Author: Biotech Express

A new study outlines the use of a specially created enzyme variant that vastly reduces the time it takes to break down the components of plastics. We could even use the enzyme variant to clean up sites contaminated by plastic pollution, say the team that developed it. In tests, products made from the polymer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were broken down in a week and, in some cases, 24 hours – these are products that can take centuries to degrade properly in natural conditions. “The possibilities are endless across industries to leverage this leading-edge recycling process,” says chemical engineer Hal Alper…

Indian branded formulations manufacturing company Eris Lifesciences announced the acquisition of 100 per cent stake in Mumbai-based dermatology focused domestic formulations company Oaknet Healthcare on Tuesday. In a BSE filing on Wednesday, the company stated that the acquisition will be done for a total consideration of Rs 650 crore. Oaknet had a revenue base of Rs 195 crore in FY22. Eris stated in the filing that Oaknet’s dermatology and women’s health portfolio will add to their range of offerings. The company added that Eris’ Specialty Franchise will get a significant impetus with this acquisition as the company will now be…

According to an article by The Wire Science, it says yes the government has lied to court and provided a detailed analysis with the facts which are discussed here. The petitioner, Jacob Puliyel, a paediatrician and former member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), had contended, among other things, that the government’s decisions to approve various vaccines hadn’t been transparent and that “relevant data is not always placed before” NTAGI. In his petition, Puliyel had cited the example of The Wire Science’s report on Corbevax that revealed that the government had cleared the vaccine’s use among those…

A journal has retracted a 2021 paper claiming that vitamin D “significantly reduced the inflammatory markers associated with COVID-19 without any side effects” following criticism that led them to “no longer have confidence in the conclusions.” The paper “Impact of daily high dose oral vitamin D therapy on the inflammatory markers in patients with COVID 19 disease,” appeared in Scientific Reports, a Springer Nature journal, on May 20, 2021. The paper earned a correction on August 30, and has been cited 29 times, according to Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science. The editors said that “the Editorial Board Member indicates that…

A 3D printed polymer glove that can allow an attendant of a stroke victim to conduct daily physiotherapy sessions at home for months, is the latest innovation from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, which is teaming up with the Manipal group forfor clinical trials. The scientists who developed the physiotherapy gloves said similar wearable devices could be made for any limb, depending on the requirements of a paralytic patient. A physiotherapist or a family member can operate it by either wearing an identical device or using a smartphone application. “The biggest advantage is that a physiotherapist can measure the muscle…

Plants can’t speak up when they are thirsty. And visual signs, such as shriveling or browning leaves, don’t start until most of their water is gone. To detect water loss earlier, researchers have created a wearable sensor for plant leaves. The system wirelessly transmits data to a smartphone app, allowing for remote management of drought stress in gardens and crops. Newer wearable devices are more than simple step-counters. Some smart watches now monitor the electrical activity of the wearer’s heart with electrodes that sit against the skin. And because many devices can wirelessly share the data that are collected, physicians…

Sanofi India (SIL) announced on Monday that its Board of Directors has appointed Rodolfo Hrosz as the Company’s new Managing Director with effect from June 1, 2022, subject to regulatory approvals. He will transition from being Sanofi’s General Manager, Consumer Healthcare business in Brazil to his new role in India as soon as the applicable regulatory approvals are in place. “Rodolfo joined Sanofi as General Manager of the Consumer Healthcare business in Brazil in 2017 and has successfully led the organization through several transformative stages, right from the business unit’s inception to it becoming a top growth contributor and a…

Moderna enjoyed $5.9 billion in product sales this quarter, with the majority of these occurring outside of the U.S. The company anticipates that sales will become even larger in the second half of 2022 as it introduces its COVID-19 boosters and SARS-CoV-2 becomes endemic. With its capital, Moderna chiefly plans to reinvest in its 46 research and development programs which include its pipeline vaccine programs for COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and development-stage vaccine programs which include trials in Zika virus and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Notably, Moderna is full speed ahead for COVID-19 boosters despite growing concerns from the scientific community…

According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, more than 1 million excess deaths — that is, deaths in excess of the historical average — have been recorded since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago, and this cannot be explained by COVID-19. Deaths from heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia and many other illnesses rose during that time. “We’ve never seen anything like it,” Robert Anderson, CDC’s head of mortality statistics, told The Washington Post in mid-February 2022. According to University of Warwick researchers, “the scale of excess non-COVID deaths is large enough for it to be…

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi have discovered a drug molecule that can be used to treat diabetes. In a press release issued recently, IIT Mandi said that the molecule, named PK2, is able to trigger the release of insulin by the pancreas and can potentially be used as an orally administered medicine for diabetes. According to the press statement the details of the research have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Dr. Prosenjit Mondal, Associate Professor, School of Basic Sciences, IIT Mandi has authored the paper. Dr Prosenjit Mondal, said “Current drugs such as…