Injured Sea Turtle Gets 3D Printed Jaw

Sea Turtle Given 3-D Printed Prosthetic Jaw

A 45 kg loggerhead sea turtle has been given a 3-D printed prosthetic jaw, from the Dekamer Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre on the coast of Turkey. Akut-3, which has been named after the search and rescue team that found it, had been struck by the propeller of a boat and its jaws were nearly destroyed.

 This injury could prove to be fatal but Akut-3 was brought back to health by the Dekamer sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation centre. The sea turtle is one of the first of its kind to receive a 3-D printed prosthetic, after its success proclaimed on 14 May.

The turtle had been floating in the water back in July 2014 after being struck by the propeller of the passing boat where its injuries comprised of a fractured jaw where almost 60% of the lower and upper jaw towards the right side of his face was missing.

Where some humans tend to have a careless attitude to wildlife, there are others like those at Dekamer Centre who reach out in support and help them. The rehabilitation centre then contacted the Turkish company, BTech Innovation who is known for custom-making medical prosthetics and implants for humans, to seek its help.

Use of Mimics Innovation Suite

According to 3D Printing Industry, to improve the turtle’s prosthetic, the researchers took the CT scans of the skull of Akut-3 converting it into 3D models with the use of Mimics Innovation Suite. They printed a custom-fitted jaw and beak out of the titanium.

This was attached in surgery along with the help of surgeon and veterinarian with the use of Materialise’s 3-matic software developing a prosthetic which would be able to replace the part of the turtle’s face due to the injury.

This process appeared to work well and there seems to be no doubt with the improvement in the recovery of Akut-3.The turtle is presently convalescing at the recovery centre to make sure it has adjusted to the metal jaw which has been implanted. The beak which was made of medical grade titanium substituted the loggerhead turtles’ jaws which had been sheared off when it was struck by the passing boat.

Detailed Scan Aided in Generating Design 

With the help of detailed scans of the injured turtle’s head, it aided in generating the design of the prosthetic beak. The prosthetic was printed in medical grade titanium and sent to the surgical team where the same had been attached to the face of Akut-3.

After recovery from the anaesthetic, the turtle was in a position to move his jaw and is now recuperating on antibiotics to avoid any infection as the soft tissues of his face get attached to the prosthesis. Once it is fully recovered, Akut-3 would be returned to the sea to join the 47 other successful turtles that had been treated by the Dekamer Centre since its opening in 2009.

Besides the turtle that have been others too who have been benefitted from 3D printing, currently. There has been a tortoise in Denver who adapted to a prosthetic plastic shell made by a student at Colorado Technical University, when her original one had deteriorated because of poor diet.

How DNA Sequencing Is Transforming the Hunt for New Drugs

DNA Sequenced – For Development of Medicines

Manufacturers of drug have commenced amassing hugetroves of human DNA, hoping to shorten the time it would take in identifying new drug candidates which according to some could be a way of transforming the development of medicines. These attempts would help researchers in recognizing rare genetic mutation through scanning of large databases of volunteers who tend to agree in having their DNA sequenced, providing access to thorough medical records.

This is made possible by the lower cost of genetic sequencing which took the government funded scientist around $3 billion and 13 years in sequencing the first human genome by 2003. The cost was nearly $1,500 per genome as of last year which is down from $20,000 five years back.A deal signed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. with Pennyslvania’s Geisinger Health System in January 2014 to sequence partial genomes of around 250,000 volunteers, is laying claims to the discoveries based on the new approach.

Company executives have informed Reuters that they utilised data from the first 35,000 volunteers to confirm the promise of 250 genes on the target list for drugs focused at common medication conditions which comprise of high level of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Regeneron Recognized New Gene Targets – Obesity

Regeneron informs that it has also recognized several dozen new gene targets which include a novel gene that plays a role in obesity. Biogen Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Roche Holding AG are working on identical projects which use DNA as well as patient health data to discover new drug targets or predict the effects of drugs.

These have been inspired by earlier successes in cancer with drugs like Pfizer’s lung cancer treatment Xalkori that gained approval in 2011 and targets mutation in tumours eliminating the disease. Recently, Vertex Pharmaceutical changed the treatment of cystic fibrosis with Kalydeco that targeted the diseases’ primary genetic cause.

 Earlier, the discovery of such genes was a difficult procedure which involved several years of research into isolated population. For instance, in 1991, researchers discovered a rare mutation in a gene known as Angpt13 which instigated low levels of artery-clogging cholesterol and triglycerides amid families in the remote Italian village of Campodimele. This took additional two decades together with several groups of scientist to thoroughly comprehend the potential cardiovascular benefits connected to mutations in that gene.

First Step – Recognizing Target Genes

The Regeneron Genetics Centre, since last autumn has sequenced the DNA of over 35,000 Geisinger patients and is now on the track in sequencing 100.000 by the end of this year. The company has already identified 100 people with similar cholesterol affecting mutations to the ones first observed in Compodimele and other areas.

