Innovation + Job News

Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered the molecular sensor that lets cells not only "feel" changes to their shapes, but also helps them regain their ready-to-split symmetry. In a study published September 15 in Current Biology, the researchers explain that two force-sensitive proteins accumulate at the sites of cell-shape disturbances and cooperate first to sense the changes and then to resculpt the cells. The proteins � myosin II and cortexillin I � monitor and correct shape changes in order to ensure smooth division.

"What we found is an exquisitely tuned mechanosensory system that keeps the cells shipshape so they can divide properly," says Douglas N. Robinson, Ph.D., an associate professor of Cell Biology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Faulty cell division can put organisms, including people, on the pathway to diseases such as cancer. Abetter understanding of how cells respond to mechanical stress on their shapes could lead to new technologies for diagnosing and treating such diseases.

Researchers worked with single-celled protozoa that move and divide similarly to human cells, and watched through microscopes while they deformed the cells' shapes with a tiny instrument that, like a soda straw, sucks in on the cell surface and creates distorted shapes.

During the experiments, as soon as the two proteins accumulated to a certain level, the cells contracted, escaped the pipettes and reassumed their original shapes. Once the cells had returned to their proper shape, the accumulated proteins realigned along the cells' midlines and pinched to divide symmetrically into two daughter cells.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Douglas Robinson, JHUSM

Bathing critically ill hospital patients with the same antibacterial agent used by surgeons to "scrub in" prior to performing an operation can reduce the number of patients infected with potentially deadly bloodstream infections by as much as 73 percent, according to a new study by patient safety experts at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and five other institutions.

Bloodstream infections impact about one in five patients in hospital intensive care units increasing their chance of dying by as much 25 percent. In cases were they are not fatal, these infections can significantly increase the average length of hospital stays by seven days and add as much as $40,000 in costs.

The study tracked daily neck-to-toe sponge baths with a mild, 4 percent solution of chlorhexidine glutonate, given to 2,650 ICU patients at six different U.S. hospitals. Chlorhexidine glutonate is the same antibacterial agent used by surgeons while scrubbing in for an operation and by dentists as a potent mouthwash to guard against gum disease.

Weekly swab testing showed that 32 percent fewer patients had signs of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 50 percent fewer cases of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), when compared to a similar number of ICU patients (2,670) at the same hospitals who were washed with just plain soap and water. MRSA and VRE are the two most common superbugs affecting hospital patients. 

"Doing everything possible to ward of bloodstream infections and halt the spread of these dangerous bacteria is essential to safeguarding our patients' well-being, encouraging their speedy recovery and sparing valuable hospital resources," says study co-investigator Trish Perl, M.D., director of hospital epidemiology and infection control at Johns Hopkins.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Trish Perl, Johns Hopkins Hospital

Researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center involved in a preliminary study of the Hedgehog signaling pathway report positive responses to an experimental anticancer drug in a majority of people with advanced or metastatic basal cell skin cancers. One patient with the most common type of pediatric brain cancer, medulloblastoma, also showed tumor shrinkage.

Initial results of the drug trial, conducted at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, the Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit and the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Scottsdale, Ariz. are published online in the Sept. 3 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The publication also details side effects of the drug, including muscle cramping, hair loss, fatigue and low blood sodium.

Known as GDC-0449, the compound is designed to inhibit the Hedgehog signaling pathway, which researchers believe fuels the growth of some cancers. The pathway was originally named for the oblong hedgehog-like shape of fly embryos when a key gene in the pathway is disrupted.

Related research by Johns Hopkins and Genentech investigators reported online in the Sept. 3 issue of Science Express reveals more findings on the medulloblastoma case.

