Healthcare industry

Press release - 27/07/2008

White blood cells with 'icing' work far better

Scientists from Heidelberg Munich and Aachen have shown that the adhesion molecules required by leukocytes to adhere to vascular walls depend on sugar chains for effective immune defence reactions to occur. The results could open up new strategies for the treatment of inflammatory processes.

The world is full of questions and is sometimes difficult to understand for children. In the lectures delivered at Tübingens Childrens University scientists explain science and mathematics history or business management in a simple way and in relation to everyday life.

The Centre of Innovation Entrepreneurships activities consist of a broad spectrum of different well-matched modules. One of its core activities is the organisation of boot camps a new method supporting the establishment of new companies.

Using a multiple sclerosis MS animal model and a new magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent neuroradiologists and neurologists at the University Hospitals of Heidelberg and Würzburg succeeded in visualising tissue damage that was previously indiscernible.

In the competition for the rather sought-after award Science City the city of Constance had to surrender albeit marginally to the city of Oldenburg. This is however no reason for Constance to abandon the planned Science Year 2009.

At the XX International Congress of Genetics in Berlin the members of the International Genetics Federation IGF elected Prof. Dr. Alfred Nordheim from the University of Tübingen president.

Claus Schwechheimer at the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Tübingen has succeeded in identifying a protein function in plants which if it is understood might lead to important progress in human cancer research.

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.

Martin Wabitsch has received the Science Award of the city of Ulm. Wabitsch head of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University Hospital of Ulm received the award for his research on the consequences of adipositas at a young age.

On the 1st of July 2008 a new Collaborative Research Centre SFB 773 was launched at the University of Tübingen to look into the Therapy resistance of solid tumours and potential remedies. In order to clarify the basic mechanisms in the development of resistance the German Research Foundation DFG has granted the researchers a total of 9.1 million euros in funding over a period of four years.

Dr. Vladimir Katanaev a biologist at Constance University is investigating an intracellular signalling pathway that is of decisive importance for the embryonic development of multicellular organisms. The Wnt-Frizzled signalling pathway also plays an important part in the development of cancer.

Prof. Dr. Michael Bach from the University Eye Hospital in Freiburg calls scepticism one of his major hobbies. His scepticism developed in the 1970s and 1980s through his contact with researchers at the former Freiburg Institute of Parapsychology and it is now an integral part of his work into functional vision research and the way he deals with everyday phenomena. Good scientists have to question everything sometimes even their own perception…

The Life Sciences Faculty and the Senate of at Ulm University were unanimous in awarding Kurz the honorary professorship at the University of Ulm. Kurz has been an external member of the University Council since 2003 and vice-chairman since 2006.

SciLife is a new virtual presentation and communication platform for the scientific community. The platform is now also available free of charge to researchers who want to increase networking activities and who are looking for equipment and researchers.

What is the difference between knowledge and science? Why did the biotech bubble develop in the first place? Find out more as we talk to the freelance science journalist Sascha Karberg.

The experimental operating theatre at the University Hospital in Tübingen is currently attracting nationwide attention. The simulation and testing laboratory was officially opened on the 14th July by Minister President Günther H. Oettinger.

Dossier - 15/07/2008

Science communication: why science is becoming more and more public

Science needs publicity. Publicly funded research has to account for its projects internally as well as externally. In the past accounting for projects was a matter dealt with in courtly or academic circles today the forum is research journals. This internal communication seldom reaches the public however external communication seeks out the wider lay audience - for many reasons.

The Membrane Proteins and Biological Membranes research training group combines research groups from Freiburg Basel and Strasbourg. Students from numerous countries benefit from the know-how of the diverse life sciences areas.

Dr. Annette Schavan the Federal Minister of Education and Research visited the famous university town of Tübingen to gain a first-hand impression of the bioregions vast potentials in the fields of biotechnology and medical technology.

Rotten meat or metal traces in breakfast rolls Food scandals commonly hit the headlines. The University of Hohenheim has chosen food safety as the main topic at this years Agricultural University Conference.

immatics biotechnologies GmbH announced that the company has received grants from three public research funding programs to advance its cancer immunotherapy programs with a special focus on glioblastoma and cancer stem cells.

