Algae.Tec Successfully Completes $5m Capital Raising With Patersons Securities

Posted On: February 3, 2012

Algae.Tec Ltd has announced that the AUD$5,000,000 (USD$5,354,086.97) Placement through Patersons Securities Limited has been successfully completed.

As previously stated, this capital raising will be utilised to fund the fast-tracking of commercial projects recently announced.

Algae.Tec Executive Chairman, Roger Stroud, said the Company was extremely pleased with the capital raising.

“This again demonstrates that sophisticated investors are aligned with the need for alternative transport fuel technologies such as the Algae.Tec enclosed algae to biofuels solution,” said Stroud.

“The market is also responding to the recent milestones and commercial deal announcements the Company has signed with major companies in China, Sri Lanka and Europe.”

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AURORA ALGAE SET TO RAISE $100M

Posted On: January 31, 2012

The company’s  Western Australia operation in Karratha is planned to be increased from the initial 100 hectares of commercial operation to 400 hectares in the next stage, and then 1000 hectares.

Aurora Algae began operations in Karratha mid last year and now has its sights on raising $100 million after hitting the $22 million mark a few months ago.

The $22 million has left the company fully funded until its next expansion phase of harvesting algae-based biomass for products in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, aquaculture and renewable energy markets.

The company is looking to raise $100 million from existing and new private investors by mid-year, and is aligning at an IPO later in the year.

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Mar. Drugs, Volume 9, Issue 11 (November 2011), Pages 2164-2487 released

Posted On: December 4, 2011

MDPI announces the publication of the following issue: Mar. Drugs, Volume 9, Issue 11 (November 2011), Pages 2164-2487 at http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/

Table of Contents:

Leda Giannuzzi, Daniela Sedan, Ricardo Echenique and Dario Andrinolo
Case Report: An Acute Case of Intoxication with Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins in Recreational Water in Salto Grande Dam, Argentina
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2164-2175; doi:10.3390/md9112164
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2164/

Gi-Young Kim, Wun-Jae Kim and Yung Hyun Choi
Review: Pectenotoxin-2 from Marine Sponges: A Potential Anti-Cancer Agent—A Review
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2176-2187; doi:10.3390/md9112176
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2176/

Renan Oliveira Silva, Geice Maria Pereira dos Santos, Lucas Antonio Duarte Nicolau, Larisse Tavares Lucetti, Ana Paula Macedo Santana, Luciano de Souza Chaves, Francisco Clark Nogueira Barros, Ana Lúcia Ponte Freitas, Marcellus Henrique Loiola Ponte Souza and Jand-Venes Rolim Medeiros
Article: Sulfated-Polysaccharide Fraction from Red Algae Gracilaria caudata Protects Mice Gut Against Ethanol-Induced Damage
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2188-2200; doi:10.3390/md9112188
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2188/

Oded Bergman, Boaz Mayzel, Matthew A. Anderson, Muki Shpigel, Russell T. Hill and Micha Ilan
Article: Examination of Marine-Based Cultivation of Three Demosponges for Acquiring Bioactive Marine Natural Products
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2201-2219; doi:10.3390/md9112201
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2201/

Francisco Cen Pacheco, Janny A. Villa-Pulgarin, Faustino Mollinedo, Manuel Norte Martín, José Javier Fernández and Antonio Hernández Daranas
Article: New Polyether Triterpenoids from Laurencia viridis and Their Biological Evaluation
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2220-2235; doi:10.3390/md9112220
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2220/

Carla Pereira, Yolanda J. Silva, Ana L. Santos, Ângela Cunha, Newton C. M. Gomes and Adelaide Almeida
Article: Bacteriophages with Potential for Inactivation of Fish Pathogenic Bacteria: Survival, Host Specificity and Effect on Bacterial Community Structure
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2236-2255; doi:10.3390/md9112236
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2236/

