Healthcare industry

Article - 28/05/2008

Valentin Wittmann: "Modules are a novelty"

The role of Prof. Dr. Valentin Wittmann chemistry professor at the University of Constance and academic dean includes providing answers to organisational and content-related questions relating to the chemistry and life sciences courses at Constance University. He is also the point of contact for students and school pupils who are interested in the courses. Martina Keller-Ullrich spoke with Professor Wittmann on behalf of BIOLAGO discussing the…

Article - 26/05/2008

With Bison against a huge amount of data

Prof. Michael Berthold has an ideal colleague in mind this person has been with the company for decades knows everybody has read every important document has seen all the experiments and talked to everybody. This ideal colleague is actually a projected software system.

Karlsruhe based quantiom bioinformatics has developed a software tool that enables the comparative analysis of chromosomes and that enables statements to be made on the correlation of genomic alterations and disease development.

The funding applications must be submitted by 11th July 2008 at the latest.

Press release - 25/05/2008

Biosensor for measuring stress in cells

Scientists at the German Cancer Research Centre DKFZ have developed a biological measuring system for determining the oxidation state of living cells. The system enables researchers to directly observe oxidation state variations accompanying biological processes.

The Thurgau Biotechnology Institute BITg located in Kreuzlingen and associated with the University of Constance will receive a total of 1.98 million Swiss Francs over the next four years. Between 2004 and 2008 the BITg already received about 400000 Swiss Francs per year.

Simone Fulda 40 is an extremely inquisitive person who has managed to turn her passion into a profession. In 2007 the petite woman from Cologne was appointed professor of paediatric research at the University of Ulm University Childrens Hospital where she is working on the relationship between apoptosis and cancer and the development of new methods for cancer treatment.

The NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen is a role model for how research findings can be turned into financially sustainable products and services. Prof. Hugo Hämmerle has been a key figure in this success story for over 20 years. In February 2008 he took over as Managing Director of the institute.

After years of directing his focus more on the molecular processes in the development of different cell types Prof. Albrecht Sippel has gone back to his roots. Despite his retirement six months ago Sippel started to actively participate in the search for human genes in the faculties of thought and speech that distinguish us from our animal relatives.

Histone acetyltransferases HATs and their antagonists the histone deacetylases are important enzymes in epigenetic gene regulation. Scientists discovered new HAT inhibitors that are now being investigated for their potential as anti-cancer drugs.

In the first quarter of 2008 Nycomeds adjusted EBITDA increased by 6.2 to 304.0 million compared to 286.3 million in the first quarter of 2007 benefiting from the cost decreasing effects of last years restructuring.

The Chemical Biology graduate school at Constance University was officially opened on 7th May 2008. It was created as part of Germanys excellence initiative and has been training doctoral students since the beginning of April 2008.

At the International Symposium on the Separation of Proteins Peptides and Polynucleotides 2008 in Baden-Baden quantiom bioinformatics will showcase new application software.

Press release - 19/05/2008

Viruses caught red-handed

Prof. Thilo Stehle biochemist at the University of Tübingen wants to capture and accurately study the moment at which a virus binds to a cell. He is hoping that further insights into this process might some time enable the development of drugs.

Vetters top management team is once again complete. As of June 1st 2008 Peter Soelkner will be heading a number of divisions at the Ravensburg-based company which specialises in the aseptic filling of prefilled injection systems. His new tasks will include Global Key Account Management Corporate Marketing Supply Chain Management and Project Management.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF is to finance a new Bernstein Focus on Neurotechnology at the Universities of Freiburg and Tübingen with funds totalling ten million euros. The new initiative is part of the Computational Neuroscience funding programme.

Noroviruses often might be the causative agents of Nausea vomiting diarrhoea fever. The Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office in Stuttgart has now developed a method that enables the detection of these viruses on food.

Sharks can sense a few drops of blood in water. In fact they are able to smell blood in dilutions of as little as one to 10 billion. Is it just sharks or piranhas that have such an acute sense of smell? The answer is no - all fish have a highly developed sense of smell.

Article - 13/05/2008

The bachelor's degree as seen by companies: jump start or pole position?

The number of bachelors degree graduates in Germany is still low and companies do not yet have much experience of the new degrees. However one thing has already become clear A bachelors degree is not sufficient for all professional fields. Those hoping for a future in research must continue their university education beyond the initial six semesters.

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.

As the proper function of the network of nerve cells in our brain depends on the kind of contacts between the individual neurons Professor Peter Jonas from the Institute of Physiology I at the University of Freiburg is investigating processes that occur at these contact sites - i.e. the synapses.

The German Parliament decided in favour of relaxing the restrictions on the import of stem cells. Martina Keller-Ullrich spoke with the pharmacologist Prof. Dr. Marcel Leist the only Baden-Württemberg scientist authorised to carry out research involving embryonic stem cells.

In an independent market study by Ceresana Research the latest data facts and trends of the antioxidant market are analysed and presented. Data concerning the antioxidant market are subdivided by region based on value and quantity.

The German Cancer Research Centre and the Spanish company Chimera Pharma SL have signed an exclusive licensing and cooperation agreement. The two partners will develop a therapeutic vaccine against cervical cancer.

The 14th Biotech Finance Forum offered selected biotechnology and medical technology companies from all over Europe the opportunity of an exclusive meeting with internationally operative investors from the venture capital VC scene.