One of the most respected scientists and futurists in America teams up with an expert on human longevity, to show how we can tap today's revolution in biotechnology and nanotechnology to virtually live forever.
Startling discoveries in the areas of genomics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology are occurring every day. The rewards of this research, some of it as spectacular as what was once thought of as science fiction, are practically in our grasp. Already it is possible to analyze our individual genetic makeups and evaluate our predisposition for breast cancer or other deadly diseases on a case-by-case basis. And once we've isolated these genes, the ability to repress or enhance them through biotechnology is just around the corner. Soon, for example, it will be feasible for 10% of our red blood cells to be replaced by artificial cells, radically extending our life expectancy and enhancing our physical and even mental abilities beyond what is humanly possible today. In Fantastic Voyage, Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman will show us how amazingly advanced we are in our medical technology, and how incredibly far each of us can go toward living as long as we dare imagine.
With today's mind-bending array of scientific knowledge, it is possible to prevent nearly 90% of the maladies that kill us, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and liver disease. Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman start the reader on a fantastic journey to undreamed-of vitality with a comprehensive investigation into the cutting-edge science on diet, metabolism, genetics, toxins and detoxification, the hormones involved with aging and youth, exercise, stress reduction, and more. By following their program, which includes such simple recommendations as drinking alkaline water and taking specific nutritional supplements to enhance your immune system and slow the aging process on a cellular level, anyone will be able to immediately add years of healthy, active living to his life.
Shares of biotechnology companies have declined, after the much anticipated American Society of Clinical Oncologists meeting in early June in New Orleans. This sector has been on a roll ever since Genentech (NYSE: DNA) vaulted 45% on May 19, 2003 following positive news from Phase III trials of Avastin in colorectal cancer patients. Is the recent correction a good time to fish or cut-bait?
Before you decide to dump or load up on biotech stocks, it is worthwhile to look at the 3C's driving this sector: Cancer, Cycle-time, and Consolidation.
Cancer
A hot-bed of activity, cancer research has attracted lot of attention. The buzzword is 'targeted drugs'. Unlike traditional forms of cancer treatment which do not discriminate between healthy and malignant cells, targeted drugs act more like smart weapons. They take on the molecular mechanisms involved in the growth of cancer without hurting the surrounding healthy tissue, and offer the possibility of making the disease a manageable, chronic condition.
Tarceva, an experimental drug developed by OSI Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: OSIP) and licensed to Genentech and Roche (ROG.VX) is one of the more highly profiled targeted drugs. The drug shows promise in extending the lives of lung cancer patients when used in combination with Avastin. Tarceva’s efficacy against pancreatic cancer is being investigated in a Phase III trial and results are due in the second half of 2004.
ImClone's (Nasdaq: IMCL) Erbitux, that is already approved for treating colon cancer, is another targeted drug that is in the limelight. According to data presented at the ASCO meeting, head and neck cancer patients treated with Erbitux and radiation had a median survival rate nearly twice as much as those who received radiation alone.
Cycle-time
Thanks to an efficient Food and Drug Administration, the time required for FDA review has shortened. With priority review having been granted by the FDA to Gilead Sciences' (Nasdaq: GILD) Viread/Emtriva combination anti-HIV pill, a decision is expected in September, four months earlier than the originally expected January 2005.
Companies for their part are also aggressive in reducing cycle-time. Genentech, for example, was ready to launch Avastin literally within hours of getting FDA approval. Helped by favorable test results, Elan (NYSE: ELN) and Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB) filed for their multiple sclerosis drug, Antegren, in May 2004, a year earlier than expected.
Consolidation
The organic growth of biotechnology companies has proven to be a long and uncertain process. While biotechnology firms seek to merge between themselves, pharmaceutical companies are also targeting biotechnology companies.
Last year Biogen and Idec, merged to form Biogen Idec. The Biogen Idec merger was driven by the need to reduce risks, derive scale advantages, and enhance domain expertise. This year, Amgen (Nadsaq: AMGN) has announced its intent to buy 79% of Tularik (Nasdaq: TLRK) it does not already own. Tularik shores up Amgen’s pipeline by bringing in five products in various stages of clinical testing with T67, the liver cancer drug, in Phase III trials. Recently, QLT (Nasdaq: QLTI) and Atrix (Nasdaq: ATRX) have agreed to merge to move closer to becoming a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company.
Major pharmaceutical firms faced with the double whammy of weak drug development pipelines and upcoming patent expirations are looking to purchase biotech firms to rev up their growth engines. Recently, Belgium based UCB (UCBBt.BR) has offered to buy U.K.’s largest biotech firm, Celltech (NYSE: CLL).
