RoosterBio Inc., a leading supplier of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (hMSC) working cell banks and hMSC bioprocess systems for cell and gene therapy product developers, today announced the launch of its product RoosterGEM™, a stand-alone, complete gene transfer medium that is optimized to remove key challenges in primary cell genetic modification. RoosterGEM, abbreviated for Rooster Genetic Engineering Medium, complements RoosterBio’s hMSC cell engineering system to offer a new and streamlined path for discovery, preclinical, and applied product development research - faster than ever before.

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Are you a biohealth start-up in Maryland, DC or Virginia seeking feedback on your biohealth business idea, pitch deck, or commercialization plan? Schedule your feedback session with BHI EIRs on one of the following dates. Pre-registration is required; Sign up here tinyurl.com/EIRfeedback

For questions/more information, contact BHI.

Are you a biohealth start-up in Maryland, DC or Virginia seeking feedback on your biohealth business idea, pitch deck, or commercialization plan? Schedule your feedback session with BHI EIRs on one of the following dates. Pre-registration is required; Sign up here tinyurl.com/EIRfeedback

For questions/more information, contact BHI.

Blu Venture Investors, a Vienna, VA-based venture capital firm supporting the cybersecurity ecosystem in the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond, launched a $25M fund.

The BVI Cyber Fund is targeted at Series A growth companies in cybersecurity.

Blu Ventures has and will continue to invest in forward-looking cybersecurity technologies within core areas that include Endpoint Detection & Response, Data Storage; Web & Cloud; Messaging; Network; Industrial & Internet of Things (IoT); Threat Intel; Mobile; Fraud Protection & Transaction; Risk, Compliance & Training; Specialized Threat Analysis & Protection and Security Ops & Incident Response.

Integrated BioTherapeutics Inc. (IBT), a Maryland biotechnology company specializing in emerging infectious diseases, announced today the receipt of a contract valued at up to $16.3 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop IBT-T03H, a monoclonal antibody for treatment of Marburg virus disease (MVD). MVD is caused by either of two marburgviruses, Marburg virus and Ravn virus, and has reemerged several times since it was initially described in 1967. IBT-T03H, discovered in collaboration with the University of Maryland, has been shown in preclinical studies to be protective against both Marburg and Ravn virus.

May 20, 2021 (Washington, D.C.)- Connected DMV held its ninth and final COVID-19 Strategic Renewal Task Force meeting, where they announced the formation of the DMV Regional Congress to continue the Task Force’s mission of advancing strategic initiatives to promote economic renewal and social equity in the region. Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also addressed the Task Force, where she gave an update on the District’s reopening plans. She also thanked the cross-sector regional nonprofit for its work in bringing together all of the region’s stakeholders for the shared purpose of creating a more economically vibrant and equitable future for all in Greater Washington on behalf of the District and Maryland and Virginia Governors Larry Hogan and Ralph Northam.

Image: https://www.connecteddmv.org

GERMANTOWN, Md. & HILDEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced it has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the fast and easy-to-use QIAreach® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Test.

The authorization means QIAGEN can start making its portable antibody testing device available to health-care professionals in the U.S. Each antibody test takes only about 10 minutes to identify whether a person carries antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a result of prior infection. Individual test results are read on a digital eHub device that can process up to 32 tests per hour – and will eventually also run the antigen test.

FREDERICK, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Maryland Tech Council (MTC), Maryland’s largest technology and life sciences trade association, announced the winners for its annual Industry Awards Celebration. The event recognizes the leaders and innovators in the life sciences and technology communities from Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic Region. Winners were announced at the virtual celebration event today at 4pm ET.

“We are proud to celebrate and honor these companies and individuals in the life sciences and technology industries who are doing important work to improve lives,” said MTC CEO Marty Rosendale. “The work done by these industries is necessary now more than ever to help advance the state and the country. Each year, the Industry Awards Celebration brings out the best that the region has to offer, and 2021 was no exception.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on global health and highlighted the importance of international cooperation to effectively combat SARS-CoV-2. Since the discovery and publication of the virus’s genome in January 2020, scientists have rushed to develop vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics on an unprecedented timescale. To date there are 80 vaccines in clinical trials and 70 more in clinical development, setting the stage for some of the fastest vaccine development and testing in modern history1. The vaccine technology platforms used by the most promising vaccine candidates range from viral vector–based and protein-based technologies to mRNA and lipid nanoparticle technology. Despite these impressive scientific achievements, barriers such as the vaccine cold chain and multiple forms of intellectual property (IP) protection stand in the way of equitable access and fair allocation.

