Laboratory news & BioScience March 2017

In association with The NZ Microbiological Society Inc. VOL. 22 No. 1 JUNE 2012 ISSN 1172-7101 

Issue 117 | March 2017 

THE MAGAZINE FOR LABORATORY PROFESSIONALS 

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NOW INCORPORATING 

Brain imaging and causal assessment of 

impairments reveals metamemory regions 

From Juntendo University 

Corporate Communications 

Juntendo University Research: You know 

what you know? Brain imaging and causal 

assessment of impairments reveals 

metamemory regions 

Juntendo University researchers identify areas 

of the brain responsible for metacognitive 

memory evaluation in macaque monkeys. 

“We know how confidently we know,” explains 

Yasushi Miyashita and colleagues at Juntendo 

University Graduate School of Medicine 

and the University of Tokyo School of Medicine 

in their recent report. 

“The evaluation of how well we remember 

things requires a metacognitive self-monitoring 

of memory-states termed “metamemory.” 

Now Miyashita and co-authors have identified 

which parts of the brain are essential for 

these “metamemory” processes for the first time 

using macaque monkeys. 

The self-reflective mental processes of 

metamemory require a high level of cognition, 

once thought to be unique to humans. 

However over the past ten years metacognitive 

assessment of perception have been report- 

ed in non-linguistic animals, and researchers 

have developed experimental frameworks for 

investigating its brain mechanisms in animals. 

So far little is known of metamemory, because 

it requires the reconstruction of past experiences 

as current mental representations for 

metacognitive assessment, the process of which 

naturally requires more self-reflective and introspective 

information processing than perceptual 

metacognition. 

Among the other unanswered questions, it 

is unknown whether the processes that implement 

metamemory were distinct from the processes 

of memory itself. 

Miyashita and colleagues showed macaque 

monkeys a series of four pictures of objects. 

Afterwards, the monkeys were shown an additional 

picture, and asked to indicate, not just 

whether they had seen the additional picture 

before but to wager how confident they were in 

their response. Functional MRI mapping of the 

whole brain during these tests indicated distinct 

areas that were activated during the metamemory 

processes. 

The brain images also revealed that the area 

responsible for metamemory of the last picture 

– recent memory - was different from that for 

the first picture –remote memory. 

Reversible deactivation of these areas noticeably 

impinged on the monkeys’ metamemory 

functions without affecting their ability to 

memorise the pictures. 

The researchers concluded: “The findings 

reveal that parallel metamemory streams supervise 

recognition networks for remote and recent 

memory, without contributing to recognition 

itself.” 

Metacognition 

Metacognition defines the cognition about 

cognition or knowing about knowing that is 

characteristic of our self-awareness. 

Two components feed into metacognition 

– knowledge about cognition and regulation 

of cognition, which allows us to apply different 

strategies for learning and problem solving. 

Some have suggested that metacognition 

is a survival process that should be common 

across creatures but it is little understood so far. 

In particular understanding metacognitive 

processes in non-linguistic animals and children 

can provide insights into how much indepen- 

Continued on page 2 

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NEW ZEALAND LABORATORY NEWS | NEW ZEALAND BIOSCIENCE 

ISSUE 117 | MARCH 2017 

Brain imaging and causal assessment of impairments 

reveals metamemory regions 

From page 1 

dence there is between thought and language. 

Previous studies had investigated the neuronal 

activity during metacognitive perception 

in macaque monkeys and rats. 

These works looked at brain activity during 

the self-monitoring of real-time decisions. 

Since metamemory requires the reconstruction 

of past experiences it can be considered 

a more self-reflective metacognitive 

process. 

So far metamnemonic processes have only 

been observed in macaque monkeys, apes 

and dolphins, as well as humans, highlighting 

comparative cognitive capabilities among 

these species. 

seen – that is, an old remote memory – the 

brain was activated in the dorsal prefrontal 

cortex, around the posterior supraprincipal 

dimple (aPSPD), particularly within area 9 (or 

area 9/46). 

However when wagering on a memory of 

the last picture seen – a recent memory – the 

anterior part of the supplementary eye field 

(SEFa) within area 6 activated instead. 

The contribution of the supplementary eye 

field to perceptual metacognition has been 

previously suggested. 

However as the researchers point out in 

their report, this is the first observation of 

metacognitive roles for area 9, especially at 

aPSPD. 

Brain areas 

Certain areas of the brain have been identified 

as responsible for mnemonic processes 

revealing a multi-tiered brain wide network for 

memory. 

While this is now understood in some detail, 

what regions of the brain may be responsible 

for metamemory was totally unknown. 

The researchers found that when the macaque 

monkeys were engaged in metacognitive 

judgement of memories of the first picture 

Experimental design and metamemory task. Whole-brain functional localization of metamemory networks for “remote” and 

“recent” events via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral reversible inactivation with a GABA-A receptor 

agonist (muscimol) in macaque monkeys performing a metamemory task. Courtesy of Science 

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Science is, sometimes, political 

The New Zealand Association 

of Scientists (NZAS) is deeply 

concerned by the impact of the 

new US administration. 

just gone a few weeks with 

the new US administration and 

“We’ve 

we are witnessing a geopolitical 

shakeup that is without precedent”, said NZAS 

president Craig Stevens. 

“The rise of social media has reduced the 

time for a community to respond to an event 

down to mere minutes. 

“At the same time, communities are both 

many - and global,” he said. 

“The radical changes being made by the 

Trump administration ripple across the globe 

in the blink of a smart-phone.” 

