Investment In Biotechnology Research Articles

Thermophilic lipases in industrial applications: Stutzerimonas stutzeri as a Case Study in Nigeria and the US

Thermophilic lipases derived from Stutzerimonas stutzeri have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their robustness and efficiency in various industrial applications. This review delves into the research, development, and application of these enzymes, with a comparative analysis between Nigeria and the United States. In both nations, researchers have explored the enzymatic properties of thermophilic lipases from Stutzerimonas stutzeri, aiming to optimize their performance for diverse industrial processes. The research encompasses studies on enzyme purification, characterization, and genetic engineering to enhance catalytic activity and stability under extreme conditions. Additionally, efforts have been directed towards understanding the enzyme's structure-function relationship to tailor it for specific applications. In Nigeria, the focus on thermophilic lipases from Stutzerimonas stutzeri has been primarily driven by the need for sustainable biotechnological solutions in various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, and biofuel production. The enzymes' thermostability makes them particularly suitable for high-temperature processes prevalent in Nigeria's tropical climate, offering potential for cost-effective and eco-friendly alternatives to conventional chemical catalysts. In contrast, the United States has witnessed extensive research and development in thermophilic lipases for industrial applications, with a strong emphasis on biocatalysis in the pharmaceutical, detergent, and biofuel sectors. The advanced infrastructure and investment in biotechnology have facilitated the commercialization of Stutzerimonas stutzeri lipases, leading to their integration into various industrial processes to improve efficiency and sustainability. Despite the similarities in research objectives, disparities exist in the technological advancements and industrial utilization of thermophilic lipases from Stutzerimonas stutzeri between Nigeria and the US. While Nigeria faces challenges related to limited resources and infrastructure, the US benefits from well-established research institutions and industrial networks, enabling accelerated innovation and commercialization. Bridging these gaps through international collaborations and knowledge exchange could facilitate the widespread adoption of thermophilic lipases for sustainable industrial development globally.

Biotechnology Patent Law Top Ten of 2022: Inducement, Clear Error, and Interferences Galore

Five-year anniversaries are symbolized by a product of natural biotechnology: wood. This article marks the wood anniversary of the “Top Ten Biotechnology Patent Cases” series that began in 2018. Imagining the world in 2018 is challenging, in part because it was, indeed, a different world. There had not been a major pandemic in one hundred years. Inflation was low. The economy hummed along. No individual war appeared to threaten more than regional stability. O tempora, o mores! The year 2022 was quite different. SARS-CoV-2 continued to stalk the land, having had a monumentally mortiferous effect for several years. High inflation was rampant. The economy was still recovering from one of the deepest declines in history, with imbalances across many sectors. Moreover, eastern Europe had let slip the dogs of war, threatening peace worldwide. Biotechnology also has seen changes of significant magnitude. Venture capital investment in biotechnology was small compared to what it is now. Efficient genome editing was restricted to first-generation CRISPR-Cas9 systems, while now it may be accomplished using more powerful and accurate methods, like base editing and prime editing (the latter offering hope for treatment in almost 90% of genetic diseases). Courts had declared that diagnostic methods did not constitute patentable subject matter, which remains the case today, although clever draftswomen continue their efforts to obtain claims protecting such methods to some extent. Over the course of 2022, courts decided a generous selection of cases covering a wide variety of biotechnology patent law issues. These cases ran the gamut, from patent doctrines concerning satisfaction of the written description requirement for antibody claims to mechanisms for augmenting patent terms using either Patent Term Extension, or Patent Term Adjustment, or both. This article has chosen ten of the most important, though, as is the case every year, our choice of only ten was difficult, and, by necessity, left worthy cases on the cutting room floor.

The Investment Strategy of Global Sovereign Wealth Funds During the Period of the Pandemic (COVID-19)

This study aims to determine the extent of the contribution of sovereign wealth funds during the COVID-19 crisis, and its ability to continue post-Covid and to remedy the changes in the economic environment resulting from the outbreak of the epidemic.The most important results reached in general, included the application of sovereign wealth funds to different strategies by allocating huge expenditures to the investment activity that contrast between mitigating and adapting to global economic changes and seizing opportunities to enhance returns on its investment portfolios and the growth of investment in biotechnology was noticeably higher than the rest of the industries, as it financed research and development for the manufacture of respirators and supported the development of vaccines.

