Cenix, IMM Develop RNAi Screen for Malaria; Seek Funding for Larger Assay
Researchers at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon, Portugal, and Cenix Bioscience hjave developed an RNAi screen for malaria genes that may lead to better anti-malarial therapeutics, IMM and Cenix said last week in a statement.
The screen is based on an in vitro assay developed by Maria Mota's lab at IMM that monitors the response of human liver cells to malaria infection. Dresden, Germany-based Cenix adapted Mota's assay for high-throughput RNAi screening, and a pilot study using the screen has been completed.
According to the two partners, a larger screen is now underway that "will cover over 800 human genes including all known kinases, key regulators of nearly all cellular pathways." They are also seeking additional funding to expand the capabilities of the assay, they said.
AstraZeneca Installs Several Cellectricon Ion Channel Screening Platforms
AstraZeneca has installed several of Cellectricon's DynaFlow ion channel screening platforms worldwide, Cellectricon said last week.
CBA News reported in June 2004 that AstraZeneca had decided to use DynaFlow in its ion channel drug-discovery program. Cellectricon said today that AstraZeneca has placed multiple orders for DynaFlow systems since that time.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
DynaFlow is based on a computer-controlled microfluidic chip, and is designed to be used with any cell, patch-clamp configuration, active substance, and ion channel, Cellectricon said.
Kreatech, Ambion Combine Platforms in New Gene-Expression Kit
Kreatech Biotechnology will combine Ambion's MessageAmpTM II aRNA-amplification system with its own Universal Linkage labeling technology as part of a kit for gene-expression analysis, the company said last week.
The kit will include a variety of fluorescent dyes, including GE Healthcare's CyDyes, Perkin Elmer's Cyanine Dyes, and Dyomics' DY Dyes. Kreatech will also enclose a biotin labeling system that is suited for Affymetrix's GeneChips.
Costs or financial terms were not disclosed.
Tokyo-Based Institute Develops Light-Based Cell-Separation Method
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tokyo announced last week that its Research Center for Advanced Bionics has developed a new cell-separation method.
Specifically, the center has developed a photosensitive base material for cell culture that either increases or decreases the adhesiveness of cultured cells when they are exposed to light with specific wavelengths, AIST said in a statement. In addition, after seeding and culturing cells on the base material, it can desorb the cells, and there will be no damage to cells due to light irradiation and handling, AIST said.
The institute said that it aims to commercialize the new method "within a few years."