Features in 2004

Despite entering its maturation phase, the recombinant protein sector will continue to drive the growth of medical biotechnology over the next six years.

Has a worldwide shortage in biomanufacturing capacity turned to a glut in just 4 years? A building boom and advances in technology threaten to derail adoption of potentially cheaper transgenic manufacturing platforms.

Although quality assurance schemes have been proven effective in preventing genetic testing errors, a recent survey of services in the EU reveals that laboratory participation in these schemes is fragmented and incomplete.

Big pharma is dabbling in systems biology, a few brave entrepreneurs are trying to make a business out of it, but investor caution may keep those in the field from really making it big in drug development.

Companies that eschew drug discovery in favor of in-licensing have captured a lot of attention and investment over the past few years. But are these young companies really chasing a sustainable business model?

Drug development is a risky business, and the final product can have serious, sometimes deadly flaws. But by focusing on fixing those flaws, companies are catapulting themselves to profitability.

Would a standard nomenclature for describing the steps in the agricultural biotechnology product development cycle enable better valuation of agbiotech products and the companies that develop them?

Industrial biotechnology could boost biotech fortunes and help heal the planet. But there's a giant gulf between here and there.

Nature Biotechnology's annual survey of public biotechnology companies finds some attrition, but on the whole a stronger sector.

Has structural bioinformatics advanced enough to form the core of a drug discovery program? A new generation of companies exploiting structure-focused technologies is counting on it.

Funding for biodefense is spurring new vaccine and anti-infective programs at several biotech companies.

Before they fell into disfavor, legally independent affiliates of biotech companies—special purpose entities—had supported the development of several blockbuster drugs. Are they about to stage a comeback?

Permissive regulations in a few regions of the world are dictating where human embryonic stem (hES) cell research is taking place, but this could change as numerous countries are still formulating policy.

As antibiotic resistant bacteria threaten a public health crisis, biotechnology is turning to bacteriophages, nature's tiniest viruses. But can phage therapy overcome its historical baggage?