While viruses like H1N1 scare the living bejesus out of us, they’ve also been spurring science to look for new ways to produce vaccines quickly. Last year, H1N1 was responsible for more than 12,200 deaths, and the first batches of vaccines took about 7 whole months after the first cases were reported to ship. Researchers at the Texas Plant-Expressed Vaccine Consortium, a joint venture between The Texas A&M University System and pharmaceutical facility technology maker G-Con, LLC, think that they could solve some of the efficiency issues that plague vaccine production with an unconventional plant-based approach. Called Project GreenVax, the plans entails using a combination of tobacco plants and podlike laboratories that will be able to scale up or down in direct relation to vaccine demand.

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Post tags: Design for Health, flu, flu vaccine, h1n1, influenza, modular laboratory, plant based vaccine, tamus, Tobacco Plant, vegan vaccine

Cumulonimbus clouds observed 28°C

Humidity:

83%

Wind Speed:

2 KMH

Wind Direction:

NNE (020°)

Barometer:

1011 mb

Dewpoint:

25°C

Heat Index:

32°C

Wind Chill:

28°C

Visibility:

8 km

Photos via Autoblog

Porsche recently blew everyone at the Geneva Auto Show out of the water with their freshly unveiled electric concept car – their first plug-in hybrid ever. Dubbed the 918 Spyder, this stealthy-looking ride is a parallel hybrid just like the Prius – well, except much, much sexier. It also supposedly gets 78 miles per gallon, has emissions of 70g CO2/km, can go 16 miles on electric charge alone, and does 0-60 in just 3.2 seconds. Oh and did we mention that it’s drop-dead gorgeous too?

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Greening your home may soon entitle you to some extra green from the government. President Obama is set to announce the details of his “Cash for Caulkers” program today. If passed by Congress, the initiative will allocate about $6 billion to create jobs and provide incentives for American homes to become more energy efficient.

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Business Room. Excluding breakfast. Located along the busy streets of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Replica Inn provides affordable accommodation for travellers on a budget with easy access to transport links. Rooms are cosy and comfortable and come with an en-suite bathroom. They are also fitted with all the basic amenities needed for a pleasant stay that include individually controlled air-conditioning. Replica Inn also offers several guest services to make your stay more enjoyable. Laundry and dry cleaning services are available, as well as car rental. If you're looking for more information on sight-seeing and tours, just enquire with the friendly staff. The hotel also has a casual cafe for meals and internet access is available in the lobby. Replica Inn Chinatown is close to several eateries, shops and entertainment options. It is also within walking distance from Puduraya Station and Plaza Rakyat LRT station, which makes travelling easy and cost effective.

Cumulonimbus clouds observed 29°C

Humidity:

79%

Wind Speed:

2 KMH

Wind Direction:

WNW (300°)

Barometer:

1010 mb

Dewpoint:

25°C

Heat Index:

34°C

Wind Chill:

29°C

Visibility:

8 km

Business Room. Excluding breakfast. Located along the busy streets of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Replica Inn provides affordable accommodation for travellers on a budget with easy access to transport links. Rooms are cosy and comfortable and come with an en-suite bathroom. They are also fitted with all the basic amenities needed for a pleasant stay that include individually controlled air-conditioning. Replica Inn also offers several guest services to make your stay more enjoyable. Laundry and dry cleaning services are available, as well as car rental. If you're looking for more information on sight-seeing and tours, just enquire with the friendly staff. The hotel also has a casual cafe for meals and internet access is available in the lobby. Replica Inn Chinatown is close to several eateries, shops and entertainment options. It is also within walking distance from Puduraya Station and Plaza Rakyat LRT station, which makes travelling easy and cost effective.

