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ACTIP
Bulletin 30 |
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Next ACTIP meeting!!!!June 20-21, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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In this issue
ACTIP web remains popular
In the month of March 2002, the ACTIP website remained popular, with 12,543 requests for access and 2,126 requests for downloadable pages; in April, this had increased to 14,545 requests for access and 2,868 requests for pages. Most requests are still originating in the USA (20-22 % from USA-based .com's), but the site is also increasingly popular in France and Israel. In March and April, the most popular pages were the monographs on animal cell technology and on monoclonal antibodies, closely followed by the pages on interesting links, publications, news and members.
News from ESACT
Together, ACTIP and ESACT have prepared an Expression of Interest for Framework Programme 6 (see further in this Newsletter). The Expression of Interest is intended to draw the attention of Commission officials to the current and future shortage of technicians, engineers and PhDs in animal cell culture technology in industry in Europe. The Expression of Interest suggests a dedicated training programme at these three levels. Such a training programme would take place in both industry and at academia. In support of this activity, ESACT has prepared a questionnaire for industry, asking for their experience with filling job offers. For more information, please contact ESACT or the ACTIP secretariat
News from the Commission
New Eurobarometer survey
Between May 15 and June 15, 2001, 16,029 Europeans were interviewed, making an average of about 1,000 in each country, on the basis of a representative sample of the population. The respondents were asked for their attitudes to science (in general, as opposed to biotechnology surveys). It was almost 10 years since the last Eurobarometer of this kind.
The results show that the much discussed divide between science and society has not closed much. Science is starting to be perceived as a sort of Pandora's box out of which rather dubious inventions sometimes spring. This feeling has increased the past 10 years.
Some salient findings:
Nearly half of Europeans is interested in science and technology; But one in two also believe they are not well informed; Medicine and the environment are the scientific subjects of greatest interest to Europeans (60% is interested); TV is the most popular source of science information (66%); Visits to science museums are a rather common cultural activity and particularly popular in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden; The publicís knowledge of science has not increased the past decade; 53% of Europeans believe astrology is ërather scientificí (compared to 33& for economics and 33% for history, which are perceived as more unscientific); 26% believe that scientific information is presented too negatively; Science is no longer seen as all powerful, and more than half of the Europeans do not believe science can solve major societal issues; But 82% awards importance to basic research, both for developing new technologies and to achieve progress on knowledge; Children like science but interest fades as they grow older, partly because of uninteresting science teaching.
Source: RTD Info special edition: Europeans, Science and Technology, March 2002
The full report is available at:
HYPERLINK http://europa.eu.int/comm/research http://europa.eu.int/comm/research Alternatively,
approach the ACTIP@ACTIP.org
ACTIP secretariat for a brochure with the most
important results. Council adopted FP 6
Following discussion in the Council and the Parliament, the Commission adopted an amended proposal for Framework programme 6 (FP6) on November 22, 2001. The Council adopted a Common Position on January 28, 2002. The next step is that the European Parliament will give the programme a second reading. Mid 2002 the Council and parliament should adopt a final text including a budget. At the end of 2002, the Council is to decide on specific instruments for implementation.
The November 2001 document can be downloaded from the secure page of the ACTIP website www.actip.org/secure or from the European Commission's sites.
In the meantime, on March 15-16 2002, the European Council in Barcelona called upon the EU member states to increase their spending on R&D and innovation to 3% of GDP. Only Finland (3.3% of GDP) and Sweden (3.5-4.0%) come above the mark.
