Most synthetic chemical products used in consumer goods end up unchanged in the environment. Given the risks this could pose for the environment and human health, researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have developed a new tool to effectively predict what will happen to current and future pharmaceutical products…
Scientists have made an important step forward in their understanding of cryoprotectants - compounds that act as natural ‘antifreeze’ to protect drugs, food and tissues stored at sub-zero temperatures. Researchers from the Universities of Leeds and Illinois, and Columbia University in New York, studied a particular type of cryoprotectants known as osmolytes…
The growth of agricultural biotechnology has positively impacted farmers, consumers and the environment, according to Congressional testimony given today. The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing today to review the opportunities and benefits of agricultural biotechnology…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that it will fully deregulate a variety of biotech alfalfa (so called “Roundup Ready” or “RR” alfalfa, which is genetically engineered to tolerate the herbicide glyophosate)…
Nigerian Drug Research Institute Halts Research Because Of Funding Shortfall Nigeria’s National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), which focuses on developing traditional herbal remedies into drug candidates, has had to discontinue research after the Nigerian health ministry did not provide the full amount of expected funding and a “key grant from the U…
The strategies used to assess the environmental risks posed by pharmaceuticals are not enough to protect natural microbial communities, reveals a researcher from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) who is calling for better environmental risk assessments…
As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s rigorous, scientific regulatory review governing genetically engineered (GE) animal technologies, the FDA’s Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee (VMAC) hosted a rigorous discussion about a GE salmon…
Changing Trade Rules In India Could Impede Access To Generic Drugs Generic drugs produced in India “could cost more and be harder to access if the country has to adhere to stricter intellectual property rules,” Reuters reports, noting that the country supplies the “bulk” of AIDS medicines that go developing countries…
Genetically engineered (GE) animals have already realized the promise of advancing human health, and now this technology could lead to more sustainable and environmentally friendly food production. The U.S…
A letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack from 75 Members of Congress asks that farmers be allowed to plant Roundup Ready alfalfa (RRA) in the fall 2010 planting season. The June 21, 2010, decision by the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a nationwide ban on the cultivation of biotech alfalfa, but remanded the case back to the District Court…