Staff Writer

Who has time for holiday shopping when there are end-of-year deals to close, J.P. Morgan meetings to arrange and board presentations to prepare? Fear not – BioWorld's annual biotech holiday gift guide is here to help!

Before we delve into the fourth annual edition, we invite you to take a look back at the last three years of biotech-themed gift ideas for the executive, the scientist, the Wall Street financier, the bargain hunter, the new parent, the humanitarian, the epicurean, the bibliophile, the fashionista, the dog lover and the apps addict. Click here to see our 2007, 2008 and 2009 lists.

Still not seeing the perfect gift for your favorite biotechie? Read on . . .

Secret Santa
When it comes to nano-sized presents perfect for the office gift exchange, BioWorld International science editor Anette Breindl recommends Science Tarot, a set of fortune telling cards that blend fine art with hard science. Here's hoping you draw Mendel's Peas, which signify growth!

Ever wanted to wash yourself with E. Coli or S. Enteritidis? Now you can, with Petri Dish Soaps, a hand-made coconut oil product colored like the streak patterns of various bacteria on different types of agar.

Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like crochet, but why give a scarf or mittens when you can give a tiny crocheted brain, lungs, pancreas, liver, kidney, eyeball or heart?

The Romantic
Spending 24/7 in the lab can put a damper on any scientist's social life. If you haven't had any luck with the Geek-2-Geek online dating service from our 2007 gift guide, maybe it's time to try a membership atGenePartner.com, the online dating site that matches you based on genetic compatibility and HLA analysis.

And once you do find that special someone, what could be more romantic than carrying a little piece of them with you everywhere you go? That's what the DNA Life Pendant offers: a tiny silver and glass necklace charm that holds a DNA sample from your loved one.

Science fans seeking a twist on the typical romantic gift of perfume might also want to try My DNA Fragrance, the scent that's custom designed for each person, based on a buccal swab.

The Traveler
Our 2009 gift guide recommended getting your favorite biotechie an iTunes gift card and a list of the best biotech smart phone apps. While several of those apps were geared toward travelers, Pearl Therapeutics Inc. CEO Howard Rosen has a new recommendation that sounds like a winner: GateGuru, which helps you find the food you're craving, an ATM, or a Starbucks as you dash between flights at just about any airport. Sure to be helpful for the increasing number of biotechs embarking on IPO road shows . . .

Killing time between connections? Check out the Dr. NanoX video game (now available on iPads, iPods and iPhones), in which you travel through a patient, blasting parasites and other foreign invaders. Or, if you prefer paper to plastic, pick up Sam Kean's history of the periodic table, The Disappearing Spoon; Kyle Kurpinski and Terry Johnson's How to Defeat Your Own Clone; or Selling the Fountain of Youth by BioWorld Insight's own contributing writer Arlene Weintraub.

Biotech jetsetters might also appreciate a Waals world watch, which puts all 24 time zones at your fingertips. After all, you never know where that next regional licensing deal might pop up.