  | Today's Top Story |  |  | | - Gene patent opponents to appeal to the Supreme Court
Groups challenging the legality of Myriad Genetics' patents on human genes say they plan to appeal their case to the Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation are fighting a lower court ruling that Myriad's patents on certain breast and ovarian cancer genes are valid. The plaintiffs say genes are products of nature and are ineligible for patents, and that patents on genes hamper research and restrict access to medical care. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) (10/12)        | Introducing The New Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN. Designed to earn Membership Rewards® points faster:
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  - Scientists sequence the Black Death genome
A team of German, Canadian and American scientists have mapped the entire genome of the deadly Black Death plague from the 14th century. The Yersinia pestis bacterium responsible for the plague is still virulent, and scientists will compare genomes of present-day and ancient microbes in an effort to determine what made the disease so deadly then and how it has evolved. "With a better understanding of the evolution of this deadly pathogen, we are entering a new era of research into infectious disease," said team member Hendrik Poinar of McMaster University. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (10/12), Reuters (10/12) - Researchers decipher genomes of 29 different mammals
Researchers at Massachusetts-based Broad Institute said they were able to decipher and compare the genomes of 29 different mammals, including the elephant and rabbit. The findings, published in the journal Nature, will aid studies that look at the role of genes in diseases, they said. Boston Herald (10/12) - Scientists use cord blood cells to grow heart cells
British researchers were able to grow cardiac muscle cells by expanding umbilical cord-blood cells seven times. "Our research suggests that in the future, stem cells derived from cord blood bank facilities might be used for repair after a heart attack," said lead author Raimondo Ascione from the University of Bristol. The findings were published in the journal Stem Cell Reviews & Reports. Toronto Sun/QMI Agency (10/13) - Experts ID new molecular target for diabetes treatment
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California found that the decline of PDGF-receptor expressions in mice and humans had similar patterns with the decrease in insulin-producing beta cells. Artificially activating the said molecular pathway may lead to the development of new treatments for diabetes, experts reported in Nature. Yahoo!/Asian News International (10/13)  | Are you harnessing the power of standardization to boost your bottom line? Standards and conformance are powerful tools for reducing costs and expanding markets. C-suite executives at major U.S. companies are supporting standardization to save millions and gain a competitive advantage. Shouldn’t you? Visit www.standardsboostbusiness.org. |
 - European Commission approves Teva's takeover of Cephalon
The European Commission approved Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' $6.2 billion buyout of Cephalon after Teva agreed to divest Cephalon's marketing rights in France for a generic version of Provigil, a drug for narcolepsy. The companies said they plan to close the deal today. It was already cleared by the Federal Trade Commission. Bloomberg (10/13) - BioNanomatrix adopts new business name
San Diego-based BioNanomatrix will now operate under the name BioNano Genomics. The move comes as the company prepares to launch its nanoAnalyzer System, a silicon chip-based genetic mapping technology that analyzes the arrangement of an individual's genetic code. San Diego Union-Tribune (10/13) - Oncobiologics is set to open research lab in New Jersey
Oncobiologics, which secured funding under the health care law, is scheduled to open today a research laboratory in Cranbury, N.J., that will focus on the development of drugs for cancer and immune system diseases. Production and corporate operations also will be at the facility. The biotech company, which has 25 employees, is expected to double its workforce by the end of 2012, said founder and CEO Pankaj Mohan. The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.) (10/13) - NHGRI awards $350K for RNA-sequencing methods, genomic tool
The NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute awarded two grants to Lucigen under the agency's Small Business Innovation Research program. One grant for $150,000 will be used to develop a protocol for cDNA library synthesis. A second grant for $199,185 will go toward creating a tool "for correlating genomic and proteomic data from individual cells using droplet-based microfluidic technology," according to the grant abstract. GenomeWeb Daily News (10/12)  | FREE TRIAL – Thomson Reuters Cortellis™ Pipeline Intelligence
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