Battelle-R&D Magazine Annual Global Funding Forecast Predicts R&D Spending Growth Will Continue While Globalization Accelerates

The Battelle-R&D Magazine annual Global R&D Funding Forecast shows global research and development (R&D) spending is expected to grow by about 5.2 percent in 2012 to more than $1.4 trillion.

One of the most remarkable findings of the report is that R&D funding growth will largely be driven by Asian economies-a number projected to increase by nearly 9 percent in 2012. Elsewhere in the world, growth remains strong and stable in the aftermath of the global recession. Greece is the only country among the world's top 40 R&D spenders that is not expected to increase its R&D budget during the next year. The closely watched study also predicts that overall European R&D will grow by about 3.5 percent while North American R&D will grow by 2.8 percent.  

Experts from Battelle and R&D Magazine forecast that a 2.1 percent growth in United States R&D expenditures will be balanced against an estimated 2 percent inflation rate, suggesting that U.S. R&D investments will remain flat in real terms over the next year. That $436 billion in forecasted spending is expected to be broken down in the following way:

U.S. Private Industry will spend by far the largest amount with a projection of $279.6 billion in R&D in 2012, up 3.75 percent over 2011.U.S. Federal Government spending will reach $125.6 billion in 2012, a decrease of 1.16 percent.Academia in the U.S. will spend $12 billion on research in 2012, up 2.85 percent over last year.Non-profits will increase spending in 2012 by 2.7 percent to $14.5 billion and other government entities in the U.S. will round out total R&D expenditures by increasing 2.72 percent to $3.8 billion.

Another notable trend the Funding Forecast reveals is the increased expectation that R&D investments will provide financial returns and positive commercial outcomes. Several years ago, only 10 percent of U.S. industries calculated return on investment (ROI) from R&D efforts, while data from a survey that is part of the Funding Forecast now indicates that 40 percent measure that figure.

"The pharmaceutical industry illustrates this trend best as it faces increased scrutiny of R&D spending versus limited productivity and weak pipelines for blockbuster drugs," said Martin Grueber, Battelle Research Leader and co-author of the report. "However, industry isn't the only sector under the ROI microscope. There also are increasing demands that public sector R&D investments show real economic and policy outcomes."

With 18 U.S. corporations among the top 50 firms ranked by R&D spending, the U.S. remains dominant in manufacturing R&D. However, translating this level of R&D and innovation into output, products and jobs is a challenge faced by both U.S. corporations and government. There is wide agreement that technology collaborations are important to growth with many manufacturers planning on increasing collaborative activity such as knowledge sharing, shorter development cycles and the availability of proprietary technologies.

Survey respondents identified the top three ways government could help support manufacturing R&D as: providing tax credits to companies with active R&D programs, supporting academic R&D in manufacturing and increasing tech transfer support from U.S. national labs to industry.

Energy: Energy-related research sponsored by U.S. manufacturers and technology providers will reach nearly $6.7 billion in 2012, up 23.1 percent from 2011. Global spending by energy-related companies will grow by 7.8 percent to reach $17.9 billion in 2012.

A review panel commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) identified key R&D areas where DOE program and investment can play a significant development role, including several in which the DOE historically has underinvested. The areas address both energy supply and demand and relate to both stationary power (deploying clean electricity, modernizing the grid and increasing building/industrial efficiency) and transport power (deploying alternative hydrocarbon fuels, electrifying the vehicle fleet, and increasing vehicle efficiency.)

The panel calls on DOE to maintain a mix of analytic, assessment and fundamental engineering research capabilities in a broad set of energy-technology areas while seeking to balance more assured activities against higher-risk transformational work. At the same time, the report acknowledges that the efforts must be relevant to the private sector. There is a tension between supporting work that industry doesn't-the long term nature of basic research-and the urgency of the nation's energy challenge.

Life Science: United States R&D spending in the life science industry is expected to decline by 5.7 percent to $73.2 billion in 2012 as pharmaceutical firms tighten their R&D budgets. Global R&D spending in the industry also is forecast to decline by 2.2 percent to $147.3 billion.

This sector includes such diverse firms as multi-national pharmaceutical corporations, large medical device and instrument companies and both large and small biotechnology firms.

