Pipelines for New Chemicals: a strategy to create new value chains and stimulate innovation-based economic revival in Southern European countries

Countries of Southern Europe are currently suffering from severe socio-economic pain resulting from high debt levels and austerity measures which constrain investment in innovation-based recovery strategies that are essential for entry into a long-term sustainable period of increasing employment and wealth creation. Young university-educated people are particularly innovative, and hence vital to the development of such strategies, but employment opportunities are poor and many are forced to seek employment that neither profits from their training nor satisfies their justified career expectations, or to emigrate. They are the 'lost generation'. A strategy is proposed here for the creation of Pipelines for New Chemicals, national centre-network partnerships for the discovery-synthesis of new chemicals obtained though harvesting new biological diversity, and their exploitation to develop new medicines, agrochemicals, materials, and other products and applications. The goal is to create new regional motors of economic growth and development, by harnessing the knowledge, motivation and innovation potential of the excellently educated young people of Europe to catalyse the development of new small, medium and large enterprises centred around novel chemicals, and the value chains that will evolve with them, and thereby develop a powerful sector of sustainable growth in employment and social and economic prosperity in Southern Europe.

An overview of the biotechnology research activities in the European Community

The research in Biotechnology is an important element for the competitive environment of European bioindustrial activities. In this article the evolution of the Biotechnology programmes in the European Community is presented.

Safe biotechnology. 8. Transport of infectious and biological materials. Working Party "Safety in Biotechnology" of the European Federation of Biotechnology

The transport of infectious and biological material is regulated by a number of international organizations. This mini-review has been compiled to increase awareness within the scientific community of problems caused by differences in terminology (such as infectious materials/substances, biological products, diagnostic specimens, genetically modified microorganisms) and certain technical aspects of the main international guidelines, and to assist policy makers in the creation of harmonized guidelines. A list of relevant Internet resources has been compiled.

Safe biotechnology. 7. Classification of microorganisms on the basis of hazard. Working Party "Safety in Biotechnology" of the European Federation Biotechnology

The current systems for classifying human pathogens on the basis of hazard are well developed and their basic criteria are in general agreement one with another. Of more importance, the safety practices based on these classifications have generally been successful. They have enabled extensive research activities, medical practice and industrial production to be conducted on an ever-increasing scale, involving dangerous microorganisms (e.g. in vaccine production and treatment of infected patients) with a very low incidence of adverse effects on the workers involved and the general public. Although the EU has adopted a harmonised list of agents in groups 1-4 there is as yet no complete agreement among member states and individual microbiologists. The purpose of this paper is to present a historical survey and to discuss the current processes for identifying and classifying the hazards posed by the use of microorganisms in research and technology. This is essential in the design of appropriate methods of counteracting potential risks.

Safe biotechnology. Part 6. Safety assessment, in respect of human health, of microorganisms used in biotechnology

The assessment of microorganisms in respect to human health is an important step for the introduction of new natural and genetically modified production strains to biotechnology. This report outlines the potential hazards posed by industrial microorganisms, important considerations related to pathogenicity, such as routes and portals of entry into the human body, mechanisms of spread of biological material and a definition of pathogenicity. Furthermore the most important steps in the assessment of pathogenicity of unknown strains are described. A short overview on characterization and in vitro and in vivo tests is presented. The hazard related to allergens and toxic metabolites is reviewed and the choice of methods and the handling of strains with unknown potential are discussed.

Safe biotechnology (4). Recommendations for safety levels for biotechnological operations with microorganisms that cause diseases in plants

The Working Party on Safety in Biotechnology of the European Federation of Biotechnology has proposed a classification of microorganisms that cause diseases in plants. In this paper appropriate safety levels are proposed for these classes of microorganisms in order to ensure that research, development and industrial fermentation work with plant pathogens will limit the risk of outbreaks of diseases in crops that could result from work with such microorganisms when they are cultivated in laboratories, glasshouses and biotechnology installations.

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca following excision of a dermolipoma of the lacrimal gland

A 20-year-old woman with subconjunctival mass of the superotemporal region of the globe was operated upon. The mass was found to be a dermolipoma of the lacrimal gland. The removal of the mass caused severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca, which could only be helped with frequent applications of artificial tears.

Corneal thickness after cataract surgery

An increase in corneal thickness occurs so regularly after cataract surgery as to be considered to be the rule. It reflects the state of endothelial activity and is therefore affected both by the preoperative condition of the endothelium and the degree of surgical manipulation. The question how quickly the endothelium can be expected to recover with consequent disappearance of corneal swelling is still open to discussion. The central corneal thickness of 55 eyes with normal slit-lamp endothelial appearance undergoing cataract surgery was measured preoperatively and on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, and 42nd postoperative days. The initial corneal thickness was 0.56 mm. The greatest corneal swelling, found on the third postoperative day, was 16%. Corneal thickness returned to preoperative values in four eyes within 7 days, in 19 eyes within 14 days, in 39 eyes within 21 days, in 50 eyes within 28 days, and in all 55 eyes within 42 days. Corneal swelling, as measured on the third postoperative day, was greatest (19%) when chromic catgut was used, less (13-16%) when black silk 7/0 was used, and least (9%) when virgin silk 8/0 was used.