Uganda National Bureau of Standards can now offer ISO Certification

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has been accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) to provide International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Management Systems Certification. The accreditation comes at a time when a growing number of Ugandan companies are seeking ISO management systems certification to benefit from the nascent oil and gas sector. 

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Base10 Genetics

Base10 works with all types of health benefits providers, deploying cutting edge genetics testing and research to improve health outcomes for their subscriber base while simultaneously delivering them significant health care benefits cost savings.

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Medical

Making Predictions by Digitizing Bioprocessing

Article | July 14, 2022

With advances in data analytics and machine learning, the move from descriptive and diagnostic analytics to predictive and prescriptive analytics and controls—allowing us to better forecast and understand what will happen and thus optimize process outcomes—is not only feasible but inevitable, according to Bonnie Shum, principal engineer, pharma technical innovation, technology & manufacturing sciences and technology at Genentech. “Well-trained artificial intelligence systems can help drive better decision making and how data is analyzed from drug discovery to process development and to manufacturing processes,” she says. Those advances, though, only really matter when they improve the lives of patients. That’s exactly what Shum expects. “The convergence of digital transformation and operational/processing changes will be critical for the facilities of the future and meeting the needs of our patients,” she continues. “Digital solutions may one day provide fully automated bioprocessing, eliminating manual intervention and enabling us to anticipate potential process deviations to prevent process failures, leading to real-time release and thus faster access for patients.” To turn Bioprocessing 4.0 into a production line for precision healthcare, real-time release and quickly manufacturing personalized medicines will be critical. Adding digitization and advanced analytics wherever possible will drive those improvements. In fact, many of these improvements, especially moving from descriptive to predictive bioprocessing, depend on more digitization.

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MedTech

Biotech in 2022

Article | July 20, 2022

The robust global channel of more than, 800 gene and cell curatives presently in trials will produce clinical readouts in 2022, revealing what lies ahead for advanced curatives. The impact will be felt in 2022, no matter how you slice it. Eventually, how well industry and non-supervisory bodies unite to produce new frameworks for advanced therapies will shape the year 2022 and further. Pacific Northwest talent will continue to contribute to the advancement of gene and cell curatives in both the short and long term, thanks to its deep pool of ground-breaking scientific developers, entrepreneurial directorial leadership, largely skilled translational scientists, and endured bio manufacturing technicians. We may see continued on-life science fund withdrawal from biotech in 2021, but this can be anticipated as a strong comeback in 2022 by biotech industry, backed by deep-pocketed life science investors who are committed to this sector. A similar investment, combined with pharma's cash-heavy coffers, can result in increased junction and acquisition activity, which will be a challenge for some but an occasion for others. Over the last five years, investment interest in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest has grown exponentially, from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Oregon. The region's explosive portfolio of new biotech companies, innovated out of academic centres, demonstrates the region's growing recognition of scientific invention. This created a belief that continued, especially because Seattle's start-ups and biotech enterprises are delivering on their pledge of clinical and patient impact. Talent and staffing will continue to be difficult to find. It's a CEO's market, but many of these funds' return, and are not rising in proportion to the exorbitant prices they're paying to enter deals. This schism has become particularly pronounced in 2021. Hence, everyone in biotech is concerned about reclamation and retention.

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Research

Next-Gen Gene Therapy to Counter Complex Diseases

Article | July 11, 2022

Gene therapy has historically been used to treat disorders with in-depth knowledge caused by a single genetic mutation. Thanks to the introduction of new generation technologies, the potential of gene therapy is expanding tAo treat diseases that were previously untreatable. Evolution of Gene Therapy One of the major success stories of the twenty-first century has been gene therapy. However, it has not been the same in the past. The field's journey to this point has been long and mostly difficult, with both tragedy and triumph along the way. Initially, genetic disorders were thought to be untreatable and permanently carved into the genomes of individuals unfortunate enough to be born with them. But due to the constant technological advancement and research activities, gene therapy now has the potential to treat various genetic mutation-causing diseases with its ability to insert a new copy and replace faulty genes. Gene Therapy is Finding New Roads in the Medical Sector Gene therapy can help researchers treat a variety of conditions that fall under the general heading of epilepsy, instead of only focusing on a particular kind of disorder brought on by a genetic mutation. Following are some of the domains transformed by gene therapy. Neurology – Gene therapy can be used for the treatment of seizures by directly injecting it into the area causing an uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. Furthermore, by using DNA sequences known as promoters, gene therapy can be restricted to specific neurons within that area. Ophthalmology – Genetic conditions such as blindness can be caused due to the mutation of any gene out of over 200 and resulting in progressive vision loss in children. With advanced gene therapies such as optogenetics, lost photoreceptor function can be transferred to the retinal cells, which are responsible for relaying visual information to the brain. This might give patients the ability to navigate in an unknown environment with a certain level of autonomy. The Future of Gene Therapy The news surrounding gene therapy has been largely favorable over the past few years, with treatment after treatment obtaining regulatory approvals, successful clinical trials, and garnering significant funds to begin development. With more than 1,000 clinical trials presently underway, the long-awaited gene therapy revolution might finally be here.