As an independent body seeking to promote 

science, the NZAS has six main aims 

(www.scientists.org.nz) – each one is and 

will be impacted by the radical changes being 

wrought by one of the planet’s dominant nations. 

This dominance feeds through into economic 

influence, migration, regional stability 

and science. 

“We seek to promote science in New Zealand,” 

said Stevens. 

“Science is now global, scientists come 

from all-over and go all-over. We collaborate, 

we consolidate, we share knowledge, we discover 

– globally. 

“The world would not be sure that the climate 

is changing rapidly due to greenhouse 

gas emissions without the efforts of scientists 

of all nationalities. “Science and the scientific 

community cannot tolerate discrimination 

against people on the basis of their place of 

birth or religion. 

“In fact, the Trump Administration's travel 

ban has horrified the global scientific community. 

“This ban is completely immoral in the context 

of the current international refugee crisis. 

“It will also retard scientific progress in the 

United States and the rest of the world at just 

the time when our civilisation needs science 

the most. 

“We seek to increase public awareness of 

science and expose pseudo-science. The US 

Administration is using new, and seriously 

partisan, media to deconstruct science. 

“It's happened before with abhorrent consequences,” 

said Stevens. 

We debate and influence government science 

policy. 

With science being central to so many aspects 

of our lives, in particular those that we all 

have in common such as climate and health, 

these debates cross borders. 

We seek to improve working conditions 

for scientists, including gender and ethnic 

equality. 

This is completely central to societal advances 

of the last decade, largely facilitated 

by global communications and social media, 

enabling battles to be fought and won with 

contributions from all over the planet. 

And these fighters seek open knowledge, 

transparency, justice, and quality of life for all. 

We promote free exchange of knowledge 

and international co-operation. A few weeks 

ago this seemed a given. 

Today, that this is so much less certain is remarkable 

in itself. 

And finally we encourage excellence in science. 

Excellence comes in many forms – academic 

excellence is just one, and usually insufficient 

on its own to be good for much. 

We put forward the idea that in this age, 

everyone is a scientist – or part of the science 

ecosystem. 

This doesn't mean everyone has to read up 

on Rutherford and Salk, but rather that everyone 

should be able to value – and be able to 

Continued on page 4 

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Science is, sometimes, 

political 

From page 3 

participate in – the search for truth and understanding. 

Stevens comments: “There are so many, many challenges facing our 

species. Population, climate, equality, health, environment and more 

besides. It’s one thing to make science struggle to support and justify 

its activities – that is only appropriate. It is quite another to actively hunt 

it down and tear down truths.” 

Late last year the NZAS chose to target the theme of science in society, 

for 2017. What we didn’t realize was that this was going to become 

street-warfare. In the coming months there will be global demonstrations 

(in NZ see @ScienceMarch_NZ on twitter). 

This is not just scientists protesting about science funding – it is 

about the serious consequences for all of us in science – and other 

forms of scholarship – are ignored and undermined. 2017 is also an 

election year and a time when we need to support the values we want 

for the future. 

The comfort some of us are lucky enough to experience in NZ naturally 

enough drives complacency. 

But the time for complacency has passed. 

If you think science is apolitical, then ask yourself whether you also 

believe science can work under all political regimes. 

[ 4 ] 

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Ex-science teacher pursues lab 

technician career 

Noeleen McArdle used to be a 

science teacher, but after moving 

to New Zealand from Ireland 

she decided she wanted a more 

hands-on science role. She 

enrolled in the Graduate Diploma 

in Laboratory Technology at Ara 

Institute of Canterbury to get the 

applied science skills she needed 

for her new career. 

“I was only one year of study and it had 

heard about the course and it sounded 

like it was the best-suited for me. It 

a big workplace element to it that would get 

me into a real lab,” she says. 

Noeleen had been working as a hospital 

aide since arriving in New Zealand and was 

nervous about returning to study. She says 

that the support she received at Ara made 

her quickly realise she had made the right 

decision. 

“The tutors were great. They were really 

supportive and the small class sizes mean 

that they really know who you all are. I cannot 

praise them highly enough.” 

The first semester of the qualification 

covered essential lab skills and during the 

second semester, Noeleen spent much of 

her study time on work placement with Canterbury 

Southern Community Laboratories. 

She says that the strong focus on practical 

study and workplace experience made her 

feel confident about entering a job when she 

finished. 

“I loved being in the lab and the course 

gave you an idea of what’s expected when 

you go out and work in the industry.” 

Noeleen also enjoyed the research project 

component of the diploma, where she got to 

investigate and analyse the levels of Lactobacillus 

bacteria in probiotic yogurt. 

“It’s good to experience a research project 

from start to finish because there is so much 

science research going on that I could be involved 

with through a future lab role.” 

Noeleen’s career aim is to work in microbiology 

labs because of the variety in this area 

of work. 

“It's fascinating. There are micro-organisms 

all around us, in everything, and the 

impact they can have on our lives is massive.” 

Ara has strong industry connections and 

Noeleen was able to quickly secure a job at 

Hill Laboratories when she finished. Her role 

involves testing food samples to make sure 

they are safe for consumption. 


[ 5 ]



Arterial tunnel vision: Computer tomography 

provides a clearer view of blood vessel interiors 

Narrowed and blocked arteries can now be diagnosed 

faster and more accurately with the help of special 

computer-aided image analysis techniques. This advance 

was made possible by the development of innovative 

techniques for the detailed visualisation of blood vessels 

with the support of the Austrian Science Fund FWF. 

