Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic AffairsSusan R. Wente. I wish him luck with his next venture and am confident that David Cortez has the dedication and the visionary leadership to continue the remarkable momentum that John has established.

Cortez graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with highest honors in biology and biochemistry and received his Ph.D. in molecular cancer biology from Duke University. After postdoctoral training as a Jane Coffin Childs Fellow with Stephen Elledge at the Baylor College of Medicine, he joined Vanderbilt in 2002. In 2009, Cortez was named professor of biochemistry and Ingram Professor of Cancer Research. His achievements have been recognized with the Howard Temin Award from the National Cancer Institute, the Wilson S. Stone Memorial Award from the MD Anderson Cancer Center and a Pew Scholar Award from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Cortez is a member of the editorial boards of the journalsCell ReportsandScience Advances, and in 2017 he was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

While the departure of an esteemed colleague is never good news, we are proud of what John has built and wish him well in this exciting new endeavor. Our biochemistry students and faculty have benefitted tremendously from the hard work and dedication that John brought to his role, Marnett said. We are also extremely fortunate to have a world-class scientist like Dave Cortez assume the leadership of the department and continue its momentum. I look forward to working with him and anticipate he will be very successful.

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Cortez named interim chair in the Department of Biochemistry; York named Impossible Foods chief science officer - Vanderbilt University News

Biochemistry

Impossible Foods Accelerates Innovation Strategy With New Hire – Progressive Grocer

Impossible Foods continues to accelerate its innovation strategy with its new hire of Vanderbilt University Biochemistry Department Chair Dr. John D. York, Ph.D., as chief science officer. The company plans to double the number of scientistson its team within a year as part of its plan to heavily invest in R&D.

The privately held food tech startup was founded in 2011 by Dr. Patrick O. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus of biochemistry at Stanford University, and a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, as a way to develop nutritious meat and dairy products from plants with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals.

Impossible Foods scientists best-known achievement to date is the ImpossibleBurger. Impossible Foods first launched its plant-based Impossible Burger in retail stores in September 2019, and only a year later the product has expanded its reach to big retail names like Albertsons, The Kroger Co., Traders Joesand Walmart.

Under Yorks leadership, Impossible Foods will continue to build its food technology platform and expand basic research capabilities to accelerate next-generation plant-based products such as Impossible Pork, milk, steak and other foods.

Yorks first day at Redwood City, California-basedImpossible Foods will be Jan. 4. He will serve on Impossible Foods senior leadership team and oversee research and development, and product innovation. He will report directly to Brown, the company's CEO.

Throughout his career, John has contributed to discoveries in biochemistry thanks to his curiosity and risk tolerance, said Brown. Just as important, hes a proven and strong mentor and team leader. Im confident that John will make an immediate, positive contribution and quickly become an inspiring role model within our expanding R&D team.

York, a former Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has led the Department of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University since 2012. His team paved the way for discoveries in protein structure and function, cell signaling and molecular genetics. The Midwest native received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. in molecular cell biology and biochemistry from Washington University, in Saint Louis.

The opportunity to use biochemistry to save the planet is a spectacular motivation, York said. That Impossible Foods is rooted in discovery science and engineering as a key innovation platform resonates with my core values and lifelong pursuits in research. Its an honor and privilege to be part of the team, and I look forward to the limitless future possibilities.

Impossible Foods intellectual property encompasses how to replicate the sensory experience of animal-derived meat, including how it tastes, cooks, sizzles and smells.

The company has raised approximately $1.5 billion since its founding in 2011, including $700 million in two rounds this year.The plant-based company said that it raised $200 million in its funding round in August led by New York-based new investor Coatue.

Other investors include Mirae Asset Global Investments, Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates, Google Ventures, Horizons Ventures, UBS, Viking Global Investors, Temasek, Sailing Capital and Open Philanthropy Project.

Further, Impossible Foods has been keeping busy during the pandemic, filling the needs of a growing plant-based category after retailers experienced meat shortages during the height ofpandemic stockpiling. It even entered the direct-to-consumer space with an e-commerce site,indicatingthat DTC is a natural fit for this pandemic worldas consumer behavior shifts.