The potential of targeted drugs, shortening of cycle-times, and possibilities of buyout provide a powerful case for investing in the biotechnology sector. So how does one play the biotech cycle?
Investing in biotech stocks has never been for the faint-hearted. News from clinical trials can make or break a company’s share price. One needs to only look at the 'Slim-Jim' type one-day moves in OSI Pharmaceuticals to the upside and Genta (Nasdaq: GNTA) to the downside, to get the picture.
Many biotech companies have high cash burn rates. Even the profitable ones have relatively few marketed products. For companies in this universe, the value is predicated on cash flows that are forecasted to come through several years out. As such, it makes sense to invest in a basket of biotech companies rather than one single entity.
Today's marketplace offers several opportunities for investing in the biotechnology sector. First, there is Fidelity Select Biotechnology (Nasdaq: FBIOX), an actively managed, no load sector fund. With over $2 billion in assets, this is by far the largest open ended mutual fund that focuses on biotechnology. From April 30, 2003 through May 31, 2004, FBIOX has advanced 36.6%. As of March 31, 2004, FBIOX held 60 stocks with the top 10 holdings accounting for about 64% of the portfolio. Top holdings in this fund included names like Genentech, Biogen Idec, Gilead Sciences, Cephalon (Nasdaq: CEPH), and Millennium Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: MLNM). A noticeable absentee among the fund’s top 10 holdings was industry heavy weight, Amgen.
There are two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that focus on the biotechnology industry as well: iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology (AMEX: IBB) and Biotech HOLDRs (AMEX: BBH). There are some subtle, yet important differences to consider between the two exchange-traded funds. From April 30, 2003 through May 31, 2004, the IBB has advanced only 31.9% compared to the 45.3% gain for the BBH.
The iShares are designed to track the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index and include over 100 biotech companies that trade on the Nasdaq. As of March 31, 2004, the top 10 holdings in the iShares had a combined weighting of about 36% with Amgen by itself having a 17% weighting. A notable absentee in the iShares is Genentech whose shares trade on the NYSE.
The Biotech HOLDRS, on the other hand, are Depositary Receipts that represent an undivided beneficial ownership in the common stock of 18 biotech companies. This ETF is concentrated; as of June 10, 2004, the top 5 industry heavyweights, Amgen, Genentech, Biogen Idec, Gilead Sciences, and Chiron (Nasdaq: CHIR) had a combined weighting of about 79%. One twist of the HOLDRs is that they have to be traded in round lots of 100 shares; one lot of the BBH at about $140 per share takes a cool $14,000.
In sum, while bottoms are hard to pick, there is a case to be made for being long this sector. Among the options available, Fidelity Select Biotechnology and iShares appear more attractive. For one, they offer better diversification. Further, exposure to development stage companies is higher. Some of the development stage companies have appeal as takeover candidates whereas the industry leaders in the HOLDRS are more likely to be buyers than sellers.
Biochemistry specialization is into four distinct sections - macromolecular metabolism, nutritional biochemistry, molecular biology, and physical biochemistry. After graduating in these programs, you can look forward to work in the field of healthcare and medicine.
The biotechnology sector is in great demand in online science degrees Program. The article gives you information about various degrees and its career prospects.
Through online biochemistry degrees, you can learn about the molecular makeup of the living world. The degree helps in studying the effects of chemical and biological reactions on biological systems, practices for obtaining, studying and recovering information, and the role and arrangement of molecules and biological systems.
You can start your program by beginning a survey of subjects like physiology, cell and molecular biology, and microbiology. Later, you can study advanced areas like enzyme actions, gene regulation, metabolism, and cell communication. You can then specialize in one or more of these areas of study. The programs help students to understand the cell as a functioning chemical system. It examines the communication between cells and the internal chemistry of cells.
Biochemistry specialization is into four distinct sections - macromolecular metabolism, nutritional biochemistry, molecular biology, and physical biochemistry. After graduating in these programs, you can look forward to work in the field of healthcare and medicine. You can also pursue graduate degrees or advanced studies in various biochemistry fields. There is also a high demand for jobs in biotechnology firms, scientific publishing, medicine, molecular biochemistry, pharmacology, or veterinary medicine.
Biochemistry degree involves research and study in chemistry, physics, and biology. The curriculum include plant biotechnology, molecular evolution, bioorganic chemistry, the plant genome, signal transduction and biochemical regulation, general biochemistry, genome maintenance and stability, methods in gene regulation, neuroscience, and physical biochemistry.