Dr George Yancopoulos, chief scientific officer of Regeneron comments that `one would no longer have to find that one rare family in Italy because it is in the database’.Recognizing target genes is a first step but does not guarantee that a drug could be developed on a genetic lead or if it could be effective and safe enough to be used. Regeneron is sequencing exomes which is a protein making genes comprising of 1 to 2 percent of the genome, a search which costs around $700 for each person.

Others prefer looking at the whole genome costing around $1,500 per person. One of the first scientists, Craig Venter, to sequence the human genome is of the belief that the whole genome approach would be meaningful over a period of time.

He has stated that he would rather have a gold mine with a deep vein of gold and modern industrial equipment to mind it rather than sit there with a pan in a stream looking for gold. Both would find gold and it’s a question of how much you find.

Anticipating Winning Regulatory Approval for Cholesterol Lowering Drug

Regeneron is pushing for the Geisinger database in becoming a cornerstone of that attempt and intends creating a consortium of drug-makers to finance it. In response, Yancopoulos stated that the company hopes to regainsome of its investment. Regeneron has been identified by Dr Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, in charge of the precision medicine project, among a short list of potential contributors to the one million strong DNA study.

Others include Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic and the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin and a decision is anticipated by early fall. Attraction of big payoff is strong for drug companies. Regeneron together with its partner Sanofi are looking forward in winning regulatory approval for a cholesterol lowering drug which works in blocking the PCSK9 gene. Pfizer and Amgen have also developed identical treatments.

Those born with non-functioning forms of PCSK9 tend to have very low cholesterol and the new drugs have the same effect and are considered poster child for treatment. This tends to take advantage of faults in the genome that could prove beneficial to the rare individuals carrying them. Wall Street analysts project that by 2019, Regeneron/Sanofi’s PCSK9 drug would be generating revenues of around $4.4 billion.

Regeneron has also partnered with academic centres in studying families having extreme genetic disorders that have led to the discovery of various new candidate genes according to Dr Aris Baras running the Regeneron’s genetic centre.

Eye-Tracking Tech Makes Virtual Reality Hands-Free

Eye Tracking Tech – FOVE Headset

People with certain disabilities can now look forward to new means of communication and interaction with the advanced virtual reality headset, which could be game changer for the entertainment industry according to developers.

FOVE headset utilises eye tracking technology to enable the wearer, a completely hands free virtual reality wherein the action could be controlled with the help of eye movements. The virtual reality technology has been advertised as the next social and communications platform with firms like Oculus VR being one the market leaders with their Oculus Rift, virtual reality glasses.

However, LochlainnWilson, FOVE’s co-developer as well as chief technology officer, states that their unique technology provides an immersive experience which has not been provided by anyone. He further adds that `eye tracking is game changing in VR.

 It allows for much more complex and subtle interaction than has been possible previously. By knowing exactly where the user is looking, characters in virtual reality can react to your gaze and return it naturally or avoid it or respond or question. But what really sets us apart is eye-tracking, of course. So with eye-tracking we enable a whole new world of interaction in VR. We enable really sensitive emotional experiences that could only otherwise be experienced in real life’.

Two In-Built Cameras – In Head Mount

This eye tracking technology utilises two in-built cameras which is in the head mount for recognizing the user’s eye movement. Presently users perform a short calibration system wherein the device tends to scan the user’s eye and track the movement of their iris.

According to the team, the next version of the device would use iris recognition for loading user profiles. Wilson informs that the device delivers an experience which was previously only possible in science fiction. He comments that `in the control sense, we enable science fiction like user interfaces like Tony Stark’s Ironman and Jarvis, just at a glance user interface respond and updates information, targets an enemy, hits another button and they’re blown up. It is pretty cool in that sense. In a more technical side of things, we enable what is known as foviated rendering, where you focus the processing power exactly on what the user is looking at. By doing this, we drastically reduce the computing power required to deliver a believable scene’.

Various Fields to Benefit with Technology 

Wilson also stated that the technology presents an occasion to re-imagine various tasks and social interactions in the field of education and medicine. This start-up was originated by Wilson together with CEO Yuka Kojima and with the games industry being their focus, the creators of FOVE convey that their device could bring about virtual reality to cinema, enabling viewers to interact within the headset with objects and characters.

He has also informed that they always thought that their technology would have applications which would be outside gaming. It would be suitable for education, training, psychology, research, neuroscience, with various fields which could benefit on having this form of technology.

He also informs that the technology provides a freedom of expression as well as creativity for individuals with certain disabilities, providing a level of communication which was otherwise impossible. The expected price point conveyed by him would be around $400.

The company would now launch a crowd funding campaign to raise $250,000 USD, on the Kick-starter platform, for a flawless product and begin developing its headsets.

Science Labs in the Cloud: Champagne Discoveries, Beer Budget

Emerald Cloud Lab – ECL-1 – Remotely Conduct Experiment

Science is difficult and replicating other labs’ results is even more difficult which tends to be particular right with regards to life sciences. This has lead biologist as well as researchers to manually track sophisticated experiments fraught together with variable like water purity, humidity or elusive differences in equipment.

