Healthcare industry

Article - 10/12/2012

MicroMol GmbH and “the fine art of life science”

MicroMol GmbH carries out microbiological, molecular and cell biological analyses, is active in research and development, performs validations and produces and sells laboratory products for the life sciences industry. This brief description reflects a broad product and service portfolio that addresses a wide range of different clients, including companies in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and in the medical technology, industrial…

Article - 12/11/2012

HANDTE Umwelttechnik GmbH – a system provider of energy-efficient exhaust air purification solutions

The purification of exhaust air, a classical technology for end-of-pipe environmental protection, is commonly used in cases when industrial processes result in malodorous exhaust air or air contaminated with hazardous substances. HANDTE Umwelttechnik GmbH started specialising in such solutions way back in 1889.

Article - 17/09/2012

Thomas Paulöhrl: spatially and temporally controlled light-induced reactions

Thomas Paulöhrl, polymer chemist from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), was awarded the 2012 Lanxess Talent Award for his achievements in further developing light-induced click strategies that can now be used for generating various surface structures and three-dimensional frameworks. His Ph.D. thesis not only provides the basis for new ways to efficiently modify material, it also opens up new research opportunities in medical drug…

Article - 04/04/2011

Polymaterials AG – Turning ideas into materials

Many companies lack the resources and the infrastructure required to turn basic research ideas into marketable products. However, there is a great need for innovative materials for technical as well as economic reasons. Polymaterials AG’s structured service portfolio is designed to support its clients in finding solutions for material problems and implementing innovative ideas.

Article - 23/10/2009

Agrano – organic yeast for the industry

Riegel-based Agrano GmbH & Co. has been producing Bioreal Organic Yeast since 1996. The company is a subsidiary of Hanover-based Martin Braun KG, which is a member of the Oetker Group. The company’s product is used by bakers in the production of organically flawless bread as well as makers of 100% organic soups and spreads.

Article - 21/03/2011

C.S.P. – linking cultivation and application

A growing number of industrial companies would like to use renewable raw materials for production, out of ecological, economic or technical interest. However, it is not always easy for many of the companies to get into contact with farmers and secure the supply of crops in the quantity and quality they require. Dresden-based C.S.P. Consulting und Service für Pflanzliche Rohstoffe GmbH is now able to use its know-how and that of its partners to…

Article - 06/08/2012

SystemsX.ch to fund systems biology research

SystemsX.ch is currently the biggest research initiative in Switzerland to provide financial support and technologies in the field of systems biology research. It is a consortium of twelve Swiss research institutions and universities but also works with non-Swiss institutions including the Baden-Württemberg-based company KNIME GmbH. The initiative is interested in expanding its cooperation with other life sciences companies and universities.

Article - 23/07/2012

Inhospitable niches are a rich source of extremozymes

At first sight nothing much seems to grow in either the Namib desert or the Antarctic. However a closer inspection of the ground a few centimetres below the surface reveals an enormous diversity of organisms. Industry is well aware of this rich source of microorganisms that have something to offer on the molecular level as well as for use in technical applications. So-called extremozymes have long been popular ingredients in cosmetics detergents…

Article - 16/07/2012

Laupheim to become an international forum for biomanufacturing

The 2nd Laupheimer Zelltage conference organized by Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH in Laupheim on 11th and 12th June 2012 focused on “Bioprocess light”. Twelve experts from applied research institutions and biotech companies from Germany and abroad provided the 200 or so guests with information on how modern bioproduction methods can be made simpler, more robust, cheaper, more reliable and hence more competitive.

Article - 29/05/2012

David Schleheck: exploring the effective degradation of surfactants

David Schleheck biologist at the University of Konstanz focuses on the bacterial degradation of surfactants and LAS in particular. The results of his research are of huge importance for the recycling of grey water in areas including home sewage treatment systems for example.

