“The addition of this assay allows researchers in oncology and development insight into potential interactions with this receptor in the earliest stages of their research.”

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (PRWEB)
May 17, 2022

INDIGO Biosciences, the recognized industry leader in nuclear receptor reporter assays, announced today the expanding of their robust preclinical testing portfolio of cell-based reporter assays to include the Human Estrogen-related Receptor Beta (NR3B2; ERRβ). This cell-based in vitro reporter assay provides researchers with the ability to quickly make critical decisions about potential drug candidates before moving into clinical trials.

“We are excited to add the Estrogen-related Receptor Beta to our portfolio to allow researchers to better understand how a potential drug effects ERRβ activity.” says Dr. Jack Vanden Heuvel, Chief Scientific Officer of INDIGO. “The addition of this assay allows researchers in oncology and development insight into potential interactions with this receptor in the earliest stages of their research.”

Like it’s other two family members, estrogen-related receptor alpha and estrogen-related receptor gamma, ERRβ is considered an orphan receptor because no natural ligand has been found that binds to ERRβ. ERRβ is a key pluripotency regulator and plays a role in inner ear development, and retinal development. A growing number of studies also suggest that ERRβ plays a role in tumor suppression for certain types of cancer including prostate, uterine, breast, and glioblastoma. This presents ERRβ as a potentially important therapeutic target for combating these diseases.

INDIGO’s in vitro estrogen-related receptor beta assay kit is all-inclusive containing everything needed to perform the assay including live cells. In vitro assays, such as those offered by INDIGO, provide important early indications of a compound or antibody’s potential for progressing to further development and clinical testing. INDIGO’s assays allow researchers to definitively determine what receptors are affected to ensure the selectivity of target compounds, a key piece of information necessary to proceed with development. The new ERRβ reporter assay is available both as a screening service or as an all-inclusive kit.

About INDIGO Biosciences, Inc.

INDIGO Biosciences, Inc. is a leading provider of nuclear receptor and in vitro toxicology solutions that accelerate scientific decision-making. INDIGO supplements the world’s largest portfolio of nuclear receptor kits and services and in vitro toxicology solutions with greater results readability, reproducibility, and faster turnaround times. Our solutions, plus supportive team and reliable science and platforms aim to reduce the time, cost, and risk associated with the discovery process. Learn more at indigobiosciences.com/.

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Middle School Science Teachers Participate in National STEM Scholar Program

“Supporting teachers who inspire and motivate middle school students at this critical decision-making age will directly impact how many choose to pursue the STEM skills essential for living wage jobs.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (PRWEB)
May 12, 2022

Ten middle school teachers in eight states have been selected to participate in the prestigious National STEM Scholar Program, a unique professional development program providing advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) training, national network building and project support for middle school science teachers nationwide.

Created in partnership between the National Stem Cell Foundation and The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University (WKU), the National STEM Scholar Program selects ten teachers each year from a national pool of applicants based solely on the description of a “big idea” Challenge Project the applicant would implement if funds were available. Selected projects are chosen for maximum impact in middle school classrooms where research shows lifelong STEM career decisions are being made. STEM Scholars convene on WKU’s campus for a week of advanced STEM training and finalize their projects with input from their STEM Scholar class colleagues.

The 2022 National STEM Scholar class will hosted by The Gatton Academy from May 29th to June 4th on the campus of WKU in Bowling Green, KY:

• Susan Hall, Norfolk, MA – King Philip Middle School
• Carey Hancey-Shier, Manassas, VA – Grace E. Metz Middle School
• Kathleen Holliday, Tybee Island, GA – Tybee Island Maritime Academy
• Tasha Jordan, Ferguson, MO – Johnson-Wabash Sixth Grade Center
• Brandi Norman, Worden, MT – Huntley Projects Junior High
• Jennifer Polacek, Woonsocket, RI – Hamlet Middle School
• Tonya Prentice, Bass Harbor, ME – Tremont Consolidated School
• Lori Schoenweisser, Mechanicsville, VA – Oak Knoll Middle School
• Marie Schuh, Spotsylvania, VA – Thornburg Middle School
• Ashley Ventrella, Delray Beach, FL – American Heritage School Palm Beach

The National STEM Scholar Program brings a thought leader in STEM education to Kentucky each year for a day of interaction with the Scholar class. This year’s speaker will be Michelle Lucas, CEO of Higher Orbits. Michelle spent ten years working at NASA in International Space Station (ISS) Flight Control Operations Planning and as an Astronaut Instructor in the Daily Operations Group before founding Higher Orbits to inspire student passion for STEM through spaceflight.