Saveetha Kandasamy, Di Fan, Jatinder Singh Sangha, Wajahatullah Khan, Franklin Evans, Alan T. Critchley and Balakrishnan Prithiviraj
Article: Tasco®, a Product of Ascophyllum nodosum, Imparts Thermal Stress Tolerance in Caenorhabditis elegans
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2256-2282; doi:10.3390/md9112256
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2256/

Toshiaki J. Hara
Review: Gustatory Detection of Tetrodotoxin and Saxitoxin, and Its Competitive Inhibition by Quinine and Strychnine in Freshwater Fishes
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2283-2290; doi:10.3390/md9112283
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2283/

Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung, Bonnie Mei-Wah Fong and Yeuk-Ki Tsoi
Review: Analytical Challenges: Determination of Tetrodotoxin in Human Urine and Plasma by LC-MS/MS
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2291-2303; doi:10.3390/md9112291
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2291/

Ruiyue Yang, Junbo Wang, Zhigang Liu, Xinrong Pei, Xiaolong Han and Yong Li
Article: Antioxidant Effect of a Marine Oligopeptide Preparation from Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) by Enzymatic Hydrolysis in Radiation Injured Mice
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2304-2315; doi:10.3390/md9112304
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2304/

Narlize Silva Lira, Ricardo Carneiro Montes, Josean Fechine Tavares, Marcelo Sobral da Silva, Emidio V. L. da Cunha, Petronio Filgueiras de Athayde-Filho, Luis Cezar Rodrigues, Celidarque da Silva Dias and Jose Maria Barbosa-Filho
Review: Brominated Compounds from Marine Sponges of the Genus Aplysina and a Compilation of Their13C NMR Spectral Data
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2316-2368; doi:10.3390/md9112316
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2316/

Adriana Oliveira dos Santos, Elizandra Aparecida Britta, Everson Miguel Bianco, Tania Ueda-Nakamura, Benedito Prado Dias Filho, Renato Crespo Pereira and Celso Vataru Nakamura
Article: 4-Acetoxydolastane Diterpene from the Brazilian Brown Alga Canistrocarpus cervicornis as Antileishmanial Agent
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2369-2383; doi:10.3390/md9112369
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2369/

Vincent Chung-Him Yu, Peter Hoi-Fu Yu, Kin-Chung Ho and Fred Wang-Fat Lee
Article: Isolation and Identification of a New Tetrodotoxin-Producing Bacterial Species, Raoultella terrigena, from Hong Kong Marine Puffer Fish Takifugu niphobles
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2384-2396; doi:10.3390/md9112384
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2384/

Jessica Ponder, Byong Hoon Yoo, Adedoyin D. Abraham, Qun Li, Amanda K. Ashley, Courtney L. Amerin, Qiong Zhou, Brian G. Reid, Philip Reigan, Robert Hromas, Jac A. Nickoloff and Daniel V. LaBarbera
Article: Neoamphimedine Circumvents Metnase-Enhanced DNA Topoisomerase IIα Activity Through ATP-Competitive Inhibition
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2397-2408; doi:10.3390/md9112397
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2397/

Matti Vornanen, Minna Hassinen and Jaakko Haverinen
Article: Tetrodotoxin Sensitivity of the Vertebrate Cardiac Na+ Current
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2409-2422; doi:10.3390/md9112409
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2409/

Samuel Abbas, Michelle Kelly, John Bowling, James Sims, Amanda Waters and Mark Hamann
Review: Advancement into the Arctic Region for Bioactive Sponge Secondary Metabolites
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2423-2437; doi:10.3390/md9112423
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2423/

Dioli Ann Payo, Joannamel Colo, Hilconida Calumpong and Olivier de Clerck
Article: Variability of Non-Polar Secondary Metabolites in the Red Alga Portieria
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2438-2468; doi:10.3390/md9112438
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2438/

Simon P. B. Ovenden, Jonathan L. Nielson, Catherine H. Liptrot, Richard H. Willis, Dianne M. Tapiolas, Anthony D. Wright and Cherie A. Motti
Short Note: A New Diketopiperazine, Cyclo-(4-S-hydroxy-R-proline-R-isoleucine), from an Australian Specimen of the Sponge Stelletta sp.
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2469-2478; doi:10.3390/md9112469
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2469/