The political economy of China's GMO commercialization dilemma

AbstractWhy has China delayed commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops over the last decade given its heavy public R&D investment in biotechnology and maturing GM capacity? Further, imports of GM products for consumption are allowed while similar domestic GM‐crops cannot be commercialized. The paper analyzes, from a political economy perspective, how the delay of commercialization arises from the government balancing interests and conflicts among vested interests to keep social stability based on comprehensive secondary data and unique primary survey data. Anti‐GMO activists have, over time, been able to shape the public perception of biotechnology. Their efforts have garnered widespread acceptance among interest groups and have been sufficient to raise the specter of underlying social instability, which is always near the top of mind for China's government. As a result, no movement on commercialization has been made since 2010—more than a decade ago. The failure to commercialize is important because food production would increase considerably if China were able to commercialize GM crops and the resolution of the biotechnology issue has broad implications for food security.

Current Technologies for RNA-Directed Liquid Diagnostics.

Simple SummaryThe discovery of nucleic acids in blood has rapidly led into the development of methods for their isolation, characterisation and validation in the context of liquid biopsy. In this emerging field, miRNAs are promising biomarkers for the detection of solid tumours in the body fluids of cancer patients. This review gives an overview of the current methods of isolating circulating free and exosomal miRNAs, the advantages and disadvantages of the methods and the different techniques for miRNA quantification. At the end, the clinical relevance and market value of RNA-based liquid biopsy are explored and discussed with respect to the field of precision medicine.There is unequivocal acceptance of the variety of enormous potential liquid nucleic acid-based diagnostics seems to offer. However, the existing controversies and the increased awareness of RNA-based techniques in society during the current global COVID-19 pandemic have made the readiness of liquid nucleic acid-based diagnostics for routine use a matter of concern. In this regard—and in the context of oncology—our review presented and discussed the status quo of RNA-based liquid diagnostics. We summarized the technical background of the available assays and benchmarked their applicability against each other. Herein, we compared the technology readiness level in the clinical context, economic aspects, implementation as part of routine point-of-care testing as well as performance power. Since the preventive care market is the most promising application sector, we also investigated whether the developments predominantly occur in the context of early disease detection or surveillance of therapy success. In addition, we provided a careful view on the current biotechnology investment activities in this sector to indicate the most attractive strategies for future economic success. Taken together, our review shall serve as a current reference, at the interplay of technology, clinical use and economic potential, to guide the interested readers in this rapid developing sector of precision medicine.

Trends in Venture Capital Investments in Ophthalmology Companies (2011–2021)

We summarize venture capital investment into ophthalmology companies from 2011 to 2021 and quantify early-stage investments in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, surgical devices, and diagnostic equipment. We describe the companies and investors most active in ophthalmologic innovation.

Food Poisoning from Local Food Processing Methods: A Review

Food processing links food production to the provision of food of improved quality and nutrient availability, acceptability, preservation to curtail losses and availability in time of need. To maintain these attributes, a critical look at our local food processing methods is required, with a view to improving it; for instance through the application of modern technology, so as to minimize food poisoning, and improve local food stability. In this review, we wish to highlight the various possible pathogenic poisoning routes of some African food processing methods and possible preventive measures. The food processes involved are fermentation, drying and salting. The source of food contaminant is evidently a portal for contamination by more potent pathogenic microbes, which may cause an epidemic, considering the popularity of the food products. The influx of contaminants; which may be a source of food-borne disease(s), maybe through the original food materials, unhygienic practices of the handlers or the process machinery. The incidence of food poisoning in local food processing can be drastically reduced with improved process operations, increased sensitization of food handlers on their possible contributions to food contamination, regular medical checkups and mandatory certification of vendors, etc. The standard for processing and preparing human food should be improved and researches should be carried out, to ascertain facts and prevent death due to ingestion of poisoned food. Investments in biotechnology should also be made in the most conscious and profound manner, to provide species for better food fermentation processes, and as well, advanced sensitive screening procedures to ascertain contamination, especially by non-culturable microorganisms. Hygienic practices in food processing and preservation are indispensable in food security, as we try to sustain food abundance and minimize food poisoning.

Pandemic Risk Management for Public Health Care Schemes.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, has caused a large death, a range of serious health problems, and significant economic costs in many countries around the world. This study analyzes statistical characteristics of pandemic disasters using historical records since the Middle Ages. Compared to literature which studies the effect of the COVID- 19 pandemic on the financial market, this paper attempts to find two financial instruments in the financial market to hedge pandemic risks. Two instruments could be useful for public health care schemes to increase their assets or decrease their liabilities during the pandemic period, namely, assets in the form of a biotechnology investment portfolio and liabilities in the form of pandemic bonds. Empirical results show the feasibility of such instruments and the informational efficiency of the U.S. stock market.

