Skip to main content

Currently Skimming:

2 Convergence in Action
Pages 31-42

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 31...
... For example, as the cost of sequencing genomes continues to fall, the increase in the amount of available genetic data is boosting understanding of the root causes of specific diseases and conditions, such as high cholesterol. Using genomic data, scientists have already found that a significant number of patients 31
From page 32...
... One example of the type of impact it might eventually enable would be to improve treatment and enhance disease survival rates among multiple demographic and socioeconomic groups, an outcome that would require life, medical, behavioral, social, and systems science contributions. The recognition of social factors in contributing to health disparities, increasing compliance with medical recommendations, and improving the organization and delivery of health care provides an additional opportunity to engage the expertise of many fields (Pescosolido et al.
From page 33...
... 52. surgeon explained that Brook's small stature and severe hip deformities meant that standard hip replacement surgery would not work.
From page 34...
... Customized joint implants and other medical devices such as dental implants or hearing aids can be designed using computerized axial tomography scans of the patient's body and constructed on demand. Not only are the finished devices the right size and shape for the patient, but the quickly fabricated models also give surgeons an opportunity to practice difficult procedures before entering the operating theater.
From page 35...
... Printing a complex, functional organ such as a heart or liver for patient transplantation is still beyond reach, but academic and industrial research communities have made progress toward this goal, for example, by constructing strips of liver cells that can be used to test experimental drugs. Other laboratories have experimented with 3D printing of skin or heart cells that might be used for skin grafts or to repair damage from heart attacks (Chang et al.
From page 36...
... Meanwhile, synthetic biologists at North Carolina State University developed chemical processes to convert fatty acids into liquid fuels. To create the new electrofuel, researchers isolated a bacterium with the natural ability to use hydrogen and carbon dioxide for growth and used a proprietary technique called EDGE (efficiency-directed genome engineering)
From page 37...
... The company's continued success required convergence of science and technology depth with business expertise in market analysis and in the develop ment of products and applications. One decision was to get involved in the inter national HapMap genotyping project cataloguing human genetic variation, which provided an opportunity for Illumina to demonstrate its technology.
From page 38...
... Systems biology builds further on the genomics-catalyzed transformation of biology into an information science as it incorporates not only engineering in practice, but also engineering design principles and control theory as a means to understand and predict the behavior of complex biological systems. Similarly, branches of mathematics and computer science that address the integration of disparate data types and the analysis and modeling of molecular and cellular networks are key contributors.
From page 39...
... For example, the University of California's Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) trains its graduate students and postdoctoral fellows on how to start companies and supports them with a concept called "startup in a box." Over the past 2 years, this service has reportedly helped students and postdoctoral fellows incorporate 140 companies, 35 of which are functional and rent space from QB3 for a nominal fee in low-cost facilities for small startups.
From page 40...
... FIGURE 2-4  Multiple technology companies are located near MIT and form part of the ecosystem created and sustained by convergence. 40 SOURCE: Courtesy of Phillip A
From page 41...
... . The Wyss Institute at Harvard University similarly reports that its researchers are judged not only on typical academic metrics such as journal publications but also on intellectual property, corporate alliances, licensing agreements, and a 5-year technology pipeline, resulting in an institute culture that is less like a traditional academic institution and more like a technology startup (Ingber 2013)


This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More information on Chapter Skim is available.