Studies show that middle school students who become excited about science are the ones who will pursue STEM courses in high school and major in them at the technical and college level. At a pivotal time in decision-making that will open or close the door to opportunity, however, nearly 50% of 8th graders in America lose interest in pursuing the STEM related subjects increasingly required for 21st Century jobs.

Dr. Paula Grisanti, CEO of the National Stem Cell Foundation, said, “We added education to our mission and partnered with The Gatton Academy in 2015 to support the development of a new generation of scientists in academic research, advanced technology and infrastructure engineering. Supporting teachers who inspire and motivate middle school students at this critical decision-making age will directly impact how many choose to pursue the STEM skills essential for living wage jobs. By investing in the influential middle school STEM teacher now, we reach thousands of students in classrooms today and far into the future.”

Dr. Julia Link Roberts, Executive Director of The Gatton Academy, added, “This partnership will accrue benefits for the National STEM Scholars, middle school students in their classrooms, and the middle school science teachers with whom they collaborate. The National STEM Scholar Program is an excellent way for teachers to learn new strategies and new ways to engage students to help them become and stay interested in science and math.”

Now in its 7th year, there are 70 National STEM Scholars representing middle schools in 32 states. 90% teach in public schools, 40% teach in mid- to high-poverty schools and 36% teach in communities with a population under 15,000. A unique requirement of the program is the responsibility for STEM Scholars to share lessons learned with colleagues in their home schools, districts or states, magnifying impact over multiple classrooms and years. By June 2023, National STEM Scholars will have directly and indirectly impacted more than 83,000 middle school students in the U.S.

About the National Stem Cell Foundation

The National Stem Cell Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that funds adult stem cell and regenerative medicine research, underwrites the National STEM Scholar Program for middle school science teachers inspiring the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) pioneers nationwide, and covers copays and deductibles for children of limited means participating in clinical trials for rare diseases. For more information, visit http://www.nationalstemcellfoundation.org.

About The Gatton Academy

Established in 2007, The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s first residential two-year program for gifted and talented juniors and seniors. The Gatton Academy’s students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Gatton Academy has been named to Jay Mathews’ list of top-performing schools with elite students for eleven consecutive appearances and received the National Consortium for Secondary STEM School’s Innovation Partnership Award.

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“This recognition is essential to forwarding our mission to make genomic information actionable by putting it at the fingertips of doctors and researchers.” –Mike Klein, CEO, Genomenon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (PRWEB)
May 12, 2022

Genomenon® Inc., an AI-driven genomics company, today announced that Bio-IT World has awarded them Best of Show for Disease-Specific Curated Content, now in the Mastermind® Genomic Search Engine. Genomenon’s offering was one of 27 products considered for this prestigious award at last week’s Bio-IT World Conference & Expo in Boston.

Bio-IT World’s Best of Show awards program recognizes the best of the innovative product solutions for the life sciences industry. A panel of experts from academia, pharma, and biotech chose outstanding products based on their technical merit, functionality, innovation, and in-person presentations at the show. During the awards ceremony on May 4th, Mastermind’s Disease-Specific Curated Content was recognized as a product that was uniquely suited to solve an industry problem for clinical diagnostic laboratories and pharmaceutical companies, with a compelling return on investment.

Solving suspected rare disease cases involves performing DNA sequencing and analyzing the results—a process known as variant interpretation. Interpreting these results requires investigation of evidence in the medical and scientific literature. This is challenging, as traditional search tools are not designed to account for the many ways a disease, gene, or variant may be referred to, making identification of the relevant evidence labor-intensive and error-prone. Access to the most comprehensive source of evidence is essential since a single article can potentially change the way a variant is interpreted, the way a patient is diagnosed, the way a treatment is determined, and the way a life may be saved.

Genomenon addresses this challenge with a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and expert curation to provide the most accurate interpretation of disease-causing variants. This information is now made available with Disease-Specific Curated Content. When Mastermind users search for a variant for which there is curated disease content, they are presented with information about that variant’s pathogenicity and links to trusted sources for additional resources—including information about open clinical trials. By providing this information, Disease-Specific Curated Content increases the chances of accurate diagnosis, treatment, and placement of patients in relevant clinical trials.

“We are honored to be recognized as Best of Show at Bio-IT this year,” said Mike Klein, CEO of Genomenon. “Disease-Specific Curated Content is a product that is uniquely suited to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients with rare diseases and cancer. This recognition is essential to forwarding our mission to make genomic information actionable by putting it at the fingertips of doctors and researchers.”

The Mastermind Genomic Search Engine is used by over 2,000 diagnostic labs and integrated into 18 clinical-grade decision support platforms across the globe and is part of the suite of genomic data services Genomenon provides to pharma, clinical, and biotech companies. By improving access to actionable genomic information, as well as highlighting available clinical trials and therapies, Disease-Specific Curated Content has the potential to not only increase clinician awareness of disease, but also provide hope for patients and their families.

