EDITORIAL

BioBoard

JAPAN
•  Waseda University team sheds light on self-organization of biological structures

SINGAPORE
•  Unravelling the mind-body connection with power-efficient IC chip jointly developed by A*STAR IME, NTU and NUS
•  A*STAR scientists bring to light mechanism of drug for infections
•  A*STAR scientists uncover potential drug target to nip cancer in the bud

THAILAND
•  Leaders in fight against typhoid express hope in light of new vaccines

THE PHILIPPINES
•  GM corn 'enefits poor more than richer farmers
•  Speeding up photosynthesis for better rice yields

AFRICA
•  End of line for hard-to-detect malaria?

AUSTRALIA
•  Drugs to be developed against genetic and degenerative disorders
•  A new way to find out if back problems need surgery
•  Researchers solve a mystery about type 2 diabetes drug

EUROPE
•  Scientists start to tap marine microbes for biotech use

US
•  MR spectroscopy shows differences in brains of preterm infants
•  New device offers hope to people blinded due to incurable eye disorders
•  New Parkinson's disease genes discovered
•  Taste receptors in the gut identified as new target for satiety and glucose regulation
•  ACC inhibitors for potential treatment of diabetes, NASH and liver cancer discovered
•  Benign tumors from use of oral contraceptive have a greater chance of becoming

EYE ON CHINA
•  Epigenomics and BioChain enter into broad strategic collaboration in China
•  China Sunergy's Head of Research wins 2013 ACAA/IELTS Australia China Alumni Awards
•  WuXi PharmaTech enters agreement for patient-derived xenograft models with Mayo Clinic's Center for individualized medicine
•  Merck enters into further global co-development and commercialization agreement for PARP inhibitor with Chinese R&D company BeiGene
•  Creganna-Tactx Medical opens office in China
•  Honeywell to modernize petrochemical plants in China
•  WuXi PharmaTech to partner with Pharmacyclics
•  Novozymes and M&G Chemicals to collaborate on biomass-based plastics in China
•  Catalent's Clinical Trial Supply Facility in Shanghai, China opens for business
•  Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica and Crown Bioscience to develop mouse clinical center and PDX and Translational Oncology Platform

FEATURES
•  Toxicity of Engineered Nanomaterials
•  2013 -A Year of Access, Convergence and Technology
•  Cancer Targeting Nanomedicine: An Opportunity for Drug Development in Asia with Emphasis on Taiwan
•  ASEAN Economic Community 2015: Opportunities for Trade and Investment in Thailand's Biotechnology Sector
•  Quality Issues in Pharmaceuticals: An Overview into Root Cause Investigations
•  Hospitals' Community Benefits: A Measure of Social Responsibility in Health Care
•  Journey to the East: The growing Role of Asian Headquarters for Multinational Life Sciences Companies
•  Therapy for Hippocampus Injury: Can Neural Stem Cells Help?
•  Science Communication: Singapore Science Centre Style

PEOPLE WATCH
•  Challenged to Improve

INSIDE INDUSTRY
•  Nuvilex acquires rights to use Austrianova's technology
•  Cancer Research Technology and Nuevolution collaborate to seek potential cancer drugs
•  JPT and Immudex enter partnership
•  BIOQuebec and Rx&D join forces to strengthen Canada's biotechnology sector
•  Helsinn and Chugai Pharma Marketing enter into agreement
•  Berg and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai announce R&D partnership for drug discovery and development
•  NovAliX and Kyowa Hakko Kirin to collaborate on Fragment-Based Drug Discovery Project
•  Biopharm GmbH enters into co-research agreement with Merck
•  Agilent Technologies to collaborate with University of Queensland on oral cancer research
•  PSR-Agility Orphan Drug Development wins ROAR Award for "Best Orphan Drug CRO"
•  Vietnam Ministry of Health and Quintiles collaborate to advance clinical trial excellence
•  Morflora's TraitUP^TM wins Agrow Awards for the Best Novel Agricultural Biotechnology
•  Europe's most influential Biomarkers Congress. Manchester, to be held in UK February 2014

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