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EuropaBio Newsletter 05-09 January
HEADLINES
 

Ireland focuses on bioeconomy to maximise national income, exports and job creation

Over a 2-year period starting in December 2014, a multi-disciplinary research team led by Teagasc (Agriculture and Food Development Authority) will assess Ireland's natural resources and core strengths, and match these to global market opportunities. The research will then identify up to 8 commercial opportunities that could be viably deployed by Irish-based producers and companies in short-term, and make recommendations on the development frameworks. Read more

Spanish Parliament makes institutional declaration in support of biotechnology

The declaration was signed during the year's last plenary session of the Congress of Deputies, on 18 December. The plenary session also congratulated and seconded the commitment of the organizations that promoted the Year of Biotechnology, ASEBIO, Fediotec, SEBIOT and FEDIT. Read more

The battle of the scientists: are Europeans becoming more hostile to science and technology?

Europe continues battling over finding ways to work out how to ground policy in sound science. A recent story in the Economist reports, among others, that the European challenge of protecting and embracing innovation needs to be more carefully addressed in the following years, with the new team of Commissioners now in post. Read more

Healthcare Biotech

Evaluating biosimilar medicines

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has updated its methods for providing guidance and advice on biosimilars, as their availability and use on the NHS grows. Read more
 

Pharmaceuticals: going large

Due to more and more difficulties in finding new cures quickly enough to replace those on which the patents are expiring, many drugmakers turned to biotechnology for solutions. As in other areas of drug research, there have been setbacks as well as successes. However, steady progress is being made in creating "biologics". Read more

Agricultural Biotech

Britain needs GM crop revolution, says minister

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, Lizz Truss said: "[GM crops] have a role to play here in Britain. I think our farmers need access to the technology that will help them work in world markets." Read more
 

Crop biotechnology and the challenges of feeding a world of 10 billion

If modern science is to contribute to the agricultural productivity increase required in coming decades as the climate warms and the human population continues to grow, it is necessary to acknowledge the safety record of GM crops, and ease the regulatory barriers to their development and deployment. Read more
 

Seeds of change

GM crops may soon flourish in Britain's fields. The debate about GM food has been over for some time and it is now simply a matter of whether the leaders will take action. Read more

Industrial Biotech

Slovakia will have a biorefinery to produce second-generation bioethanol

The Slovak Republic will have a biorefinery that will deliver 55,000 metric tons per year of cost-competitive cellulosic ethanol while using non-food biomass as its feedstock. The start-up of the plant is expected in the first half of 2017. Read more 
 

Why bacteria could be the answer to a future without oil

New advanced methods for industrial biotech enable the use of engineered bacterial cells in developing chemicals to replace processes presently dependent on petroleum. Work is already in progress to explore the potential of using waste to grow bacteria or other micro-organisms that could make chemicals such as ethanol for use as "biofuel" for cars and aeroplanes. Read more

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