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Industrial Impact

AI and Biotechnology: The Future of Healthcare Industry

Article | January 20, 2021

Artificial intelligence has grasped the foundation in biotech. It can have the most innovative impact on biotechnology. AI has already established its presence in our day-to-day life. AI has made the existence of self-driving cars possible. Likewise, the benefits and quality that it can contribute to biotech can also be felt. With AI, bio technicians will be able to enhance virtual screening, overlook preliminary datasets from clinics, and decipher an enormous amount of information. It can also help in improving the medication process by gathering and analyzing every bit of information. The Significance of AI in Biotechnology In the past few years, the application of artificial intelligence in the biotechnology industry has shifted from being sci-fi to sci-fact. A vast number of biotech companies like Deep Genomics are adopting AI for making data-driven decisions and use analytics tools to work efficiently. Unlike the AI robots in sci-fi that are ready to take over the world. AI designed for biotech has been designed to solve certain problems or complete a bunch of tasks by using automated algorithms. The aim of AI technology for biotech is to collect insights along with hidden patterns from large amounts of data. All the different industries of biotech including agriculture, animal, medical, industrial, and bioinformatics are gradually being affected by artificial intelligence. Moreover, the biotech industry is realizing that AI enables them some of the important strength to their business, including: Expanding accessibility Cost-effectiveness Critical predictions Efficient decision-making Research centers like PwC have also estimated output of $15.7 trillion by 2030 solely with AI contribution in industries. A survey revealed that about 44% of life science experts are using AI for R&D activities, as well. Use of AI in Biotechnology Altering Biomedical and Clinical Data So far the most developed use of AI is its ability to read voluminous data records and interpret them. It can prove to be a life-save for bio technicians who would have to examine that much data from research publications by themselves for the validation of their hypothesis. With the help of AI, clinical studies of patients will also become easier as all the examination reports and prescriptions will be stored in one place for cross-reference. Furthermore, it will also help in blending and fetching data into usable formats for analysis. Test Result Prediction Through trial and error, AI along with machine learning can help in predicting the response of the patient to certain drugs to provide more effective outcomes. Drug Design & Discovery AI plays a vital role whether it’s designing a new molecule or identifying new biological targets. It helps in identifying and validating drugs. It reduces the cost and time spent on the entire drug trial process and reaches the market. Personalized Medications for Rare Diseases With the combination of body scan results, patients’ body and analytics, AI can also help in detecting dangerous diseases at an early stage. Improving Process of Manufacturing To improve the process of manufacturing in biotechnology, AI offers a wide range of opportunities. It controls quality, reduces wastage, improves useability, and minimizes the designing time. Moving Towards AI-Enhanced Biotech Future Ever since the concept of artificial intelligence has arrived, being curious by nature, humans have started working towards achieving this goal. It has been growing at a fast pace while showing unbelievable growth and achievements at times. In comparison to the traditional methods used in the biotechnology industry, AI-based methods seem more reliable and accurate. In the upcoming years, it will show its success by improving the quality of health people have. You can also develop your AI-based application or know more about it by taking IT consultations.

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Base10 Genetics

Base10 works with all types of health benefits providers, deploying cutting edge genetics testing and research to improve health outcomes for their subscriber base while simultaneously delivering them significant health care benefits cost savings.

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Severity of COVID-19 May Depend on Your Individual Genetic Variation in Immune System

SciTechDaily | April 19, 2020

Genetic variability in the human immune system may affect susceptibility to, and severity of infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The research is published on April 17, 2020, in the Journal of Virology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. Individual genetic variation may explain differences in the strength of immune responses. Certain immune system genes, called human leukocyte antigen genes that are involved in recognizing pathogens, vary from person to person. Variations can influence how well the immune system recognizes a given pathogen. Poor recognition of SARS-CoV-2 could cause a person to be more vulnerable to the virus. “In particular, understanding how variation in HLA [a component of the immune system containing multiple genes] may affect the course of COVID-19 could help identify individuals at higher risk from the disease,” according to the authors of the new study.

