Halloween BioBeers Friday

I find it hard to believe that it’s almost Halloween!  This year is flying by.

First things first. The next BioBeers is happening at ImQuest (7340 Executive Way Suite R 21704) this Friday October 28th. And it’s a costume party.  Costumes are not mandatory, but encouraged.  The ImQuest guys are going to go all out, from what I have been told.

I also find it hard to believe that people continue to step up to the plate to sponsor BioBeers.  We have two new sponsors, aside from The Scale People (also 1st time sponsors) and the wonderful folks with the iWIN group at LifeTech.

I have two additional sponsors: Hagerstown Community College and Federal Allies Institute.  I am very glad to share this space with our neighbors to the north in Hagerstown.  We may all end up moving there in another 25 years!

As usual, it’s best to RSVP via LinkedIn, MeetUp, by leaving a reply here or sending me an email to gahaga@gmail.com  We can talk about what costumes we’re wearing because it will be awkward if we both wear the same thing. Yeah.

Jobs and the Next BioBeers

A quick Sunday post with a couple twists.

First, the next BioBeers is happening at ImQuest on Friday October 28th. And it’s a costume party, so dress like something other than a nerd scientists. Come on. You can do it.

I have two sponsors thus far: Life Tech and The Scale People

I still need more sponsors, so if you’re intested let me know.

I was also contacted by someone looking to fill various positions in Frederick:

Manager Quality Assurance / Quality control – Individual who can provide leadership to QA/QC/Analytical groups and has proven track record in pharmaceutical industry. Experience in pre and post inspections, product approval submissions (ANDA, NDA) to FDA, interaction with global clients, familiarity with regulations and participate in management decisions. Ph.D. or MS in Pharmaceutical sciences or related field with ten years of Pharmaceutical industry experience.

Manager Operations Manager Operations – Experience in cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) Pharmaceutical operations, preferably in solid dosage forms, process development, maintenance of utilities and facilities, and planning. Interact with clients. Must have regulatory knowledge in cGMP, equipment, scale-up and production. BS or MS in Chemistry or engineering or related sciences with a minimum of seven years of experience in a reputable pharmaceutical company.

Two other positions in a new Lab:  Post Doc and Technician 

 The effort will include engineering proteins and biomaterials for regenerative medical applications using human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Other projects will include developing methods to characterize cell growth and differentiation of MSCs in 3-D tissue culture; applying protein engineering methods to discover sequences that enhance protein affinity, stability, or expression; designing and fabricating bioactive scaffolds; and, in vivo

characterization of candidate scaffolds. A Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, or related field with lab or industry experience in molecular biology and cloning; protein engineering,

expression and purification; biomaterials engineering; and MSC biology is preferred.

if you’re interested, let me know aqnd I will route you apopropriately:  gahaga@gmail.com

BioBeers on Friday

I’ve been waiting until the last minute to remind everyone BioBeers is this Friday, August 19th starting at 4:30 PM at The Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITCI), 4539 Metropolitan Court 21704. 

I was waiting because I had a couple people fighting over the last sponsorship spot.  The Lucky winners this month are The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, FITCI and Meridian Biogroup.

Don’t forget, we’re going rain or shine (never know what the weather will bring but I think it’s supposed to be a nice day with only a slight chance of T-storms) and we’re outside, so wear something fun and flashy and Hawaiian or Tie-Dyed.

Beer is coming in a few more flavors this time via Barley & Hops and we’re getting *fancy* food from Olives.  There’s also a rumor circulating that ImQuest, the unofficial Chicken Wing Sponsor of BioBeers, is going to bring some wings to round things (like my fat belly) out.

RSVP by leaving a comment, reply to my email, through the MeetUp group or the LinkedIn Group.  See you all on Friday!

Frederick Company Empowering Citizen Scientists to Do It Themselves in Chile

Just passing along a great write up via LavaAmp partner Guido, who just moved to Chile to start work on a 6-month grant we won from StartUp Chile. Read the original article HERE. The rest speaks for itself……..

