Boston area  startups Cocoon Biotech, Riparian Pharmaceuticals, Cellanyx Diagnostics, and DavosPharma  were awarded$22K in funds and in-kind services at an innovation competition held by Biotech Tuesday, a Cambridge-based networking organization for life science professionals.

left-to-right : Execs from EMD Serono, Novartis and Lab Central

At an event on November 19th event, executives from EMD Serono, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and LabCentral chose the winning startup pitches from among five finalists’ presentations. The finalists were selected from an initial field of thirteen online entries based, in part, on online feedback from BiotechTuesday members. The three winners were all therapeutics and diagnostics startups proposing solutions to challenging medical problems.

Cocoon Biotech, Inc., led by CEO and founder Ailis Tweed-Kent, a doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital won the $5000 EMD Serono Innovation Award.  Cocoon Biotech is developing a silk-based gel for injection into the joint to provide long lasting joint support and lubrication in patients with osteoarthritis.  EMD Serono is the biopharmaceutical subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a global pharmaceutical and chemical group.

Riparian Pharmaceuticals, led by Will Adam, Chief Scientific Officer and President, won both the $10,000 in-kind Novartis Innovation Award and the $3000 in-kind Pharmatek Innovation Award. Riparian Pharmaceuticals is focused on therapeutics that induce an anti-inflammatory response in cells to address diseases such as atherosclerosis.  Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. discovers and develops new and innovative medicines. Pharmatek Laboratories, Inc. is a premier pharmaceutical chemistry development and manufacturing organization supporting the pharmaceutical & biotechnology industries.

Cellanyx Diagnostics, led by Co-Founder and CEO Ashok Chander, won the $4000 in-kind LabCentral Innovation Award.  Cellanyx is developing a prostate cancer diagnostic based on culturing tumor biopsy cells that promises to be much more accurate than current diagnostics.  LabCentral provides fully functional lab space, permits, waste handling, plus all reasonably common lab equipment for bioresearch.

In addition to awarding startups, the event also acknowledged the contribution of life science products and services in enabling cutting edge research for new therapeutics.  DavosPharma won the Most Innovative Product or Service Award in recognition of its Anthem-GenTox product. This product offers scientists a high throughput genotoxicity assay based on human cells with greatly improved accuracy over conventional methods.

“This was Biotech Tuesday’s first innovation competition–but by no means its last, “said BioTechTuesday Co-Founder Seth Taylor, who organizes BiotechTuesday and served as master of ceremonies for the event.” The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly in favor of the competition,” Taylor said.  “We look forward to continuing our efforts to engage our broad community of life science professionals in supporting innovators.”

The competition took place at District Hall, a new event space at 75 Northern Avenue in the Boston Seaport District.

–Anita Harris

Anita Harris is a writer and content expert based in Cambridge, MA. 

New Cambridge Observer is published by the Harris Communications Group,  a PR and marketing firm based at the Cambridge Innovation Center, in Kendall Square. HarrisCom offers writing and content services for clients in healthcare, life sciences, biotech, energy and the environment.  Full disclosure:  HarrisCom handled media outreach for the event as a probono sponsor. 

Clean tech meetup Boston 2013

Ordinarily, at business meetings,if you work in the kitchen, you stay in the kitchen.

But, on Tuesday, Nov. 12,  in an unusual turn of event, following brief talks by  Alicia Barton, CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and James Graham, clean tech dealmaker (yes, that’s really his title) at  the UK Trade and Investment Agency in Boston,   the chef in charge of food for an elegant reception at the Global Clean Tech Meetup 2013, took center stage. In  explaining how his kitchen at the  Boston Seaport Hotel is working toward sustainability, Chef Khaled Abi Issa said:

“At first it seemed like a difficult thing. But  after you move past the resistance to change and the doubters and the initial up-front expenses….to our surprise, it seemed very much achievable.”

Chef Khaled and his team started with recyling, then began to collect food scraps for composting, he said.  They then focused on building  relationships with local and regional suppliers– farmers, bakers and cheese makers.

The kitchen now has its own  herb garden, makes honey on the hotel campus, is increasingly using recycled containers, has eliminated styrofoam from the campus and has embarked on an initiative to reduce energy use in its storage areas.

“This is an ongoing process, it’s hard work and we are not there yet, but we feel good about our commitment, he said.