Cheng-Hai Gao, Yi-Fei Wang, Shen Li, Pei-Yuan Qian and Shu-Hua Qi
Article: Alkaloids and Sesquiterpenes from the South China Sea Gorgonian Echinogorgia pseudossapo
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(11), 2479-2487; doi:10.3390/md9112479
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/11/2479/

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Mar. Drugs, Volume 9, Issue 8 (August 2011), Pages 1307-1439: New Issue

Posted On: September 4, 2011

MDPI AG is pleased to announce the publication of the following issue:Mar. Drugs, Volume 9, Issue 8 (August 2011), Pages 1307-1439 at http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/8/

Table of Contents:

Shi-Yie Cheng, Pei-Wen Chen, Hwa-Pyng Chen, Shang-Kwei Wang and Chang-Yih Duh
Article: New Cembranolides from the Dongsha Atoll Soft Coral Lobophytum durum
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1307-1318; doi:10.3390/md9081307
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81307/

Chia-Ying Kao, Jui-Hsin Su, Mei-Chin Lu, Tsong-Long Hwang, Wei-Hsien Wang, Jih-Jung Chen, Jyh-Horng Sheu, Yueh-Hsiung Kuo, Ching-Feng Weng, Lee-Shing Fang, Zhi-Hong Wen and Ping-Jyun Sung
Article: Lobocrassins A–E: New Cembrane-Type Diterpenoids from the Soft Coral Lobophytum crassum
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1319-1331; doi:10.3390/md9081319
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81319/

Mariana Angelica Oliveira Bitencourt, Gracielle Rodrigues Dantas, Daysianne Pereira Lira, Jose Maria Barbosa-Filho, George Emmanuel Cavalcanti de Miranda, Barbara Viviana de Oliveira Santos and Janeusa Trindade Souto
Article: Aqueous and Methanolic Extracts of Caulerpa mexicana Suppress Cell Migration and Ear Edema Induced by Inflammatory Agents
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1332-1345; doi:10.3390/md9081332
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81332/

Laura de Andrade Moura, Fredy Ortiz-Ramirez, Diana Negrao Cavalcanti, Suzi Meneses Ribeiro, Guilherme Muricy, Valeria Laneuville Teixeira and Andre Lopes Fuly
Article: Evaluation of Marine Brown Algae and Sponges from Brazil as Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Products
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1346-1358; doi:10.3390/md9081346
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81346/

Min-Kyoung Park, Uhee Jung and Changhyun Roh
Article: Fucoidan from Marine Brown Algae Inhibits Lipid Accumulation
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1359-1367; doi:10.3390/md9081359
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81359/

Yi Wang, Jinkai Zheng, Peipei Liu, Wei Wang and Weiming Zhu
Communication: Three New Compounds from Aspergillus terreus PT06-2 Grown in a High Salt Medium
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1368-1378; doi:10.3390/md9081368
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81368/

Ya-Nan Wang, Chang-Lun Shao, Cai-Juan Zheng, Yi-Yan Chen and Chang-Yun Wang
Article: Diversity and Antibacterial Activities of Fungi Derived from the Gorgonian Echinogorgia rebekka from the South China Sea
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1379-1390; doi:10.3390/md9081379
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81379/

Anahit Penesyan, Jan Tebben, Matthew Lee, Torsten Thomas, Staffan Kjelleberg, Tilmann Harder and Suhelen Egan
Article: Identification of the Antibacterial Compound Produced by the Marine Epiphytic Bacterium Pseudovibrio sp. D323 and Related Sponge-Associated Bacteria
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1391-1402; doi:10.3390/md9081391
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81391/

Cui Li, Ming-Ping La, Peng Sun, Tibor Kurtan, Attila Mandi, Hua Tang, Bao-Shu Liu, Yang-Hua Yi, Ling Li and Wen Zhang
Article: Bioactive (3Z,5E)-11,20-Epoxybriara-3,5-dien-7,18-olide Diterpenoids from the South China Sea Gorgonian Dichotella gemmacea
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1403-1418; doi:10.3390/md9081403
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81403/

