healthcare : Innovation + Job News

It's one minuscule step for molecules, one giant leap for mankind. Nanotechnology startup Optofluidics, Inc. has established offices at the University City Science Center's Port Business Incubator. The company aims to develop optical devices that keep biomolecules in place in their physiological state, says Optofluidic's Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, Bernardo Cordovez. "The product will be an instrument that houses and reads the chips that we make."

As the company name implies, Optofluidics uses the combination of fluids and light to detect, identify and manipulate biomolecules and nanomaterials. The idea of adding fluids to scientific optical devices is not a new one. Back in the 18th century, rotating pools of mercury were used to create smooth mirrors in reflecting telescopes. According to Cornell University's Erikson Lab, where Optofluidics co-founder David Erikson initiated research concepts for Optofluidics, new biosensing technologies follow advances in the identification of biomarkers associated with specific diseases and injuries. Two examples are the neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which have eluded early detection. The kind of non-invasive nanotechnology that Optofluidics is developing, which will diagnose and detect biomarkers at very low levels, could enable diagnosis even before symptoms appear.

The National Science Foundation recently gave Optofluidics nearly $150,000 in a Small Business Innovation Research award. "The market opportunity is tremendous because most single molecule instrumentation is made for DNA, while nano-instrumentation for handling and studying proteins is still a bit behind," says Cordovez, who adds that Optofluidics' family of technologies has very strong commercial appeal.
Making the move to the Science Center was the easy part. Cordovez cites the University of Pennsylvania's strong biosciences department which will provide "a terrific future employee candidate pool." Philadelphia is slated to become a world leader in nanotechnology research, says Cordovez, with a planned world class nanofabrication center at Penn, scheduled for completion in the next few years.

Source: Bernard Cordovez, Optofluidics, Inc.
Writer: Sue Spolan

Why aren't you taking your drugs? The age old question is getting new treatment at an upcoming summit of health care professionals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, patients and advocates. On Feb. 24, Wool.labs Cocktail Convention offers a group with often diverging opinions the chance to duke it out over a beer.

The event, Patient Adherence Through the Lens of Social Media in the Healthcare Continuum, will be held at the National Constitution Center, and is co-sponsored by Wool.labs, SmartBrief, and MISI Company. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Michele Bennett is Wool.labs' COO and the moderator of the event, which, she says, is Wool.labs' way "of trying to promote more understanding in patient health care." She says the evening will begin with panelists from a wide range of perspectives, including the dynamic entrepreneur Paul Shiels, managing director of the Ansley Capital Group and a big proponent of using social media to both gather and spread information about health care. He cites Wool.labs' research into what people were saying online about Avandia well before the diabetes drug made headlines for increasing the risk of heart attack.

"It's startling, the level of sophistication that is discernible early on," says Shiels, who adds that Wool.labs' proprietary search engine is better than a focus group or survey based analysis, because it doesn't just go to medical pages, but instead searches every available website in the world to glean information on the relationship between patients and their medications. In fact, he says, quite a bit of Avandia chat was found on a forum for motorcycle enthusiasts.

Joining Shiels on the panel is Dan Zenka, Vice President of Communications for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. In what Zenka terms a "hugely ironic" turn of events, he himself was diagnosed with prostate cancer nearly a year ago, and immediately created the blog My New York Minute, a chronicle of his diagnosis and treatment. The site has racked up 24,000 reads since the first post in April 2010. Other guests include pharmacist Steve Basiago, oncologist Tim Showalter, and health care administrator Elizabeth Beer. Moderator Michele Bennett promises a thought provoking evening and maybe even some controversy.

Source: Michele Bennett, Wool.labs, Paul Shiels, Ansley Capital Group, Dan Zenka, Prostate Cancer Foundation
Writer: Sue Spolan

You may not be famliar with papain, bromelain and ficin, but they are all naturally occurring enzymes extracted from fruit trees and plants and used in a wide range of applications, including beer, cancer treatments and contact lens cleaner.

The newest tenant at the University City Science Center's Port Business Incubator (3624 Market St.) specializes in production and commercialization of those compounds and is hoping its entry to the U.S. market is just as naturally occurring. Belgium-based Enzbyel International announced last week it established its U.S. office through the Science Center's Global Soft Landing program,

According to Science Center spokesperson Jeanne Mell, the Global Soft Landing program, which helps global companies establish a presence in local life sciences and IT markets, has engaged eight companies--a number that figures to get larger as the Science Center expandsd its Global Soft Landing space at 3711 Market Street.

Nicolas Chatelain is Enzybel's lone employee at the Science Center and will focus on business development. He says Enzybel is actively seeking a second employee for its Philadelphia operations

"We would like to hire (someone) as a sales representative for the food ingredient and neutraceutical industries as soon as possible," he says. "We are looking for an American candidate that will have at least a Bachelor's degree in Food Science Chemistry or related discipline."

In addition to growing its food processing accounts and prospecting new markets, Enzybel is hoping to set up a joint venture with a distributor for its wastewater solution.

Source: Nicolas Chatelain, Enzybel; Jeanne Mell, University City Science Center
Writer: Joe Petrucci