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Biotech stocks surge as people are hungry for good news on the coronavirus

cnbc | April 17, 2020

Biotech stocks surged Friday after new details on a closely watched clinical trial lifted hopes that scientists may be close to a treatment for the coronavirus, which continues to maintain its foothold across the globe after emerging a little over three months ago.The IBB, an ETF that tracks biotech’s biggest players, was up more than 2% Friday after health-care publication STAT News revealed early impressions from one of Gilead Sciences’ clinical trials for antiviral drug remdesivir. The University of Chicago found that patients with Covid-19 had “rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms” and were discharged in less than a week, according to STAT. News that biotech firm Moderna received $483 million in federal funds for its vaccine development also boosted the sector higher.

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Selected Notes From Wall Street Analysts On Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (APDN)

US Post News | April 16, 2020

On Wednesday, shares of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:APDN) marked $5.76 per share versus a previous $4.55 closing price. With having a 26.59% gain, an insight into the fundamental values of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., investors would also find a great ally in the technical patterns of the stock movements showed in stock charts. APDN showed a rise of 37.47% within its YTD performance, with highs and lows between $2.52 – $33.60 during the period of 52 weeks, compared to the simple moving average of -26.60% in the period of the last 200 days. Maxim Group equity researchers changed the status of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: APDN) shares to a “Buy” rating in the report published on November 14th, 2016. Other analysts, including Maxim Group, also published their reports on APDN shares. Maxim Group repeated the rating from the previous report, marking APDN under “Buy” rating, in the report published on May 13th, 2016. Additionally, APDN shares got another “Buy” rating from Maxim Group, setting a target price of $13 on the company’s shares, according to the report published in October 8th, 2015.

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Severity of COVID-19 May Depend on Your Individual Genetic Variation in Immune System

SciTechDaily | April 19, 2020

Genetic variability in the human immune system may affect susceptibility to, and severity of infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The research is published on April 17, 2020, in the Journal of Virology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. Individual genetic variation may explain differences in the strength of immune responses. Certain immune system genes, called human leukocyte antigen genes that are involved in recognizing pathogens, vary from person to person. Variations can influence how well the immune system recognizes a given pathogen. Poor recognition of SARS-CoV-2 could cause a person to be more vulnerable to the virus. “In particular, understanding how variation in HLA [a component of the immune system containing multiple genes] may affect the course of COVID-19 could help identify individuals at higher risk from the disease,” according to the authors of the new study.

Read More

Biotech stocks surge as people are hungry for good news on the coronavirus

cnbc | April 17, 2020

Biotech stocks surged Friday after new details on a closely watched clinical trial lifted hopes that scientists may be close to a treatment for the coronavirus, which continues to maintain its foothold across the globe after emerging a little over three months ago.The IBB, an ETF that tracks biotech’s biggest players, was up more than 2% Friday after health-care publication STAT News revealed early impressions from one of Gilead Sciences’ clinical trials for antiviral drug remdesivir. The University of Chicago found that patients with Covid-19 had “rapid recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms” and were discharged in less than a week, according to STAT. News that biotech firm Moderna received $483 million in federal funds for its vaccine development also boosted the sector higher.

Read More

Selected Notes From Wall Street Analysts On Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (APDN)

US Post News | April 16, 2020

On Wednesday, shares of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:APDN) marked $5.76 per share versus a previous $4.55 closing price. With having a 26.59% gain, an insight into the fundamental values of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., investors would also find a great ally in the technical patterns of the stock movements showed in stock charts. APDN showed a rise of 37.47% within its YTD performance, with highs and lows between $2.52 – $33.60 during the period of 52 weeks, compared to the simple moving average of -26.60% in the period of the last 200 days. Maxim Group equity researchers changed the status of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: APDN) shares to a “Buy” rating in the report published on November 14th, 2016. Other analysts, including Maxim Group, also published their reports on APDN shares. Maxim Group repeated the rating from the previous report, marking APDN under “Buy” rating, in the report published on May 13th, 2016. Additionally, APDN shares got another “Buy” rating from Maxim Group, setting a target price of $13 on the company’s shares, according to the report published in October 8th, 2015.

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