NEW ZEALAND OPENS LARGEST WASTEWATER ALGAE TO BIOCRUDE PLANT – In Christchurch New Zealand, Solray Energy and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) have just opened the world’s largest demonstration project for converting wastewater algae into biocrude oil. It’s a pretty impressive endeavor, with an aim of harvesting 150 – 300 tons of algae to produce 45,000 – 90,000 liters of biocrude.

NIH AUTHORIZES 13 STEM CELL LINES – The National Institutes of Health announced Wednesday that they have authorized the first 13 lines of cells under the Obama administration’s new policy. They are expected to approve an additional 20 lines on Friday.

“This is the first down payment on what is going to be a much longer list that will empower the scientific community to explore the potential of embryonic stem cell research,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins. “Today’s announcement is the first wave.”

FLORIDA COURTS BIOTECH INVESTMENT – It’s a trend we’re seeing across the country – as states look at tough times, they’re turning to biotech to boost their economy. This week, Florida business leaders gathered to discuss their strategy for attracting venture capital away from other well known biotech corridors.

Gov. Charlie Crist was originally scheduled to attend, but instead gave the keynote address in a prerecorded video because he’s currently in Tallahassee for a special legislative session for high-speed rail projects.

“I’m committed to continuing our progress to make Florida a model of biomedical research,” he said. “In just the last five years alone, Florida has become one of the fastest growing states in the life sciences.”

SAN DIEGO BIOTECH LEADERS GATHER TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY AND THE SCIENCE – We really wish we could go to this Xconomy Forum on December 14th, which will bring together biotech innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs to discuss the future of the industry and the most promising trends in the science.

The keynote speakers include David Baltimore, the Nobel Laureate and Caltech biology professor, and John Maraganore, the CEO of Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY), a leader in the emerging field of RNA interference treatments. Both have strong ties to the San Diego biotech scene as members of the board of directors at Carlsbad, CA-based Regulus Therapeutics. We will also hear presentations from three venture-backed startups in San Diego with the potential to shake up their respective fields of medicine—Fate Therapeutics in stem cells, Regulus in the microRNA field, and Intellikine, which is pursuing one of the hottest targets in cancer biology.