About Genomenon

Genomenon is an AI-driven genomics company focused on the advancement of positive health outcomes for patients with rare genetic diseases and cancer. Keeping pace with the ever-evolving body of genomic knowledge, Genomenon connects current research with patient DNA to accelerate clinical decision-making and pharmaceutical drug discovery.

For more information, visit Genomenon.com

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Sudoc selected by Fast Company for its 2022 World Changing Ideas Award

“Sudoc’s sustainable chemistry platform is the foundation for a series of brands that promise to change how we think about cleaning products and a range of other applications. This chemistry truly has the ability to reduce the chemical burden of our planet. ” Roger Berry, Founder & CEO

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (PRWEB)
May 04, 2022

Sudoc, Inc (“Sudoc”), a new chemical industry company committed to environmental sustainability, has been recognized by Fast Company as a 2022 World Changing Idea. Sudoc’s NewTAML® chemistry is a platform technology with remarkable oxidation capabilities that replace and eliminate toxic chemicals in a wide range of cleaning and environmental treatment applications. The Fast Company award comes after Sudoc was recently named a Top Ten Start-Up to Watch by Chemical & Engineering News and demonstrates the momentum being built by the company and its sustainable chemistry.

Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas program annually awards organizations, businesses, products, concepts, and policies that are generating innovation for the benefit of society and the planet. In this sixth annual selection, there were several new categories and pioneering ideas highlighted for leading change in the world. Sudoc was selected for Fast Company’s On the Rise category of World Changing Ideas. Winners in other categories include Ford Motor Company, Johnson & Johnson, and Siemens Corporation.

With a mission to outperform toxic chemicals to remove them from our planet, Sudoc is a different kind of chemical company.

A Founder and CEO of Sudoc, Roger Berry, states “We are honored to be recognized by Fast Company and included among a prestigious group of companies contributing to a sustainable future. Sudoc’s sustainable chemistry platform is the foundation for a series of brands – Dot, Neat, and Umo to start — that promise to change how we think about cleaning products, water treatment solutions, waste pharmaceutical disposal, pesticides, and a range of other applications. This chemistry truly has the ability to reduce the chemical burden of our planet and every household. We are very proud that Fast Company has recognized the importance of this mission.”

Dr. Terry Collins, a Founder of Sudoc and Head of Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Green Science who has led the development of TAML® chemistry, comments “It’s just so important that we change the way we think about and use chemicals. Our planet’s chemical burden threatens life itself. Sudoc is our contribution to how we answer to that challenge. I could not be more proud and grateful.”

The principal investor in Sudoc, Hunter Lewis, a pioneering innovator and former CEO of Cambridge Associates LLC, states “Over the last hundred plus years, industry has continued to pour chemical after chemical into our environment to the point where we are doing serious damage to life of all kinds. We have to change course and reduce our chemical burden. That is the fundamental mission of Sudoc. That is why we have made a substantial investment in this important company. I applaud the Sudoc team for its work and believe its chemistry does in fact stand as a World Changing Idea. Thank you to Fast Company for recognizing the importance of this mission.”

Sudoc is in business to put chemistry in balance with nature. Formed in 2020 with operations in Cambridge, MA, Charlottesville, VA, and Pittsburgh, PA, Sudoc is committed to developing products that reduce chemical burden in a range of applications. Sudoc is a mission-driven company, and its shareholding structure reflects that commitment. Sudoc’s largest shareholder is a pair of Trusts established by Dr. Collins and Dr. Pete Myers, a Sudoc Founder and Co-Author of Our Stolen Future, that as the company grows will fund research into the problem of endocrine disrupting chemicals—toxic chemicals that disrupt the hormone systems of living beings, reducing human fertility, increasing disease states, and adversely affecting developmental behavior. Our Stolen Future was one of the first books to link our planet’s chemical enterprise with the problem of endocrine disruption.

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About Sudoc

Sudoc is an innovative chemical industry startup developing a sustainable but powerful chemistry that can outperform toxic chemicals in many applications. Born from a breakthrough in science, our patent-protected catalysts developed at Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Green Science, supercharge other chemicals to oxidize a wide variety of compounds. TAML® catalysts yield faster, dramatically more active, yet controllable catalytic processes that have game-changing possibilities. Our first brand, Dot — Dilute Oxidation Technology™ — will use this chemistry to address a series of difficult cleaning problems beginning with mold stains. Dot’s simple dry powder formulation mixes with water on site, replacing highly toxic chemical liquids packaged in bulky plastic jugs. Dot Mold Stain Cleaner is more powerful, less toxic, and highly effective for professional mold remediators. Sudoc’s mission is to outperform toxic chemicals to remove them from our planet. Led by a world-class team, Sudoc is a business founded on the principle of doing well by doing good. To learn more, visit: https://www.sudoc.com

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Dr. Larry Latson, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Heart Institute

“With studies of this kind and world-wide collaboration, we are able to give our patients access to the most innovative treatments that will transform the way we treat congenital heart disease in the future, said Dr. Latson.”

