Reforms will ease patenting of biotechnology therapeutics

Patenting of Biological Material and Biotechnology

One of the major challenges faced by developing countries due to globalization and TRIPS regulations is understanding of intellectual property rights (IPR) laws of different countries in context of recent innovations in biotechnology and bioinformatics. While biotechnology involves application of technology on biological organisms, viz., microorganisms, plant and animals and biological material...

Will Biotechnology Overcrowd the Planet?

Genetic modification has gotten a hostile reception from activists who claim to be protecting the planet. But the most powerful underlying emotion for their unrea-soned fear—rapid human population growth—is rapidly becoming irrelevant. Will biotechnology overcrowd the planet by saving more sick people while producing more food to fuel more population growth? In a word, no. The opposition of the...

Patenting life: biotechnology, intellectual property, and environmental ethics.

Protein Prenylation: Enzymes, Therapeutics, and Biotechnology Applications

Protein prenylation is a ubiquitous covalent post-translational modification found in all eukaryotic cells, comprising attachment of either a farnesyl or a geranylgeranyl isoprenoid. It is essential for the proper cellular activity of numerous proteins, including Ras family GTPases and heterotrimeric G-proteins. Inhibition of prenylation has been extensively investigated to suppress the activit...

Will Medicare reforms increase managed care enrollment?