A major change in the funding and performing of life science R&D is the convergence in public and private sector R&D toward open innovation and open source information-especially in areas needing considerable fundamental research. It is due, in part, to the pharmaceutical industry's retrenchment from its conventional model to a more reduced internal R&D function and focuses more on collaboration and ROI. The ripple effects of impending patent expirations and the widely reported decline in productivity in the development and approval of significant new medicines are driving the strategic changes.

Chemicals and Materials: R&D in the broadly defined chemicals and materials industry is expected to grow by 11.4 percent in the U.S. to $9.3 billion in 2012, while growing by 3.8 percent globally to $33.8 billion.

Nanotechnology and its applications continue to pervade all industrial applications with biomedical applications beginning during the past two years. More than 15 U.S. government agencies propose funding $2.13 billion in nanotechnology research including DOE at $611 million, the National Institutes of Health at $465 million, the National Science Foundation at $456 million and the Department of Defense at $368 million.

An emerging priority in advanced materials is a heightened focus on developing alternative sources or processes related to rare earth metals because of China's recent export limits on supplies. In the industrial sector around the world, closed non-Chinese rare earth mines are being re-opened; however, the environmental requirements for operating these mines have increased since they closed, making additional R&D and capital expenditures necessary to develop new and improved processing programs.

New equation predicts molecular forces in hydrophobic interactions

The physical model to describe the hydrophobic interactions of molecules has been a mystery that has challenged scientists and engineers since the 19th century. Hydrophobic interactions are central to explaining why oil and water don't mix, how proteins are structured, and what holds biological membranes together. Chemical engineering researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed a novel method to study these forces at the atomic level, and have for the first time defined a mathematical equation to measure a substance's hydrophobic character.

"This discovery represents a breakthrough that is a culmination of decades of research," says Professor Jacob Israelachvili. "The equation is intended to be a tool for scientists to begin quantifying and predicting molecular and surface forces between organic substances in water."

Using a light-responsive surfactant -- a soap-like molecule related to fats and lipids -- the researchers developed an innovative technique to measure or change the forces between layers of the molecule in water by using beams of UV or visible light. The result is a general equation that applies to even more complicated systems, such as cellular membranes or proteins.

"We were fortunate to find the right combination of experimental methods and theory," said Brad Chmelka, UCSB Chemical Engineering professor and co-author of the study. "The keys to our research were using a light-responsive surfactant molecule, a means of measuring these delicate surface forces, and applying knowledge of what to look for."

The highly-sensitive instrument they used to sense these molecular-level hydrophobic forces, called a surface forces apparatus, is a now-standard technique that was originally pioneered by Israelachili and colleagues in the 1970s.

"In basic chemistry, students learn about van der Waal forces -- the weak forces that act between all molecules. That theory was developed more than 100 years ago," explains Professor Israelachvili.

"According to the van der Waals theory, however, oil and water shouldn't separate and surfactants shouldn't form membranes, but they do. There has been no proven theory to account for these special hydrophobic interactions. Such behaviors are crucial for life as we know it to exist."

Hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions are central to the disciplines of chemistry, physics, and biology that have fueled modern developments in industries from detergents to pharmaceuticals and new biotechnologies. The new equation is expected to impact applications in water filtration, membrane separations, biomedical research, gene therapy methods, biofuel production, and food chemistry.

Virus and disease propagation in the human body are directly linked to hydrophobic properties on a cellular level. One of the problems related to chemotherapy treatments for cancer is being able to direct a drug specifically to cancer cells, instead of the entire body. Israelachvili and his colleagues foresee their discovery having an impact in biomedical research that attempts to understand and treat diseases.

"Cell membranes are complex and discriminating structures, allowing the transmission of various signals into cells and mediating specific interactions with bacteria and viruses," said Jean Chin, Ph.D., who oversees membrane structure grants at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. "This study, by enhancing our understanding of the role played by hydrophobic forces in membrane dynamics, will expand what we know about membrane structure and function, as well as microbial infection pathways."

"Understanding how water and oil-like substances interact is enormously important for explaining the properties and functions of many biological and engineering materials," says Dr. Robert Wellek, Program Director in the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation. "The UCSB and USC teams have elegantly combined concepts from synthetic chemistry, photophysics, and chemical engineering to unravel and quantify the elusive hydrophobic interaction. NSF is very pleased that its grantees have been able to contribute important fundamental knowledge in this important area."