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Impossible Foods Accelerates Innovation Strategy With New Hire - Progressive Grocer

Biochemistry

Immunovia to Host a Third Webinar in the Series on IMMray PanCan-d: Verification Study and Clinical Use – PRNewswire

LUND, Sweden, Dec. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Immunovia AB (publ)("Immunovia"), a near-commercial stage diagnostics company developing ground-breaking antibody-based multiplex microarray technology platform called IMMray for the early detection of cancer,today announced that the company will be hosting the third webinar in the series on IMMray PanCan-d, Immunovia's test for early detection of pancreatic cancer. This third webinar will cover IMMray

PanCan-d verification study results and its clinical use including feedback from experts in pancreatic cancer and pancreatic diseases.

Event Details: Webinar No. 3:Immunovia's IMMray PanCan-d Webinar Series Verification Study and Clinical Use

Date and Time: December 17, 2020 at 15:00 CET

Moderator for the Webinar is CEO Patrik Dahlen

Presenters:Thomas King, MD, PhD, Linda Mellby, PhD, VP R&D; and Laura Chirica, CCO, PhD, Immunovia

Immediately after the webinar, the Immunovia team will host a live Q&A session.

Webinar login and access details will be released on Monday Dec 14, 2020.

About the presenters:

Dr. Thomas King, Medical Director, Immunovia

Dr. King is a board-certified MD Pathologist with a PhD in Molecular Biology also from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. King also has extensive experience as a Laboratory Director in hospital, academic and corporate settings in New England. He has deep expertise in laboratory administration and automation, surgical pathology, and molecular pathology and is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Health Professions, Rutgers University.

Dr. Linda Mellby, VP Research & Development, Immunovia

Dr. Mellby received her PhD in Immunotechnology from the Department of Immunotechnology within CREATE Health Translational Cancer Center, Lund University, and a MSc in Chemistry Engineering. Mellby has 15+ years of experience in recombinant antibody microarray technology, Immunovia's IMMrayplatform. Additionally, she has deep knowledge on platform features, technology development, as well as, clinical applications within oncoproteomics and autoimmunity.

Dr. Laura Chirica, Chief Commercial Officer, Immunovia

Dr. Chirica received her PhD in Biochemistry from Ume University, Sweden, and a MSc in Biochemistry and a BSc in Biotechnology. With more than 15+ years of experiences in leading commercial positions within the life science and diagnostics industry, Dr. Chirica contributes with extensive experience in business, organization and strategic development, sales, strategic and tactical marketing, product management and product support. She has a track record of leading and restructuring international sales and marketing organizations, driving business development, champion integration of acquired companies as well as developing branding and market communication platforms.

For more information, please contact:

Patrik Dahlen, CEO Immunovia

Email: [emailprotected]

Tel: +46 73 376 76 64

About Immunovia

Immunovia AB is a diagnostic company that is developing and commercializing highly accurate blood tests for the early detection of cancer and autoimmune diseases based onImmunovia's proprietary test platform called IMMray.Tests are based on antibody biomarker microarray analysis using advanced machine-learning and bioinformatics to single-out a set of relevant biomarkers that indicate a certain disease. Thus, forming a unique "disease biomarker signature".

The company was founded in 2007, based on cancer studies and groundbreaking research in the Department of Immuntechnology at Lund University and CREATE Health Cancer Center, Sweden.

The first product, IMMray PanCan-d, is undergoing clinical evaluation in some of theworld's largest clinical studies for pancreatic cancer, PanFAM-1, PanSYM-1 and PanDIA-1and is currently in the final validation phase. The company aims for a sales start at the end of Q1 2021 with subsequent commercial testing in Q2.

When validated, IMMray PanCan-d will be the first blood-based test for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on the market, with a potential to significantly improve patient survival and outcome.

Immunovia Dx Laboratories located in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA and Lund, Sweden will provide laboratory testing services in two accredited reference laboratories.

