Ever think that future of hydrogen automobiles would be found in chicken feathers?  Well, we’ve got that story and others in today’s biotech roundup of blogs and online news sources.

PATENT PROTECTION FALLOUT -  On Friday we reported on the White House’s letter to Rep. Henry Waxman (D. Ca.) saying that on developing a path toward biosimilars and that seven years “strikes the appropriate balance between innovation and competition.”  We’re not impartial on this as we work with and for those in the biotech industry.  Those following the debate — and everyone should given the impact that this could have on investment and development — should read Particia Von Arnum’s piece in PharmTech.  She strikes at the heart of the illogic of the premise that high costs of entry into the biologic field are reason to shorten patent protection:

Higher capital costs for producing biologics, limited technical expertise of suppliers in producing biologics, and a lower market return on biologics given the often more specific patient focus of a biopharmceutical are major reasons for the anticipated reduced entry of suppliers in the FOB market. How would limiting the length of patent exclusivity of the innovator-drug companies address these underlying fundamentals? Moreover, given the quality demands on any pharmaceutical product, particularly biologics with their more complex nature compared with small molecules, is it really desirable to create an FOB market that would encourage a multitude of suppliers?

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND CURES -  If you’re following how people are using biotechnology to find treatments and cures for deadly diseases there are couple of news reports worth reading.  First is Nicolas Wade’s article in the NYTimes on a new method of attacking cancer cells.   Then there’s the report in InSciences about protein biomarkers.  According to their report the development offers a method to detect and quantify multiple protein biomarkers in blood samples. Most important:

this method can be widely reproduced in different laboratories using varied equipment, a feat once considered largely impossible. The work was led by five research institutes, including the Broad Institute, as part of the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Proteomic Technology Assessment for Cancer (CPTAC).

THANK GOD FOR THE ITALIANS AND BIOTECH AGRICULTURE? – We know there are a lot of people that feel a bit queasy over the pace of biotech agriculture.  But most of the poster children for virulent anti-biotech agriculture (aka GMOs) seem to call Europe their home — not the least of which is the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles.  So we rejoice in the review by GMOPundit of a new book titled:  “The Unexplored Potential of Organic-Biotech Production“.   The report is by Isabela Rosa and the Foreign Agriculture Service.  Our favorite line:  “In reality, the divide between organics and biotechnology is an artificial construction maintained by ideology rather than science.”  Finally.  Some who is getting it right.

THE “M” STATES ARE ROCKIN’ -  Last week we featured the biotechnology developments in Massachusetts.  Maryland isn’t sitting still.  Check out Gus Sentementes’ piece on Maryland biotechnology and the rush for $6 million in tax credits.

SUMMER CAMP, NOVARTIS STYLE - If you’re interested in how some biotech companies are approaching leadership and training, check out Novartis’ blog profiling this year’s BioCamp.  Coming the end of July in Cairo, Egypt.  Can’t make it to Cairo?  How about Texarkana, Texas?  That’s where Texas A&M is having its ExploreBiotechnology Camp July 6-10.

BIOTECH AGRICULTURE, HUNGER, AND THE VATICAN -  Amidst all the strum and drang about Food Inc. portrayal of biotech agriculture it is important to remember the hungry.  So take a quick read of a post in the Council for Biotechnology Information blog about food, hunger, and the Vatican.  Glad someone is talking about world hunger.

MINNESOTA BIOTECH, THE HORMEL INSTITUTE, AND SPAM -  There’s a fun story out of Rochester, Minnesota about the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics, a collaboration between the state, Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota.  Add another ingredient:  The Hormel Institute.

The Hormel Institute is working to patent a ginger-based compound as an anti-cancer agent.  “We have several new compounds. We’re doing a lot of work with colon cancer, prevention of skin cancer. We have some anti-aging compounds,” Bode said. In addition, she said, the institute is also working on compounds for Hormel Foods “that they might be adding to their products.”  That triggered an audience member to ask, “So   we’re going to be seeing ginger-flavored Spam?”  “Probably not,” Bode said.

THE FUTURE OF HYDROGEN STORAGE IS BIOTECH AND KFC -  Researchers think they’ve found the answer to the nagging question of how to store all that hydrogen that will be needed for fuel cell vechicles.  The answer?  Chicken.  Well, chicken feathers to be exact.  According to Biotechnology 2050, “Researchers have discovered that carbonized chicken feathers could provide an inexpensive, environmentally friendly way to store hydrogen fuel for future motor vehicles.”