The “green kitchen”effort is part of an overall campaign by the hotel to operate in an “eco-friendly” manner, according to  Katie Watson, conference manager at the Seaport Hotel World Trade Center.

As described on the Seaport  Web site, the campaign, called “Seaport Saves”  is dedicated to increasing sustainability and conservation. “It is possible to coexist in a delicate balance with the natural world while providing exceptional service in a luxurious setting.” the Website reads. (The hotel features “environmentally friendly guest rooms,’ local, farm to table organic dining options, green cleaning practices. It also offers complimentary electric vehicle charging stations; and bicycles and helmets  for guests).

At the reception, I  also spoke with:

• Howard Simansky, CEO of  Cambridge-based media company 360 Chestnut and  board member of SmartHomze, which he described as “the world’s first line of affordable, net-zero-energy homes.” Solar powered, all five sizes of Smarthomze use proprietary building systems and new materials to ensure lower costs, high quality, and a healthier environment, he said. I also met (among others):
• Jim Bowen, Boston-based Division Manager for International Renewable Energy at Vertex Engineering, who is working on a major solar site in Mexico City
• Chad Joshi, President and CEO of Altranex, a Toronto company with  a waste-based  biofuel to replace diesel–unusual in that it remains fluid in very cold temperatures
• Paul Laskow, of SaveEnergySystems in Somerville, which offers technology to help mid-sized companies measure and conserve their use of fuel.

BTW–In case you’re curious about the green kitchen’s menu: the beef, artichoke pasta,  lamb, burger sliders, spinach pie, and pastries were delicious.  I especially liked the chocolate-filled chocolate bonbons…and the Pinot. But, with apologies to the chef.the lentil burgers…not so much.

I wish I could have spent more time at the meetup–which included many high level speakers ( Masschusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Diarmuid O’Connell, VP of corporate and Business Development at Tesla Motors, for example) and companies from as far away as Norway and Israel. For more information, about the meetup, go to the conference website at https://meetup2013.pathable.com/#meetings.

As for the MassCEC: it began operating in 2009  with the goal of accelerating the growth of the Massachusetts clean energy industry. According to Catherine Williams, the  CEC’s  Senior Director for Communications,  as the  first agency of its kind in the US. , the Clean Energy Center:

(1) Provides financing and planning assistance to communities, businesses and residents seeking to adopt clean energy projects including solar, wind, biomass, water and organics-to-energy technologies.

(2) Works  with clean energy businesses to grow their operations, provide training and workforce development, develop industry reports and sector analysis, and act as a connector across the clean energy ecosystem from academia and incubators to entrepreneurs and investors.

(3) Provides strategic and early-stage investments growing clean energy companies in order to promote the development of innovative technologies, leverage private capital and create jobs in the Commonwealth..

The  Center is financed by  the Renewable Energy Trust Fund,  created by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1998 as part of the deregulation of the electric utility market. The trust is funded by a systems benefit charge paid by electric ratepayers of investor-owned utilities in Massachusetts, as well as municipal electric departments that have opted to participate in the program.

—Anita Harris

Anita Harris is a writer and consultant based in Cambridge MA. New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group,an award-winning  PR & market development firm based in Kendall Square. HarrisCom specializes in outreach for health, science, technology and energy in the US and internationally.  

Will play at West End Johnnie, Boston, on Wednesday, November 20 Limited tickets now available through Eventbrite.com

James Montgomery to lead at acoustic blues benefit Nov. 20

Our colleague Seth Taylor asked us to let you know that BioTechTuesday will be holding a $22K Life Science Innovation Competition and Pitch event on November 19; deadline to enter the competition is Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Here’s the scoop:

BiotechTuesday, a networking organization for life science professionals, will hold an innovation competition at which major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies will award $22K in funds and in-kind services.   The winners will be life-science startups and researchers judged to have the most innovative ideas and laboratory products.

The event will take place at District Hall, a new event space at 75 Northern Avenue in the Boston Seaport District, from 6-9, on Tuesday, November 19.