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease poses a major health risk 

to patients. Various treatment options (widening, stenting, 

bypassing) offer good chances of recovery. 

The treatment planning requires the comprehensive analysis of 

blood flow through all of the peripheral blood vessels. 

CT angiography is one modality for this task, however, it produces 

thousands of images. 

The analysis of this huge amount of images is quite a challenge for 

the medical staff. 

Experts from the fields of medicine and IT have now collaborated 

on a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF that aims at 

simplifying this evaluation process considerably. 

Seeing around corners 

Project leader Milos Šrámek, who is based at the Austrian Academy 

of Sciences, explains the main objectives: "The imaging of blood-vessel 

lumen is entirely feasible using CT. However, complications arise when 

the orientation of the vessels changes or they ramify. Obtaining a 

complete 3D visualisation has not been easy in such cases until now. 

The techniques we developed enable the accurate imaging of these 

aspects." 

The development is based on the collaborative work of teams 

from the Technische Universität Wien and the Medical University of 

Vienna, which led to several pioneering innovations, i.e., "centerline 

reformation" and "curved surface reformation". 

A continuous picture 

Centerline reformation is based on new algorithms of image 

processing, which enable the continuous representation of the 

blood-vessel lumen in case they change their spatial orientation. 

Rüdiger Schernthaner from the Department of Biomedical Imaging 

and Image-Guided Therapy at the Medical University of Vienna 

explains: "Using this technique, we are actually able to visualise the 

lumen or inside of lung and brain blood vessels without overlaps – an 

approach that was considered extremely difficult up to now due to 

the sharp twists and turns." 

However, as Schernthaner points out, the technology is not yet 

perfect. 

In addition to known artefacts, which are inevitable with all imaging 

procedures, the simultaneous visualisation of several blood vessels 

requires further optimisation. 

Algorithms at the Technischen Universität Wien remarks: "We further 

developed curved surface reformation so that, in addition to the bloodvessel 

interior, the adjacent anatomical structures are also visualised 

with low distortion. This allows the doctor to identify extravascular 

pathologies while examining the blood vessels." 

The adoption of appropriate "levels of detail", which process 

information near the centerline of a blood vessel with high accuracy, 

was crucial to this development. 

Smart super views 

The team's other developments include intelligent visualisation 

methods, which make it possible, for example, to show the full volume 

of a blood vessel in a single image. 

This enables the rapid assessment of the blood flow in the entire 

blood vessel. 

The project participants have also been aware of the difficulty in 

identifying the most suitable choice from the large number of available 

imaging techniques and developed the "smart super views" approach 

in response. 

The technique automatically selects images from the available pool 

that are best suited for the assessment of a given area of the body. They 

are then presented in such a way that their diagnostic significance is 

immediately identifiable. 

The methods developed in the course of this FWF project have 

already been applied to more than 600 medical cases per year. This 

underlines their relevance and importance in improving the health 

situation of patients. 

Scientific Contact: Dr. Milos Šrámek 

Austrian Academy of Sciences 

Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3 

1030 Vienna, Austria | +43 / 1 / 790 44 - 9813 

Milos.Sramek@oeaw.ac.at | www.gmi.oeaw.ac.at 

NEW ZEALAND 

laboratorynews 

New Zealand Laboratory News and Bio Science 

is published alternate months by 

Waikato Business Publications 

A new dimension 

"Curved surface reformation" builds on "centerline reformation" 

and enables the complete 3D visualisation of the blood-vessel lumen. 

The spatial orientation and position of the blood vessel are completely 

irrelevant here. The method is based on a process known as raycasting, 

which enables the rapid visualisation of three-dimensional objects. 

Beyond the vessel walls 

The project participants are particularly proud of succeeding in 

facilitating another clinically important task. 

Eduard Gröller from the Institute of Computer Graphics and 

[ 6 ] 

PO Box 1425, Hamilton, New Zealand 

Ph (07) 838 1333 | Fax (07) 838 2807 | Email: labnews@wbn.co.nz 

Editor: Mike Blake 

Please submit editorial contributions to: mike.blake@wbn.co.nz 

Advertising Manager: Barbara Hambling 

Email: labnews@wbn.co.nz 

Production Manager: Tania Hogg 

Please submit advertising material to: production@wbn.co.nz


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[ 2 ] 

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What holds the heart together 

Optical tweezers unveil a secret of muscle 

power 

Our hearts beat a life long. With every 

beat our heart muscle contracts and expands. 

How this can work throughout an 

entire life remains largely a mystery. Researchers 

at the Technical University of Munich 

(TUM) have now measured the forces 

acting between the building blocks titin 

and α-actinin which stabilize the muscle. 

The human body is a never-ending construction 

site: Proteins are permanently being 

decomposed and replaced. But this perpetual 

reconstruction does not inhibit the 

body’s functionality. The heart keeps beating, 

respiration does not halt, we can rely on 

our eyes and ears around the clock. 

How the body manages to keep together 

the protein strands in muscles even while 

individual building blocks are replaced has 

preoccupied Prof. Matthias Rief for many 

years. “There must be forces that stabilize 

the individual chains, the filaments. Otherwise, 

muscles would fall apart. But, until 

now, nobody has tracked down the source 

of these forces,” reports the chair of the 

Department of Biophysics at TU Munich. In 

collaboration with his team, he has now deciphered 

the secret behind the cohesion of 

muscles. 