Image: https://www.nature.com

The April jobs report, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on May 7, generated considerable attention due to the 266,000 jobs added being far less than anticipated. Contributing to this topline number are quite a few trends moving in different directions, including a severe decline in automotive manufacturing employment — likely driven by the global semiconductor shortage — increasing restaurant and R&D employment, and declines in part-time work. Ultimately, the April employment data suggest a far more complex portrait of the economy than what is being covered in many sources.

The universal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed our understanding of the lives we knew both collectively and personally. No one is immune to the effects of an “enemy” that we cannot see and at times cannot comprehend.

It would be safe to say that feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness are a normal part of our daily lives over the past year. Regaining a sense of control and the promise of returning to some semblance of safety and normalcy is a priority.

Charles River Laboratories is diving headfirst into gene therapy with another acquisition, this time paying $292.5 million upfront for Maryland-based Vigene Biosciences.

Image: https://www.bizjournals.com

WYNNEWOOD, PA / ACCESSWIRE / May 19, 2021 / Lankenau Ventures is a new business established to accelerate development and commercialization of medical inventions conceived by frontline healthcare workers. It is an initiative comprising a leading medical research institute and commercialization and entrepreneurship experts.

The joint venture includes the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR; the research division of Main Line Health) and L2C Partners, both in Philadelphia and Early Charm in Baltimore.

The Terp Entrepreneur Network (TEN) is a University of Maryland Alumni Association industry-focused group with a broad mandate to foster a vibrant Terp alumni entrepreneurship ecosystem. Bringing together UMD’s significant investments in innovation and our talented network of alumni, TEN generates tremendous value for the Terp community. TEN serves as a dedicated platform to connect Terp alumni with the resources, tools, and connections needed in meaningful ways to advance their entrepreneurial goals.

FastForward U has announced the winners of its inaugural Innovation & Entrepreneurship Challenge, which awarded more than $100,000 to eight student startups.

The I&E Challenge gave students a streamlined process to apply for multiple funding opportunities that enable them to make progress on their ventures over the summer without having to balance a job or internship. All four awards include money to pay for room and board, co-working space at FastForward U, and access to mentors and advisers.

Image: https://hub.jhu.edu

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission announces the appointment of Amritha Jaishankar, Ph.D. as Executive Director, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF). In her role as the Executive Director of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, Amritha oversees all MSCRF activities and six programs accelerating stem cell research, commercialization, and cures. She will remain committed to helping our scientists, physicians, and companies advance their research and deliver cures to patients in need.

The investment philosophy practiced by Warren Buffett calls for investors to take a long-term horizon when making an investment, such as a twenty year holding period (or even longer), and reconsider making the investment in the first place if unable to envision holding the stock for at least five years. Today, we look at how such a long-term strategy would have done for investors in Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (NYSE: ARE) back in 2001, holding through to today.

Image: https://mmjstockwatch.com

(RTTNews) - Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) announced Monday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Vigene Biosciences, Inc., a premier, U.S.-based gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) providing viral vector-based gene delivery solutions.

Are you a biohealth start-up in Maryland, DC or Virginia seeking feedback on your biohealth business idea, pitch deck, or commercialization plan? Schedule your feedback session with BHI EIRs on one of the following dates. Pre-registration is required; Sign up here tinyurl.com/EIRfeedback

For questions/more information, contact BHI.

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Julie Lenzer, Chief Innovation Officer, The University of Maryland, joins Rich Bendis on BioTalk to discuss Ventures, Collaborations and growing the Quantum footprint in the BioHealth Capital Region.

Listen now via Apple https://apple.co/3on1a9C, Google https://bit.ly/3ovfj4M, Spotify https://spoti.fi/2Qn44hY, and TuneIn https://bit.ly/3w3Au0i.

Julie Lenzer is the Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Maryland and Acting Director for the newly-launched Quantum Startup Foundry. In these roles, she is charged with fostering and deploying innovation to drive economic and social impact from both university-affiliated and community based innovators. She currently oversees UM Ventures, the university’s tech transfer office, the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Maryland International Incubator (MI2), the Mixed/Augmented/Virtual Reality Innovation Center (MAVRIC), as well as university engagement with the Discovery District (UMD’s 150 acre research park). An active angel investor, she is also on the investment committee of the $10M Maryland Momentum Fund.