Article - 14/05/2012

Biogas and sustainability

The German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) has led to a considerable increase in the use of biogas in Germany. However, increasing biogas production must make ecological sense and not generate conflict with the sustainability objectives of environmental conservation schemes. There must therefore be a careful consideration of the overall conditions. An analysis of the ecological impact of the generation and use of biogas in Germany taking into…

In conjunction with reference laboratories of the World Health Organization WHO medtech company Curetis AG is developing new technologies and products that identify the pathogens of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and their resistance. The solutions are impressive.

Article - 19/03/2012

Goal: online glucose sensor for bioreactors

Microorganisms and sensitive cells that are grown in bioreactors need a well-regulated environment and a food supply in order to do what they are supposed to do: grow and produce biomass and metabolites. Many fermenters are equipped with sensors that continuously measure critical bioprocess parameters, including temperature, pH value and oxygen. Online glucose and ethanol sensors are not yet used in regulated bioreactors, even though they would…

Press release - 04/10/2011

European joint conference on chemical engineering and biotechnology in Berlin end on an upbeat note

The 8th European Congress of Chemical Engineering and 1st European Congress of Applied Biotechnology closed on Thursday in Berlin on an upbeat note. For four days, about 3,000 scientists from industry and academia discussed topics from research and practical application. Especially the lectures on downstream processing of biotechnological products were strongly frequented; sessions on energy storage, future thinking in innovation and process…

Press release - 02/09/2011

Environment Action Programme evaluated

Major accomplishments in the field of environment during the past ten years have been the extension of the Natura 2000 network to cover almost 18 of the EUs land area the introduction of a comprehensive chemicals policy and policy action on climate change.

Article - 04/02/2010

Fraunhofer IGB – from biobased materials to products

The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB carries out applied research in the fields of medicine pharmacy chemistry environment and energy. The IGB looks for sustainable solutions using nature as model.

Article - 20/12/2010

ForCare – assessing the risks and benefits of environmental chemicals

Over the last few years the EU has published a number of new guidelines stipulating thresholds for toxicologically relevant substances in food and other products. Some of these thresholds were implemented following a Greenpeace campaign relating to pesticides in food. The Freiburg-based Fachbüro für Toxikologie und nachhaltige Entwicklung Office for Toxicology and Sustainable Development ForCare played a part in the scientific studies behind this…

Press release - 28/11/2010

Europeans are optimistic about biotechnology

A new Europe-wide poll, the Eurobarometer survey on life sciences and biotechnology, shows public support for responsible innovation in life sciences and biotechnology. 53 % of respondents believe biotechnology will have a positive effect in the future, and only 20 % a negative effect. The survey also reveals important knowledge gaps, pointing to a need for more communication.

Article - 13/09/2010

Molecules adapted to the environment

For many years Prof. Dr. Klaus Kümmerer from the University Medical Centre Freiburg has been investigating how the chemical structures of drugs and other chemicals can be modified in order to enable them to be degraded more quickly in rivers and soils. There has to be a new way of thinking said Kümmerer going on to add the appropriate methods are already in place.

Article - 11/10/2010

University of Konstanz – crystallinity is key

Renewable resources not only provide the field of biotechnology with interesting possibilities for the development of new materials. Scientists from the Department of Chemical Material Science at the University of Konstanz have now succeeded in chemically synthesising a new type of plastic from plant oils.

Press release - 16/06/2010

Network for the promotion of bio-active plant ingredients

The Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum receives funding to build a network for "Bio-active plant ingredients” in Baden-Wuerttemberg from the "Central Innovation programme SME - ZIM" under the funding module NEMO of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. BIOPRO Baden-Wuerttemberg GmbH supports the network as one of the partners.

Article - 31/07/2010

Tanja Weil: solutions involving biohybrid materials

Tanja Weil travelled across half the globe in order to be able to start her new position as the head of the Institute of Organic Chemistry III Macromolecular Chemistry and Organic Materials at the University of Ulm on 1 May 2010. Prior to her current position the 36-year-old chemist was associate professor at the renowned National University of Singapore and is now trying to bridge her discipline with the disciplines of biology medicine and the…

Press release - 14/07/2010

GMOs: Member States to be given full responsibility on cultivation in their territories

The EU Commission proposed to confer to Member States the freedom to allow restrict or ban the cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms GMOs on part or all of their territory. The EUs science-based GM authorisation system will be kept unchanged.

