There's life yet for biotechnology firms, and 15 of them have special promise, according to FierceBiotech, an industry bulletin that covers the biotech sector. FierceBiotech named six firms from Greater Boston, Massachusetts; one from the United Kingdom; five from California and another three from elsewhere in the United States in its list of the year's top 15 biotechs (see http://www.fiercebiotech.com). The financial downturn made the cream of the crop easier to identify, FierceBiotech said, because only a select group of biotechs have thrived in the current climate. FierceBiotech based its selections on such criteria as the company's drug development experience, the novelty or efficacy of its product and the transparency of its management.