Optical tweezers decipher the bonding forces 

As it turns out, two proteins are responsible 

for allowing muscles to expand without falling 

apart. The first is titin, the longest protein in the 

human body. The second is α-actinin, which 

anchors titin to the muscle tissue. 

The TUM researchers studied the interactions 

between these proteins using a specially 

developed apparatus: The “optical tweezers” 

fill a 20-square meter room in the basement 

of the institute. There are laser sources, optics, 

cameras and monitors. The heart of the facility 

is a measuring chamber filled with a fluid and 

small globules of glass. The titin and α-actinin 

molecules stick to the surface of these globules. 

Pairs of laser beams that penetrate the 

measuring cell catch one globule each to hold 

them fast. 

A network gives strength 

“Using the laser beams we can position the 

globules close enough to each other that the 

two proteins can interlink,” explains Marco Grison, 

who is researching the bonding between 

the muscle building blocks in the context of 

his doctoral dissertation. “In a second step, we 

increase the distance between the laser beams 

and, thereby, between the globules, until the 

proteins are stretched to their limit. The bonding 

force between titin and α-actinin can then 

be calculated from this distance.” 

The protein bond can resist a force of five 

piconewtons – which corresponds roughly to 

one billionth the weight of a bar of chocolate. 

“This result left us very surprised,” recalls Rief. 

“Such small forces should not be able to hold 

a muscle together for long.” 

And yet, the protein link is the key to understanding: 

In muscles, each titin strand is held 

by up to seven α-actinin proteins. This was 

determined by the structural biologists at the 

University of Vienna, with whom the Munich 

researchers are collaborating. This increases 

the force seven-fold. Enough to allow the heart 

to beat and even decompose and replace individual 

molecular chains – right alongside normal 

operation, so to speak. 

Repairs during normal operation 

“In total, the bonds are sufficient to stabilize 

the muscle,” explains Rief. “The protein network 

is not only stable, but also extremely dynamic. 

Our measurements show that the proteins release 

their bond when they are pulled apart. 

But, as soon as the stretching force abates they 

reconnect.” This affinity of protein molecules 

for one another ensures that muscles do not 

tear, but rather revert to their original form after 

being stretched. 

This tight bond between the proteins is not 

limited to the heart. The interaction between 

titin and α-actinin stabilizes all muscles when 

they are stretched – regardless of whether during 

breathing, walking, grasping or laughing. 


0800 522 787 | info@labsupply.co.nz | labsupply.co.nz 

[ 3 ]



High school students pilot Mars mission by 

sending code into space 

Thanks to recent advances in science 

and technology, humans are closer 

than ever to putting boots on Mars. 

The University of Sydney has helped 

prepare budding aeronautical 

engineers to take up the challenge 

of supporting human life on 

Mars. As part of one of the world’s 

biggest computer programming 

competitions, Zero Robotics, 

Australian high school students will 

get to send things into space. 

The competition, created by University of 

Sydney’s former NASA astronaut Professor 

Greg Chamitoff and top tech school 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is 

a global robotics challenge where high school 

students have the opportunity to utilise the International 

Space Station as a laboratory to test 

their programming on NASA robots known as 

SPHERES (Synchronized, Position, Hold, Engage, 

Reorient Experimental Satellites). 

“You program stuff in space, how much 

cooler can you get?” said Luke Tuthill, a member 

of Gosford High School’s team who recently 

finished Year 12 and hopes to study 

Computer Science at university this year. 

“Through Zero Robotics, students not only 

gain valuable skills in engineering, maths, 

physics, robotics and coding, but they’re also 

given the chance to put those skills to the test 

in an incredible and exciting out-of-this-world 

environment – on the International Space Station,” 

Professor Chamitoff said. 

After last year’s successful competition 

which saw Normanhurst Boys High School 

reach the finals, the Australian contingent in 

the competition, facilitated by the University 

of Sydney, was expanded in 2016/17 to allow 

more high school students the opportunity to 

compete and gain valuable experience in robotics 

programming. 

As part of its STEM outreach activities, 

the University of Sydney mentored 20 high 

school teams in Zero Robotics across NSW. After 

months of preparations an impressive five 

teams – Barker College, Fort St High School, 

Gosford High School, James Ruse Agricultural 

High School and North Sydney Boys High 

School – have made the finals, which will be 

held on Friday 27 January. 

Finalists will test their code on the International 

Space Station with the competition livestreamed 

to a global audience. The Australian 

teams will come together to watch the final 

competition at an on-campus University of 

Sydney event (see details below). 

This year’s fictional premise placed the 

SPHERES in orbit around Mars and saw the 

students program the robots to assemble 

surveying satellites to scout out the best locations 

to support humans on Mars. 

During the course of the competition, the 

Australian teams developed alliances with 

high school students from other countries, including 

the US, UK, Italy and Romania, in order 

to successfully progress in the game. 

“We had a ball with the international team,” 

said Gosford High student Aaron Maynard, 

whose team formed an alliance with two US 

teams. 

Each Australian team was provided with 

a current University of Sydney Engineering 

and Information Technologies student or recent 

graduate to be their mentor. Over nine 

months, mentors guided the teams through 

the process of learning the computer code, 

maths and physics behind the motion of the 

SPHERES, while also helping students develop 

valuable ‘soft’ skills including teamwork and 

effective communication. 