According to Ethan Perlstein, the founder and CEO of Perlstein Lab, a San Francisco based bio-tech start-up, operating in discovering drugs to combat rare genetic diseases states that `biologist do almost everything by hand and there is lot of variation in experiments lab to lab’. He further adds that he `wants to be able to do science in a way that is auditable and scalable and the data is repeatable, pristine and good’.

Emerald Therapeutics is of the opinion that its Emerald Cloud Lab which has been dubbed ECL-1, could deliver just what Perlstein ordered which is because ECL-1 enables scientist to remotely conduct over 40 various standard experiments worth $3 million of lab equipment inclusive of DNA synthesizers, advanced microscopes as well as mass spectrometers for the separation and measurement of weight of charged particles.

All identical equipment present in the 15,000 square foot facility tends to be same, down to the type and length of pipes and tubing where automated robots tend to perform the test, eliminating the human part in the process.

Aim – Amazon Prime of Experiments 

Other start-ups also tend to provide identical science labs in the cloud. DNAnexus offers tools to store manage as well as analyse the huge data content generated by genome sequencing. Transcriptic tends to advertise its automated robotics and controlled lab environment though it manages less than 20 experiments as compared with ECL’s 40.

Emerald and other companies prefer to become the biosciences version of Amazon Web Services. As it has been trimmed on the cost of developing commercial software, labs in the cloud could make a difference in the economics of life sciences exploration. For instance, the average cost per experiment run by ECL-1 is $25.

As per Brian Frezza, co-founder and co-CEO of Emerald Therapeutics stated from the company’s offices in South San Francisco, California that `they want to be the Amazon Prime of experiments starting within 48 hours of the order’.

Rent out Robots with Precisely Calibrated Instrumentation/Auditable Data Trail

Rather than leasing computer servers by the hour like Amazon Web Services, Emerald together with their rival start-ups tend to rent out robots with precisely calibrated instrumentation together with added benefits of offering auditable data trail.

Perlstein comments that `having robots handle experiments on exactly the same equipment, in exactly the same environment will always be superior to two pairs of hands. It is just objectively better to have fully auditable and automated experiments’. Provision of reproducible results is not the only probable benefit from labs in the cloud but also financial advantage.

This is due to the modern labs buying equipment which could be costing from $100,000 to $240,000 each, which is probably used only for 10% of their research. Frank Gillett, an analyst with Forrester Research states `that this sort of experiment as a service is interesting because it helps avoid the huge setup costs of buying the equipment and finding someone skilled enough to understand and configure everything – all before you can even run your first experiment. Now you can reduce the time it takes to complete the experiment and reduce the cost of the experiment’.

Windows 10 For Phones May Launch On A High-End Smartphone

In case you are amid follower of the news that is being published about Microsoft in the last couple of months, you have started wondering about their plans for the high end segment. Rumours suggest that the company is planning to debut a high end phone with Windows 10.

The company at present is awaiting the official announcement of the Windows 10 before they can unveil its high end windows based phones. This information has been revealed by Ravi Kunwar, who is the Director - North, Nokia India Sales.

He had participated in a chat along with the company during the launch of Lumia 430. He added that their Company has been focusing on their budget segment, as they still have to work on the premium budget as well. Once the budget has been done, they will start working on the unveiling of the devices later in this year alongside Windows 10 launch.


From the perspective of the company, this move is appropriate, as it will allow them to continue and improvise on the computing power of all the features of the Windows 10 specially the Continuum aspect. This is the main reason why the highly rumored the high end Lumia 940 might debut later this year and somewhat the same time as that of Windows 10. What is the most important thing to remember is that the Windows 10 Continuum feature is similar to that of 'Continuity' feature of Apple and other similar features by Google as well.


What remains a surprise is that a company like Microsoft has been shying away from the 4G connectivity from a long time. The company has never tried to impose the 4G element in any of their devices apart from the Lumia 638. Compared to this the competitors of the company like Xiaomi, Samsung, and Motorola apart from others have already started incorporating 4G connectivity as critical part of many of their devices.

Kunwar has also confirmed that Microsoft is already 4G ready at the back end. This indicates that whether they are using the 4G or not, the current phones from the company are already capable of 4G connectivity since Microsoft has the capability of adding the 4G functionality by means of a software update. He further added that 3G is currently the most widespread method of internet connectivity in India. This is the main reason why even Microsoft is focusing on this area.


In the past, Microsoft has already unveiled many more devices like Lumia 540, Lumia 530, Lumia 430, 435, 532, 640XL and 640 among others. All these devices have been marketed in India despite the fact that they are operating only using the 3G connectivity.

They have never tried to market or sell any of their devices based on 4G element. From what it looks like all or atleast most of their devices are easily capable of working on 4G connectivity and the company is already working on enabling these features in India owing to increasing 4G connectivity.