Press release - 24/05/2010

University of Stuttgart – biopolymers as construction material of the future?

The Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) at the University of Stuttgart is investigating whether it is possible to replace traditional plastics in the building industry with natural fibre-reinforced biopolymers. As part of the project, which is being funded by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, the ITKE researchers are working with the Nimbus Group to develop transparent lightweight building boards from biopolymers with…

Press release - 07/05/2010

TECNARO wins European Inventor Award

TECNARO GmbH located in Ilsfeld near Heilbronn is very happy about winning one of the most prestigious international awards the European Inventor Award. TECNARO was proposed by international patent examiners and nominated from among more than 1000 inventors and patent applicants.

Press release - 29/07/2009

Second roundtable discussions dealing with plant genetics

“Today, we have made good progress. The talks were very focused and intensive,” said the German Federal Research Minister Annette Schavan, summarising what had been achieved at the second green genetic engineering roundtable in Berlin attended by invited representatives from science, the agricultural and food industries, environmental associations and churches.

Article - 21/01/2009

Exalon GmbH – preparation of regulatory submission packages

Exalon GmbH, based in Radolfzell, Germany has two key principles that account for its success: always keep in contact with the public authorities and always know the right doors to knock on. The company, run as a team of three, Dr. Michael Braun, Sibylle Teuchmann and Michael Zingrebe, has been supporting life sciences companies and service providers in the electronic submission of applications for obtaining marketing authorisation for medicinal…

Some 30000 chemicals currently in use have to be pre-registered at the ECHA between 1st June and 1st December 2008.

Dossier - 11/01/2010

Green genetic engineering – a controversial future technology

Green genetic engineering comprises a plethora of methods that enable the production of genetically modified (i.e. transgenic) plants by introducing extra genes, which are often foreign to the species into which they are introduced, into a plant genome. The number to be introduced can vary from one single gene to several genes. For example, in order to establish a new and foreign metabolic pathway in a particular plant, several genes need to be…

Press release - 15/12/2008

Great opportunities for the bioliq® method developed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Ernst Pfister, believes that the target of ten percent biofuels that was introduced to stop emission growth can only be reached with new technologies. “In terms of the target, I envisage excellent opportunities for the bioliq® process developed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology,” said Pfister speaking on 15th December 2008 in Stuttgart.

Retrospective Meet & Match Pharmaceutical Process Technology - 07/04/2016

Speed dating for Pharmaceutical Process Technology – a business flirt at Bosch

The speed dating format is no longer just a popular and simple dating method for lonely hearts, but has also become a rewarding way for establishing new business contacts and connections quickly and efficiently. BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg chose speed networking, as speed dating is called in the corporate world, for its recent Meet & Match event on pharmaceutical process technology, which took place on 15th March 2016 with the support of Bosch…

Article - 20/09/2010

Using nanoscale knowledge at the micro level

The physicist Prof. Dr. Paul Leiderer and his team are investigating the adhesive forces between nanoparticles and a variety of different surfaces in the search for innovative methods to remove them. As the researcher reports in an interview with BIOPRO his team particularly focuses on the optical electrical and mechanical properties of these nanoparticles.

Article - 11/06/2010

Recycling of bacterial cell wall constituents

Bacterial cells are focused on growth and proliferation. These processes are initiated by cellular enzymes that break up the cell wall material murein introduce new material and degrade material that is no longer needed. And all this in large amounts about 50 per cent of murein are degraded and newly formed turnover per cell generation. Dr. Christoph Mayer and his team from the University of Constance have shown that the cells carry out effective…

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.

Press release - 27/07/2018

KIT Takes the Next Step: Federal and State Ministries Determined to Push KIT’s Further Development

To further support and develop the scientific capacity of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the federal and state governments are determined to take the courageous merger of 2009 to the next level. During their joint visit of KIT today, Federal Minister of Education and Research Anja Karliczek and the Baden-Württemberg Minister for Science, Research and the Arts Theresia Bauer agreed on the next steps.