"We know that both of these cancer types have mutations in Hedgehog pathway genes, and our results with Hedgehog inhibitors could be the starting point for developing a new type of therapy for these intractable cancers," says Charles Rudin, M.D., Ph.D., associate director for Clinical Research at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

In the Phase I clinical study, 33 patients with advanced basal cell skin cancer were treated with GDC-0449, an oral drug made by Genentech. Patients were enrolled at Johns Hopkins, Wayne State University's Karmanos Cancer Center, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Dr. Charles Rudin, John Hopkns Kimmel Cancer Center

Researchers at the University of Maryland Joslin Diabetes Center are testing whether a novel immunotherapy drug, otelixizumab, will help prevent the destruction of insulin-producing cells in patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The center is the only site in Maryland and just 1 of 100 sites in North America and Europe taking part in the Phase III clinical trial.

In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system attacks the pancreas' beta cells. People with the disease use regular insulin injections to help them process sugar. Patients have about 20 percent of their functioning beta cells left when they are first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, according to Thomas W. Donner, M.D., lead investigator of the University of Maryland study.

"Preserving these remaining beta cells would be very beneficial to patients. Studies have shown that when type 1 diabetes patients are still making some of their own insulin, their blood sugar levels are much easier to control and they require less insulin," says Dr. Donner, medical director of the Joslin Diabetes Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "If this therapy proves to be effective, it could potentially lead to fewer low blood sugar reactions and complications from diabetes in the future."

The clinical trial, the Durable-Response Therapy Evaluation for Early or New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes, is called DEFEND-1, is sponsored by Tolerx, Inc., a Cambridge, Mass., company that is producing the drug in conjunction with GlaxoSmithKline. The study is also being funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Dr. Thomas Donner, U of MD

A new $11.2 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will enable researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and three other centers to improve the treatment of chronic heart failure. This multifaceted research program is the largest effort of its kind to focus on a basic question in heart failure whether nutritional changes impact heart function helping patients with a failing heart.

The heart, like the rest of the body, needs fuel to work properly.Food is transformed into the electrical energy that causes the heart to pump during metabolism. Impaired metabolism is both a cause and effect of heart failure. Cell structures known as mitochondria are at the center of the process.

"Years of untreated high blood pressure or loss of cardiac tissue and scarring after a heart attack cause certain mitochondria to develop defects," says William C. Stanley, Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of cardiovascular sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who leads the research program. "Different substances from food affect the mitochondria in different ways. We want to improve those defective mitochondria and prevent the mitochondria from going bad when they are constantly under stress."

Dr. Stanley and investigators at three other institutions, Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and New York Medical College, have collaborated for 10 years. Their work, funded with a previous NIH grant, has already produced 85 peer-reviewed journal publications and has provided many insights into the causes and results of heart failure.

Dr. Stanley and his team will investigate new dietary changes to prevent and treat heart failure. Their hypothesis is that the electrical abnormalities that lead to heart failure can be reversed by consumption of a diet low in carbohydrates and sugar, and high in polyunsaturated fat. "We want to figure out how to improve this transfer of energy so the function of the heart is maintained in the early stages of heart failure or even before heart failure has been established," he says.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Dr. William Stanley, U of MD School of Medicine

The Multinational Development of Women in Technology (MDWIT) organization will soon be able to better help women around the world enter and progress in the technology workforce thanks to a new IT infrastructure funded by a $30,000 donatoin from Lockheed Martin.

MDWIT promotes the advancement of women in technology through the development and dissemination of best practices, programs, research and policy. The new Lockheed Martin-funded system will provide a forum for this information, enabling all women in IT to gain broad visibility, specifically enriching access to and development of innovations, knowledge and research across the industry. The new system will consolidate existing systems under a framework that is easier to use, more collaborative and more interactive than the previous system.

"A technological infrastructure that supports not only communication but also collaboration is critical to furthering our mission," said Claudia Morrell, CEO of MDWIT. "Thanks to the support of Lockheed Martin, we will soon be able to leverage the collective intelligence of women all over the globe to foster a more diverse, productive and innovative workforce."

The new infrastructure will support MIDWIT's regional, national and international initiatives. The application will allow the organization to establish a repository of global knowledge to manage and share information. The system also will provide personalized content and social media tools to facilitate two-way communication between MDWIT's constituents, sponsors, members and partners.

