The technology works by placing a very fine apparatus called a scaffold, which is made of polymer fibres hundreds of times finer than a human hair, in place of a missing limb or damaged organ. The scaffold acts as a guide for cells to grab onto so they can begin to rebuild missing bones and tissue. The tissue grows through tiny holes in the scaffold, in the same way a vine snakes its way up a trellis.

Spun from a common blood protein, the material could be used to make the thin threads needed for wound sutures, larger dressings for wounds, and other anti-adhesion membranes used in abdominal surgery, according to Technion researchers Eyal Zussman, Arie Admon and their colleagues.

Since it is made entirely from biological material, with no synthetic additives, the material is more likely to integrate with the body's natural tissues and leave less of a scar, which could make it ideal for wound closure after Caesarean surgery or cosmetic procedures, Zussman said.

Scientists have found a way to get damaged nerve cells in the brains of mice to repair themselves, a finding that may lead to new treatments for spinal cord and brain injuries.

By turning off proteins that keep nerve cell growth in check, the researchers were able to stimulate regrowth in mice with damaged optic nerves, they reported on Thursday.

[the] team focused on a gene network called the mTOR pathway, which is very active when young nerve cells are first growing but becomes less active once nerve cells mature.

Nerve injury appears to shut down this network completely. And two proteins -- PTEN and TSC1 -- appear to be responsible for silencing this pathway, the researchers discovered.

"If we get rid of (those proteins), axons can regenerate very dramatically,"

Published in the November 4, 2008 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, the study showed that levels of growth hormone (GH) and of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF- I) in seniors who took MK-677 increased to those found in healthy young adults. The drug restored 20 percent of muscle mass loss associated with normal aging.

A shortage of naturally-occurring bacteria is thought to trigger the inflammatory gastrointestinal disorder by over-stimulating the immune system.

Now a French team has highlighted the bug, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which they show secretes biochemicals that reduce inflammation.

The study appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In 2005, Bruce Chesebro's team at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, discovered that prions need a string of molecules that acts as an "anchor" to be toxic.

Prions that usually cause the disease scrapie in sheep and goats proved unable to perform their usual toxic tricks in mice when stripped of their anchors (Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.1110837).
Construction kit

But the role the anchor plays in disease is still unknown. That's why Christian Becker at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund and colleagues have built a synthetic prion, complete with anchor.

The scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus lives in the Middle East. Among the powerful cocktail of neurotoxins packed into its venom is a peptide that is non-toxic to humans and binds to a receptor found only on some tumor cells. ...

To see if the peptide could deliver lethal doses of radioactivity to cancer cells, researchers at the company have attached radioactive iodine isotopes to it.

... researchers at the University of Chicago in Illinois have begun injecting TM601 into the bloodstream of people with different types of malignant brain cancer. This latest trial will allow the company to test whether TM601 can seek out and kill secondary tumors throughout the body, as well as known primary ones.

Senior R&D Scientist

MindPharm is partnering with a growing developer and manufacturer of rapid detection technologies. The company is developing a novel biosensor technology which allows for extremely rapid detection of bacteria, viruses, and protein targets at previously unseen levels of sensitivity and specificity. With facilities in Rockville, MD the following position will have the opportunity to lead the ongoing investigations for the development of long term stability and assay preservation.

Location:

Rockville, MD

Reporting to:

Vice President of Research

Technology Description:

The patented biosensor system is capable of generating a result in less than five minutes, making it one of the most rapid methods available. In addition, biosensors can be engineered to detect one target or several targets of interest simultaneously and used to perform a wide variety of bioassays. Designed for portable, real-time detection, minimally skilled personnel can perform tests at the site of sampling using small, transportable instrumentation.

The company has obtained exclusive rights to the technology in several fields and focuses on applications requiring a high degree of speed, portability, and sensitivity in testing capabilities. The company's technology is expected to have broad applications in food testing, animal health and human health care.

Position Description:

The R&D Scientist will work extensively in cell / molecular biology to create new cell based assays for the detection of bacterial organisms. This role will span the spectrum from research to technical support and draw upon a broad skill set to span early research through full range of product conceptualization, development and optimization.

Responsibilities

• Develop products

• Create new cell based assays

• Sample preparation (collect, break down, minimize inhibitory factors, etc.)

• Initial evaluation of biosensor

• Assay optimization (Experimental design)

Educational Background

PhD in Molecular / Cell Biology and 3+ years of experience

- or -

MS in Molecular / Cell Biology and 5+ years of experience

Qualifications

• Immunology based assays

• Microbiology / bacteria

• Cell biology

• Molecular Biology

Competencies:

• Conceptual thinker

• Trouble shooter / problem solver

• Ability to implement programs with minimal direction

• Lab / bench based person

• Can work independently

• Comfortable and experienced working with bacteria

• Commercial experience working with customers

Technical skills:

• Mammalian cell culture

• Molecular cloning techniques

• PCR

• Engineering of stable mammalian cells

• Assay development and optimization

• Antibody-based assays (ELISA, western blotting)

• Basic microbiological techniques

• Strong problem solving / Trouble shooting skills

For consideration please contact: stephanie.miller@mindpharm.net

Biosensor Development Scientist

MindPharm is partnering with a growing developer and manufacturer of rapid detection technologies. The company is developing a novel biosensor technology which allows for extremely rapid detection of bacteria, viruses, and protein targets at previously unseen levels of sensitivity and specificity. With facilities in Rockville, MD the following position will have the opportunity to lead the ongoing investigations for the development of long term stability and assay preservation.

