
Buzz words few spoke about 5 years ago
Below is a very personal and biased selection of hot areas of life science research. The bias comes from my own excitement about the...


A New Perspective on my PhD
I have completed my PhD studies at the University of Zurich, in the group of Francois Verrey. The topic my research was the epithelial...


Are Human Embryonic Stem Cells now patentable in Europe?
by Simona Varani This month, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) rendered a decision in “International Stem Cell (ISCO) Corporation v....


How do Italian researchers feel about Technology Transfer Offices?
By Marija (Masha) Zecevic As part of a new project, we have surveyed a sample of 87 Italian scientists active in the basic and clinical...
When Are False Positives Unacceptable?
by Marija (Masha) Zecevic There are certain instances in which a false positive result of a diagnostic procedure is unacceptable. A...


Minutes from BioInItaly Start-Up Initiative 2014
By Marija (Masha) Zecevic Every spring, the Italian biotechnology association and the largest national bank organize a joint networking...


Humans are ecosystems, just like the kefir yoghurt
by Marija (Masha) Zecevic Back in 2001, in Tuscany, while attending the most bizarre conference of my PhD years, I cornered Lynn Margulis...

The price and the cost of the most expensive drug ever – a debate based on speculation and lack of t
By Marija (Masha) Zecevic A piece in the latest issue of BioCentury tackles the pricing and reimbursement challenges faced by Soliris® as...
BioEurope Spring 2014 – My Favourite Company Presentation
By Marija (Masha) Zecevic Actogenix is a company in Belgium that develops new products based on proprietary technology for oral delivery...


Embracing the “Trial and Error” approach in drug discovery
by Marija (Masha) Zecevic Nassim Taleb is an essayist, scholar and statistician probably best known for his book on randomness and risk...