Chilean Public Policies and their Impact on Biotechnology Small and Medium Enterprises

It is difficult to find cases of technology-based Small and Medium Enterprises in developing countries, however Chile has some within the biotechnology sector. How has this been possible? As a consequence of the different public policies and structural economic conditions that allowed their emergence, especially in the 1990s. This study describes the historical conditions and how they have been able to create a sector within the Chilean economy. From the analysis of secondary data the emergence of this type of company within the country is described. This analysis shows the link between structural conditions and appropriate public policies, meaning that these companies did not emerge by chance. Understanding their development process is crucial to promote the creation of more such technology-based Small and Medium Enterprises, as they have many positive externalities and are more globally competitive.

Trends of industry-leading biotechnology stocks during COVID-19

The 2019-nCoV coronavirus has significantly impacted the macroeconomic outlook for countries across the world. The biotechnology sector experienced a relatively positive stock price outlook, which corroborates the trends exhibited by biotechnology stocks in previous pandemics such as SARS (2003) and AH1N1 (2009). During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine roll-out rates have been more efficient than in any other pandemic, as companies today are more experienced in combating the time constraint to create vaccines. Gilead Sciences Inc. saw its shares rise 18% after developing the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, 'remdesivir'. In contrast, AstraZeneca's shares fell 2.28% in 2021 after its vaccine underwent investigations into blood-clotting side effects and subsequent suspension from several countries. Companies developing mRNA vaccines like Moderna, BioNTech, and Pfizer witnessed surges in share prices ranging from 10% to 20%. Many newer biotech companies such as Genexie, Sanovi, OnoSec, and Vaxart have also developed vaccines for COVID-19. Share prices are more volatile for these less established companies. This paper observes how developing new technologies, staging clinical trials, obtaining FDA approvals, gaining publicity, and several other complex factors have profound impacts on the stock prices of these biotechnology companies.

The Role of External Knowledge in the Innovative Activities of Agricultural Biotechnology Multinationals

Objective: To evaluate the influence of external knowledge absorbed on the potential to innovate of multinational companies (MNCs), in the genetically modified (GM) seed sector from 2000 to 2018. Method: A quantitative approach was applied. Data was composed of the main patents filed by MNCs in the GM seed sector, collected from the Espacenet database, the MNCs’ annual reports, and the INPI database. Variables were analyzed using panel regression model. Main results: Results showed that the MNCs’ own resources, as well as the external knowledge absorbed were individually significant. The Interactive variable was not significant in the model. Relevance/ Originality: In addition to addressing literature gaps related for instance to the need to investigate the factors that influence the generation of innovation in multinationals, the present study focused on the agricultural biotechnology sector, which is of paramount importance for the innovations generated in agriculture. Theoretical contributions: This study contributes by filling literature gaps related to the need to understand how important is the influence of the external knowledge and resources to the innovative capabilities of MNCs. Social contributions: This paper helps managers be conscious of the fact that innovation is not only developed internally, involving the MNC’s own network, but in fact, innovation requires relationships with other companies, allowing the access of external knowledge and resources.

Induzierbare Promotoren für Cyanobakterien

Cyanobacteria are versatile organisms with extreme phylogenetic diversity. With increasing need for alternative sustainable solutions, they are becoming increasingly attractive as production hosts in the biotechnology sector. Opposed to established heterotrophic model organisms, newer production hosts still require extensive characterization of standard biological parts in order to build complex networks and circuits. Here, we present examples of quantitative characterization of inducible promoters in the model organism Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

The Use of Virtual Reality in the Teaching of Challenging Concepts in Virology, Cell Culture and Molecular Biology

The rapidly expanding biotechnology sector horizon is expected to create a surge in demand for expertise underpinning cell and gene therapies, which are recognized as the next generation of medicines. New and innovative approaches to implement active and performative learning in the Molecular Life Sciences are required to support this and to address limitations associated with traditional “front of class” lectern delivery of challenging, three dimensional molecular concepts. Therefore, an immediate need exists for the development and implementation of immersive learning approaches in Virology, Cellular Sciences and Molecular Biology to underpin sustainable development of graduate students for academic and industrial research careers. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in the delivery of education globally, with online engagement and accelerated uptake of novel teaching and assessment modalities into majority practice within institutions. This development has been driven by externally imposed necessity and it remains to be seen what form teaching and learning will take post-Covid. Irrespective of the pandemic, technologies are available which can serve intrinsically motivated, discipline specific shifts toward enhanced learner experiences and learning outcomes. Immersive virtual reality offers one such approach to open new entry points for student learning of abstract molecular concepts, which will be just as relevant upon our return to face-to-face teaching. Key to delivering this will be engagement and collaboration by disciplinary and technical experts. Here, we discuss global advances in the area of VR and Molecular Science education and assess potential paths forward for teaching and learning impact and innovative education.

Bioremediation

Environmental bioremediation is the use of biological activity to reduce the concentration or toxicity of a pollutant. A rapidly increasing population leads to a consequential increase in industrial waste and pollution, and innovators are researching numerous techniques to degrade these pollutants and prevent their spread into the environment. These techniques are expensive and often result in secondary pollutants, which limits their widespread application. Bioremediation, however, presents a cost-friendly and more efficient way to degrade pollutants with little or no secondary pollutants. This Article explores how scientists can use genetically modified microorganisms (“GMMs”) to target specific hazardous wastes that are otherwise not degradable. Current U.S. laws and regulations only regulate GMMs on a case-by-case basis. With the rapidly advancing biotechnology sector, GMMs can provide cleaner, safer, and faster methods for cleaning up pollutants. However, as with all new sciences, GMMs pose unique risks when released directly into the environment. Regulations on the field release of GMMs are highly restrictive and hinder scientific research. This Article describes bioremediation and its potential risks; sets forth the current legal framework; and analyzes how policymakers can ensure the safe experimentation and eventual widespread use of GMMs in the environment.

Former Employer’s Prestige, the TMT’s Post-Migration Rewards in the Biopharma Industry

Recruiters and researchers of TMT (top management teams) tend to emphasize the human capital and social capital of the executive in the interfirm migration, but they ignore the role of the former employer’s prestige. We address this issue to argue that the former employer’s organizational prestige attracts the recruiter’s attention to the TMT, and we propose that the TMT from high-prestige organization attracts high rewards than the TMT from a low-prestige organization. We used data from the biotechnology sector on 1,468 TMTs, their 1,482 hiring events, 783 recruiters, 168 source employers—in the interfirm movement of the TMTs from 1997 to 2005. We used three measures for predictors of the organizational prestige of the former employer, and the regression analysis shows some reflections of those predictors of rewards of the hired executive. The result shows that the organizational age, size, and alliance network of the former employer emit value signals to the recruiter. These components of organizational prestige predict increase in the rewards after controlling for the human capital of the TMT. The study contributes to organizational context as a predictor of value, institutional theory, and general implications for practice and policy.

Scientific Production on Technological Cooperation Networks in Biotechnology sector

The present study aims to analyze scientific production about technological cooperation networks in biotechnology sector, based on bibliometrics network analysis. We used the Gephi software to identify groups of partnerships, proving that the cooperation relationship is a practice used, re-sulting technological development. Findings identify that in the path for new resources that com-plement skills and competences universities are an important player in this cooperative ecosystem, and The United States is a large hub, with an extensive network of global cooperation. A strong role of its researchers in the publication of scientific articles in cooperation is highlighted. This study contributes to the advancement of the discussion about cooperative networks, as well as to the development of policies aimed at the biotechnology sector advancements