Industry report 2018 - 27/09/2018

The healthcare industry – the innovation driver of the 21st century: opportunities and challenges

BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg’s new industry report entitled "The Healthcare Industry 2018: Facts and Figures for Baden-Württemberg" has just been published in both German and English. The topic neatly dovetails with the state’s political activities. An evaluation of the region carried out on behalf of the Baden-Württemberg government has clearly recognised the importance of the healthcare sector as a driver of innovation.

Article - 26/07/2019

New test assay leads to discovery of new influenza virus infection route

Researchers from the University of Freiburg have recently discovered a completely new mechanism that influenza viruses use to infect cells. This discovery was partly made possible by a so-called emulsion coupling assay - an extremely sensitive, digital detection method developed by Actome GmbH in collaboration with scientists from the Freiburg University of Applied Sciences and Hahn-Schickard. The assay is used to count individual molecules and…

Expert interview - 27/08/2019

Bacterial flora of the gut: how useful is its analysis?

Microorganisms in the human gut have been linked to obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer and mental disorders. Stool analyses of intestinal flora can be ordered on the Internet from 130 euros upwards, and some also come with recommendations on what to eat for healthy gut bacteria growth. BIOPRO talked with Prof. Dr. Nisar Malek from the University of Tübingen about how useful such microbiome analyses really are.

Article - 09/10/2019

Epigenomics from the Cyber Valley

Cyber Valley Stuttgart-Tübingen is a European hotspot for artificial intelligence and home to many renowned experts and scientists. They are now joined by Gabriele Schweikert, who heads up the Computational Epigenomics research group in the Cyber Valley’s Division of Computational Biology. Schweikert is interested in exploring epigenetic mechanisms using machine learning methods.

Article - 22/10/2019

Using CAR T cells for treating cancer

After successes in the treatment of advanced blood cancers, CAR T-cell immunotherapy has become a major beacon of hope in oncology. The first therapies have received regulatory approval. Despite their success, these immunotherapies can have serious side effects. The company AVA Lifescience develops antibodies with high tumour specificity to use as the basis for effective precision-guided CAR T-cell therapies that are better tolerated by patients.

The nuclease Cas13b associated with the CRISPR gene scissors, which is an enzyme that degrades nucleic acids, has the potential to be used in the future in hereditary diseases to switch off unwanted genes. In the fight against infections, this nuclease is also being researched as an antiviral agent, as Cas13b can specifically intervene in the genetic material of viruses and render them harmless.

Does COVID-19 vaccination increase the risk of cancer patients undergoing therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors to suffer a dangerous immune complication known as a "cytokine release syndrome"? A team of Heidelberg physicians and scientists has now shown in a clinical study: Increased serum levels of the characteristic cytokines occur frequently in cancer patients, but clinically relevant cases of the dreaded syndrome were not…

Mitochondria are the power plants of cells, and they contain their own genetic material and RNA molecules. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now discovered that certain modifications in mitochondrial RNA boost the invasive spread of cancer cells by supporting protein synthesis in mitochondria.

A centre for model-based artificial intelligence has been set up at Heidelberg University to link mathematical modelling methods with information processing in neuronal networks. The Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS) is funding the CZS Heidelberg Center for Model-Based AI with five million euros over a period of six years.

Dossier - 08/09/2022

Imaging methods in medical diagnostics

Many different imaging methods are available these days and are used in almost all medical disciplines to visualise disease-related changes. Depending on the problem and the clinical picture, very different structural and functional parameters can be visually recorded for diagnosis and used for therapy.

Changes known as epigenetic modifications play an important role in cancer development, among other things. Being able to analyze them quickly and reliably could, for example, contribute significantly to the further development of personalized therapy.

Screening trials for the early detection of rare diseases often fail due to insufficient predictive power of the results. For the rare HPV-related cancer of the pharynx, scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) now relied on the combined detection of antibodies against two different viral proteins in a proof-of concept trial.