Takashi Maoka, Naoshige Akimoto, Miyuki Tsushima, Sadao Komemushi, Takuma Mezaki, Fumihito Iwase, Yoshimitsu Takahashi, Naomi Sameshima, Miho Mori and Yoshikazu Sakagami
Article: Carotenoids in Marine Invertebrates Living along the Kuroshio Current Coast
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1419-1427; doi:10.3390/md9081419
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81419/

Sumei Li, Xinpeng Tian, Siwen Niu, Wenjun Zhang, Yuchan Chen, Haibo Zhang, Xianwen Yang, Weimin Zhang, Wenjun Li, Si Zhang, Jianhua Ju and Changsheng Zhang
Article: Pseudonocardians A–C, New Diazaanthraquinone Derivatives from a Deap-Sea Actinomycete Pseudonocardia sp. SCSIO 01299
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(8), 1428-1439; doi:10.3390/md9081428
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/81428/

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UK University Research Group seeks SME partners to explore the development of three specific marine bio-resources to produce high value products: anti-cancer drugs, oxygenase biocatalysts, anti-microbials

Posted On: September 4, 2011

The marine environment is a very rich source of bio-molecules with therapeutic applications. Blue biotechnology specifically seeks to harness the biodiversity of the marine environment for access to high-value and relatively low-volume biological products. Recent advances in molecular biology (including metagenomic methods) mean that there is now remarkable potential to harness genetic biodiversity from specific marine environments for bio-product preparation. For example, when studying marine bacteria they are no longer limited to experimental approaches that focus on the <1% of organisms that can be easily cultivated as pure cultures in the laboratory.

The valorization of marine biodiversity for the EU economy using such approaches therefore offers much promise. In this project they will aim to explore the development of three specific marine bio-resources to produce high value products:
i) Anti-cancer drugs from sponges
ii) Oxygenase biocatalysts from marine bacteria
iii) Anti-microbials based on bacterial viruses

Technical Specifications / Specific technical requirements:
Call Details: KBBE.2012.3.2-01 Innovative marine biodiscovery pipelines for novel industrial products, call deadline 15th November 2011.
Expected proposal budget around ¬5m. Funding for SMEs at 75%
Proposal under prepartion, consotrium academic members in place, SMEs being recruited.

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Cancer vaccine firm Immunophotonics hopes for clinical trials involving chitin-derived Protectin drug

Posted On: July 12, 2011

A Missouri biotech company developing a laser-guided cancer vaccine therapy is raising money to get into clinical trials by the end of the year. Immunophotonics has so far focused its laser-assisted immunotherapy, called inCVAX, primarily on breast cancer treatment. The two-step device and drug process attacks late-stage metastatic cancer. It first injects a tumor with laser fibers and heats it to break it down into its component parts. Then the chitin-derived drug, Protectin, is injected to activate the immune system to recognize and purge the cancerous areas.

The company wants to raise about $1 million, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Immunophotonics co-founder and CEO Tomas Hode said that the drug has shown long-term immunity against cancer in tests on animals. The drug could also cost less than other vaccines under development, Hode said.

“It’s a personal vaccine where we use the patient’s own tumor cells,” he said. “We don’t need to do any extraction; everything happens inside the body.”

Off-shore facilities in Peru and the Bahamas are already testing inCVAX primarily for breast cancer treatment and melanoma treatment — both of which typically have easily accessible tumors. Hode said the results have been promising. Protectin, which is derived from a type of glucose called chitin derived from crustacean shells, appears to be nontoxic and without major side effects to patients so far.