Location:

Rockville, MD

Reporting to:

Vice President of Research

Technology Description:

The patented biosensor system is capable of generating a result in less than five minutes, making it one of the most rapid methods available. In addition, biosensors can be engineered to detect one target or several targets of interest simultaneously and used to perform a wide variety of bioassays. Designed for portable, real-time detection, minimally skilled personnel can perform tests at the site of sampling using small, transportable instrumentation.

The company has obtained exclusive rights to the technology in several fields and focuses on applications requiring a high degree of speed, portability, and sensitivity in testing capabilities. The company's technology is expected to have broad applications in food testing, animal health and human health care.

Position Description:

The Scientist will be responsible for the development and application of new methods for enhancing the stability of the proprietary B cell reagent, with the goal of providing prolonged stability (months to years) at ambient or refrigerated temperatures.

• Work closely with the R&D team and industry subject matter experts to develop and apply new methods for B cell preservation

• Work closely with consultants/collaborators involved in B cell preservation efforts

• Characterize effects of preservation and storage on functional properties of proprietary B cells

• Work with Manufacturing team to integrate new methods into the manufacturing process

Position Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of the Scientist will include, but are not limited to:

• Integrate and develop new methods for B cell preservation to provide long-term stability at refrigerated/ambient temperatures

• Culture and manipulation of proprietary B cells

• Identification of methods for B cell stabilization through survey of published literature and discussion with subject matter experts

• Interacting with and supporting collaborators to facilitate progress

• Applying new methods to validate their utility

• Optimizing preservation methods

• Identifying new opportunities for applying the technology to meet market opportunities.

• Working as part of a scientific team

• Providing technical presentations at trade shows

• Writing grant applications

• Keeping abreast of competing technologies in the public and private sectors

• Identifying and sharing market-sensitive information and intelligence to the management team, and suggesting new strategies where appropriate.

Background and Experience:

• PhD in life sciences with experience in cell biology and molecular biology ( >3 years of experience)

• Solid understanding of principles of mammalian cell biology

• Experience with high-temperature long-term stabilization of mammalian cells is a plus

• Working knowledge of microbiology and immunology mechanisms

• Familiarity with Design Control, in vitro diagnostics or product development is a plus

• Strong verbal and written skills

• Effective presenting technical information to large groups

Technical skills:

• Mammalian cell culture

• Molecular cloning techniques

• PCR

• Engineering of stable mammalian cells

• Assay development and optimization

• Antibody-based assays (ELISA, western blotting)

• Basic microbiological techniques

• Strong problem solving / Trouble shooting skills

For consideration please contact: stephanie.miller@mindpharm.net

Biosensor Process Engineer

MindPharm is partnering with a growing developer and manufacturer of rapid detection technologies. The company is developing a novel biosensor technology which allows for extremely rapid detection of bacteria, viruses, and protein targets at previously unseen levels of sensitivity and specificity. With facilities in Rockville, MD the following position will have the opportunity to lead the ongoing efforts to expand and improve manufacturing technology for this innovative assay platform.

Location:

Rockville, MD

Reporting to:

Vice President of Research

Technology Description:

The patented biosensor system is capable of generating a result in less than five minutes, making it one of the most rapid methods available. In addition, biosensors can be engineered to detect one target or several targets of interest simultaneously and used to perform a wide variety of bioassays. Designed for portable, real-time detection, minimally skilled personnel can perform tests at the site of sampling using small, transportable instrumentation.

The company has obtained exclusive rights to the technology in several fields and focuses on applications requiring a high degree of speed, portability, and sensitivity in testing capabilities. The company's technology is expected to have broad applications in food testing, animal health and human health care.

THE POSITION

The company launched their proprietary air testing applications in late 2007 and are in the process of scaling up cartridge manufacturing capacity. We are looking for a smart, innovative, hard working engineer to expand manufacturing capabilities. (This role will span a spectrum from supply chain, manufacturing process improvement, product assembly, quality control, process improvement, staffing, training and technical support). Initially this position will be very hands-on. As volumes grow the process engineer will help to build the organization and systems required to meet customer requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design and implementation of manufacturing processes, instrumentation and equipment for manufacturing scale-up. Provides expertise in equipment engineering, design and process scale-up. Establishes equipment specifications and manufacturing process improvement programs. Involved in new product scale-up, process optimization, technology transfer and process validation activities. (96101)

• Develops and maintains quality standards for processing materials into finished products. Designs and implements methods and procedures for inspecting and testing products. (93121)

• Performs a wide variety of activities to ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements (audits, training and documentation reviews, writes SOP?s / QC procedures) (93001)

• Evaluates and implements protocols / methods to inspect and test, in-process materials and finished goods. Performs analysis and identifies trends in the inspection of in-process and finished products. Implements corrective action when necessary (92121)

• Collects data, performs analysis and identifies trends in inspection and finished products

• Recommends and implements corrective action to address process or customer concerns

Educational Background

BS / MS - Biomedical / Chemical / Mechanical Engineering with 4 ? 5 years of experience.

Qualifications

Lean / Six Sigma

Manufacturing experience (preferably in the life science industry)

Previous military experience is a plus

The ability to work well in a team environment

Strong oral, written and presentation skills

Working knowledge of ISO

Trouble shooting skills

Works independently

Deals effectively with ambiguity

For consideration please contact: stephanie.miller@mindpharm.net

A sample of the body's white blood cells is taken and treated with a cocktail of steroids and vitamins which transforms a particular type of immune cell called a dendritic cell into a "tolerant" state.

These cells are then injected back into the joint of the patient.