The Role of Heterotrophic Microalgae in Waste Conversion to Biofuels and Bioproducts

In the last few decades, microalgae have attracted attention from the scientific community worldwide, being considered a promising feedstock for renewable energy production, as well as for a wide range of high value-added products such as pigments and poly-unsaturated fatty acids for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food, and cosmetic markets. Despite the investments in microalgae biotechnology to date, the major obstacle to its wide commercialization is the high cost of microalgal biomass production and expensive product extraction steps. One way to reduce the microalgae production costs is the use of low-cost feedstock for microalgae production. Some wastes contain organic and inorganic components that may serve as nutrients for algal growth, decreasing the culture media cost and, thus, the overall process costs. Most of the research studies on microalgae waste treatment use autotrophic and mixotrophic microalgae growth. Research on heterotrophic microalgae to treat wastes is still scarce, although this cultivation mode shows several benefits over the others, such as higher organic carbon load tolerance, intracellular products production, and stability in production all year round, regardless of the location and climate. In this review article, the use of heterotrophic microalgae to simultaneously treat wastes and produce high value-added bioproducts and biofuels will be discussed, critically analyzing the most recent research done in this area so far and envisioning the use of this approach to a commercial scale in the near future.

New Plant Breeding Technologies: An Assessment of the Political Economy of the Regulatory Environment and Implications for Sustainability

This perspective discusses the impact of political economy on the regulation of modern biotechnology. Modern biotechnology has contributed to sustainable development, but its potential has been underexplored and underutilized. We highlight the importance of the impacts of regulations for investments in modern biotechnology and argue that improvements are possible via international harmonization of approval processes. This development is urgently needed for improving sustainable development. Policy makers in the European Union (EU) in particular are challenged to rethink their approach to regulating modern biotechnology as their decisions have far ranging consequences beyond the boundaries of the EU and they have the power to influence international policies.

Impact of government policies on private R&D investment in agricultural biotechnology: Evidence from chemical and pesticide firms in China

China has put in place a series of policies to support private companies to engage in biotechnology research. This study uses data from a survey of 103 major agribusiness firms in the agricultural chemical and seed industries in China to evaluate the impact of government policies on private R&D investment in biotechnology. The results show that firms with positive profit expectation, public R&D subsidies, R&D collaboration with universities/research institutes or state-owned enterprises are more likely to embark on biotechnology research activities. Past patenting activity, R&D subsidies and collaboration with public sector research increase firms' biotechnology R&D investment while firms already selling genetically modified products and firms that are state-owned spend less on R&D. Our findings suggest that government policy does have an important impact on firms' biotechnology R&D investment.

Efficiency of Government-Sponsored R&D Projects: A Metafrontier DEA Approach

Government R&D investments are steadily increasing with the perception that R&D plays an important role in technological innovation and sustainable economic growth. In particular, because biotechnology is recognized as one of the next growth engines, the Korean government has recently increased their investment in biotechnology R&D. However, careful analysis of the efficiency of government-sponsored R&D projects is still lacking. In this paper, we measured the technical efficiency and technology gap ratio to investigate the efficiency of Korean government-sponsored R&D projects of 16 sub-biotechnologies from 2007 to 2013 using a metafrontier Data Envelopment Analysis approach. There was no improvement in overall efficiency between 2007 and 2013. Biochip development technology has been the most efficient sub-biotechnology field and the least efficient fields have been biotechnology product safety and efficacy assessment technology. Medical science and engineering is the closest to optimal production technology among sub-biotechnologies. The efficiency of universities and government-funded research institutes is high, while the efficiency of companies is relatively low. The results suggest that the government should improve the R&D planning process and establish a customized R&D investment strategy that considers the characteristics of technologies and the seven organization types of R&D conductors to increase R&D efficiency.

FALLING AWAKE: DOES DESPERATION LEAD TO OPPORTUNITY?

We argue that organisations that fall short of performance expectations are not only more likely, but also quicker to make investments in a radical new technology. To illuminate this process, what we call “falling awake,” we add a microfoundations dimension that highlights the key individuals that facilitate this process — highly visible knowledge workers. Empirically, we study the global pharmaceutical industry, where we investigate which firms are the first to make investments in biotechnology and the individuals within these firms that accelerate this investment using fine-grained performance, publishing, and patenting history data from 108 incumbent pharmaceutical firms over 34 years (1970–2003). Our findings suggest that firms adopt a more aggressive approach to investments in radical new technologies after falling short of performance expectations.

