Healthcare industry

Article - 31/12/2012

Diagnosis of myocardial infarction: a drop of blood is all that is required

Can myocardial infarction be diagnosed with a single drop of blood? The answer is yes: a new application of the ESEQuant Lateral Flow System developed by QIAGEN now makes this possible. The system, which is able to identify a broad range of bacterial and viral pathogens, including HIV, influenza virus and Chlamydia, was originally developed at the company’s site in Stockach. It has recently been adapted for use in the diagnosis of myocardial…

Article - 15/09/2014

Gene therapies for pulmonary disease are close to final development

Gene therapy currently offers the only chance of curing genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and beta thalassaemia. Gene therapy is the replacement or correction of a mutated gene with DNA that encodes a functional gene. Intensive research has been going on in this field for many years however only a handful gene therapies are available at this point in time. Dr. Michael Kormann junior professor at the Childrens Hospital at the University of…

Guest article - 05/11/2012

Field report: research in China’s capital

Jacqueline Hirsch spent four months as a post-doc at the State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests SKLBPI in Beijing where she worked with the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture MoA CABI Joint Laboratory for Bio-safety Joint Lab doing research on insect pests and their natural enemies in transgenic cotton. Her research stay at SKLBPI was sponsored by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science Research and the Arts.

In the EU it is mandatory to adequately label genetically modified food or animal feed. But how can producers make sure that their products are free from genetically modified organisms? The company Eurofins GeneScan GmbH from Freiburg can help.

Article - 25/06/2012

From blood samples to granulate

The issue of proper nutrition has become more centred on the individual there is growing recognition that nutrition needs to be adapted to an individuals specific way of life and requirements. In cooperation with its subsidiary the Institut für Angewandte Biochemie AG IABC Hepart AG a company based in the city of Kreuzlingen on Lake Constance develops dietary products food to help people lose weight and micronutrient preparations adapted to…

Article - 23/06/2009

Hepatitis B and the Münchhausen enzyme

Virologists in Prof. Dr. Michael Nassals group at the University Medical Centre in Freiburg are investigating the molecular mechanisms used by the hepatitis B virus to reproduce. The researchers work might in future be able to help the three to four hundred million people worldwide who suffer from chronic hepatitis B infections.

Article - 17/09/2009

Hans Konrad Biesalski: Nutrition scientist with an interest in fine arts

Konrad Biesalski is a flute player and licensed physician who sees the exchange between humanists and natural scientists as very enriching. Professor Konrad Biesalski is very concerned with the human face of medicine which is why he chooses to combine nutrition with medicine in his work at the University of Hohenheim. His 60th birthday in April this year sparked off his recent efforts to try to dispel some of the common misunderstandings that…

As many as four to five million people in Germany suffer from house dust mite allergy. Researchers from the Hohenstein Institutes have now developed a mattress that promises relief for these people. The entire mattress is heated by way of flexible textile heating elements.

Article - 30/03/2009

Innovative sunscreen for noninvasive therapies

The importance of sunlight for human health becomes particularly obvious when people do not receive sufficient sunlight. A prime example of this is rachitis also known as English disease which is caused by vitamin D deficiency. However the exposure to too much sunlight can also be dangerous. The Empfingen-based company HelioVital has now developed a special film that enables the therapeutic use of the positive effects of sunlight without causing…

Article - 16/06/2014

In vitro models for Parkinson’s research

The death of dopamine-producing neurons leads to Parkinson’s disease, but the cause of this selective cell degeneration is unknown. Dr. Stefan Schildknecht from the University of Konstanz is therefore developing human cell culture models to investigate the early molecular processes in the development of Parkinson’s disease. The models can also be used to develop new approaches for the treatment of Parkinson’s.

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology together with American colleagues have decoded the genome of the Pristionchus pacificus nematode. It consists of a large number of genes. The scientists gain insight into the evolution of parasitism.

Article - 20/02/2012

Microporation: an innovative laser replaces jabs

People who are afraid of needles now have something to celebrate: hypodermic needles, which have long been the key instrument for administering drugs used to treat allergies and diseases as well as for vaccinations, now have a serious competitor. The minimally invasive P.L.E.A.S.E. ® platform developed by Pantec Biosolutions AG combines a laser device and stick-on patches to deliver drugs transdermally and painlessly into the bloodstream. The…

Article - 09/08/2010

IBAM GbR - Enzymes, neurotransmitters and Greek mountain tea

The Denzlingen-based company IBAM GbR offers solutions that enable faster and cost-effective drug discovery. IBAM GbR was spun off from the University of Freiburg and supports industrial customers in identifying biochemical targets of potential drugs or the modes of action of enzymes and second messengers in the central nervous system and other tissues. Over the last few years the companys managing director Dr. Rainer Knörle and his partner Dr.…