The Baltimore-based organization will introduce the new system later this year.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Claudia Morrell, MDWIT

BioMarker Strategies, developer of SnapPath a novel automated tumor biopsy processing and testing system, has raised $1.7 million during a private funding round. 

During this funding round that coincided with the Maryland Biotechnology Investment Incentive Tax Credit Program, the largest investment came from the Abell Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to the enhancement of the quality of life in Baltimore, Maryland, including the promotion of job growth in the region.

"We are honored to have the Abell Foundation as our first institutional investor. We also welcome their support of our effort to develop a live tumor cell testing system designed to help oncologists choose the right drug therapy for their cancer patients," says K�ren Olson, CEO of BioMarker Strategies. "Even in this challenging economic environment, we found that investors are eager to support innovative biotech companies."

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: BioMarker Strategies

Two Maryland shipyards will receive grants the totaling more than $4 million as part of President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), according to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. General Ship Repair Corp. in Baltimore City received a $2.4 million grant to build a new 1,000-ton dry dock. The project is expected to be completed within one year and General Ship Repair has estimated it will hire 20 new employees as a result of the expansion.

Baltimore's Ellicott Dredges LLC, the largest dredge builder in the United States, was awarded $1.7 million. The company will use the funds to upgrade the facility, including IT and other mechanical systems, helping it to retain 20 jobs and create 5 new jobs in the next year.

This funding will have an immediate positive impact, helping to save and create jobs and keep ships � and the goods they carry � safe and moving in Maryland," says Senator Mikulski, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The funds were awarded through the Maritime Administration's Assistance to Small Shipyards program and are intended to help create and preserve jobs, providing valuable employment training and improvements to shipyards.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: DBED

Champions Biotechnology, a developer of advanced preclinical platforms and tumor specific data designed to enhance and accelerate the
value of oncology drugs, will deploy its Biomerk Tumorgraft platform to guide development of new oncology therapeutics.

The platform enables identification of the most promising development path possible cancer therapies in terms of indication, drug combination, and target patient population. The platform also has the potential to identify gene pathways of response and resistance as well as prognostic molecular biomarkers.

"We are excited to continue the growth of our impressive client base and begin working with one of the most respected global leaders in the discovery and development of novel therapies," says Doug Burkett, Ph.D., President of Champions Biotechnology, Inc.

"Studies suggest that evaluation of oncology compounds through our Biomerk Tumorgraft platform will lead to more successful and efficient clinical development. The value-added by an optimally targeted, more efficient clinical path can result in cost savings, improved clinical and commercial success and significantly more years of patent life following commercialization," he adds.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Doug Burkett, Champions Biotechnology, Inc.

Burdette, Koehler, Murphy & Associates, Inc. (BKM), a Baltimore-based mechanical, electrical, and planning engineering company, launched a new firm dedicated to meeting the increasing demands for mission critical facilities.

Based in Baltimore, the new firm, BKM Mission Critical Facilities (BKM-MCF), is being led by managing principal and noted industry expert, Rajan Battish. Housed in a new 12,000 sq. ft. office space, BKM-MCF is dedicated to the advancement of critical systems for data centers, network operation centers, and readiness centers, providing energy conscious designs for these facilities with a need for high reliability 24/7, 365 days a year.

The firm is currently hiring project engineers and designers.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Burdette, Koehler, Murphy & Associates.

In an effort to assist with job retention for members of Baltimore's cultural community, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA) are seeking applications for the new National Endowment for the Arts/Baltimore City Job Retention Grant.

Funded by a $250,000 award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and matched by Mayor Sheila Dixon and the Baltimore City Council, the grant program offers $5,000 to $25,000 to support full-time, part-time or contractual positions in the arts.

Non-profit 501(c)3 cultural organizations serving the Baltimore City community that have not received economic stimulus awards through the Maryland State Arts Council, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation or directly through the NEA are eligible to apply.

