Sage Life & Biomedical Sciences

Non-profit group TransCelerate BioPharma Inc. has brought together several working groups to identify more efficient and effective approaches to the process of new drug development. In this podcast, Dr. Stephen P Spielberg discusses efforts to improve monitoring of clinical trials with key contributors to the TransCelerate efforts. Participants are Nicole Sheetz, Advisor, Clinical Innovation and Implementation, Eli Lilly and Company, Brett Wilson, Associate Director, Central Clinical Services, R&D Operations, Bristol-Myers Squibb; and Mark Travers, Vice President, Head of Clinical Study Units, Clinical Sciences & Operations, Sanofi.

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An automated microfluidic platform with a portfolio of customized molecular assays can detect nucleic acids, proteins, and posttranslational modifications in single intact cells with >95% reduction in reagent requirement in less than 8 h.

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Cheap and simple: Whole blood spiked with target cells is incubated with (super-)paramagnetic microparticles that bind phenotypic markers on target cells. Under rotation, all cells sediment into a chamber located opposite a co-rotating magnet, and bead-bound target cells are deflected to a designated reservoir.

An easy-to-use, low-cost, low-energy way to fragment DNA: lateral cavity acoustic transducers (LCATs) in a microfluidic device. The LCATs cause microstreaming, which fragments DNA within the solution without any need for purification or downstream processing.

The JALA Ten annually showcases the top 10 technological breakthroughs across a spectrum of fields that demonstrate the progress that can be realized when top scientists and engineers combine forces with translationally minded clinicians and entrepreneurs.

This podcast discusses a research study among students on a health sciences center campus to determine if the students were able to identify whether certain types of content posted on a social media site violated HIPAA. Students could identify a HIPAA violation when it included patient names, medical record numbers or images of the patient, but they were unable to identify HIPAA violations in social media postings that included a place, a date, and a more subtle identifier such as obesity. Discussion focused on whether or not practicing sonographers were at risk for making the same errors, and future research for helping all health care workers learn about what constitutes a HIPAA violation on social media was suggested.

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This podcast discusses an approach to teach fetal heart anatomy to sonographers using a combination of online tutorials and mastery learning concepts. This approach was found to be superior (a one-sigma effect) to conventional classroom instruction relying on didactic lectures. Students in the online learning group were better able to identify both normal and abnormal fetal heart structures. Discussion focused on the logistics of such an approach, the necessary infrastructure and support, and potential limitations.

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JALA 19.5 October 2014

This report advocates the use of relative mixing index for use by the lab-on-a chip community fo quantifying mixing events. Several different mixing indices are reviewed and then experimentally verified, revealing that the relative mixing index is not affected by lighting conditions.

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A discussion of the consequences of mergers and acquisitions on medical product development times.

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