The Europe-wide MARK-AGE project involving scientists from 14 countries commenced on the 1st April 2008. Scientists have joined forces to investigate the factors involved in ageing. They are using standardised questionnaires and analysing data acquired from physical and biochemical examinations of the blood and urine from 3700 volunteers. The team of experts includes the medical expert Professor Alexander Bürkle and the mathematician Prof.…

Article - 18/01/2011

Innovation hotspots

In December 2010, the German and Israeli Ministers of Economics, Rainer Brüderle and Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, jointly opened the German-Israeli Innovation Day. The motto of the annual conference organised by the German-Israeli Life Sciences Committee in Heidelberg was “New ideas for a healthier world”. The conference enabled German participants to expand and reinforce their contacts with Israeli companies based on the long-standing cooperation…

Article - 01/10/2012

MCAT GmbH: Highly efficient intermediates for new drugs

Konstanz-based MCAT GmbH is focused on the development and production of azido-PEG glycosides, carbohydrate structures that can be used for a broad range of different applications, including the functionalisation of surfaces, the derivatisation of drugs and other compounds as well as the production of multivalent lectin ligands.

Article - 07/01/2013

HepaChip: a promising tool for assessing adverse drug effects

Liver damage is one of the most common adverse drug effects. Since results obtained with animal experiments can only be transferred to the situation in humans to a limited extent, there is a need for cell-based systems that model human organ function as closely as possible. The new HepaChip, developed by researchers at the NMI in Reutlingen on the basis of human liver and endothelial cells is able to do just this.

Article - 15/12/2014

Heart muscle cell 1.0 and 2.0 – two epigenetic programmes in one cell

All the cells in an organism have to adapt to changing requirements as they develop and grow - including muscle cells in the heart. Crucial to this process are the cells’ growth in size and epigenetic factors that play a role in modulating the expression of various genes. The role of epigenetics in cancer development has been the focus of research for quite some time. The question is, what role do epigenetic factors play in the development of the…

Article - 10/07/2010

Membrane proteins and the import business of mitochondria

The powerhouses of cells are surprisingly dependent on external help. More than ninety per cent of all proteins required by the mitochondria are produced outside the outer mitochondrial membrane. How are these proteins transported across the membrane and how do they find their way into the mitochondria? A group of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Chris Meisinger at the University of Freiburg has been investigating the role of large protein complexes…

Article - 22/03/2010

IBR Inc.: Dual strategy for safe and effective drugs

IBR Inc. a science-based provider of preclinical and clinical services specialises in inflammatory diseases. The analyses it carries out for the pharmaceutical and biotech sector help exclude potential side effects of specific drug candidates early in the development process.

Article - 05/09/2011

Jost Leemhuis – Reelin signalling and psychiatric diseases

The brain has a surprisingly well-ordered architecture. The layered structure of the mature cerebral cortex is formed during development. The neurons of these horizontal layers are important for the interplay of electrochemical impulses that enable us to think feel and remember. This layered structure depends on a molecule known as Reelin and other proteins that regulate the migration of neurons and their positioning in the developing brain. Dr.…

Article - 20/11/2010

Haematopoietic stem cells and their clinical application

There are high expectations for stem cells in the treatment of diseases for which no curative treatment is currently available. However, it would be unrealistic to expect quick results. Taking one the first successful peripheral haematopoietic stem cell transplantations carried out around 25 years ago on a cancer patient in Heidelberg as an example, Professor Anthony Ho shows that the development of stem cell-based therapies requires solid…

Article - 30/01/2008

How cells communicate

Prof. Valentin Wittmann professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Constance is investigating carbohydrates. At present his major area of interest is carbohydrate-RNA and carbohydrate-protein interactions where he is trying to understand the biological functions of complex sugar molecules glycans.

Article - 19/12/2011

Gundram Jung – a pioneer in antibody-mediated cancer immunotherapy

Physicist, medical doctor, researcher and now also a founder of a company – Professor Dr. Gundram Jung’s career has never gone in a completely straight line although his goal has always been the same: to develop innovative immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. Jung’s genetically modified antitumour antibodies are now close to clinical application.

Article - 16/09/2013

Infrared light as an indicator of wine quality

Guaranteeing the quality of wines is becoming increasingly important so that they are able to compete in the international market. However, the quality control methods currently used are often rather time-consuming and costly. In addition, it is difficult to detect microbial grape contaminations that might jeopardise the quality of the wines. Researchers at the National Training and Research Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture in…