With our friends south of the border still reeling from a turkey-induced hangover, it was a quiet week. Still, there was plenty to be thankful for.
Proponents of personalized medicine were thankful for several developments that show this trend is picking up speed [1]: CVS followed Medco’s example in expanding pharmacogenomic testing, while biotech and pharma companies, as well as the National Cancer Institute, stepped up their investment in the field.
I am thankful to be following a new trend for 2010: synthetic biology [2], i.e. attempts to create novel organisms. This week, I weighed in on the search for the smallest genome that could constitute a living organism [3], noting that the most popular candidate seems to be proving itself to be a red herring.
Finally, I am thankful for Richard Chan, our science writer, who has taken over responsibility for the Friday Science Review [4], and for Jacob Cawker, who provides research support for the Monday Biotech Deal Review [5]. Thanks guys – I couldn’t do it without you!