In collaboration with Kitagawa Iron Works and JMS Co., Space Bio Laboratories has developed a mass culture device for mesenchymal stem cells („Gravite“) which will be exhibited at the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine in Kyoto from March 4, 2014-02-28 Space Bio Laboratories news release, March 21, 2014
Shionogi to partner with GSK on antibiotics development
In a press conference, Shionogi has announced initiatives to help reduce the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. Nikkei Biotech, February 27, 2013
Coca-Cola Japan introduces „Body Healthy Tea W“, FOSHU status
The claim is on the reduction of fat absorption due a high content of indigestible dextrins derived from plants. Coca Cola Japan press release, February 26, 2014
Hokkaido Food Office announces five more „Healthy Do“ labeled food items
The actions of Hokkaido Food Office are a model for Japan’s future health food labeling system. Nikkei Biotech, February 25, 2014
Group at Nagoya University develops gene knock-out method based on co-cultivation with antisense oligonucleotides
By adding specific antisense oligonucleotide DNA to the pistils of Arabidopsis, a simple gene knock-out method was developed which does not require breeding transgenic plants. It is hoped that this method can be generalized. The study is part of the ERATO Higashiyama Life Holonics project. JST press release, Februrary 25, 2014
JCR Pharmaceuticals and Plasticell, UK, cooperate on stem cell culture media development
Plasticell, a biotechnology company specializing in stem cell differentiation, has signed a collaboration agreement with JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. to discover GMP-ready custom stem cell culture media using its combinatorial stem cell technology, CombiCult®. Plasticell press release, February 24, 2014
iHeart Japan, a spin-off of Kyoto’s CiRA, will start joint program with Boehringer Ingelheim on cardiac drug safety evaluation
The cooperation is based on the future use of CiRA’s cardiomycetes, derived from personalized human iPS cells, for cardiac drug safety evaluation. iHeart Japan press release, February 21, 2014
Takii Seed starts sales of trehalose-containing fertilizer „Takii TreAce“.
The fertilizer, which also contains organic acid and trace elements, will provide some freezing protection during late frost periods through its trehalose antifreeze activities. Takii Seed press release, February 19, 2014
RIKEN team triples yield of PHB from cyanobacteria by extensive metabolic engineering
Using Synechocystis sp. and transcriptome analysis, it was found that overexpression of both Rre37 and SigE led to 3-fold accumulation of PHB. Takashi OSANAI et al., Plant Physiology, 2014, doi: 10.1104/pp.113.232025
Group at NAIST detects marker glycoprotein for differentiated human iPS/ES cells
Makoto ASASHIMA and colleagues at the stem Cell Engineering Reseach Center of NAIST have found H3-podocalyxin glycoprotein to be a marker to distinguish differntiated from undifferentiated cells using a commercial lectin reagent. AIST press release, February 17, 2014