“A great thing about Zero Robotics is that 

students with all different levels of coding experience 

– including those who have never 

coded before – can contribute to their team’s 

efforts. I wish there had been this type of activity 

to satisfy my interest in coding when I was 

at school,” said Neill Foweraker, a recent Information 

Technology Management graduate 

from the University of Sydney who mentored 

the Barker College team. 

Zero Robotics Australia Coordinator Benjamin 

Morrell, who is also undertaking PhD 

research on the SPHERES at the University of 

Sydney, said the program aims to inspire students 

to explore the exciting range of STEM 

study and career opportunities. 

“It’s really fantastic to work with the students 

over the course of the competition 

and to see them come to the realisation that 

something that at first seems really complex 

– like controlling a robot in space – is actually 

very achievable with hard work and perseverance,” 

he said. 

Event details: 

Zero Robotics Championship Event 

About: Watch the international finalists, 

including Australian teams, compete in a 

live championship aboard the International 

Space Station, as an astronaut conducts the 

competition in microgravity. In addition to 

witnessing this live test session with NASA 

and European astronauts, attendees will 

also have the opportunity to participate in 

a range of interactive displays and activities. 

When: from 9.30pm, Friday 27 January 

2017. Please note: The timing of this event is 

subject to change due to the scheduling of 

the International Space Station. Follow Zero 

Robotics Australia on Facebook or register 

via Eventbrite for up-to-date information. 

Where: Abercrombie Business School, the 

University of Sydney, Corner of Abercrombie 

St and Codrington Avenue, Darlington, 

Sydney, 2006. 

Media RSVP and interview requests: 

Media are welcome to attend and film this 

event. To RSVP or request interviews with 

Professor Chamitoff, the students or mentors 

please contact Jennifer Peterson-Ward 

– (02) 9351 0240, 0434 561 056, jennifer. 

peterson-ward@sydney.edu.au 

[ 4 ]


Targeted microbiome modulation from 

OptiBiotix demonstrates potential to boost 

the health benefits of existing probiotics 

Research to be presented by 

microbiologist Stephen O’Hara, 

CEO of OptiBiotix Health, at the 

Microbiome R&D and Business 

Collaboration Congress: Asia in 

Hong Kong on the 1-2 March 2017 

will demonstrate that OptiBiotix’s 

microbiome modulators can 

increase the growth and biological 

effect of specific microbial species 

in the human microbiome. 

The oral presentation will show that 

OptiBiotix’s microbiome modulators 

have successfully increased the 

growth and biological effect of multiple 

species of microbe in human gut models, 

including their own cholesterol-reducing 

probiotic, LP-LDL®. By using the microbiome 

modulator, LPGOS, to increase the growth 

of LP-LDL® researchers reduced cholesterol 

as much as 27%. 

This new research from OptiBiotix demonstrates 

the potential for the development 

of species or genera-specific probiotics to 

selectively enhance the growth and health 

benefits of existing probiotics. In addition, 

there is the potential for microbiome modulators, 

which selectively modify an individual’s 

microbiome to improve health, to be 

added to a range of food products. 

Stephen O’Hara, CEO of OptiBiotix, commented, 

“The ability to create designer ingredients 

which can modify an individual’s 

microbiome to improve health is a hugely 

exciting development in global microbiome 

research and product development. I believe 

we are fast approaching the next stage 

in the development of the microbiome in 

healthcare, where scientists have the ability 

to precision engineer components of the 

microbiome to prevent, manage and treat 

many of today’s chronic lifestyle diseases.” 

The human microbiome 

The human digestive tract contains a 

complex and diverse ecosystem of trillions 

of bacteria. Recently, advances in molecular 

and analytical techniques (metagenomics, 

metabolomics) have permitted identification 

and quantitation of species and 

strains of bacteria that inhabit the gastrointestinal 

tract, their metabolic activity, and 

interactions with the human host. These 

studies have provided greater insight into 

the role of gut and their metabolites in 

health and disease. 

NIH https://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/ 

index 

Web MD http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-your-gut-bacteriasay-your-health#1 

About OptiBiotix 

OptiBiotix was formed in March 2012 

by Stephen O’Hara to develop compounds 

which modify the human microbiome – 

the collective genome of the microbes in 

the body – to prevent and manage human 

disease. 


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[ 5 ]



What will the wasp plague be like this year? 

New research from Victoria University 

of Wellington has revealed the 

population of the common wasp is 

amplified by spring weather, with 

warmer and drier springs often 

meaning more wasps and wasp 

stings in summer. 

The study, published today in the Journal 

of Animal Ecology, examined 23 years 

of data from New Zealand and 39 years 

from the United Kingdom, which included the 

annual Rothamsted Insect Survey. 

“We saw different populations exposed to 

different weather conditions, which substantially 

influenced population numbers. The patterns 

typically show lower numbers of wasps 

after cold, wet springs, and higher numbers 

after warm, dry springs,” says lead author Professor 

Phil Lester from Victoria’s School of Biological 

Sciences. 

“This year we’ve had a really wet spring in 

many areas across New Zealand. These places 

that have seen a lot of spring rainfall could 

expect lower numbers of wasps than average 

this summer.” 

Professor Lester says climate change 

could considerably increase wasp numbers. 

“The average global temperature is rising 

each year. We are therefore likely to see more 

wasp abundance in the future as our weather 

gets warmer. 

“We saw this at Rothamsted in the United 

Kingdom. The area experienced a change in 

climate in the 1990s, and its warmer spring 

weather has resulted in considerably higher 

numbers of wasps.” 

The study also found population densities 

for the upcoming year are heavily dependent 

on numbers from the previous year. 

