The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced grants totaling $280 million to help fight tuberculosis, an epidemic that infects one-third of people on earth and kills nearly 2 million yearly - mostly in the poorest countries. The 11 new grants will speed research and development on promising vaccines, diagnostic tests, and treatments to help reduce the global TB burden.

Spending on cancer research in Europe is on the up, and Europe is now a major contributor to the global cancer research effort, according to the second cancer research funding survey by the European Cancer Research Managers (ECRM) Forum. However, growing levels of bureaucracy threaten to stifle future research, the report warns.

Berlin software enterprise semgine GmbH has completed the new release of its semgine sciPlorer®. semgine sciPlorer® is the first product based on the semgine® semantic search technology and the first semantic information retrieval assistant specially developed for researchers working in the field of drugs discovery and biomedical science.

ePharma Physician® is a syndicated multi-client research study and advisory service focused on physician information technology adoption. Specifically, the study examines how technology is levered by pharmaceutical, biotech, and device companies to improve relationships with physicians. Fielded annually, ePharma Physician® builds upon Manhattan Research's population-level physician research Taking the Pulse® and probes deeper into the audience of physicians interacting with pharmaceutical, device, and biotech companies online, currently about 80% of the physician population.

Proteomics research is undergoing excessive growth. Nearly every major biotech and pharmaceuticals firm has implemented a proteomics program. Functional proteomics, the study of protein function and identification of protein interactions, is playing a major role in drug discovery, biomarkers, molecular diagnostics, and antibody therapies. A primary goal of biomedical research is discovering how cells respond to genetic instructions by creating thousands of protein variations and observing their reactions.

Swedish scientists have shed new light on how the insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas keep our blood glucose levels stable and so prevent the development of diabetes. The work, which was partly funded by the EU, is published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

One of America's best-loved TV moms, The Cosby Show's Phylicia Rashad is taking on a new leading role in raising awareness of Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.), a condition that affects about 8 million Americans, and puts them at more than double the risk of heart attack or stroke and more than four times the risk of dying from heart disease including heart attack and stroke. However, according to the P.A.D. Coalition, most people are unaware of P.A.D. and the risks associated with it.