Awards include:

• Financial and in-kind prizes for the most promising startup concepts and early stage ventures. Innovators can submit their concept or venture online for consideration by November 12, 2013. The BiotechTuesday community will then vote online—contributing to the selection of five finalists who will pitch their concepts at the event. At the event, competition judges from Novartis, EMD Serono, Pharmatek and others, will choose the winners.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER[http://goo.gl/gBhiaq]

• Recognition for the most innovative recently-launched products or services. Companies can submit recently launched products or services online for consideration, by November 12, 2013.  Finalists will present their pitches one-on-one to attendees and judges at the event.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER [http://goo.gl/03Q7pG]

“This competition event is unique in that it relies on a true community from a top life-science super cluster to select and validate some of the most exciting new approaches in the field,” said Seth Taylor, BiotechTuesday co-founder and host. “It provides a tremendous opportunity for the community to engage with innovators launching the hot companies of the future, and products that may impact their work today.”

Peter Parker, co-founder and director of programming for LabCentral, an innovative, shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for life-sciences startups, said: “We share in Biotech Tuesday’s mission to advance innovation in the life-sciences community. We are pleased to offer one month’s free membership and a bench space in LabCentral’s co-working lab and office facility ($4,000 value). LabCentral provides fully functional lab space, permits, waste handling, plus all reasonably common lab equipment for bioresearch. Access to conference rooms and event space,  kitchens, etc. is also included, as is participation in programming specific to the interests of life-sciences startups.”

In the words of Charles Wilson, Vice President and Head of Business at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Inc:  “We believe that the time and expertise of large companies can be of great value to startups.  For this reason, we have committed to offering resources and analysis to help a winning company reach investors and commercialize their therapeutics.”

Timothy Scott, President and Co-Founder, Pharmatek Inc., a contract research organization offering $3000 in reagents to the winning team, said:  “We are committed to supporting innovation with our products and services, and through our Pharmatek University educational programs,”

Event attendance is open to the public. Click here to register [http://goo.gl/fRUh1J].

BioTechTuesday is a networking organization offering monthly events and an online community for life science professionals.  Founded in 2002 in the Boston area, BiotechTuesday now has thousands of members. 

Contact: Seth Taylor 617-615-6152    staylor@biotechtuesday.com   Twitter: #pitchbio

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning PR and market development firm specializing in strategic communication, media relations, social and digital media for health care, life science, biotech, tech and energy.  

On my way to the polls, today, I ran into a neighbor who had just voted. She is well-educated (has a PhD)  and is a responsible citizen. I asked her how she had handled having to rank 25 candidates for City Council…not to mention 9 for the School Committee… on the paper ballot.  “There were two names I recognized,” she said. “I voted for them; the rest I chose at random,” she said.

Great. I’d written down my choices–but the crush of candidates and their supporters in front of the school where I vote felt overwhelming.

The school committee candidate I’d planned to place fifth gave me a crushing handshake and said he hoped I’d put him first.

The self-proclaimed “best friend” of a city council candidate said she’d really appreciate my vote.

A  lackluster fellow had spoken to me at my doorstep weeks earlier–suggesting that the frontrunner did not need my number 1 so I should give it to him.

In researching the school committee field, I’d been unimpressed with the school candidate who had put his kid in private school…Had decided to give my number 1 vote to a recent business school grad who attended the Cambridge public schools–after several of his uncles–all of whom worked in m– had been killed in the candidate’s native African homeland…

Anyway, I’d written down my choices but with so many names on the ballot, in the voting booth,  I somehow skipped a school committee candidate I favored and had to request a new ballot…Goofed again on my city council ballot….When I returned, again, for a new one, a  poll watcher asked if I understood how to vote and did I need help. On my second city council ballot try, I found myself voting for incumbents, figuring they, at least,  knew what they were doing.

When I went to check out, the voting machine refused my school committee ballot–the tip of the pen had touched one of the boxes when I was considering whom to mark as number 5.  I requested yet another school committee ballot. The poll watcher remarked,  “Luckily this doesn’t happen often.”

I asked if she meant that most people don’t goof up like I had or that there aren’t usually so many candidates.

“I meant it’s lucky we only vote once a year,” she said.

On my third school committee ballot I somehow missed giving the young African my number one vote. I was too embarrassed to ask for a fourth ballot so gave him number three–and a couple of others–mostly incumbents, the rest of my votes–pretty much at random.

The ballot went through. I remarked to another poll watcher that I’d goofed, yet again and that perhaps the system should be changed. “It’s historically correct,” she assured me. “It dates from the 1700s.”