“If we saw a high abundance of wasps 

in one year, numbers are likely to be lower 

in the following year,” explains co-author 

Dr John Haywood from Victoria’s School of 

Mathematics and Statistics. 

“This is a relatively common way that insect 

populations change over time. We also 

determined that wasp populations don’t 

‘cycle’—we can’t predict the abundance of 

wasps three, four or more years from now 

based on their current numbers. There is no 

predictable rise and fall of numbers over the 

long term.” 

The invasive common wasp is a native 

species in the United Kingdom and became 

established in New Zealand in the 1970s. The 

insect is a major pest in both countries—in 

New Zealand it has been estimated to cost the 

economy in excess of $130 million each year. 

Other authors on the study are Dr Michael 

Archer from York and Chris Shortall 

from Rothamsted Research, both in the 

United Kingdom. 

The study was supported by the Marsden 

Fund managed by the Royal Society of New 

Zealand, as well as New Zealand’s Biological 

Heritage National Science Challenge, for 

which Professor Lester leads research into 

novel pest control technologies. 

For more information contact 

Professor Phil Lester on 021 243 5096 or 

phil.lester@vuw.ac.nz. 

NeuroVive presents positive preclinical data in Hepatocellular 

Cancer at HCC Summit 

LUND, Sweden:- NeuroVive Pharmaceutical 

AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: NVP, OTCQX: 

NEVPF), the mitochondrial medicine 

company, recently announced that an abstract 

with novel preclinical cancer data related to 

the company's sanglifehrin-based compounds 

has been accepted for presentation at the scientific 

conference EASL HCC Summit which 

took place in Geneva, Switzerland in early February, 

2017 . 

NeuroVive has utilised its expertise in mitochondrial 

medicine to explore a unique aspect 

of the company's sanglifehrin-based compounds. 

In preclinical studies, the NeuroVive research 

team and its international collaborators 

have shown that a sub-set of these compounds 

exert unexpectedly potent anticancer 

effects. 

An abstract with the title Preclinical analysis 

of sanglifehrin-based cyclophilin inhibitors 

showing potential for treatment of hepatocellular 

carcinoma1 was be presented at the conference. 

"We are now adding the exciting and challenging 

cancer area to our portfolio, expanding 

our core competence field within mitochondrial 

medicine. The addition of Dr Michele Tavec- 

[ 6 ] 

chio to our team has accelerated the internal 

development process in this area, and the 

team has done a great job in exploring this new 

therapeutic opportunity for the company's 

sanglifehrin-based compounds", said Magnus 

Hansson , chief medical officer at NeuroVive. 

The hepatocellular cancer indication has a 

highPhoto - http://www.neurovive.com medical 

need for new and effective treatment alternatives. 

The EASL HCC Summit covers topics 

such as early detection, diagnosis and treatment 

of hepatocellular carcinoma, highlighting 

both the basic science and clinical science 

aspects of this important and rapidly evolving 

field. 

About Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) 

Liver cancer includes two major types: 

hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic 

bile duct cancer. Infection with certain 

types of the hepatitis virus increases the risk 

of liver cancer. Patients with alcohol or fatty 

liver disease (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, 

NASH) induced liver cirrhosis also have an 

increased risk of developing cancer in the 

liver. Even though less common in northern 

Europe and the US, HCC is the sixth most 

prevalent cancer and the third leading cause 

of cancer-related deaths worldwide2,3. 

1. Michele Tavecchio * , Alvar Grönberg * , Eskil 

Elmér * , Philippe Gallay ** , Matthew Gregory 

***, Steven Moss *** , Magnus Hansson * . * 

NeuroVive Pharmaceutical, Sweden , ** The 

Scripps Research Institute , US, ***Isomerase 

Therapeutics Ltd, UK. 

2. Altekruse SF, McGlynn KA, Reichman ME: 

Hepatocellular carcinoma incidence, mortality, 

and survival trends in the United States from 

1975 to 2005. J Clin Oncol 27 (9): 1485-91, 2009. 

3. Forner A, Llovet JM, Bruix J: Hepatocellular 

carcinoma. Lancet 379 (9822): 1245-55, 2012. 

About NeuroVive 

NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB is a leader in 

mitochondrial medicine. The company is committed 

to the discovery and development of 

medicines that preserve mitochondrial integrity 

and function in areas of unmet medical 

need. The company's strategy is to take drugs 

for rare diseases through clinical development 

and into the market. The strategy for projects 

within larger indications outside the core focus 

area is out-licensing in the preclinical phase. 

NeuroVive enhances the value of its projects 

in an organization that includes strong international 

partnerships and a network of mitochondrial 

research institutions, as well as expertise 

with capacities within drug development and 

production.


SPIE Photonics West presentations to show 

BioPharmX was first to visualise minocycline 

on the skin using multiphoton microscopy 

Presentations will describe new 

method for visualizing minocycline 

delivery in skin and is supportive of 

clinical trial data 

MENLO PARK, California – Bio- 

PharmX Corporation (NYSE MKT: 

BPMX), a specialty pharmaceutical 

company developing products for the 

dermatology market, will share details of a 

new two-photon fluorescence microscopy 

technique to visualise minocycline skin 

penetration along with research that correlates 

the new visualisation method with 

the company’s clinical data. 

The research was presented during two 

sessions at SPIE Photonics West, the world’s 

largest multidisciplinary event for photonics 

held in San Francisco. 

