The Economist reports on findings that optimism has a genetic basis.

BIO responds to word that Obama will support generic versions of biotech drugs.

This week's issue of Science looks at a construction pause at Harvard, Frederic Richards, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and more.

James Watson doesn't think US science teachers are smart enough.

A study has found genetic evidence that Estonians are more closely related to Latvians, Lithuanians, Poles, and some Russians than to Finns.

The Medford, Mass.-based company will use the cash to continue developing its 2D microliver platform, which is designed to screen compounds for ADME/tox assessment and be used in drug discovery.

The Plant-Associated Microbe Gene Ontology Consortium presented a vocabulary resource comprising more than 700 words focusing on microbe-host interactions. The words appear as part of eight papers is a special supplement to BMC Microbiology.

3D cell-culture research is increasing, but scientists tend to perform the research in "sort of an ad-hoc way," a Kiyatec executive said. Kiyatec, a Clemson University spin-out, is betting it can position its platform as an enabling technology.

Genentech developed Unison to reduce the amount of time researchers spent on data preparation prior to bioinformatics analysis. Recognizing that many scientists outside the company are grappling with the same issues, they decided to release the system under the open-source Academic Free License.

The integration of ADMETRx's ADME evaluation and CeeTox's toxicity screening during drug discovery and lead optimization will help pharmaceutical and biotech companies efficiently improve their drug discovery decision making capabilities, a CeeTox official told CBA News.

Linguamatics plans this year to continue building a customer base among large pharmaceutical firms, while Bioalma is eyeing the academic market to help drive growth in 2009.

Oxford Gene Tech, Optra Systems, Genedata, Syngenta, Floragenex, National Center for Genome Resources, GenoLogics, Genstruct, Gene Logic, Arizona Biomedical Research Commission, 5AM Solutions

BioRuby 1.3.0, BASE 2.10, MicroLIMS, caTissue Suite 1

Bruno Sobral, Michael Gilman, Kathy Gibson, Uwe Christians,Herbert Fritsche, Dan Crowther

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Applera, and Stanford University Awarded US Patents

DiscoveryBioMed, ArtusLabs, Heptares Therapeutics, Gentronix, GlaxoSmithKline, BioFocus DPI, Eli Lilly, Millipore, Epitome, ChanTest, Applied Cell Sciences, BioTime, Embryome Sciences, Reproductive Genetics Institute of Chicago, Arizona State University Biodesign Institute, VisionGate

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Promega, MatriCal Bioscience, Fluxion Biosciences

Rudolph Jaenisch, Feng Lin, Marilyn Panahi

The $800 million acquisition will strengthen Beckman Coulter's presence in the clinical chemistry market. The firm does not anticipate a change in its current investment grade ratings due to the new debt.

The agency will use the mass spec system in its ARS service to develop screens for drugs in livestock and poultry.

The program will provide $3.6 million to fund centers seeking genetic markers for ischemic stroke.

Mari Baker is leaving Navigenics, Andrew von Eschenbach has joined a consulting firm, Jay Flatley takes a seat on Helixis' board, and more.

From the editor

In review

Bioinformatics