Details of the research were published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Their research was made possible by support from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Procter & Gamble Company.

"We've known for a long time what we were aiming for. It's a bit like climbing a mountain," said Professor Israelachvili. "The whole thing started at the very bottom. I've been searching for the keys to this interaction for thirty years. We are thrilled with the findings, but it took a lot of steps over carefully chosen paths to get there."

Professor Jacob Israelachvili, Professor Bradley Chmelka, and Stephen Donaldson, Ph.D. student, are with the Department of Chemical Engineering at UCSB. Dr. Israelachvili is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and member of the U.S. National Academy of Science and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Israelachvili received his Ph.D. in Physics from University of Cambridge and joined UCSB in 1986. He was recently named by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as one of the "100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era" for his achievement and leadership in the field.

 

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations ) from materials provided by University of California - Santa Barbara, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

S. H. Donaldson, C. T. Lee, B. F. Chmelka, J. N. Israelachvili. General hydrophobic interaction potential for surfactant/lipid bilayers from direct force measurements between light-modulated bilayers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011; 108 (38): 15699 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1112411108

New equation predicts molecular forces in hydrophobic interactions

The physical model to describe the hydrophobic interactions of molecules has been a mystery that has challenged scientists and engineers since the 19th century. Hydrophobic interactions are central to explaining why oil and water don't mix, how proteins are structured, and what holds biological membranes together. Chemical engineering researchers at UC Santa Barbara have developed a novel method to study these forces at the atomic level, and have for the first time defined a mathematical equation to measure a substance's hydrophobic character.

"This discovery represents a breakthrough that is a culmination of decades of research," says Professor Jacob Israelachvili. "The equation is intended to be a tool for scientists to begin quantifying and predicting molecular and surface forces between organic substances in water."

Using a light-responsive surfactant – a soap-like molecule related to fats and lipids – the researchers developed an innovative technique to measure or change the forces between layers of the molecule in water by using beams of UV or visible light. The result is a general equation that applies to even more complicated systems, such as cellular membranes or proteins.

"We were fortunate to find the right combination of experimental methods and theory," said Brad Chmelka, UCSB Chemical Engineering professor and co-author of the study. "The keys to our research were using a light-responsive surfactant molecule, a means of measuring these delicate surface forces, and applying knowledge of what to look for."

The highly-sensitive instrument they used to sense these molecular-level hydrophobic forces, called a surface forces apparatus, is a now-standard technique that was originally pioneered by Israelachili and colleagues in the 1970s.

Enlarge

This is Israelachvili?s equation. Credit: UCSB

"In basic chemistry, students learn about van der Waal forces – the weak forces that act between all molecules. That theory was developed more than 100 years ago," explains Professor Israelachvili.

"According to the van der Waals theory, however, oil and water shouldn't separate and surfactants shouldn't form membranes, but they do. There has been no proven theory to account for these special hydrophobic interactions. Such behaviors are crucial for life as we know it to exist."

Hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions are central to the disciplines of chemistry, physics, and biology that have fueled modern developments in industries from detergents to pharmaceuticals and new biotechnologies. The new equation is expected to impact applications in water filtration, membrane separations, biomedical research, gene therapy methods, biofuel production, and food chemistry.

Virus and disease propagation in the human body are directly linked to hydrophobic properties on a cellular level. One of the problems related to chemotherapy treatments for cancer is being able to direct a drug specifically to cancer cells, instead of the entire body. Israelachvili and his colleagues foresee their discovery having an impact in biomedical research that attempts to understand and treat diseases.

"Cell membranes are complex and discriminating structures, allowing the transmission of various signals into cells and mediating specific interactions with bacteria and viruses," said Jean Chin, Ph.D., who oversees membrane structure grants at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. "This study, by enhancing our understanding of the role played by hydrophobic forces in membrane dynamics, will expand what we know about membrane structure and function, as well as microbial infection pathways."

"Understanding how water and oil-like substances interact is enormously important for explaining the properties and functions of many biological and engineering materials," says Dr. Robert Wellek, Program Director in the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation. "The UCSB and USC teams have elegantly combined concepts from synthetic chemistry, photophysics, and chemical engineering to unravel and quantify the elusive hydrophobic interaction. NSF is very pleased that its grantees have been able to contribute important fundamental knowledge in this important area."

