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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is the Technology Report. |
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New York City and the State of New York |
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are investing hundreds of millions of dollars |
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to become a major player |
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in the development of high tech industries. |
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They have developed 40 workspaces known as incubators |
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to assist start-up businesses. |
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Harlem Biospace is an incubator for biomedical engineering. |
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It gives young entrepreneurs a low-cost way |
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to develop their ideas and businesses. |
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For a low monthly payment, |
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they are given desk space and use of a laboratory. |
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The young people pay for their own raw materials. |
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"This is great. |
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The reason is because it is so cheap |
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and it has the wet lab that we need. |
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So, I order chemicals that I need, |
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and I'm given the facilities here |
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to do my experiments," said Tyler Poore. |
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Tyler Poore and his partner are developing a product |
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that will kill bacteria. |
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It can be put on household goods, |
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like a sponge for cleaning. |
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He and 17 others at Biospace share a common goal |
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to find solutions to biomedical problems. |
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Edwin Vazquez is investigating the mystery of diseases, |
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such as Alzheimers and Parkinson's. |
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He says suggestions from others in the building |
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make the work environment at Biospace a real plus. |
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"There's nothing better than sitting down in a room like this |
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when there is a lot more people around and got something |
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that is exciting and go to the lunchroom |
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and you start talking to your other colleagues. |
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All of a sudden, somebody knows a researcher |
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that is doing something similar to you |
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who can complement your research, |
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you get in contact and things happen," said Vasquez. |
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Leading hospitals and science centers |
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are supporting innovators like Kate Rochlin, |
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founder of a company called Immunovent. |
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She has developed a brush to test for allergic reactions, |
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the device is placed in the nose or mouth. |
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The test results are correct more often than skin or blood tests. |
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"And from one single sample from the nose or mouth |
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we can test for a whole panel of 72 allergens. |
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And we found that the blood test only identified |
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peanut allergies 50 percent of the time, |
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and we could find it 99 percent of the time. |
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So, we are far more accurate with peanut diagnosis. |
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That's really important because that one in particular |
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is really life-threatening," said Rochlin. |
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Matthew Owens is the Executive Director of the Harlem Biospace. |
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He says there have been real signs of success |
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since the company was launched last November. |
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"We do have companies that are already shipping, |
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getting revenue and getting products out to customers. |
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So, I think it's a testament |
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that it's absolutely a success," said Owens. |
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And that is the Technology Report from VOA Learning English. |