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AN ELECTRONIC TONGUE or the Taste Chip prototype for lab use is being developed. It is hard to imagine that such devices could replace the sensory pleasure of taste, but would be useful in analytics. Replacement of defective taste buds is an alternative approach, there are about 8,000 taste buds per tongue and they are constantly regenerating. Within the bud, individual cells regenerate on a two week cycle. " "Taste bud replacement via stem cells is a future possibility: http://lnkd.in/Fpj2Xi DOI: 10.1039/b705107g View in LinkedIn

CATALONIA, like many other countries, has a long history of family businesses (FB). The nearly half dozen Pharma companies in Barcelona are FBs. Historically, most FBs resisted non-family ownership and oversight. Gradually, some opened up to Advisory Boards, on a take-it-or-leave it basis. Now as they prepare for internationalization, many realize they need proper boards. View in LinkedIn

USING THE TONGUE to restore sight is one of the more improbable but interesting bionics currently at prototype. Remember the speculation about using different species to solve problems through mind-machine interface? Mixing senses to surrogate is not dissimilar. The sensate world of taste having visual inputs? Completely different language of the senses. Fascinating. http://lnkd.in/U8PtwC View in LinkedIn

SMART CONTACT LENSES are being developed in many labs. Somewhere between Google Glass and Bluetooth, these "Assisted Living" contacts may be solar powered and thought-controlled. Having embedded transparent LED in the lens could give a source of real-time data on infinite topics for numerous applications. View in LinkedIn

THE TONGUE as a surprising surrogate for seeing and hearing. View in LinkedIn

A BIONIC NOSE had been developed for smelling cancer in human breath, for security and pollution applications. Partial or complete taste and smell disorders occur in up to 5% of the population, which is more common than loss of sight or hearing. It occurs more frequently in elders, and is associated with Alzheimer's. Loss of these senses can be devastating (food disinterest, depression) but there is not a lot of research heading towards treatments. There are few medical clinics for these disorders. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330154756.htm#.UfSvX4fmjP0.twitter View in LinkedIn

LEVEL-HEADED rebuff of a highly inflammatory article claiming that Pharma drugs are less effective and that there is a corrupt collusion between FDA and the Pharma industry. A valuable point-counter-point. http://www.pharmagellan.com/new-drugs-less-effective-than-old-ones-not-so-fast-continued/ View in LinkedIn

PERSONALIZED MEDICINE is getting the data it needs chunk by chunk, with a 6 billion data point set on cancer genomes. The author writes: “This comes at a great time, because genomic medicine is becoming a reality, and I am very hopeful this valuable information will change the way we use drugs for precision medicine.” View in LinkedIn

SMART CONTACT LENSES: augmented reality is arriving fast. http://lnkd.in/7vJ5U7 View in LinkedIn

FIRST BIONIC EYE IMPLANTED in Australia. No longer science fiction. View in LinkedIn