Motivating Employees in R&D

[Excerpt] A new medicine can take as long as 15 years to develop and may cost a pharmaceutical research company $1.3 billion or more from the laboratory to the pharmacy shelf. The research environment is very different from most other jobs for a host of reasons: the high degree of uncertainty in the research process, the accessibility of individual contributions, and the unpredictable impact of any given final product. As such, the practices employed by pharmaceutical companies to reward and recognize employees in research and development (R&D) functions must reflect these challenges. This report will highlight extrinsic and intrinsic motivators thought to drive innovative behavior. This report will also present additional factors that managers should consider in the design and allocation of rewards and recognition schemes. Lastly, the research offers the best practices of other companies in related industries

Characterization of glucagon-like peptide-I(7-36)amide receptors of rat lung membranes by covalent cross-linking

125I-labelled GLP-I(7-36)amide was cross-linked to a specific binding protein in rat lung membranes using disuccinimidyl suberate. A single radio-labelled band at Mr 66000 was identified by SDS-PAGE after solubilization of the ligand-binding protein complex which is consistent with the presence of a single class of binding sites on rat lung membranes. The band was undetectable when 1 [mu]mol/1 GLP-I(7-36)amide was included in the binding assay. No change in the mobility of the band was observed under reducing conditions suggesting that the binding protein in the receptor is not part of a larger disulphide-liked protein. The intensity of the radiolabelled protein band was reduced when the incubation with 125I-labelled GLP-I(7-36)amide was carried out in the presence of guanine nucleotides suggesting that the GLP-I(7-36)amide receptor is coupled to the adenylate cyclase system.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29414/1/0000490.pd

Translation Levels Control Multi-Spanning Membrane Protein Expression

Attempts to express eukaryotic multi-spanning membrane proteins at high-levels have been generally unsuccessful. In order to investigate the cause of this limitation and gain insight into the rate limiting processes involved, we have analyzed the effect of translation levels on the expression of several human membrane proteins in Escherichia coli (E. coli). These results demonstrate that excessive translation initiation rates of membrane proteins cause a block in protein synthesis and ultimately prevent the high-level accumulation of these proteins. Moderate translation rates allow coupling of peptide synthesis and membrane targeting, resulting in a significant increase in protein expression and accumulation over time. The current study evaluates four membrane proteins, CD20 (4-transmembrane (TM) helixes), the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs, 7-TMs) RA1c and EG-VEGFR1, and Patched 1 (12-TMs), and demonstrates the critical role of translation initiation rates in the targeting, insertion and folding of integral membrane proteins in the E. coli membrane

Making 'Cents' of Temps: The Costs and Benefits of Contingent Workers

[Excerpt] Increased adoption of contingent labor strategies serves as proof that the benefits of hiring contingent workers outweigh the costs, at least from an employer’s perspective. Three such benefits are explored in the paragraphs that follow: the reduction of fixed costs, increased flexibility, and increased productivity. Since accompanying each of these benefits are actual and potential costs that pose a real threat to human resource professionals if not carefully managed, a brief discussion of costs is also included. In response to the increasing popularity of contingent workers among businesses, tips for effective tracking of costs conclude this analysis.5_16_2011_Making__Cents__of_Temps.pdf: 1547 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020