Penicillin bug genome unravelled

Dutch researchers have decoded the DNA sequence of the fungus which produces penicillin. It is hoped that uncovering the genome of Penicillium chrysogenum will boost the development of new antibiotics to overcome problems of resistance. The findings come just in time for the 80th anniversary of the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming. Full details of the 13,500-gene sequence will be published in Nature Biotechnology in October. Penicillium chrysogenum is used in the production of antibiotics such as amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalexin and cefadroxil. Its use in killing bacteria was discovered in 1928 after mould spores accidentally contaminated a petri dish in a laboratory.

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GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, announced that it has entered into a distribution and technology collaboration agreement with Living Independently Group, Inc. a leading provider of telecare and passive monitoring systems used to assist in the care of seniors.  GE Healthcare will distribute and co-market Living Independently’s QuietCare® products globally. 

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Covidien Ltd. announced that its Board of Directors has elected CEO and President Richard J. Meelia to the additional position of Chairman of the Board, effective October 1, 2008.
Mr. Meelia succeeds Dennis H. Reilley, who has served as non-executive Chairman since Covidien became an independent, publicly traded company in June 2007. Mr. Reilley, the immediate past Chairman of Praxair, will continue to serve as a Covidien Director.

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The Catholic Medical Center in Seoul, Korea has ordered a total of seventy systems of medical equipment from Siemens Healthcare. Worth around 40 million USD (appr. €28 million), the order is one of the biggest of its kind in the medical industry worldwide. Siemens will equip the departments for radiology, nuclear medicine, oncology, cardiology and emergency medicine in the eight hospitals that make up the Catholic Medical Center. Siemens has also signed a service contract with the Medical Center for maintenance, upkeep and permanent monitoring of the equipment. One of the eight hospitals, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, is still under construction and will be Korea’s biggest hospital once it is opened in April 2009. Catholic Medical Center will then become a mammoth multi-medical science complex where a 2,000-bed facility, research and education will take place.

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Royal Philips Electronics announced that Patrick S. Kung was appointed as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Greater China. David Chang, who currently holds this post, will retire after 30 years at Philips.

Kung joined Philips in February 2008 as Executive Vice President. Prior to that, he was Corporate Vice President, General Manager of PCS North Asia and General Manager of Strategic Growth Engines for Motorola, Inc. Kung had been with Motorola for 27 years in various executive level roles based in the U.S. and Asia. In the late 1990s, Kung was transferred to work in Shanghai, Beijing, and Taipei in various key management positions.

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