Immunovia's shares (IMMNOV) are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. For more information, please visitwww.immunovia.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/immunovia-ab/r/immunovia-to-host-a-third-webinar-in-the-series-on-immray--pancan-d--verification-study-and-clinical,c3253308

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Immunovia AB

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Immunovia to Host a Third Webinar in the Series on IMMray PanCan-d: Verification Study and Clinical Use - PRNewswire

Biochemistry

Global Warming Solutions Inc. to move its headquarters to Temecula, California in January 2021 – GlobeNewswire

Jacksonville, Florida , Dec. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Warming Solutions Inc. (OTC MARKET: GWSO) - a developer of technologies aimed at mitigating the effects of global warming - today announced that the Board of Directors have made a decision to locate their headquartersto Temecula, California in January 2021.

In announcing the states new100% zero-emission vehiclesfor new car and SUV sales goal by 2035, Governor Newsom said electric vehicles are thenext big global industryand California wants to dominate it.

The Electric Vehicle (EV) industry growth in California has positioned the state as a globally leading researcher, designer, manufacturer and exporter of transportation-related products, services and technologies, creating 275,600 direct EV industry jobs statewide and shifting the EV industrys U.S. footprint from Michigan to California.

We are excited to have a Companys Headquarter in Southern California. This is a perfect place to grow our EV business. Our new headquarter will have a showroom, research lab and warehouse space, said Vladimir Vasilenko, CEO of Global Warming Solutions, Inc.

The Company also welcome Joseph Patterson to its Advisory Committee.

Joseph L. Patterson holds a BS is in Experimental Psychology and Biochemistry from the University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and a Masters in Biophysics and Physiology from Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

Joseph is a tech and data-centric marketing executive in the Martech/ Adtech space at Claritas, a leading data-driven marketing company based out of Cincinnati. At Claritas, he executes product positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategies for their unique data and proprietary identity-based market research solutions. He also drives lead generation programs to meet pipeline targets, while closely monitoring and optimizing campaign performance, conversion rates, quarterly targets, and overall funnel health. Before Claritas, Joseph was VP of Marketing at Geoscape, a SaaS marketing intelligence company that got acquired by Claritas back in 2018, a company that provided geo-demographic market intelligence and consulting to Fortune 500 clients. Before that, Joseph was the highest-ranking corporate marketing officer at an alternative financial technology startup that got acquired 14 months after he came on board.

In a separate matter, GWSO received a proposal from several private investors to invest directly into the Company. "The fact that accredited investors are willing to invest in our companys growth affords us even more opportunities to deliver positive results. The Company will update our shareholders on the outcome of the negotiations," stated Vladimir Vasilenko, CEO of Global Warming Solutions, Inc.

To learn more about Global Warming Solutions, Inc. Visit:http://www.gwsogroup.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may include predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking within the meaning of applicable securities laws. While these forward-looking statements represent the Companys current judgments, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the Companys management only as of the date of this release. Please keep in mind that the Company is not obligating itself to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. When used herein, words such as: potential, expect, look forward, believe, dedicated, building, or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements made by the Company herein are often discussed in filings the Company makes with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available atwww.sec.govand on the Companys website athttps://www.gwsogroup.com.

Contact:

Vladimir VasilenkoCEOGlobal Warming Solutions, Inc.Vladimir@gwsogroup.com

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Global Warming Solutions Inc. to move its headquarters to Temecula, California in January 2021 - GlobeNewswire

Biochemistry

Excerpt: A Reply to Michael Ruse – Discovery Institute

Photo: Michael Behe speaking at the 2020 Dallas Conference on Science & Faith, by Chris Morgan.

Editors note: We are delighted to celebrate the publication of the new bookA Mousetrap for Darwin: Michael J. Behe Answers His Critics. What follows is an excerpt: A Reply to Michael Ruse,Research News & Opportunity in Science and Theology(July/August 2002).

Authors note: This article appeared in a discussion of intelligent design published inResearch News & Opportunity in Science and Theology(now discontinued). Other contributors included Karl Giberson, Michael Ruse, Eugenie Scott, William Dembski, Robert Pennock, and Jonathan Wells. Philosopher Ruse unwisely stepped out of his area of expertise to weigh in on a scientific dispute between Russell Doolittle and myself.