ЕКОЛОГІЧНИЙ МЕНЕДЖМЕНТ ГОТЕЛЬНО-РЕСТОРАННОГО БІЗНЕСУ ТА ТУРИЗМУ В ПЕРІОД УТВЕРДЖЕННЯ БІОЕКОНОМІКИ

The article considers the aspects of environmental management of the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries at the formation of the bioeconomy. Economic and social growth today is possible with the introduction of significant breakthrough innovations at the technological level to support these sectors and improve the mechanisms of the state environmental management system, taking into account the features of eco-oriented management of hospitality industry enterprises. In foreign literature, the concept of “bioeconomics” has been reflected the connection of modern biotechnologies with the economy, and we identify it with the most investment and commercially attractive segment of the global economic space. It has been established that the further development of the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries during the period of establishment of the bioeconomy is enhanced due to constant investments in science and biotechnology; accordingly, innovations are the main creators of competitive services in the hospitality industry. The environmental management of enterprises in the hotel and restaurant industry and the tourism industry is an important element of the national and European environmental management system, which ensures the formation of a favorable economic space based on bioeconomy. The conceptual provisions of the environmental management of enterprises in the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries in accordance with the basic postulates and principles of modern bioeconomics are under consideration, as well as in the process of developing programs for the development of the hospitality industry, taking into account biotechnological innovations and, accordingly, the formation of an investmentfriendly image of the enterprises of the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries.

The value of a novel biotechnology

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of changing biotechnology and intellectual property rights (IPRs), institutions, and policies for Canadian crop development related to oilseed rape or “canola” as a case study. Implications for China as it considers regulatory and institutional change related to private sector incentives to invest in biotechnology are also discussed.Design/methodology/approachThe authors assess the effects of introducing biotechnology and IPRs in the Canadian oilseed sector over time. Data on the rate of return on agricultural research in general are presented and then the focus moves to the impacts for farmers in Canada. New data are gathered to estimate recent gains in the benefit of biotechnology advancements for farmers. Furthermore, the evolution of agricultural research in China is briefly presented, and a discussion follows that considers Canadian evidence and the possible applicability of the impacts to China.FindingsThe results support earlier studies identifying gains from agricultural research and show that private sector investments in Canada are now much higher than public sector investments and thus institutional innovations have been a powerful trigger to improve productivity. The gains from biotechnology for farmers are now over CND 1 billion per year in Canada.Research limitations/implicationsThe research gains measured are for Canada so should be applied to China’s situation only as a potential for gains.Practical implicationsWhile more work is needed to identify reasonable institutional incentives to generate private investment in China’s biotechnology industry, the potential impact in the Canadian canola sector highlights the importance of continuing the investment in biotechnology, and the need for appropriate policies and regulations to spur private investment.Social implicationsBiotechnology greatly improved the welfare of farmers in Canada. Much of the gain the authors find was in improved yields and lower herbicide costs that improved farmer profits. Privatization of breeding was a key step in this transformation.Originality/valueThe paper contributes an updated review of Canadian intellectual property institutions related to biotechnology, and an updated measure of gains at the farm level. It also begins the analysis of the applicability of these institutional changes for China.

The Market of Biopharmaceutical Medicines: A Snapshot of a Diverse Industrial Landscape.

Background: Biopharmaceutical medicines represent a growing share of the global pharmaceutical market, and with many of these biopharmaceutical products facing loss of exclusivity rights, also biosimilars may now enter the biopharmaceutical market.Objectives: This study aims to identify and document which investment and development strategies are adopted by industrial players in the global biopharmaceutical market.Methods: A descriptive analysis was undertaken of the investment and development strategies of the top 25 pharmaceutical companies according to 2015 worldwide prescription drug sales. Strategies were documented by collecting data on manufacturing plans, development programs, acquisition and collaboration agreements, the portfolio and pipeline of biosimilar, originator and next-generation biopharmaceutical products. Data were extracted from publicly available sources.Results: Various investment and development strategies can be identified in the global biopharmaceutical market: (a) development of originator biopharmaceuticals, (b) investment in biotechnology, (c) development of next-generation biopharmaceuticals, (d) development of biosimilars, (e) investment in emerging countries, and (f) collaboration between companies. In the top 25 pharmaceutical companies almost every company invests in originator biopharmaceuticals and in biotechnology in general, but only half of them develops next-generation biopharmaceuticals. Furthermore, only half of them invest in development of biosimilars. The companies' biosimilar pipeline is mainly focused on development of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies and to some extent on biosimilar insulins. A common strategy is collaboration between companies and investment in emerging countries.Conclusions: A snapshot of investment and development strategies used by industrial players in the global biopharmaceutical market shows that all top 25 pharmaceutical companies are engaged in the biopharmaceutical market and that this industrial landscape is diverse. Companies do not focus on a single strategy, but are involved in multiple investment and development strategies. A common strategy to market biopharmaceuticals is collaboration between companies. These collaborations can as well be used to gain access in regions the company has less experience with. With patents expiring for some of the highest selling monoclonal antibodies, this snapshot highlights the interest of companies to invest in the development of these molecules and/or enter into collaborations to create access to these molecules.

