150 post docs from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other institutes at NIH had the opportunity to meet BioHealth Capital Region industry leaders and discuss possible career paths in the private sector at two different events this month. The events, co-hosted by BioHealth Innovation, WorkSource Montgomery, SciPhd and BioBuzz, were held in conjunction with SciPhd workshops hosted at NIH’s main campus and at the NCI campus in Rockville which are focused on training scientists for professional careers. BioHealth Innovation is working with local partners to support the growth of the region’s biohealth industry talent pool with entrepreneurial and commercially relevant experience.

Tell us about the impact your research may make on the world. You could win a free pre-clinical research study valued up to $20,000 and $1,000 in cash, or additional cash prizes.  

SoBran and the Maryland Tech Council are celebrating the transformational science coming out of the Maryland and surrounding area by establishing the Innovation for Impact Prize.

emocha, a mobile health company whose video-based technology improves medication adherence, was named among Fast Company’s 2018 Most Innovative Companies. The Baltimore-based startup ranked number 9 out of 10 in the health category.

PitchMasters™, a recently launched event for entrepreneurs preparing to raise their first institutional or ‘A’ round of capital, has announced dates for 2018. The event series aims to bring together four early-stage or start-up companies and experienced entrepreneurs, investors and industry influencers to hone pitching skills, provide practical insights and guidance, and form new network connections. For 2018, PitchMasters seeks participants for its March 7, June 6, September 12 and December 6 events.

The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) announced today that the 2018 Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research will be awarded to Douglas R. Lowy, M.D., and John T. Schiller, Ph.D., for development of vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes 99% of cervical cancer cases. Collaborators for over 30 years at the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Lowy and Schiller developed the first Food and Drug Administration approved vaccines specifically targeting cancer.

Today, KeyGene announces that its European Patent EP 2813141 entitled ”Directed strategies for improving phenotypic traits”, was upheld after oral proceedings at the European Patent Office. The patent, granted August 5, 2015, is part of KeyGene’s accelerated molecular breeding estate and protects methods for improving phenotypic traits of interest in crops or animals.

Margot Connor has global ambitions for her company, RoosterBio Inc. But she expects that it will stay connected to its Frederick roots.

TEDCO and the Abell Foundation are the might and money behind local startups.

“If an 1890s physicist time-travelled to a physics laboratory today, he would be totally flummoxed. But, if Louis Pasteur were transported to a microbiology laboratory just a few years ago, he very likely would have rolled up his sleeves and gone to work. That’s because, compared to physics labs, not much has changed regarding microbial systematics. Microbial systematics—the identification and characterization of microorganisms—simply had to be modernized,” says Rita Colwell, Ph.D., founder of CosmosID.

DATE AND TIME: Thu, March 8, 2018, 8:15 AM – 12:30 PM EST

LOCATION: Germantown Innovation Center, 20271 Goldenrod Lane, 2nd Floor, Germantown, MD 20876

Did you know you that, by law, you are required to file for and receive a Hazardous Use Permit* every year if you are storing, handling or using any hazardous substance in excess of 5 gallons or 50 pounds? Failure to do so could result in civil and criminal penalties.

The Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices is bringing together skilled scientists, medical doctors, health practitioners, and bioengineers who are working to research, design, and build biomedical devices to benefit humanity, while simultaneously training the next generation of innovators.

Four world-renowned universities are eyeing Hong Kong as a stronghold in Asia for developing cutting-edge stem cell research as the city’s financial chief is expected to announce incentives to make it easier for foreign research institutions to invest in innovation and technology locally, the Post has learned.

FluMist Quadrivalent has returned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended list of flu vaccines, drugmaker AstraZeneca announced.

With federal spending on Medicaid experiments soaring in recent years, a congressional watchdog said state and federal governments fail to adequately evaluate if the efforts improve care and save money.

Tell us about the impact your research may make on the world. You could win a free pre-clinical research study valued up to $20,000 and $1,000 in cash, or additional cash prizes.  

SoBran and the Maryland Tech Council are celebrating the transformational science coming out of the Maryland and surrounding area by establishing the Innovation for Impact Prize.