If nothing else, Michael Ruse has chutzpah.

Let me tell a little story about blood clotting, Russell Doolittle, and Michael Ruse. In 1996, inDarwins Black Box, I argued (notoriously) that the blood clotting cascade is irreducibly complex (that is, if a part is removed the cascade doesnt work), and so is a problem for Darwinian evolution and is better explained by intelligent design. However, Russell Doolittle professor of biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego, member of the National Academy of Sciences, and lifelong student of the blood clotting system disagreed. Writing in 1997 inBoston Review, a publication of MIT, Doolittle pointed to a then-recent report which, he claimed, showed that several parts of the clotting system plasminogen and fibrinogen could be knocked out of mice without ill effect. (Fibrinogen is the fabric of the clot. Plasminogen removes clots once healing is complete.) According to Professor Doolittle, if one component is removed, the mice are in bad shape, but if two components are removed, the mice were normal.1 While that would be an interesting result, its incorrect. Doolittle misread the report.

The authors of the paper wrote in their abstract that Mice deficient in plasminogen and fibrinogen are phenotypically indistinguishable from fibrinogen-deficient mice.2In other words, mice lacking both components have all the problems that mice lacking just fibrinogen have. Those problems include failure to clot, hemorrhage, and death of females during pregnancy. The mice are very far from normal. They are decidedly not promising evolutionary intermediates.

A year later, apparently unaware of Doolittles mistake, Ruse instructed the readers ofFree Inquiryon why intelligent design proponents are scorned.

For example, Behe is a real scientist, but this case for the impossibility of a small-step natural origin of biological complexity has been trampled upon contemptuously by the scientists working in the field. They think his grasp of the pertinent science is weak and his knowledge of the literature curiously (although conveniently) outdated. For example, far from the evolution of clotting being a mystery, the past three decades of work by Russell Doolittle and others has thrown significant light on the ways in which clotting came into being. More than this, it can be shown that the clotting mechanism does not have to be a one-step phenomenon with everything already in place and functioning. One step in the cascade involves fibrinogen, required for clotting, and another, plaminogen [sic], required for clearing clots away.3

And Ruse went on to quote the passage from Doolittle I quoted above. Ruse was so impressed with Doolittles work that he evencopied his typo/misspelling, plaminogen. Let me state clearly what this means. Ruse is a prominent academic Darwinian philosopher. Yet he apparently didnt even bother to look up and understand the original paper on the hemorrhaging mice before deciding Doolittle was right and I was contemptibly wrong. To this day he takes sides in a scientific dispute he shows no signs of understanding.

But perchance Ruse is so confident because the rest of the scientific community agrees with Doolittle (how does Ruse know this?) that Im simply not up to date. Well, maybe many scientists do agree with Doolittle. But those who do are as wrong as he was. In my travels Ive had quite a few scientists sneeringly throw his erroneousBoston Review argument at me. Just recently Neil S. Greenspan, a professor of pathology at Case Western Reserve University, wrote inThe Scientist, The Design advocates also ignore the accumulating examples of the reducibility of biological systems. As Russell Doolittle has noted in commenting on the writings of one ID advocate4and Greenspan goes on to approvingly cite Doolittles mistaken argument inBoston Review.

Then with innocent irony Greenspan continues, These results cast doubt on the claim by proponents of ID that they know which systems exhibit irreducible complexity and which do not. But since the results of the hemorrhaging-mice study were precisely the opposite of what Doolittle along with Ruse, Greenspan, and other copycats thought, the shoe is on the other foot. The Doolittle incident shows that Darwinists in fact dont know how natural selection could assemble complex biochemical systems. Worse, it shows that they either cannot or will not recognize problems for their theory.

Ill bet a philosopher like Ruse could think of some other reasons why a lot of the scientific community is up in arms over intelligent design besides spurious claims that we fail to understand the workings of evolution.

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Excerpt: A Reply to Michael Ruse - Discovery Institute