Investor experience in biotechnology

Biotechnology is viewed as an industry that combines scientific innovation, entrepreneurial management and experienced investment to drive innovation, primarily in biomedicine. This paper examines the third of these assumed preconditions. We find that the majority of investors in biotechnology companies over the last decade by number or by value have not been experienced, and that the majority of investors in biotechnology companies have invested in less than three such companies in the decade, suggesting that they have very limited experience of biotechnology. 13% of investment syndicates contain no investors who have made more than three biotechnology investments. Investor inexperience is disproportionately high in Seed and Series A rounds, but has little correlation with amount invested. Investor inexperience is found in all categories of investors and all territories, although US investors tend to have greater experience than those outside North America. The banking crisis of 2008-11 has not materially changed this. We suggest that the conventional image of biotechnology investment as the careful selection and nurturing of young companies by experienced investors is incomplete. This has implications for candidate investor selection by entrepreneurs, and for government support of biotechnology by supporting investors or investment mechanisms.

A real options approach to biotechnology investment policy—the case of developing a Campylobacter vaccine to poultry

The aim of the article is to identify and analyse public-private incentives for the development and marketing of new animal vaccines within a real options methodological framework, and to investigate how real options methodology can be utilized to support economic incentives for vaccine development in a cost-effective way. The development of a vaccine against Campylobacter jejuni in poultry is applied as a case study. Employing the real options methodology, the net present value of the vaccine R&D project becomes larger than a purely probabilistic expected present value throughout the different stages of the project − and the net present value becomes larger, when more types of real options are taken into consideration. The insight from the real options analysis reveals opportunities for new policies to promote the development of animal vaccines. One such approach might be to develop schemes combining stage-by-stage optimized subsidies in the individual development stages, with proper account taken of investors’/developers' economic incentives to proceed, sell or cancel the project in the respective stages. Another way of using the real options approach to support the development of desirable animal vaccines could be to issue put options for the vaccine candidate, enabling vaccine developers to hedge against the economic risk from market volatility.

The Potential of Biotechnology Investments in Selected Eastern European Countries: Lost Chances

Abstract Background: Biotechnology is rapidly developing on a global scale. However, some evidence indicates that Eastern European (EE) countries are not fulfilling their potential in this field. Objectives: This paper aims to examine whether selected EE countries are able to develop a strong biotechnology industry. Potential investment approaches and the existing but not used or neglected infrastructures in EE countries were also examined. Methods/approach: In order to determine biotechnological activities in EE countries, indicators such as intellectual property protection, venture capital availability, published scientific publications as well as other indicators were analyzed. These indicators were compiled and compared between EE countries and regions with a rich and diverse biotechnological business sector. Results: The results suggest an underdeveloped biotechnology business sector in EE countries, with talented but unexploited scientists and unutilized infrastructure. The systematic drawbacks of EE countries lead to a hostile investment environment. Conclusions: The findings make a significant contribution to understanding how the biotechnology industry in EE countries is structured and how investments can be rationally placed. EE countries need to adapt their venture capital market for biotechnology ventures. Several changes in regulations could have a large impact on biotechnology investments.

Pharma Success in Product Development—Does Biotechnology Change the Paradigm in Product Development and Attrition.

The biotechnology segment of the overall biopharma industry has existed for only about 40–45 years, as a driver of new product development. This driving force was initiated with the FDA approval of recombinant human insulin in 1982, originating from the Genentech company. The pharma industry in the early years of 1970s and 1980s engaged with biotechnology companies only to a small extent with their in-licensing of a few recombinant molecules, led by Roche, Eli Lilly, and Johnson and Johnson. However, subsequently and dramatically over the last 25 years, biotechnology has become a primary driver of product and technology innovation and has become a cornerstone in new product development by all biopharma companies. This review demonstrates these evolutionary changes regarding approved products, product pipelines, novelty of the products, FDA approval rates, product sales, financial R&D investments in biotechnology, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and patent issues. We now have about 300 biotechnology products approved in USA covering 16 medical disciplines and about 250 indications, with the engagement of 25 pharma companies, along with their biotechnology company innovators and partners. The biotechnology pipeline involves over 1000 molecules in clinical trials, including over 300 molecules associated with the top 10 pharma companies. Product approval rates by the FDA for biotechnology products are over double the rate for drugs. Yes, the R&D paradigm has changed with biotechnology now as one of the major focuses for new product development with novel molecules by the whole biopharma industry.