Dossier - 12/10/2022

The health sector must become greener

Worldwide, the health sector is struggling with the consequences of global warming, but fatally is itself responsible for a significant proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. Studies show that hospitals and rehabilitation clinics in particular have great potential for reducing these emissions and, like the manufacturing industry, need to fundamentally revise established processes.

Researchers from Freiburg and Harvard publish the three-dimensional structure of the B cell antigen receptor, shedding new light on its composition.

Climate protection and sustainability in hospitals - 09/11/2022

Sustainable activities in the healthcare sector

The healthcare sector is not only facing major challenges in dealing with the consequences of climate change on human health, but it also needs to make a concrete contribution to reducing its own greenhouse gas emissions. Analyses show there are many opportunities to make medical care more sustainable, especially in hospitals’ daily routines. This is where the Heidelberg University Hospital and the viamedica foundation from Freiburg come in.

Start-up Actimi GmbH - 23/11/2022

Real-time telemonitoring of heart failure

Improved quality of life for patients and lower costs for health insurers: these are the advantages of telemonitoring patients with advanced heart failure. The Stuttgart-based start-up Actimi offers an all-in-one platform for those who treat and those who suffer from the disease.

From human intestines to the bottom of the sea: Microorganisms populate nearly any habitat, no matter how hostile it is. Their great variety of survival strategies is of huge potential in biotechnology. Most of these organisms, however, are unknown, because they cannot be cultivated.

Heidelberg scientists succeed in boosting the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 and related methods and modifying initially inaccessible DNA sequences.

Interferons represent the first line of defence against viral infections and are at the same time an important cause of the age-related loss of function of brain stem cells. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University of Heidelberg have now shown in mice that interferon regulates the activity and self-renewal of brain stem cells throughout life.

How can camera images be used during minimally invasive surgeries to assess whether the operated organ is sufficiently perfused with blood? Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Städtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe have now succeeded in automatic monitoring of ischemia during a kidney surgery using only the optical properties of the tissue and not relying on injection of contrast agent.

Effective drugs against viral diseases like COVID-19 are urgently needed now and in the future. The emergence of viral mutants and yet unknown viruses could push vaccines to their limits. The DZIF scientist and bioinformatician Andreas Dräger from the University of Tübingen is working on a computer-based method that can help to accelerate the time-consuming identification and development of antiviral agents. Using a novel analysis technique that…

Heidelberg University is to acquire a research building to develop innovative engineering science strategies and technologies on the basis of life-inspired molecular systems. The German Science and Humanities Council has now expressed its backing for the idea with an outstanding rating. This recommendation is the crucial precondition for a new building on the university campus Im Neuenheimer Feld.

Article - 18/11/2019

Researchers successfully rejuvenate the immune system in animal models

It is well known that stem cells age. Even the human immune system loses its power with age. Since all immune cells are derived from blood-forming stem cells, it is quite natural to associate the weakening of the immune system (immune senescence) with the ageing of blood-forming stem cells. Stem cell researchers and immunologists from the University of Ulm have now demonstrated the important role that blood-forming cells play in the ageing of the…

Bioinspired technologies - 03/04/2020

Diagnostics with molecular scissors – is this also possible for on-site COVID-19 tests?

The CRISPR-Cas gene-editing technology is one of the most important developments in molecular biology in recent years. It utilises molecular scissors with which nucleic acids can be cut and edited almost arbitrarily. Researchers in Freiburg, Germany have now successfully used the technology for diagnostic purposes. They are currently working intensively on expanding the system to enable it to detect genome sequences of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus.

CureVac AG, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering mRNA-based drugs for vaccines and therapeutics, confirmed today that internal efforts are focused on the development of a coronavirus vaccine with the goal to reach, help and to protect people and patients worldwide.

CureVac AG, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based drugs, today announced that company founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board Ingmar Hoerr is replacing Daniel Menichella in his function as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The European Commission has found Luxembourg's €300 million scheme to support companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak to be in line with EU State aid rules. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework to support the economy in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak adopted by the Commission on 19 March 2020.