Gaithersburg, MD, May 4, 2021 – Cartesian Therapeutics, a fully integrated, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering RNA cell therapy in and beyond oncology, today announced a $2 million competitive R&D award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support its clinical development for Descartes-30, the first RNA cell therapy for respiratory diseases.

This is the fourth Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant awarded to Cartesian to support its clinical-stage investigational therapies developed with the company’s proprietary RNA Armory® combination therapy platform.  Cartesian previously won research grants from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for Descartes-11 in multiple myeloma ($2.3 million) and from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for Descartes-08 in generalized myasthenia gravis ($2 million).

The rapid development of new COVID-19 vaccines and treatments over the past year is a triumph of innovation. Billions of vaccine doses are being manufactured and should be distributed to all adults globally over the next 18 months. But some argue that suspending intellectual property (IP) rights to allow any company to manufacture vaccines will mean faster access for developing countries. These arguments have culminated in a proposal at the World Trade Organization for a temporary global waiver on COVID-19-related IP rights. 

Montgomery County and the region’s booming life sciences ecosystem is reaping the benefits of a talent pipeline being developed by the Universities at Shady Grove, a unique higher education campus in Rockville that brings together approximately 80 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs from nine different institutions within the University System of Maryland.

Image: https://biobuzz.io

A Johns Hopkins University-led team has created an inexpensive portable device and cellphone app to diagnose gonorrhea in less than 15 minutes and determine if a particular strain will respond to frontline antibiotics.

The invention improves on traditional testing in hospital laboratories and clinics, which typically takes up to a week to deliver results—time during which patients can unknowingly spread their infections. The team's results appear today in Science Translational Medicine.

GERMANTOWN, Md. & HILDEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced it has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the fast and easy-to-use QIAreach® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Test.

In a news cycle dominated by vaccines and an economy focused on innovation, cities see life sciences as not just a good bet but a critical piece of their economic development future. But while many metros believe they can attract jobs with increased investment in lab space, only a relative handful can become new centers of industry growth.

Image: Courtesy Hines Levit Green, a forthcoming development in Houston, exemplifies the spread of life sciences campuses across the U.S.

Breakthrough discoveries and unprecedented capital funding have heightened the dynamic nature of the life sciences industry. This surge of resources should fuel a new level of growth in research & development (R&D) and accelerate the demand for quality manufacturing space.

A longtime pediatric anesthesiologist at Children’s National Hospital, Dr. Julia Finkel has long wanted a more objective way to measure how much pain patients are feeling.

“For pain, we do it very empirically,” Dr. Finkel said. “The patient says they hurt, we give them a drug. They either feel better or they don’t…It’s done in a very empirical way without a physiologic measure, and there are consequences for that.”

Image: https://technical.ly/

About the business: TaylorMade Experience is a Silver Spring-based event management business that also assists clients with fundraising efforts. It is a certified woman-owned small business, has about a dozen employees, and ranked 15th among the Washington Business Journal’s most recent List of largest meeting and event planning companies based on the 40 local events it held in 2019.

Image: Christina Taylor launched TaylorMade Experience in 2008 as an events management business but made the pivot to all-virtual events during the pandemic. TAYOR-MADE EVENTS

Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced the launch of a $150 million effort to directly address historic underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and math fields, and to prepare a new, more diverse generation of researchers and scholars to assume leading roles in tackling some of the world's greatest challenges.

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Emmes (the "Company"), a global, full-service Clinical Research Organization (CRO) dedicated to supporting the advancement of public health and biopharmaceutical innovation and a portfolio company of Behrman Capital, today announced that it has acquired Orphan Reach, a CRO specialized in clinical research related to rare diseases. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Set on the historic Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus will be a one-of-kind innovation hub. The nearly 12-acre campus will house leading entrepreneurs, thinkers, innovators and experts aiming to improve the health and well-being of patients around the world. Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ Washington, DC will occupy a 32,000—square foot facility open to biotech, medical device, consumer and health technology start-ups aiming to develop new medicines, medical devices, precision diagnostics and health tech applications. Additionally, in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, JLABS @ Washington, DC will be the hub for BLUE KNIGHT. Blue Knight is a collaboration dedicated to and aimed at anticipating health security threats, activating the global innovation community, and amplifying technological advancements to prepare for and respond to our rapidly evolving global health environment. We look forward to the opening of JLABS @ Washington, DC in collaboration with our partners at Children’s National Hospital and BARDA to support innovation for patients.