A key federal committee gave its OK for pediatricians to make MedImmune's FluMist available to patients in the next flu season — a big win for parent company AstraZeneca which saw its flu vaccine's U.S. sales decimated in the last two flu seasons because of previous negative recommendations.

The Maryland Tech Council's Industry Awards Celebration will take place on May 17, 2018 at The Hotel at the University of Maryland. This is our 30th year recognizing the high achievers in the regional technology, life science and government contracting industries.

A group of 100 public universities will work with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities to produce hundreds of thousands of additional degrees while also reducing achievement gaps for underrepresented student groups.

Prior research has found that drinking a glass of red wine a day may protect against cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. The latest laboratory studies by researchers in Spain now suggest that the polyphenols in red wine could also protect against the bacteria that cause tooth cavities and gum disease.

Dueling neural networks. Artificial embryos. AI in the cloud. Welcome to our annual list of the 10 technology advances we think will shape the way we work and live now and for years to come.

Kenneth Frazier, the CEO of the pharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of North America, discusses his upbringing and how it influences his leadership as chief executive. He is one of the few African-American CEOs in the Fortune 500, and shot to prominence after resigning from a council advising the Trump White House. Frazier discusses the importance of values in leadership and how Merck thinks about R&D and drug prices.

It’s great to start with a big dream as you contemplate a new business, but finding the money you need takes more than dreaming. As an advisor to young entrepreneurs, I find that many are a bit naïve about how the investment process really works. For example, I just read an otherwise impressive business plan last week from a first-timer who asked for $10 million to get started.

Johns Hopkins students have access to a new funding source designed to ignite innovative ideas that may one day develop into the next great company founded by a university student.

Our region has a vibrant innovation ecosystem that is one of the most important in the United States. Advanced technologies that drive the country’s economy are nurtured here and further developed and deployed by our highly talented workforce and entrepreneurs. People often don’t see the scale and depth of our innovation and entrepreneurship activity because they focus on the wrong metric.

Shares of Gaithersburg-based Novavax Inc. have spiked again, jumping by 18 percent during Friday trading, as the company is increasingly considered a promising acquisition target.

The big headline out of the health care M&A world today is Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Flatiron Health, the Alphabet-backed, cancer-focused digital health analytics upstart that’s attempting to use real world patient information and big data to spur better oncology R&D.

Congress recently enacted the most significant overhaul to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (the Code) in decades. The legislation, commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act), includes a number of changes to the Code that apply to corporate and pass-through businesses. This Q&A summarizes the key tax and employee benefits changes in the Act that impact domestic emerging growth enterprises and start-ups. For additional information on the Act, see our prior alerts: Congress Passes Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and U.S. House and Senate Pass Reconciled Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Seventy-five years ago, Silicon Valley was fruit orchids and Detroit was dominating the most exciting industry in the nation. "Things can change," Steve Case said of the tidal shifts of the U.S. innovation economy.

Roche Holding will buy Flatiron Health and its cancer-focused medical records technology for $1.9 billion, as drugmakers increasingly mine data to develop new oncology treatments.

A lot of great things happened this Valentine's Day - countless couples celebrated their love with chocolate, roses, and dates. However, there was one thing that stood out to me: Under Amour CEO Kevin Plank posted his first LinkedIn article. 

Weekly NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

The following funding opportunity announcements from the NHLBI or other components of the National Institutes of Health, might be of interest:

Elon Musk's plan to build a hyperloop tunnel to allow travel from D.C. to New York in under 30 minutes appears to be gaining traction with District officials. 

The Food and Drug Administration plans to use a proposed $400 million boost in federal funding to focus on a range of innovative approaches to speed the approval of new medical devices and create a new center that would support digital health oversight and address cybersecurity concerns.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University believe robots could learn a thing or two from nature's most adaptable pest — the cockroach. The insect can navigate almost any terrain, thanks to over 300 million years of evolution. Scientists filmed the cockroaches running obstacle courses and captured their movements using high-speed cameras. The footage was then analyzed and adapted for a six-legged robot to repeat the movements. Researchers hope this work can eventually be used in search and rescue missions during natural disasters.

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) celebrates its 25 years anniversary this year.

Innovators Magazine is a media partner with one of BIO’S flagship annual events, the World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, and we’ve distributed special Congress editions at the last two instalments, in San Diego and Montréal.