FP6 to start soon - Expression of Interest
Prior to the formal adoption of FP6 and the first calls for proposals, the European Commission now consults the Research Community and is inviting submissions for ëExpression of Interestí to participate in research actions for topics throughout the 7 thematic priorities that could be subjects for the two new FP6 instruments "integrated projects" and "networks of excellence'. This initiative will assist the EC in preparing working programmes and in defining the scope of the first calls for proposals for FP6 envisaged later this year. The submission of an Expression of Interest is by no means obligatory. It may optimise the chances of a particular topic included in an early call. But the review of the EoL by the EC is neither a pre-assessment of the scientific and technical quality of any subsequent proposal nor a pre-selection process for any consortium. Deadline for an Expression of Interest: June 7, 2002-04-15 For more information, see: www.cordis.lu/fp6/eoi-instruments/tp.htm
The new instruments
In the meantime, a Commission working document is available how officials see the new instruments working. For example: Each integrated project must contain a research component and may contain technological development, demonstration and training components. A minimum of 3 participants from different countries, but new participants may be taken into the project as it evolves. Projects are expected to run between 3-5 years. A key innovation in the evaluation process is allowing applicants to present their proposal in person to the panel assessing it. For details of the integrated projects document, see: europa.eu.int/comm/research/nfp.html
The launch of FP6: the event
More information is available about the big November meeting, where FP6 will be presented. The
Commission invites proposals for workshops, round
tables, conferences etc to take place in the
"participants forum". Closing date for a proposal
is June 30, with selected proposals accepted on
September. For more information, see
europa.eu.int/comm/research/conferences/2000
or email:
Activities for SMEs in FP6
FP6 seeks to fully integrate research that is being carried out at the European, national and regional levels. To help achieve this, new instruments have been developed in which SMEs will play a key role. These are: networks of excellence to reinforce Europe's scientific and technological skills; integrated projects to draw in resources around key objectives. SMEs will mainly participate in the next FP through the new instruments in the 7 priority themes, chosen for their particular importance to Europe's industrial competitiveness. This includes the themes genomics and biotechnology for health. 15% of the financial amount available for the thematic priorities is intended for SMEs. Two specific additional activities are proposed especially for SMEs with lower-level research capabilities: co-operative research activities (by SME's, research centres and universities) will be extended, and new are collective research activities, carried out by research centres for industrial associations and groupings for the benefit of entire SME communities. For more formation: sme.cordis.lu/home/index.cfm or www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/nfp.html
Where to find info on FP6
Further information on different aspects of FP6: FP6 launch event: Nov 11-13, Brussels www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/conferences/2002/index_en.html
FP6 instruments: europa.eu.int/comm/research/nfp/networks-ip.html
FP6 PowerPoint presentation: www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/nfp/pdf/fp6-presentation.pdf
Help and Information desks for the different thematic priorities: Genomics and biotechnology for health: rtd-genomics@cec.eu.int Naotechnologies and nanosciences: rtd-nanotech@cec.eu.int
Tenders
Drug monitoring
The Commissionís Joint Research Centre is inviting expressions of interest from contractors wishing to be included on a list of potential service providers to carry out analyses for stability monitoring of certain reference materials: veterinary drug residues and related substances. As the need arises, service providers may be invited to submit formal quotations for one or several analyses. OJ S25 (5/2/02) pp 54. Contact: B. Gawlik, JRC, Geel, Belgium, tel + 32 14 57 19 56. Deadline: February 8, 2004.
Functional genomics
The World Health's Organisation's Pathogenesis and Applied Genomics Committee invites proposals for research on the pathogenesis of African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, dengue fever, lymphatic filariasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, malaria, oncocerciasis, schistosomiasis and tuberculosis. Grants are for 40,000 USD maximum per year for 2 years. Support will also be given for multi-centre projects representing collaborations between investigators in endemic countries or with resourceful laboratories in non-endemic countries. Contact: Ayoade Oduola, WHO, Geneva, tel + 41 22 791 32 12, email: oduolaa@who.int
EMBO women's project
EMBO is inviting applications for its re-start fellowships for research in the life sciences. The fellowships are designed to help researchers in the life sciences who want to return to research after they have taken a break in their careers for child care. Contact:
EMBO, email: women@embo.org
Deadline: August 15, 2002
Protein microarrays
Human protein research remains very difficult, because human cells contain millions of different protein variants, thanks to post-translational modifications. The protein chip potentially offers a solution to protein variant identification, with claims of a speedy and high-throughput means to profile disease-related proteins or study protein-protein or protein-drug interactions. However, despite early promises, the field develops slowly. In an easy-to-read feature article, Peter Miller, a science writer, has listed all the hurdles and potential solutions facing the protein chip. The article is organised around the three basic elements of a protein chip platform: Source: Peter Mitchell, Nature Biotechnology March 2002, Vol 20, pp 225-229. Alternatively, a copy of the article may be requested from the ACTIP Secretariat.
