Anybody know about the upcoming biotech-related film District 9?  As I was hopping through the blogosphere I stumbled upon a lot of comments and links to the trailer of the upcoming film.  It apparently airs in mid-August, takes place in South Africa, and has biotechnology (along with aliens) as a theme.  From the trailer I’m not thinking this is a promo piece for biotech.  But I could be wrong.

BIOTECH DRUGS, COSTS, AND IP – There’s a lot of discussion about the balance between the protection of intellectual property (e.g. patents) and the monetary incentives needed for continued investments in biotech cures.  Gene Emery of the Providence Journal writes a good overview piece on the subject with a focus on what that means for local companies.  A good read in that Emery covers both sides of the debate and — with an understanding of the complexity of biotech drugs — concludes that:

As a result, both sides in the debate agree, consumers buying generic versions of genetically-engineered drugs aren’t going to see the type of savings they’ve become accustomed to when the purchase conventional medicines.

KANSAS = BIOTECH? – You may think of a lot of different things when you think of Kansas.  Both sides of my family came from the state and I worked on my grandfather’s Kansas wheat and dairy farm every summer for four years.  I’m thinking … flat.  Like, real flat.  But according to the story in KansasLiberty.com the new Kansas is biotech bound.  According to the report:

“We are the 32nd largest economy in the nation but have been ranked number nine for biotech strength,” Kansas Bioscience Authority president Tom Thornton said. “This is happening because we are leveraging Kansas’ unique expertise and infrastructure to address key national challenges in health care, energy and biodefense.”

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP AND BIOTECH SAVE TREES – If you thought that biotech companies and environmental groups can never get along … think again.  Read the story on the Nature Conservancy’s web site about how they teamed up with Bayer CropScience to save Kentucky hemlock trees.

GERMANY’S BIOTECHPHOBIA – We know that Germany, along with the rest of Europe, has struggled to embrace biotechnology, much to the lament of their scientific community.  A simple post on Osberta’s Blog has one view on Germany’s struggle with biotechnology and what it means.

GENE THERAPY IN 3D – Looking for an interesting video on how gene therapy works? We came across a recently posted video by  Cortical Studios that could just do the trick.  You’ll get a plug at the end but hey, everyone needs to pay rent.

GET YOUR BIOENERGY FIELD CLEANED – Every now and then we come across something on the Internet that has been tagged biotechnology but, well, isn’t quite what you and I would consider part of our world.  Yesterday I stumbled upon the Human Energy Cleaner.  The video (which you aren’t supposed to look at … you’re supposed to keep your eyes closed).  According to the post:

during this video your bioenergy field of your body (aura) will be cleaned.  In order to physically feel the cleansing process, simply close your eyes and focus your attention to the skin on your forehead. You may notice slight wind sensation (like weak vacuum cleaner) pulling away from your forehead.

Don’t know how this got tagged at biotech but …