Home → News → DIYBio →

Empowering Citizen Scientists to Do It Themselves

Posted by Justin Bourke 20pc on July 22, 2011 · Flag

DIY Bio Activists Seek to Improve Health in the Developing World

Chances are you’ve never heard of Chagas disease, unless of course you’re among the 40,000 people infected every year. It usually starts with a visit from The Kissing Bug, a blood-sucker named for it’s odd habit of “kissing” its hosts on the face during the night. The disease can be countered with antiparasitic treatments if caught early, but once it reaches the chronic phase the best you can do is delay or prevent its symptoms. These can include potentially fatal heart weakness or failure, malnourishment, or even dementia and motor impairment. There is no cure.

Diseases like Chagas are common and can have devastating effects in the developing world. There are a number of institutions that work to eliminate these and other health risks in the public interest – governments, inter-governmental agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO), and non-governmental organizations and charities. Many of their efforts have been successful and well known (thank you, WHO, for eradicating Small Pox), but their scale is limited by the amount of funding and political will they can muster. In an attempt to reach some of the more neglected areas of the world, some scientific progressives have begun advocating a less orthodox approach – do it yourself.

The DIY method, now a full-fledged underground movement, is based upon the belief that the average person can not only become equipped to solve their own challenges, but also contribute to the greater scientific community through open data sharing. This requires access to three things that most don’t have – proper equipment, training and opportunities for engagement. While there have been success stories in the States, providing these amenities in the developing world is a greater challenge. To find out whether or not DIYbio can help solve health issues abroad, several pioneers have begun the task of breaking down these barriers.

Equipment and Training

Any biologist will tell you that having the right equipment is essential to their work, but costs can be prohibitive in the developing world. According to Guido Núñez-Mujica, equipment that is already expensive in Western countries is even more so in developing communities due to high shipping and distribution costs. Núñez-Mujica intends to not only bring affordable equipment into remote areas, but make it easy to use as well. He is the co-developer of theLavaAmp, a handheld PCR device based on a concept originally proposed by Nitin Agrawal and colleagues at Texas A&M. PCR, an acronym for Polymerase Chain Reaction, is a method of copying DNA sequences. Until recently, the process required hefty machinery costing several thousands of dollars. Núñez-Mujica’s prototype, built by engineering firm Biodesic, will be no bigger than a cantaloupe, cost only $300-500 and be able to perform a DNA diagnostic in a matter of hours. That means if you get bitten by a Kissing Bug, you can find out if it was carrying Chagas on the spot. In fact, Núñez-Mujica was recently in Venezuela helping people do just that. He hopes that a teenager or hobbyist will be able to use the LavaAmp for everything from diagnosing Chagas to studying crop famine. “Rather than wait for solutions to come to them, [these communities] must be able to take steps themselves, even if those steps seem small.”

Nina Dudnik, meanwhile, seeks to not only bring affordable equipment to developing countries, but also provide much needed training. The difference is that her focus is on universities. Dudnik is the founder of the non-profit Seeding Labs, which collects unused equipment from labs in America and sends it to universities in Africa, Latin America and Asia at affordable prices. They also provide training both abroad and through intensive fellowship programs here in the States. According to Dudnik, their equipment has already been used by thousands of students and has directly lead to over 125 new publications, two new patents and a tool for diagnosing multi-drug resistant tuberculosis – a disease impacting one-third of the world population and an even greater percentage in poor communities.

Engagement

Having affordable equipment and training is essential, but it doesn’t guarantee engagement. Few in their lifetimes are able to get hands-onexperience with the wonders of science, and even fewer get the chance to create real results. This is where companies likeKeegoTech come in. Their business is built on a microbial fuel cell (MFC) known as the MudWatt. In simple language, it’s a battery that runs on dirt. The technology is still too young to create enough power for practical use, so instead they sell the MudWatt to schools  as an educational tool to engage children in science. In doing so, they have discovered that scientific advancement can come from anyone. Says their co-founder, Keegan Cooke, “MFC technology has the potential to become a cheap and reliable way of charging small electronics, but we’re not quite there yet.  Scientists don’t yet know the best arrangements of electrode material or organic components to create enough power. So we invite students to experiment with our kit and post their findings on our community site. This has led to some very interesting ideas we never would have thought of.” Cooke’s favorite example is an eighth grader in California named Ricky, who alongside his father was able to double the output of the MudWatt from dirt in a local riverbed – a sample that KeegoTech is now working to analyze. But while they see this approach working in the developing world, their ability to successfully focus their efforts there is still uncertain.