Awards for flow-through array
Founder of Dutch start-up company Pamgene, Henk van Damme, recently received a prize for industrial application of research, awarded by NIABA, the Netherlands Biotechnology Association and the Dutch Biotechnology Society. The founder developed at Organon Teknika a microarray featuring a porous carrier. This allows samples to be pumped through the chip, instead of applied on top of the glass slide. This flow-through array already demonstrates results after 10-15 minutes, while a normal 2D-array needs 16 hour incubation time. In 2001, the company was already awarded "most promising Dutch biotech company". Source: BioNieuws, March 16, 2002
Therapeutic vaccines
Since the 1890s, it has been known that the immune system can be prompted to attack cancer cells. The practice became obscure, but recently, there is a new surge of interest into the concept of therapeutic vaccines: the concept of stimulating the immune system to recognise and destroy foreign or indeed tumour cells.
This kind of technology is distinct from normal vaccination in that the patient already has the disease or condition before the vaccine is given. For any number of reasons (self-antigens, endogenous cells such as tumour cells), the patient has not already responded to the disease-associated antigens. The aim of therapeutic information therefore is to "trick" the immune system to respond in these situations. Either whole activated immune cells may be used or a small number of target antigens may be delivered to particular immune cell types. The latter includes the delivery of genes encoding immunomodulatory proteins with the aim of producing a targeted immunospecific response. The gene delivery itself may be via naked DNA or DNA packaged in a viral vector. In either scenario, the immune system may then be stimulated further by a later challenge with the target antigen or an adjuvant. Therapeutic vaccine targets therefore tend to be those in which modification or inactivation of the immune cell function is characteristic of the disease in question. Thus, potential targets are cancer, HIV, autoimmunity (multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes etc), transplantation and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
On January 21-22, a conference took place on the preclinical and clinical evaluation of therapeutic vaccines. There were presentations on the use of dendritic cells as antigen-presenting cells and perfusion systems to culture them, specific adenovirus vectors, overcoming tumour cell resistance using specific adjuvants, and results with therapeutic vaccines for HIV. Further information on the programme, content and speakers at this conference is available at www.iir-conferences.com/vaccines. Source: European Biopharmaceutical Review, Spring 2002
TSE update
BSE statistics
The EU site EURACTIV ( www.euractiv.com ) offers a so-called Euractiv links dossier, containing the latest news on TSEs and a large number of links to reports, regulatory issues and position papers.
A useful survey is the downloadable BSE statistics, which is a clickable map of Europe, giving numbers of BSE cases between 1987-2002. This file can be viewed by linking to the Euractiv site.
Discovery of prions in muscle
On March 21, it was reported that a team of US researchers, led by Nobel Prize winner Stanley Prusiner, discovered prions in the hind legs of mice, indicating that BSE prions could infect the muscle of cattle. Up to now, measures against BSE were based on the assumption that prions are transmitted only through the nervous systems or lymphatic system of cattle. The European Commission welcomed the study, but commented that so far no other study on BSE had been able to prove the presence of prions in muscular tissues and underlined that the structure of mice and humans are very different.
Business News
Businessplan Prize for Covaccine
The founders of Dutch company CoVaccine received a prize of 50,000 EURO for best business plan. The prize is intended to let CoVaccine make a flying start. The prize is paid for by Dutch biotech companies DSM, Diosynth, Crucell, IQ Corporation, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, NPM Capital and BioPartner. CoVaccine is a spin out from the Dutch Institute for Animal Husbandry and Animal Health in Lelystad. The company's aim is to improve effectivity of therapeutic vaccines for human applications using novel adjuvants. For example, using novel adjuvants the company is developing, together with PepScan systems, a vaccine against prostate cancer. CoVaccine has developed a new, patented class of synthetic adjuvants that are highly effective and less toxic. Source: Niaba Nieuws, March 2002
Boost for bioterrorism research
The Bush administrationís budget proposal for the year 2003 substantially boosts research to combat bioterrorism, is vague about programs to support biotechnology research, and addresses regulatory oversight issues.
