Kyowa Hakko Kirin doubles antibody production hardware
In a sneak preview it was announced that the Takasaki facility will have a total manufacturing capacity of 52.000 L for antibody drugs Nikkei Biotech news release, August 31, 2016
RIKEN and AIST build stronger partnership
RIKEN which is under MEXT and AIST which is under METI, both among Japan’s most comprehensive research institutions, have decided for the first time to cooperate on a wide range of topics including innovative drug discovery and medical technology through closer collaboration such as joint research workshops and symposia and the exchange of researchers. RIKEN […]
RIKEN and Waseda team synthesize marine alkaloid agerajin A by one pot synthesis
Agerajin A, a marine alkaloid, is an inhibor of matrix metalloproteinases with anti-cancer activity. It also regulates activity of mouse neural stem cells at 10 nM concentration. One-pot synthesis according to the scheme below resulted in high yields. RIKEN news release, August 31, 2016
Mitsui and RIKEN develop NMR-based method for polymer end group analysis
The method is based on multiple 2D- or 3D-WET-NMR (WET = water suppression enhanced through T1 effect) in ultra-high field 900 MHz NMR equipment. This method allows to erase a plurality of signals derived from the main structure and the solvent. Using PET as a polymer, it was found that trace amounts of vinyl end […]
Shimadzu introduces “Lightvision” IR-camera for metastasis diagnosis
The near IR camera will allow intraoperative diagnosis during breast surgery visualizing lymphatic vessels. Shimadzu press release, August 29, 2016
IBL will produce laminin 511-E8 for iPS cell culture through recombinant silkworms
Immuno-Biological Laboratories (IBL) has announced that the company will market laminin under the tradename of iMatrix-511 Silk as a research reagent for scaffolding of iPS cells starting from September, 2016. IBL news release, August 29, 2016
NEDO starts demonstration project on power saving with University of Texas, Austin
The concept is based on ICT equipment from Japan’s NTT Co. which will be used to optimize power feed through a DC 380V solar unit and from AC 500 V high voltage direct current (HVDC) which supplies the university’s computer center. Energy savings of about 15 % are foreseen by this mechanism. NEDO aims at […]
Yanmar, an engineering company, opens 2 billion yen bio laboratory in Kurashiki
The objective of this open innovation lab is to build a frontier biotechnology base in order to stimulate development of new agricultural and horticultural machinery. Yanmar news release, August 26, 2016
RIKEN team improve structural analysis of proteins by scattering refinement software
Koji YONEKURA and colleagues at RIKEN’s SPring-8 center have developed a software ScatCurve which allows to determine the optimum value of partial charges on each atom in a protein. Once applied to the analysis of catalase microcrystal by electron beam analysis or to cryo-electron microscopic images of ß-galactosidase, the charge distribution in either protein could […]
HiPep Research Co. starts PIPLS Pharma venture on drug discovery in Kyoto
HiPep Research Co., a peptide-based company in Kyoto, has spun-out PIPLS Pharma Inc., a manufacturing company for peptides under GMP conditions. Funding is partially from a Korean fund. Nikkei Biotech news release, August 19, 2016