Applications or the grants are available at the BOPAwebsite. The deadline for applications is Friday, September 25, 2009.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Baltimore Office of Promotions and the Arts

If you know Chinese, you might soon have a reason to use it for more than ordering food at your local Chinese restaurant. Huarui Century Group, a Chinese real estate firm has chosen Baltimore County as the location for its North American headquarters. Based in Shenyang, China, the company provides site location and related services to the ever increasing number of Chinese firms flocking to establish a base of operations in the U.S.

Writer: Walaika Haskins

Source: Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development

The state's effort to develop business ties between four of the leading biotechnology firms in Taiwan and Maryland's life sciences industry have resulted in over $100,000 in export business over the past three years. Meetings in August, the third collaborative event between the Department of Business Economic and Economic Development's Office of International Investment and Trade and the Taiwanese ROC-USA Business Council, have helped introduce the companies to their Taiwanese and U.S. counterparts.

Taiwanese biotech companies including, Adimmune, a human vaccine manufacturer; Simpson Biotech, a top bio-fermentation company; General Biologicals, an in vitro diagnostic device manufacturer; PhytoHealth, the first publicly traded Taiwan novel drug development company; and the Medical and Pharmaceutical Industry Technology and Development Center, Taiwan's pre-imminent non-profit biotechnology industry organization, are among the companies that have participated in the event.

Writer: Walaika Haskins

Source: Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development

The University of Maryland College Park has teamed with the State to create a new international incubator, part of Gov. Martin O'Malley's new Maryland Growth Strategy. It is the state's first incubator intended solely for foreign-owned businesses and will provide competitively priced leasing space to foreign companies.

The first tenant and anchor for the new incubator is the University of Maryland-China Research Park (UMCRP). Created in collaboration with the China Ministry of Science and Technology, the research park offers help to private Chinese businesses looking to set up shop in Maryland and bring jobs to the state.

The UMCRP will encourage collaboration in areas including, health care, environment, agriculture, energy and fire protection. It will provide hands-on business consulting, funding introductions, investment opportunities and networking with potential customers and partners. It will also offer direct access to the University's world-class faculty, research facilities, students, training and other business resources.

Chinese companies that are relocating to the U.S., creating a U.S. subsidiary or investing in or acquiring a U.S. company are eligible to apply for office space in the Research Park.

Set to launch later this year, the new incubator will be located near the College Park campus.

Writer: Walaika Haskins

Source: University of Maryland College Park

While hiring from private companies has hit a low, Federal agencies are expected to hire more than 273,000 employees to fill mission-critical jobs over the next three years. According to new projections released by the Partnership for Public Service (PPS), attorneys, paralegals, investigators, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, police officers, airport screeners, customs and border patrol agents and intelligence analysts top the Fed's list of "Most Wanted" employees.

The hiring bonanza, a 41 percent increase, will extend through the fall of 2012, says the PPS who based its findings on a survey of 35 federal agencies representing nearly 99 percent of the 1.9 million member federal workforce.

The surge in hiring is in part the result of the large number of baby-boomer federal workers who are reaching retirement age and also reflects the Obama administration's undertakings to repair the financial sector, fight two wars and do something about climate change.

"It has to win the war for talent in order to win the multiple wars it's fighting for the American people," says Max Stier, president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service

The Feds will need to fill 54, 114 positions in the medical and public health realm including, workers in dietician/nutrition, occupational and rehabilitation therapy, radiology, industrial hygiene and consumer safety fields.

Security and protection will need 52,077 workers in areas such as international relations, foreign affairs, security administration; and to fill positions including, transportation security officer, park ranger and correctional officer.

Another 31,276 jobs will come from the compliance and enforcement arena. These areas and positions include, inspectors, investigators (including criminal), customs and border patrol and protection, import specialist and customs inspection.

Jobs within the legal field will bring opportunity to another 23, 596 workers in positions such as contact representative, passport/visa examiners, and claims examiners and assistants. 17,287 jobs will be filled in the human resources, equal employment opportunity, management/program analysis, and telecommunications fields including a variety of clerical support jobs.

Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Partnership for Public Service