In particular, the budget proposes:
Source: Nature Biotechnology March 2002, Vol 20, pp 209
....and BIO's wish list
The US Biotechnology organisation BIO has sent president Bush a biotech policy wish list for the year 2002:
Source: Wang et al, Nature Biotechnology March 2002, Vol 20, pp 275-281
Research News
Spotting 20,000 glycans
Carbohydrates in the form of glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans are extremely common on the surface of mammalian cells. The ability to profile the type of cell-surface glycoconjugates, so-called glycomers, is the focus of a nascent field termed glycomics. Recently, Wang et al. successfully produced a carbohydrate microarray, allowing the profiling of many glycomers in one experiment. Using the host-pathogen interaction between mammalian cells and a micro-organism as a model, the authors report the production of a surface-modified glass slide microarray containing microbial polysaccharides as probes. Potentially, the system will allow the spotting of 20,000 glycoconjugates, permitting testing of glycan signatures of most common pathogens. Source: Nature Biotechnology March 2002, Vol 20, pp 211
Genome malaria parasite unravelled
After 6 years of research, 4 research teams jointly have published the (almost) entire genome of Plasmodium falciparum, me issue of Science, a potentially new antimalaria drug is presented. This drug inhibits membrane synthesis of P.falciparum. Source: Science, February 14, 2002
Transgenic milk yields malaria vaccine
Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the United States, together with investigators of Genzyme Transgenics, have developed two strains of transgenic mice, each carrying a form of the gene for a surface protein from Plasmodium falciparum. One form of the expressed protein, when used as a vaccine, proved highly effective at protecting monkeys from malaria. Only one of five immunized monkeys contracted the disease after being treated with normally lethal levels of the malaria parasite. In comparison, six of seven unvaccinated animals had to be treated for the full blown disease. The high yield of the protein and its efficacy points to a low cost way to bring a vaccine to the developing world. Early experiments show that the process should be able to be scaled up to livestock animals. Source: Scientists Milk Animals for Malaria Vaccine' at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/newsroom/releases/malariaant.htm and 'A recombinant vaccine expressed in the milk of transgenic mice protects Aotus monkeys from a lethal challenge with Plasmodium falciparum' at www.pnas.org
Publications
Official Journal Publications
All official journals are available on the following website: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/oj/index.html
C71 - 20.03.2002 Invitation to submit expressions of interest - An opportunity for Europe's research community to help prepare for the first calls of FP6
C75E - 26.03.2002 - Modified Commission proposal for 6th R&D Framework Programme (COM(2001)709) - Proposal for a Regulation on authorisation and supervision of medicinal products and establishing EMEA (COM(2001)404) - Proposal for a Directive amendment Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use (COM(2001)404)
C77 - 28.03.02002 Summary of Community Decisions on marketing authorisations in respect of medicinal products form 15.02 to 15.03.2002
On the web
Assistance to SMEs to find matching project partners in FP6: www.bba-bio.be/smes/index2.asp
Partners for Life: gateway to EU research and technology funding for SMEs in the Life Sciences: www.bit.ac.at/partners_for_life.htm
Biobiz workshop series to help researchers to acquire the skills needed to start a biotech business: europa.eu.int/comm/research/biotech/biocourt1.html
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is an indispensable tool in the current compound discovery process. Major public domain bioinformatics servers on the Internet are:
US National Center for Biotechnology Information:
European Bioinformatics Institute
GenomeNet
Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes
Protein Data Bank
ExPASy, molecular biology server
NewDrugs
NewDrugs is a very informative magazine of the European Association of Pharma Biotechnology (EAPB), which is the official associated section of pharma and medical biotechnology of the European Federation of Biotechnology. Key feature articles of the magazine as well as more background information are given on:
AGENDAA number of interesting conferences and workshops is coming up. Of all the events mentioned here, the detailed programmes and registration/application forms are available from the ACTIP Secretariat.
Third Annual
Pharmacogenomics/pharmacoproteomics Europe BIO 2002
38th annual
meeting Drug Information Society
EU Advanced
Workshop on Biotechnology Ethics and Public
Perceptions of Biotechnology. Web: www.kluyver.stm.tudelft.nl/efb/TGPPB/oxford.htm
Plenary
meeting ACTIP
Oligonucleotide
technologies
7th Annual
World Congress Drug Discovery Technology 2002
BIOMED 2002
(9th International Symposium on Biomedical Science
&
Technology)
5th European
Health Forum Gastein
4th SME
Days
European
Society of gene Therapy
JAACT
2002-02-27
Launch EUs
6th Framework Programme
BioTech
Helsinki 03
18th ESACT
meeting: animal cell technology meets genomics
11th European
Congress on Biotechnology, 25th anniversary of EFB:
Building bridges between biosciences and
Bioengineering
ACTIP bulletin nr 30, June 2002
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