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Algenics and NovImmune announce research collaboration to express human antibodies using microalgae

Posted On: June 28, 2011

Algenics announced a new research collaboration with NovImmune to biomanufacture monoclonal therapeutic antibodies using its proprietary expression platform AlgebiosysTM. Two fully human therapeutic antibodies have been retained from NovImmune’s current pipeline to be produced in the PTA microalgal cell line. There are numerous benefits to using microalgal expression systems over current technologies such as advantageous N-glycosylation profile, natural cell robustness and lack of animal-derived components, while retaining the use of conventional upstream and downstream processing equipments. This collaboration with NovImmune will validate this new and innovative system for the biomanufacturing of fully human therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

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7th European Conference on Marine Natural Products in August ’11

Posted On: May 19, 2011

Time: 14 – 18 August, 2011

Place: Strömstad, Sweden

Organizer: The Phytochemical Society of Europe and the Division of Pharmacognosy at Uppsala University

http://www.fkog.uu.se/7ECMNP/

This conference is the 7th in a series of meetings in the area of marine natural product research which are organized every second year by European researchers. Professor Lars Bohlin and co-workers have received the honorary mission that for the first time be responsible for organization of 7ECMNP in Sweden.

The conference will take place in Strömstad in close collaboration between Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, and Sven Lovén Center, Gothenburg University.

The conference is focused on international research in the area of marine natural product research with emphasis on biodiversity in the sea. The different scientific sessions during the congress are focused on biodiversity, biological activity, structure, informatics, and systems biology.

Program

 

Bayer Healthcare’s Arctic Wonder market test succeeds with Neptune Krill Oil, leading to launch

Posted On: April 15, 2011

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc.  announced recently that Bayer Healthcare, LLC Consumer Care Division has formally launched its Arctic Wonder proprietary Neptune Krill Oil (“NKO”) in the United States in March 2011 after a succesful market test.

Bayer’s market test conducted over the last year with NKO® under its Arctic Wonder brand was performed in the US internet direct response e-commerce channel of trade.

“Acasti management team, is delighted by the relationship Neptune has developed with Bayer. This is yet another significant milestone for Neptune’s strategic planning which will help NKO® achieve extensive consumer awareness and appreciation. We are looking forward to a successful long-term collaboration with Bayer”, stated Dr. Tina Sampalis, President of Acasti Pharma.

“The agreement with Bayer, the market test results and the marketing approach for Arctic Wonder NKO® not only create broad consumer awareness, confidence and appreciation but also distinguish NKO® as the superior and prime choice amongst competitor krill oil products”, said Mr. Henri Harland, President and CEO of Neptune.“Arctic Wonder is entering the rapidly growing omega-3 market which has shown a sustained annual growth of 12% according to the Frost and Sullivan Report 2010. The omega-3 category is valued at $1.7 billion and expected to reach $3.5 billion in 2015. We believe the full launch by Bayer of Arctic Wonder will achieve immediate success which will in turn positively influence our growth and increase Neptune’s krill oil market share, reinforcing Neptune’s position as the industry leader and Neptune Krill Oil as the gold standard of quality and efficacy for krill oil products in the market.” he added.

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New Marine Drugs Issue Available

Posted On: April 6, 2011

New publication from www.mdpi.com.

Marine Drugs

First Evidence of Palytoxin and 42-Hydroxy-palytoxin in the Marine Cyanobacterium Trichodesmium
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(4), 543-560; doi:10.3390/md9040543
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/4/543/
Published online: 31 March 2011

Effects of High Salt Stress on Secondary Metabolite Production in the Marine-Derived Fungus Spicaria elegans
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(4), 535-542; doi:10.3390/md9040535
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/4/535/
Published online: 31 March 2011

The Acute Toxicity and Hematological Characterization of the Effects of Tentacle-Only Extract from the Jellyfish Cyanea capillata
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(4), 526-534; doi:10.3390/md9040526
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/4/526/
Published online: 29 March 2011

Statistical Research on Marine Natural Products Based on Data Obtained between 1985 and 2008
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(4), 514-525; doi:10.3390/md9040514
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/4/514/
Published online: 29 March 2011

Quantification of Dissolved and Particulate Polyunsaturated Aldehydes in the Adriatic Sea
Mar. Drugs 2011, 9(4), 500-513; doi:10.3390/md9040500
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/9/4/500/
Published online: 29 March 2011

 
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