Ashford University offers General Biology Degrees. Berdan Institute, Illinois Institute of Technology, Keiser University, and Medix offer biochemistry degrees too. Lehigh University offers online degrees like Master of Science in Molecular Biology. You can learn about molecular biology, evolutionary microbial, and animal and plants molecular heredity. The courses also teach you about cells biology, regulating of genes expressions, development of genetics, and virology.
At Saint Joseph, you can get a Masters in Biology. The courses are taught through CD-ROM’s which feature image, video, and audio lecturing material. The University of Maryland offers Master's in Life Science. University of Nebraska at Kearney offers Master's in the Science of Biology along with credit time programs.
At University of Maryland University College, you can pursue Bioinformatics, Biotechnology Management, BTPS in Biotechnology, and MS in Biotechnology Studies. The MS in biotechnology studies program gives you a thorough foundation in management and policy issues which are unique to the biotechnology industry. You will have a greater understanding of the technologies in use in the biotechnology industry. Stanford University offers Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics, Certificate in Bioinformatics, and Computational Genomics Certificate Program. Read more on Online Science Degrees.
The onset of technologically advanced software and hardware platforms for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries has resulted in more than a few drug manufacturers enlisting the talents of information technology professionals. Systems management issues between various protocols as well as the operating system functionality of cutting edge software have created an atmosphere where laboratory technicians spend a large portion of their time managing biotechnology infrastructures. While many larger firms already have information technology personnel that work exclusively on corporate related networks, few if any were called upon to bridge the gap between scientific software and traditional hardware. Most software manufacturers who offer genetic modeling or chemical composition software rarely consider the cross platform restrictions of their products, hence the need for well trained information technology professionals.
Throwing another wrench into the works is the development and widespread use of open source software. Open source software protocols are expansive and easily altered by nature. Many open source software developments carry no licensing restrictions. While the software itself can be extremely beneficial to biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms, the havoc it can wreak on hardware systems leaves much to be desired. While information technology professionals aren't likely to write or alter code for unilateral workability, they can be called upon to structure data transfers between open sources programs that will allow the information garnered from one to be placed into another without damage to the overall system.
Many educational providers are starting to offer IT degree programs dedicated to information technology development for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. These programs train information technology personnel for the industry specific needs that often arise when dealing with cross platform data evaluation systems. As the complexities of software increase, so likely will the need for qualified IT professionals to make it run smoothly. Those who are already firmly entrenched in the IT world as well as those who plan to make a career of IT would do well to pay attention to the growing need for specialized technical personnel in this expanding market.
Biotechnology is the integration of engineering and technology to the life sciences.
Biotechnologists frequently use microorganisms or biological substances to perform specific processes or for manufacturing. Examples include the production of drugs, hormones, foods and converting waste products.
There are many sub-branches involved in the biotech industry. A few of the more common branches include; molecular biology, genetic engineering, and cell biology.
A new and exciting sub-branch requiring biotechnologists is the field of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology gives us the capability to engineer the tiniest of objects, things at the molecular level. Nano means a billionth of a specific unit in Greek. Nanotechnology includes the study and manipulation of materials between 1 and 100 nanometers.
To give you an idea, DNA is approximately 2.5 nanometers. Red blood cells are 2.5 micrometers (1,000 times larger). And a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick!
As you can imagine, it is very difficult to scale and mass produce objects within the realm of nanotechnology. Their minute size makes them nearly impossible to manipulate. But scientists and engineers have teamed up to make the seemingly impossible a reality.
Which means those with the proper training will be highly sought after in the future. The National Science Foundation estimates that the U.S. alone will need up to 1 million nanotechnology researchers. It is estimated that the need for nanotechnology workers will reach 2 million by 2015.
Therefore, if you're considering getting into the field of biotech, you may want to gear your background in nanotechnology if your school offers it or seek employment in this exciting new career field after graduating.
No matter what sub-branch you wind up specializing in, biotechnologists often collaborate with others in the laboratory and bounce ideas off one another. This can create a pleasant work environment; one that involves sharing with others and working together to achieve a great goal.
Organic fruits are products that are free of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, irradiation, and biotechnology. They are more nutritional because plants produce more vitamins and antioxidants when grown without using pesticides and fertilizers.
Organic farmers usually conserve energy and help to protect the environment by growing their foods organic. Not using fertilizers and pesticides reduce pollution of groundwater. Organic agriculture reduces the greenhouse effect and global warming. Organic meat comes from animals that were raised without being fed antibiotics or growth hormones.
When you are shopping for organic foods you should look for the USDA seal. On meat and dairy products, this seal tells you that you are buying antibiotic and hormone-free products.