MALAYSIAN exhibitors who took part in Gulfood 2010 here last week secured RM7.8 million in confirmed orders as well as potential sales worth RM32.2 million. The 48 food-related companies brought in by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) for the Feb 21-24 exhibition were joined by five entities under the Terengganu State Entrepreneur Development Foundation. They enticed trade visitors with products such as sauces, health food supplements, vegetable oil, chocolates, energy drink, coffee and tea, ready-to-eat frozen foods, cocoa, confectionery items, biscuits, health food, fruit juices, packaging machinery and others. "Malaysian food products are widely accepted in this part of the world because of their stringent standards and high quality," Malaysia's trade commissioner in Dubai Datuk Dzulkifli Mahmud told Bernama. In addition, he said, Malaysia's halal certification accorded the products an added advantage in marketing them here. Held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gulfood was touted as Middle East's largest specialised foodstuff, beverages and equipment show. Citing official sources, Dzulkifli said Dubai was one of the largest importers of foodstuff in the region, with imports of foodstuff and beverages valued at over US$4.32 billion in 2008 compared to US$3.87 billion in 2007. More than 75 per cent of its imports of foodstuff are for re-export to other Gulf countries. According to Dzulkifli, Malaysia's exports of processed foodstuff to United Arab Emirates (UAE) decreased from RM381.8 million in 2008 to RM214.1 million in 2009. The trade commissioner attributed this mainly to the economic slowdown experienced by the UAE last year. "However, it's expected that growth will return in 2010," he said optimistically. Dzulkifli said it made sense for Malaysian firms to come to the UAE as it had established itself as the re-export centre of the Middle East, supplying to more than 1.8 billion people in the region and beyond. They include countries such as neighbouring Gulf states, Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and CIS countries. During 2008, UAE's re-exports were valued at US$32.78 billion, of which prepared foodstuff amounted to US$603 million. "UAE, in particular Dubai, offers tremendous opportunities to Malaysian manufacturers and suppliers of food products who are interested to use Dubai as a trading hub," Dzulkifli added. - BERNAMA

THE Agriculture and Agrobased Industry Ministry is planning to build a factory to process vitato sweet potatoes in Besut to provide a new source of income for former tobacco farmers. Director at the ministry's directorate on the implementation of high-impact projects, Ibrahim Salleh, said the factory would cost RM5 million of which RM2 million would be borne by the Terengganu government and the remaining RM3 million by the federal government. He told this to reporters after witnessing the signing of an agreement on contract farming for crops like vitato potatoes, watermelon and maize between the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA) and the area farmers organisations in Semerak here today. FAMA was represented by Kelantan deputy director Fauzi Mohamad. Ibrahim said the sandy soil along the coast of Kelantan and Terengganu, previously used for tobacco farming, was suitable for planting of vitato sweet potatoes. Currently, the crop is planted by 69 farmers in an area covering 53 hectares in Bachok and Pasir Puteh. - BERNAMA

Rockwills International Group, celebrated its 15th anniversary this year by adding another feather to its cap, a record 100,000 wills written. Managing director Saw Leong Aun said Rockwills had to overcome many hurdles before successfully emerging as the country's leading estate planning specialist, while playing a crucial role in helping Malaysians tackle wealth distribution. "We were the first professional will-writing and will custody company in Malaysia and the pioneer in offering Chinese will-writing services in 2000. "Rockwills was also the first Malaysian will-writing company to record 100,000 wills," he said at a luncheon held in conjunction with Rockwills' anniversary in Kuala Lumpur today. With more than 3,000 franchisees and over 100,000 clients at present, Rockwills' services cover will-writing, will custody, trust, offshore and other estate and financial planning support services, under a franchise system. Saw said the company would continue to heighten awareness of comprehensive estate planning by organising activities such as talks and contributing informative articles to the media as well educate the public on the importance of wills and trusts. "We are optimistic that with a growing awareness of the importance of estate planning, Rockwills will be able to continue the momentum and record a more dynamic growth. "This is not only for will-writing but also in comprehensive estate planning related services, making us the complete and independent professional estate planning group, " he added.-- Bernama NJ AS