We have a GOLD MEDAL ALERT as Canada takes on USA in women’s hockey tonight. We also have a REMARKABLE-UNUSUAL-INNOVATIVE-LIFE-SAVING BIOTECH NEWS ALERT to get to:

SWINE FLY VACCINE FROM TOBACCO PLANTS – Texas A&M University researchers have been awarded $40 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to produce an H1N1 vaccine derived from the tobacco plant. This doesn’t sound so crazy when you consider that the tobacco plant has been extensively researched, is cheap to grow and can yield large amounts of vaccine at a much faster rate than the current process of growing the vaccine in chicken eggs. Here are the details of process of project “GreenVax”:

As a first step, researchers at Fraunhofer isolated a protein from the H1N1 virus known to trigger a protective immune response in a patient without causing an infection. A gene for this protein was then introduced into a bacterium. Tobacco plants were placed in a special chamber and dipped into a soup of the bacteria, which caused the plants to get infected with the gene-carrying bacteria.

The infected plants then began to produce the protein from H1N1 in large quantities. The plants grew for about a week. Their leaves were then chopped up and crushed, and the protein from H1N1—the essence of the vaccine—was extracted from the slurry and purified.

According to the article from the Wall Street Journal, GreenVax hopes to produce the initial 10 million doses of H1N1 vaccine within 12 months. Large-scale human clinical trials are expected to begin in 2011, and could take up to 18 months to complete.

PROTEIN IN BAT SALIVA GENETICALLY ENGINEERED TO TREAT STROKE – Researchers at the University at Buffalo are participating in a worldwide clinical trial for stroke patients using a drug based on a genetically engineered protein found in vampire bat saliva. The drug, called desmosteplase, has the potential to open blood vessels, restore blood flow and minimize damage to the brain. According to the article from Buffalo Business First, one of the major benefits of the drug is its ability to be administered up to nine hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. Currently, the only FDA-approved medication to treat acute strokes must be administered within three hours.

MARYLAND CONTINUES TO BOLSTER BIOTECH SECTOR – Maryland’s Montgomery County and Johns Hopkins University just signed a memorandum of understanding that aims at improving the area’s biotech sector. Under this MOU, the two parties will begin to meet semiannually to establish a strategy in attracting more private-sector companies and to ensure that their biotech industry stays competitive. Montgomery County Councilmember Mike Knapp elaborated on the benefits of this agreement:

“This MOU with John Hopkins — in addition to other recent initiatives — reaffirms our commitment to ensuring Montgomery County remains a national leader in the biosciences. It is critical to have this type of scientific commitment from one of the world’s premiere research institutions in order to implement a biosciences strategy that will enable our community to lead the way in improving human health throughout the world. The strength of our relationship with Johns Hopkins is also key to attracting and retaining talented life sciences professionals in our community.”