The two presentations were: 

• “Visualisation of drug distribution of topical 

minocycline in human facial skin with 

fluorescence microscopy. BioPharmX associate 

scientist Maiko Hermsmeier explained 

how, for the first time, BioPharmX 

was able to visualise minocycline in human 

skin and the pilosebaceous unit by 

inducing fluorescence in minocycline 

through a nonlinear optical approach 

with two-photon excitation. 

• “Optical microscopy of targeted drug delivery 

and local distribution in skin of a 

topical minocycline. Kin F. Chan, executive 

vice president of research and technology 

at BioPharmX, discussed a potential practical 

application for the newly developed 

process in guiding future clinical trials using 

two-photon fluorescence microscopy. 

The Photonics West event attracts more 

than 20,000 people to hear the latest research 

and find the latest devices and systems 

driving technology markets, including 

state-of-the art medical technologies. 

“It is always an honor to present new 

research to eminent colleagues, but this 

is particularly exciting because we believe 

our novel use of two-photon fluorescence 

microscopy may hold significant potential 

for the medical and scientific communities 

for translational research,” said Kin F. Chan, 

executive vice president of research and 

technology at BioPharmX. 

“We believe it can be used to visualise 

and eventually quantify the distribution of 

multiple drugs. This is important because 

it promises a major advance to researchers 

working to optimise the frequency, dosage 

and timing of topical drug treatments.” 

Chan’s presentation showed how twophoton 

fluorescence microscopy was used 

to confirm data from BioPharmX’s BPX-01 

Phase 2a clinical trial. 

The trial demonstrated that the company’s 

unique topical minocycline gel formulation 

delivered adequate minocycline to 

the appropriate site to target P. acnes. Before 

the initiation of clinical studies, traditional 

fluorescence microscopy technique 

and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation 

(MALDI) were used to optimize the 

drug delivery system and to confirm optimal 

treatment dose and timing of BPX-01. 

Traditional fluorescence microscopy 

was limited in sensitivity while MALDI is 

too costly and time-consuming for rapid 

optimisation. The novel multi-photon imaging 

approach has the potential to overcome 

both deficiencies. 

BPX-01[1] is the first and only stable hydrophilic 

(non-oil-based) topical gel with 

fully solubilised minocycline that can penetrate 

the skin to deliver the antibiotic to 

where acne develops in the pilosebaceous 

unit. 

The company’s studies are designed to 

confirm whether BPX-01 can effectively 

treat acne with lower, and potentially safer, 

dosages of the antibiotic. 

BioPharmX recently announced the 

completion of enrollment in the OPAL 

(tOPicAL Minocycline Gel) study – a Phase 

2b dose-finding clinical trial to assess the 

efficacy and safety of BPX-01 for the treatment 

of acne vulgaris. 

The 12-week, multi-center, randomised, 

double-blind, three-arm, vehicle-controlled 

OPAL study involves 225 individuals, 

aged 9 to 40, who have moderate-tosevere 

inflammatory, non-nodular acne 

vulgaris. 

The American Academy of Dermatology 

calls acne the “most common skin 

condition in the United States,” affecting 

40 million to 50 million Americans. The U.S. 

market for acne medications is estimated 

at $10 billion. 

About BioPharmX® Corporation 

BioPharmX Corporation (NYSE MKT: 

BPMX) is a Silicon Valley-based specialty 

pharmaceutical company that seeks to provide 

products through proprietary platform 

technologies for prescription, over-thecounter 

and supplement applications in 

dermatology and women's health. To learn 

more about BioPharmX, visit www.BioPharmX.com. 

Forward-Looking Statement 

This information contains forward-looking 

statements and information within the 

meaning of Section 27A of the Securities 

Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E 

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as 

amended, which are subject to the "safe 

harbor" created by those sections. 

It contains forward-looking statements 

about the company's expectations, plans, 

intentions and strategies, including, but 

not limited to, statements regarding, 

whether BPX-01 can effectively treat acne 

with lower, and potentially safer, dosages 

of the antibiotic, and whether the use of 

two-photon fluorescence microscopy will 

be useful in guiding future clinical trials, 

enable BioPharmX to visualise and eventually 

quantify the distribution of multiple 

drugs, promote optimisation of the frequency, 

dosage and timing of topical drug 

treatments, and overcome deficiencies in 

traditional fluorescence microscopy including 

limitations in sensitivity, cost, and time. 

These forward-looking statements may be 

identified by words such as "plan", "expect," 

"anticipate," "believe," or similar expressions 

that are intended to identify such forwardlooking 

statements. 

These forward-looking statements involve 

risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, 

which, if they do not fully materialize 

or prove incorrect, could cause our 

results to differ materially from those expressed 

or implied by such forward-looking 

statements. The risks and uncertainties include 

those described in the company's filings 

with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Given these risks and uncertainties, 

you are cautioned not to place undue reliance 

on such forward-looking statements. 

The forward-looking statements included 

in this article are made only as of the date 

hereof and the company undertakes no 

obligation to publicly update or revise any 

forward-looking statements, whether as a 

result of new information, future events or 

otherwise, except as may be required under 

applicable securities laws. 

BioPharmX is a registered trademark of 

BioPharmX, Inc. 