I do wonder if, in the 1700s, voters had to rank 25 people for the same office–or if the system was designed –or remains– to ensure that incumbents remain  in office. I also wonder if, as a British colleague remarked when I told him about our ranking system,  there is such a thing as “too much democracy.”

—Anita M. Harris

Anita Harris is a writer and consultant living in Cambridge, MA.

New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, a PR and market development firm based in Kendall Square.

  Warm welcome to one of the newest (oldest?) clients at the Cambridge Innovation Center…My favorite entrant in the Halloween Competition, so far.  It’s by Mike Burtov, CEO at Cangrade, which offers hiring automation/psychological testing. Back story is that this guy or gal is still waiting for Netscape to load…from 5 1/4 inch floppy disks. Pleased that s/he’s in C3 (shared space on the 5th floor) rather than on another floor, where I often work,  which we’ve dubbed “elderhostel” for reasons you might be able to guess.

–Anita M. Harris
New Cambridge Observer is a publication of the Harris Communications Group, an award-winning PR, social media and content marketing firm based in the Cambridge Innovation Center, in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA.

With so many excellent liberal candidates running in the special election primary  for former Congressman Edward Markey’s old seat, I was having trouble deciding whom to vote for. So I decided to attend an event held last Sunday at  Temple Emunah, in Lexington, at which , seven Democratic candidates expressed their views on gun control, the economy, gay marriage, immigration reform, the Middle East, and the general state of affairs–each in 60 seconds.

The Republican candidates were invited, according to the moderator, but apparently were all attending another event.

The speakers included, from left to right in the photo, left: State Senator William Brownsberger, State Senator Katherine Clark, Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, Martin Long, Paul John Maisano, State Representative Carl Sciortino, and State Senator Karen Spilka.

I was impressed with all of the candidates. While they agreed on nearly all counts–on nearly all issues– there were, of course,  differences in their approaches and personalities.

Brownsberger, of Belmont, seeked rather a proper Bostonian, smart and well-spoken. He emphasized what he called his record of “doing what’s right when it’s difficult”–and that, in light of the current circus (my term) that is Congress…”we need adults in DC.”

Clark, of Melrose,  seemed to be courting the women’s vote–with an emphasis on the importance of  family and community.

Koutoujian, of Waltham, tall and quickwitted, said that as an Armenian whose ancestors experienced genocide,  he  identifies with the Jewish people and strongly supports civil rights, homeland security, justice,   women’s rights,  the Affordable Care Act and an end to gun violence.

Long, with a technology background–described himself as an “agent of change, of new ideas” who believes in “truth in advertising” with regard to special interest groups.  He also supports a return of War Powers to Congress, and a modest capital gains tax  (approximately 2%) to help fund Social Security. (Between us–and his campaign manager– he spoke a bit too quickly to be easily understood).

Maisano, of Stoneham, who speaks with a strong Boston “brogue,” emphasized his  business background. He was the only candidate to say he supports individuals’ rights to own guns, but agreed that strong background checks are needed before purchase.

Sciortina, the youngest of the group, of Somerville is well spoken; in addition to his support of the overall liberal agenda, he focused on his ties to the gay/lesbian/bisexual and transsexual communities and his opposition to the potential use of force in the Middle East.

Spilka, a former labor attorney who is now the state senate’s majority whip and very articulate, characterized herself as believing strongly in social and economic justice.

As mentioned, I was impressed with each of the candidates–and believe that any of them would do a good job of representing my views and those of  the constituents of the broad-ranging Fifth Congressional district. (The district  includes parts of ultra liberal Cambridge and 24 towns stretching from Winthrop and Revere on the Massachusetts Bay to the Metro West communities of Framingham and Ashland.

I never thought I’d say this–(and I’m not saying who has my vote)–but with so many similarities in the candidates’ platforms I’m going to vote based on personality and likeability. That is–I’ll vote for the candidate I think has the best chance of convincing the bozos in DC find some common ground.

The special primary will be held on Tuesday Oct. 15.

Note to the candidates and their supporters–Please feel free to comment if you feel I’ve misstated views or emphases–the presentations were very quick and I was writing very fast. 

–Anita M. Harris

Sunday, September 29, 2013
6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Temple Emunah, 9 Piper Road, Lexington