WEEKLY E-NEWS FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER

IN FOCUS FEATURE

The BT Catalyst Interview with Christopher Brodie

From Our Web Site

Inspire Begins Phase III Testing of Epinastine Nasal Spray
The clinical trial is a 14-day randomized, double-blind comparison of two concentrations of epinastine (0.1 percent and 0.15 percent ) at two different spray volumes to placebo in approximately 750 subjects who have a documented history of seasonal allergic rhinitis to mountain cedar pollen.

Bent Creek Institute to Purchase Equipment with $50,000 Grant
The Bent Creek Institute, which studies the efficacy of Appalachian native plants for improving human health, will use a $50,000 grant to equip the nation's first genetic repository (germplasm) for medicinal plants.

OncoMethylome Sciences to Develop Biomarkers with GSK
GlaxoSmithKline will collaborate with OncoMethylome Sciences to develop DNA methylation biomarkers use in the personalization of cancer treatment with certain immunotherapeutics.

In Focus

The BT Catalyst Interview with Christopher Brodie

Christopher Brodie is a bit of an anomaly in the science community. He has completed postdoctoral work at Duke University in neurobiology and holds an undergraduate English degree. As an associate editor of American Scientist, Brodie translates technical scientific findings into articles easily understood by the general public and appreciated by his science brethren.

In an e-mail interview with Boris Hartl, Brodie discusses the motivation for forming the Science Communicators of North Carolina, his fundamental recommendations on reading science articles and on improving understanding between scientists and the general public.

Read the full article.

News from Other Sites

Bent Creek Institute Hatches Big Plans for Natural Medicine
"Glancing out a picture window in his office at The North Carolina Arboretum, George Briggs notices how the clouds rolling over the mountain landscape create a constantly shifting tapestry of colors. 'I believe that the environment a person is in has an influence on the decisions that are made,' he remarks."
From The Mountain Xpress

SouthCoast Bucks Statewide Job Loss Trend
"Overall, Massachusetts is down 100,000 jobs from its peak in 2001, and the shrinking high-tech sector carries much of the blame, says the report. This state was more invested in it and had more to lose when high technology started shrinking. Not only that, but increased competition from such states as Florida and North Carolina meant that Massachusetts now has a smaller share of the high-tech jobs that remain."
From The South Coast Today (New Bedford, Mass.)

25 of the Most Influential People in Southeast Tech: Charles Hamner
"Dr. Charles Hamner has often been called 'visionary' because of his instrumental role in steering North Carolina toward its now much envied position as the third largest biotechnology hub in the United States."
From TechJournal South

Glaxo Makes Deal to Sell Merck Drug
"GlaxoSmithKline added to its over-the-counter portfolio Monday, reaching a deal to sell rival Merck's cholesterol drug Mevacor without a prescription in the United States."
From The Triangle Business Journal

Biotechnology Firm Could Move Headquarters to Nashville
"TyraTech Inc. plans to compare incentives available from the state of Tennessee with similar information from Research Triangle, N.C.; Melbourne; and Palm Beach County, Fla.,"
From The Tennessean (Nashville, Tenn.)

European Farmers at Disadvantage if Genetically Modified Corn Blocked
"Syngenta AG said the European food industry stands to lose out if EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas succeeds in blocking the company's genetically modified corn Bt 11 from being cultivated in Europe. "
From CNNMoney.com

Community Watch

• A report in The Lancet medical journal shows a GlaxoSmithKline vaccine protects against the five most common types of the rotavirus, a virus that causes diarrhea in infants.
• Dr. Joe-Ann McCoy, a leading botanist, will join Bent Creek Institute Dec. 15 to build a genetic repository (germplasm) for medicinal plants. The collection will ultimately include seeds and plant tissue associated with hundreds of native plants.
• Julianne Hall has joined the Hamner Institutes For Health Sciences as a research investigator for the Division of Computational Biology.
• Julia R. Brown, a 30-year-veteran of the life sciences industry, will join Targacept's board of directors.

Please send Community Watch items to Jim Shamp.

Announcement

BT Catalyst will not be published on Dec. 27, 2007.

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This newsletter was sent Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007. For the latest North Carolina biotechnology industry headlines, please visit the news section of our Web site.

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