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (PRWEB)
May 04, 2022

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital recently announced the successful treatment of a patient with atrial septal defects (ASD), or opening defect in the wall of the heart that separates the top two chambers of the heart, using the first transcatheter ASD occluder with a metal-free frame. The novel device has been implanted as part of the ASCENT ASD U.S. Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) pivotal trial, which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the transcatheter reSept ASD Occluder in patients with clinically significant secundum ASDs. It was the hospital’s first patient with ASD enrolled in this trial.

Dr. Larry Latson, MD, Medical Director, Pediatric & Congenital Interventional Cardiology Program Co-Medical Director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is National Co-Principal Investigator for this study, and part of the pediatric cardiac team that performed the transcatheter procedure. The prospective, single-arm study will enroll up to 250 patients at multiple sites globally Primary endpoints will be compared with established performance goals for previously FDA-approved transcatheter ASD occluders.

“We are pleased to be part of this global study and provide an innovative treatment to our pediatric patients who are suffering from this condition here in South Florida,” Dr. Latson said. “With studies of this kind and world-wide collaboration, we are able to give our patients access to the most innovative treatments that will transform the way we treat congenital heart disease in the future.”

Current ASD occluders have metallic frames that could place patients at risk for complications associated with long-term presence of metal in the heart and may limit future transseptal interventions. Initial clinical experience demonstrates effective closure of the ASDs treated with the novel investigational device.1

“The metal-free frame of the reSept ASD Occluder provides a low-profile that over time is replaced by the patient’s tissue, leaving a minimal implant behind and restoring a more natural septum when compared to current occluder devices,” stated Saibal Kar, MD, Interventional Cardiology at the Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California and Co-Principal Investigator of the IDE trial. “This provides a unique opportunity for physicians to effectively address ASDs while being mindful of any patient’s potential transseptal procedures later in life.”

The reSept ASD Occluder is the first transcatheter ASD occluder with a metal-free frame. It is an investigational medical device manufactured by atHeart Medical.

“It is incredibly exciting to have the participation of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to this important pivotal trial,” said Laurent Grandidier, CEO of atHeart Medical. “I commend the team’s diligence to expanding the body of evidence supporting our reSept ASD Occluder and dedication to delivering innovation to patients with ASDs around the world.”

About ASCENT ASD Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) Trial

A prospective, single-arm, global multi-site clinical investigation study that will enroll a total of up to 250 patients. The study aims to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the reSept™ ASD Occluder for treating clinically significant secundum ASD with a transcatheter approach as compared to pre-defined performance goals from other commercially available occluder devices. For more information, please visit http://www.clinicaltrials.gov – Trial Identifier: NCT04591392.

About ASDs

Commonly described as a “hole in the heart”, an ASD is an opening in the septum between the left and right atria. Most ASDs are congenital defects, affecting six in 10,000 births.2 They can also be the result of a procedure that requires transseptal crossing. A large atrial septal defect can cause extra blood to overfill the lungs and overwork the right side of the heart. If not treated, the right side of the heart eventually enlarges and weakens. The blood pressure in the lungs can also increase, leading to pulmonary hypertension. When ASDs require closure, the current standard of care is to implant a septal occluder with a metallic frame through a minimally invasive procedure.

About Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals, offering a comprehensive scope of healthcare services and programs in a caring, compassionate setting designed specifically for children. A level one trauma center, it combines advanced technology, the expertise of board-certified specialists, and a patient and family-centered approach to heal the body, mind, and spirit of those it touches. Its Heart Institute brings all the disciplines of heart care together in one place, including cardiology, surgery, electrophysiology and heart imaging.

Connect online at jdch.com and @jdchospital on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

About atHeart Medical

atHeart Medical is a medical device company with offices in Switzerland and the United States committed to establish a new standard of care for the treatment of atrial septal defects (ASD). For more information, please visit http://www.atheartmedical.com.

1 Sievert K, et al. Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect and patent foramen ovale with Carag bioresorbable septal occluder: first-in-man experience with 24-month follow-up. EuroIntervention. 2021 Nov 1:EIJ-D-21-00740. doi: 10.4244/EIJ-D-21-00740. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34726601.

2. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/heartdefects/atrialseptaldefect.html

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