Annual report of the Association of Universities Tech Transfer Managers – Part 1 : analysis of 2010 main indicators

Posted on February 21, 2012

For the twentieth year, the Association of Universities Tech transfer Managers published, at the end of 2010, a report that contains many economic indicators related to the development of technology transfer (TT) in the country. These different indicators were established by a group of experts twenty years ago, with the goal of providing a clear vision of the reality of technology transfer landscape in the United States. This 2010 AUTM survey is gives the Office of Science & Technology of the French Consulate an opportunity to report quantitative data on the latest developments in technology transfer in the United States. In this first part, we will put an emphasis on the most significant data of TT in the United States, considered in its entirety. Continue reading →

Essential of the weeks : Feb 1st – Feb 15, 2012

Posted on February 15, 2012

Essentials

After trailing far behind other Universities like MIT or Babson College, it seems like Harvard is really willing to catch up in the race for entrepreneurship. After opening their Innovation Lab a couple of months ago, the University decided to go further and launched an experiment fund that will provide up to $250,000 in seed fund, mainly to student-led teams in Cambridge, MA. That’s a big move for the university, that certainly doesn’t want to see the next Marc Zuckerberg leave the campus for the Silicon Valley ! Continue reading →

For The First Time, Scientists Create a 3D Map of Chromosomes’ Organization !

Posted on February 2, 2012

In collaboration with researchers from the Weizmann Institute in Israel, a team from the Institut de Génétique Humaine (CNRS) has, for the first time, revealed the detailed three-dimensional architecture of chromosomes: Giacomo Cavalli and his colleagues have achieved high-resolution mapping of the different contacts that exist within and between chromosomes. They performed this feat using a new very high-throughput technique improved by the Montpellier team. This major research work should shed new light on the impact of 3D chromosome organization on genome expression and on the onset of diseases such as cancer. It is published in the online version of the journal Cell of 19 January 2012. Continue reading →

Essentials of the Week : January 9 – 20

Posted on January 20, 2012

Seems like nothing can stop the dynamic pace of innovation that is happening at the beginning of this year ! As usual we dig for the best and latest news, and the harvest is very prolific ! And NO we are not talking about Megaupload’s closure by FBI ! Enjoy these articles and don’t hesitate to share them !

Article of the Week :
2011 Venture Capital Report – A Record Year with $30.6 Billion Invested in 3051 Deals - CB Insights
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Learning more about chromosome fragility

Posted on January 12, 2012

Why are some chromosomal regions particularly susceptible to breakage? Finding the answer to this question is crucial because this fragility is a factor in tumour development. A team from the Institute of Genetics and Molecular & Cellular Biology (CNRS/Inserm/University of Strasbourg) has just solved part of the mystery. Laszlo Tora and his colleagues have discovered that breakage in the longest human genes is caused by a phenomenon that, until now, was thought unlikely to occur in mammalian cells: interference between two key genetic processes, DNA transcription[1] and replication[2]. This research, published in the journalMolecular Cell on 23 December 2011, could eventually lead to novel strategies for fighting tumours.
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Record Breaking Explanets Discovered !

Posted on January 12, 2012

An international team led by a CNRS researcher from the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP, CNRS – Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier) has discovered the ruins of a planetary system, consisting of the cores of two former giant planets stripped of their gaseous envelopes, orbiting around the remnants of the core of a red giant. These two exoplanets are the smallest, hottest and closest to their parent star ever discovered. This finding, published in the 22 December 2011 issue of the journal Nature. could shed new light on the fate of planetary systems.

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Essentials of the week : January 2-9

Posted on January 9, 2012

Dear all,

welcome back for this new edition of the Essentials of the Week, the first of 2012 ! The year is off to a flying start with great news and forecast for the weeks and months to come. No doubt that Innovation & Entrepreneurship will be the flagship of the year, and the key to growth & definite recovery. Take a look at our selection !

Article of the Week
Is Massachusetts Losing its Edge ? - John Towne – Business Telegram

Innovation
5 Steps to Increase Innovation Skills Set - Innovation Management – Marc Juszczak
Tony Fadell’s Newest Invention is the iPod of Thermostats – Fast Company – John Pavlus
Continue reading →

The Most Innovative Countries in the World : France Rises to 3rd Place !

Posted on January 9, 2012

Every country wants to win this new title : the most innovative country in the world. Ask anyone about this, and the answer will almost always be the same : the United States of America. And they’re right, the USA are the biggest innovation generator in the world, thanks to a broad range of universities and companies that keep inventing the next generation products and technologies.

But who’s next ? Thomson Reuters gives you the answer in this beautiful infographic below. And Cocorico, France is ranked 3rd, with an excellent result ! So take a look at this chart and see how your country is doing !

The French American Innovation Day lives up to its expectations

Posted on December 20, 2011

As you may already know, the 2011 Franco-American Innovation Day conference, held at Harvard Medical School, explored the Challenges of Translational breakthroughs. According to the attendance, the conference met the expectations of both academia and industry participants.

This 9^th edition took place in the Joseph B.Martin Conference Center of Harvard Medical School in Boston and was organized in collaboration with French innovation Campus GIANT (Grenoble) and in partnership with Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, PVLSI