The Future of DIY BioOrganizations like LavaAmp, Seeding Labs and KeegoTech have begun to demonstrate what can be done when we make it possible for the average person to engage in science. And they are already getting investors. Seeding Labs’ fellowship program in the U.S. is underwritten by Novartis. LavaAmp was recently awarded a $40,000 grant from Start-Up Chile, a program run by the Chilean Ministry of Economy. But the movement is young and unproven, and the likelihood of continued funding remains unsure.

Still Joseph Jackson, one of the premier authorities on citizen science, is undeterred. A key partner in bringing Núñez-Mujica’s LavaAmp to life, he sees potential for the DIY movement to take off in the developing world. “These countries generally have fewer restrictions compared to the U.S., and enough demand for solutions. If we can get past the infrastructure barriers, some of them could become ideal breeding grounds for open innovation.”

Next BioBeers is Set

I should have realized that having the June BioBeers in July (which was a fabulous event in case you missed it) would mean the regularly-scheduled August BioBeers would creep up on me like streptavidin to biotin and I was ready for it.

I just wasn’t ready to blog it, yet.

{drum roll, please}

The next BioBeers will start promptly at 4:30 PM on Friday August 19th.  The Venue is the Frederick Innovative Technology Center (FITCI) at 4539 Metropolitan Court, Frederick 21704.

Put that in your GPS and search it if you don’t know where it is already.

Sponsors thus far are the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce and Moore Wealth and one more that’s not ready to be outed.

Since we’re going to be outdoors in August, let’s have a theme?  How about a Hawaiian or Tie-Dye shirt theme?  Sounds informal and festive, right?

On another note, the contractor I am working under, Raland Technologies, is looking for a couple more people with Scientific, Training facilitation and Instructional Design backgrounds.  If you are interested, please get in touch.

RSVP by leaving a comment, reply to my email, through the MeetUp group or the LinkedIn Group

Oh Snap. Spit in a Tube, Share Your DNA

Hmm, I wonder how many people in Frederick County just got this email?

Personal Genome Project July 26, 2011Dear PGP Participant, We beginning to collect saliva samples from enrolled PGP participants.

Saliva Collection Opportunity for 100 volunteers We are looking for 100 PGP participants who are willing to receive a saliva collection kit in the mail and use it to return several saliva samples as directed within a specific time period (Aug 1 – Aug 15 2011).  We plan to ship 100 kits on Monday August 1, 2011.  We ask that volunteers return the saliva samples in the pre-paid mailing package no later than Monday August 15th. If we have more than 100 volunteers sign-up for this pilot study, we will prioritize PGP participants who satisfy the following criteria: (a) participants who have uploaded existing genetic data to their public profile (b) participants who have completed the Participant Survey, available here: https://my.personalgenomes.org/users/participant_survey (c) participants who reside in the continental United States Saliva samples submitted to the PGP will be used for a variety of research purposes, some not foreseeable at the time of collection.  Currently, the PGP plans to study to saliva samples in several ways, including: telomere measurement, whole genome sequencing, and epigenetic profiling. Any saliva you submit may be analyzed for these or other purposes, as described in the PGP consent form.  We also plan to evaluate low-cost saliva collection kits and protocols for working with saliva samples.  This saliva collection is in cooperation with TeloMe, a company interested in performing telomere analysis on PGP participants. Telomere analysis, genome sequences, and other data will be shared with PGP participants and made publicly available according to the procedures outlined in the consent form.  As with other forms of specimen analysis in the PGP, results are not guaranteed and the analysis may take months, or possibly a year or more, to complete. Timeline: July 26th (Tuesday): Announcement email sent to all enrolled PGP participants. July 28th (Thursday): Deadline for PGP participants to volunteer for this saliva collection opportunity. July 29th (Friday): Email applicants and let them know whether they have been selected. August 1st (Monday):  Begin to mail 100 saliva kits via USPS standard mail. August 15th (Monday): We request participating volunteers to return saliva samples no later than Monday, August 15th. We plan to expand saliva collection to everyone in the research study as soon as we evaluate our performance with processing these 100 samples.  So, if you are not selected for this round, there will be additional opportunities in the near future. Do you wish to volunteer for this effort?  You can learn more and sign-up here: https://my.personalgenomes.org/pages/studies