Details of the research were published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Their research was made possible by support from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Procter & Gamble Company.

"We've known for a long time what we were aiming for. It's a bit like climbing a mountain," said Professor Israelachvili. "The whole thing started at the very bottom. I've been searching for the keys to this interaction for thirty years. We are thrilled with the findings, but it took a lot of steps over carefully chosen paths to get there."

Provided by University of California - Santa Barbara (news : web)

New model predicts environmental effect of pharmaceutical products

 Most synthetic chemical products used in consumer goods end up unchanged in the environment. Given the risks this could pose for the environment and human health, researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) have developed a new tool to effectively predict what will happen to current and future pharmaceutical products.

Thousands of pharmaceutical products, which are increasingly diverse and increasingly used, are "partially" metabolised by the human body. Those that remain unchanged pass into the waste water treated at sewage plants, which are not always designed to eliminate synthetic organic compounds.

"Sometimes, some substrates can even revert to the original drug within the water treatment plant itself, increasing the concentration of the drug in the effluent discharged, as is the case with carbamazepine (a psychotropic anti-epilepsy drug)," says Xavier Domenech, co-author of the study and a researcher at the Department of Chemistry of the UAB.

The result is that a great variety of drugs that could be harmful to wildlife end up in the environment. "This is of greater concern in the case of water treated for human consumption, in which we are increasingly detecting a cocktail of drugs at low concentrations (nanograms per litre), the long-term effect of which is unknown," explains Domenech.

Pinpointing the effect of a drug

The study, which has been published in Water Air and Soil Pollution, has made it possible to develop a new tool to determine the likelihood of drugs ending up in the environment, and at what concentrations, thereby fulfilling the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) requirement to evaluate the environmental risk of new drugs that are being proposed for marketing.

The new tool, developed by Marc Ribera, lead author of the study, uses some physical-chemical properties of pharmaceuticals and the rate of growth in their use in Spain between 1999 and 2006 to determine how they will behave in the environment. The drugs analysed are those that are most commonly consumed in Spain (more than 1 mg of active substance per person and year), including, among many others, ibuprofen, diazepam, naproxen, omeprazole and paracetamol.

In order to validate the model, the research team compared the model's prediction results on water with values measured by authors in rivers and lakes. "The model used is good at predicting the experimental data, and can be seen as a good predictive model for evaluating the environmental risks of current drugs and those that may be marketed in future," concludes Domenech.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations) from materials provided by Plataforma SINC, via AlphaGalileo.

Journal Reference:

Xavier Domenech, Marc Ribera, José Peral. Assessment of Pharmaceuticals Fate in a Model Environment. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2010; 218 (1-4): 413 DOI: 10.1007/s11270-010-0655-y

New model predicts the optical properties of nano-structures

UBC chemists have developed a new model to predict the optical properties of non-conducting ultra-fine particles.

The finding could help inform the design of tailored nano-structures, and be of utility in a wide range of fields, including the remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants and the study of cosmic dust formation.

Aerosols and nano-particles play a key role in atmospheric processes as industrial pollutants, in interstellar chemistry and in drug delivery systems, and have become an increasingly important area of research. They are often complex particles made up of simpler building blocks.

Now research published this week by UBC chemists indicates that the optical properties of more complex non-conducting nano-structures can be predicted based on an understanding of the simple nano-objects that make them up. Those optical properties in turn give researchers and engineers an understanding of the particle's structure.

"Engineering complex nano-structures with particular infrared responses typically involves hugely complex calculations and is a bit hit and miss," says Thomas Preston, a researcher with the UBC Department of Chemistry.

"Our solution is a relatively simple model that could help guide us in more efficiently engineering nano-materials with the properties we want, and help us understand the properties of these small particles that play an important role in so many processes."

The findings were published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"For example, the properties of a more complex particle made up of a cavity and a core structure can be understood as a hybrid of the individual pieces that make it up," says UBC Professor Ruth Signorell, an expert on the characterization of molecular nano-particles and aerosols and co-author of the study.

The experiment also tested the model against CO2 aerosols with a cubic shape, which play a role in cloud formation on Mars.

The research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations) from materials provided by University of British Columbia.

Journal Reference:

T. C. Preston, R. Signorell. Vibron and phonon hybridization in dielectric nanostructures. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1100170108