[ 7 ] 

VOL. 26 NO. 1 | MARCH 2017



Orchard Therapeutics and PharmaCell 

B.V. announce manufacturing alliance 

London, UK & Maastricht, the 

Netherlands -- Orchard Therapeutics 

(“Orchard”), a clinical-stage 

biotechnology company dedicated to 

bringing transformative ex-vivo gene 

therapies to patients with serious 

and life-threatening orphan diseases 

recently announced an alliance with 

PharmaCell B.V. (“PharmaCell”), a 

leading Contract Manufacturing 

Organisation (CMO) for Cell and Gene 

Therapies and Regenerative Medicine. 

Under the terms of the alliance, Pharma- 

Cell will provide GMP-compliant manufacturing 

services to support clinical trials 

and commercialization of Orchard’s ex-vivo 

autologous gene therapy products. 

This agreement represents another important 

milestone for Orchard’s strategy to establish 

a global supply chain to deliver ex-vivo autologous 

gene therapy medicines to patients 

with devastating genetic diseases. 

Stewart Craig, Ph.D. Orchard’s chief manufacturing 

officer commented: “We are delighted 

to partner with PharmaCell, a world-leading 

CMO with a proven track record in the manufacture 

and supply of cell-based products for 

both clinical trials and commercial markets. We 

are excited about the prospect for this partnership 

to accelerate our plans to make medicines 

available on a global basis.” 

Orchard’s clinical development pipeline includes 

novel treatments for primary immune 

deficiency disorders and inherited metabolic 

disorders, including ADA-SCID (adenosine deaminase 

deficiency severe combined immunodeficiency) 

and MPS-IIIA (Mucopolysaccharidosis 

IIIA or Sanfilippo syndrome type A) as well as 

other indications. 

Alexander Vos, chief executive officer of 

PharmaCell, commented: “We are very excited 

to have the opportunity to collaborate with Orchard 

Therapeutics on their ground-breaking 

development pipeline for severely debilitating 

genetic disorders. PharmaCell will bring its 

extensive resources and experience to bear to 

support the global commercialization of these 

innovative therapies like we have been and are 

doing for an increasing portfolio of late-stage 

clinical programs for leading industry players." 

About adenosine deaminase deficiency 

severe combined immunodeficiency 

(“ADA-SCID”) 

ADA-SCID is a rare inherited disorder of 

the immune system. The incidence of ADA- 

SCID is estimated between 1 in every 375,000 

to 660,000 live births, according to literature 

sources. ADA-SCID is caused by mutations in 

the gene encoding for the enzyme adenosine 

deaminase, which result in a severe deficiency 

PRODUCT NEWS 

Microlab NIMBUS from Hamilton Robotics 

in white blood cells and life-threatening infections. 

In the absence of treatment, ADA-SCID 

is fatal within the first months of life. Despite 

currently available treatment options, there 

remains significant need for therapies that reduce 

the mortality, morbidity and burden of 

disease on patients and families. 

About mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA 

(MPS IIIA, Sanfilippo syndrome type A) 

MPS IIIA is a rare neurodegenerative lysosomal 

storage disease caused by mutations in 

the sulfoglycosamine sulfohydrolase (SGSH) 

gene. There are no effective treatments for MPS 

IIIA to date. The disease affects children in early 

life, with a progressive decline in cognitive and 

behavioural function and a subsequent decline 

in motor function and results in severe dementia 

and early death, usually in the teens or early 

twenties. 

About PharmaCell B.V. 

PharmaCell is a leading European-based 

CMO exclusively focused in the area of cell 

and gene therapy, and regenerative medicine. 

PharmaCell has experience in supporting 

Phase I through Phase III clinical trials 

and early commercial manufacturing in cell 

and gene therapy in terms of manufacturing, 

Quality Control, storage, in-outgoing logistics 

and product release through its in-house 

QPs. Its services also include process and 

assay-development to ensure GMP compliance, 

robustness and scalability of cell therapy 

manufacturing processes. PharmaCell offers a 

unique manufacturing platform in Europe to 

support the growth of the cell therapy and regenerative 

medicine industry. 

The Microlab NIMBUS is a compact, multichannel 

automated liquid handling 

system, offering speed, flexibility, easeof-use, 

and superior pipetting performance all 

for a surprisingly affordable price. In contrast 

to large, multi-integrated, high-end systems 

designed for automating complex workflows, 

the NIMBUS is a small-footprint, leanintegrated, 

entry-level pipettor ideally suited 

for automating a single or select set of liquid 

handling routines. A flexible deck layout and 

a broad range of modular accessories and options 

makes reconfiguration for new applications 

quick and easy. The NIMBUS is available 

in three pipetting options, each with a variety 

of highly configurable base platforms such 

as: Open, Enclosed, Extended Enclosed, and 

Large Extended Enclosed. 

NIMBUS4 

- 4 Independent 1 mL Liquid Channels or 

- 2 Independent 5 mL Liquid Channels 

[ 8 ] 

NIMBUS96 

96–Channel Multi-Pipetting Head 

(MPH) 

NIMBUS384 

384–Channel Multi-Pipetting Head 

(MPH) 

NIMBUS4 HD 

1 – 4 Independent 1 mL Liquid Channels 

– greater capacity now with 20 

ANSI SLAS Deck Positions 

Integrated options, intuitive 

software, and the backing of Hamilton’s 

renowned service and applications 

support team makes the 

NIMBUS an indispensable tool for 

many labs. Using Hamilton’s proprietary 

air displacement pipetting technology, 

the NIMBUS offers the same liquid handling 

performance as higher-end systems. 

For more information please contact 

Bio-Strategy 

0800 34 24 66 | info@bio-strategy.com 

www.bio-strategy.com

Laboratory news & BioScience March 2017

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