Thanks for your time and support of the PGP. Sincerely,   PGP Staff

Biotech Connect

The Dog Days of Summer are here and the Biotech Livin’ in Frederick is easy……

I’m setting up a couple of events you all may be interested in.  First and foremost, working on the next BioBeers in August at “The Incubator” aka the Frederick Innovative Technology Center or FITCI for short.  I have one firm sponsor and could use one or two more, if you are interested.  No date, at his point in time.

Just got out of a great meeting at the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce with Frank and SAIC-Frederick.  We’re setting up, with Frank’s help, the next Tech Connect for Bio event at the Chamber.   What we are trying to do is to peel the onion back a bit deeper and give local companies more insight into what is going on at Fort Detrcik and how they can participate as either a partner in providing goods and services or in licencing out technologies developed on the Fort for commercial purposes.   This is the main reason Jim Hartley and I started BioBeers in the first place.  Jim is working with our old (I say that with the best intent) friend Deb on this amazing system they have developed:

You need to scroll over to the right hand column and pick the “SAIC-Frederick Targeted Protein Delivery” icon to see their video.  I don’t know how to copy and attach a flash file.  As you’ll see from the viseo, they even roped in another former LifeTech employee, Dave Hoekzema, to lead the commercialization effort.  It’s like the holy trinity of innovation that the fools formerly in charge of  Invitrogen jettisoned.

The third thing is an event I am helping to set up.  Lilypons Water Gardens has an annual wine festival and Dog Jumping contest.  You know those events you may have seen on ESPN where the dog sprints down a dock and leaps as far as they can into the water chasing a decoy?   So I was there in my official capacity as a  Chamber of Commerce Ambassador talking to Margret about trying to find out if they could use spent grains from beer making as fish food and she mentions their annual event, The Puppy Palooza on Sept 3rd & 4th.  Margret mentioned that the crowd was more of a “beer crowd” than a wine crowd and if I knew anyone she could talk to about making this a Beerfest?  In case you didn’t know, we have a local brewery call “Flying Dog.”  I know some people there and we’re going to make it happen.  The 1st ever Flying Dog competition at Lilypons sponsored by Flying Dog and hopefully represented by all of the local breweries.  Stay tuned!

June BioBeers in July: Proof it happened

After a near wash-out, loading kegs into the truck in a torrential downpour, we managed to get June BioBeers in July into the books.

There are some pictures HERE.  I’d load them directly on the web site, but I find it intellectually stimulating to make people work for a living.  Heck, I loaded kegs in a rain storm, the least y’all can do is click on a link.  Here’s another one to the LinkedIn group.

Who would like to host the next event (in August) at their site?

 

 

MedImmune’s Frederick manufacturing Center (FMC) Wins Prestigious “Facility of the Year” Honors

Not exactly breaking news, but since I was a part of the execution of the project in the capacity of a contractor I think it deserves mention.

via FLUOR web site

Initially written up ON THIS WEB SITE, I found this fascinating interview with Aaron Vernon, Biobeers member (although he’s never attended an event that I am aware of), who was in charge of the overall FMC project.

June BioBeers to be Held July 8th at ImQuest

Eat, Drink and be Merry and pretend it’s still June.  Next BioBeers returning to our friends at ImQuest Biosciences.  Hosts for this month’s festivities are Life Technologies Corp., Lonza-Walkersville and Moore Wealth. As usual, there will be no agenda, but come out and mingle uncomfortably with fellow science geeks.  No excuses for missing the June Biobeers in July.

RSVP via the LinkedIn event, MeetUp Group or by sending me an email, please…