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Eitel Rector of the University of Heidelberg awarded the HMLS Prize to Prof. Dr. Bernd Bukau Centre for Molecular Biology in Heidelberg and Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Kräusslich Institute of Hygiene at the University of Heidelberg.

Julia Kirchheiner from Ulm is examining why some leukaemia patients do not respond to cytarabin treatment. She is now hoping to identify the genetic factors that come together to determine how a patient responds to cytarabin treatment.

Press release - 09/07/2008

Rentschler to focus on biotechnology

Rentschler has sold all its Rentschler Pharma GmbH shares to RIEMSER AG in Greifswald. With this move Rentschler is concentrating all its biotech activities at one site and thus providing the framework for further growth. In 2006 Rentschler sold its self-medication business.

Article - 07/07/2008

Control centre for light and cold

Plants grow well under optimal light conditions but only if they are not under stress. Cell biologists have long assumed that information is exchanged between the molecular signalling pathways that mediate light perception and stress tolerance.

Following the assessment of university research buildings the Science Council reviewed evaluated and shortlisted some of the German states building projects for the 2009 funding phase including three projects from Baden-Württemberg.

DFG and BMBF will provide 15 million euros per year each starting in 2009.

Gerrit Begemann and Axel Meyers research groups at the University of Constance have found out how the sword shape of swordtails develops. Transplants of single sword rays to the dorsal caudal fin of a male fish induce an additional sword.

In future small bubbles will allow the identification of pathological alterations at a very early stage. Molecular imaging methods developed by Bracco Imaging S.p.A. use a new ultrasound contrast agent. The German subsidiary of the company Bracco Imaging Deutschland GmbH based in Constance develops and sells contrast agents.

Dossier - 03/07/2008

Molecular imaging - a close look inside the human body

Molecular imaging recognises the functional state of cells and molecules. It visualises biological processes on the cellular and molecular level and is thus able to detect pathological alterations a long time before disease symptoms become apparent. Molecular imaging offers new possibilities for improving diagnosis and enabling more targeted therapies than has previously been possible. Many experts regard molecular imaging as a paradigm shift in…

Cancer cells are dangerous foodies. They metabolise far greater amounts of sugar than healthy cells. Nuclear medicine experts make use of cancer cells craving for sugar since the advent of modern positron emission tomography PET. This has led to an improvement in the quality of cancer treatment.

The X-ray-based determination of bone density is currently the only method that enables the early diagnosis of osteoporosis. However this examination method has rather limited informative value. That is why the University Hospital in Tübingen is now establishing high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging MRI that provides the physicians with completely new insights into the microarchitecture of the bones.

Experienced medical physicists are able to detect everything without needing an operating table or a scalpel to construct a detailed picture of a patient’s cardiovascular system. Dr. Michael Markl is one of these experts, who nevertheless require top technological equipment, i.e. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to gain comprehensive insights into the vascular system.

Five well-known German pharmaceutical and medical device companies have now joined forces and are combining their know-how in the bid to turn molecular imaging methods into reality as soon as possible. Tuttlingen-based KARL STORZ GmbH is a partner in the project.

Researchers in Ulm are hoping to find new ways to destroy bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma cells through radiation. The German Jos Carreras Leukaemia Foundation is funding the research with a total of about 300000 euros over three years.

The new drug screening and safety pharmacology laboratory at NMI Technologie Transfer GmbH NMI TT GmbH in Reutlingen with its standardised and special test systems complies fully with the requirements of safety pharmacology tests.

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced an agreement to acquire Actimis Pharmaceuticals based in San Diego for 515 million US dollars. Boehringer is specifically targeting an asthma compound developed by Actimis.

The NanoZoomer robot at the TIGA High-Tech Imaging Centre at the University of Heidelberg delivers images of cells and tissues and analyses them completely automatically. The system creates virtual slides that can then be viewed at different focal planes.

The Information and Communication Theory in Molecular Biology priority programme coordinated by Martin Bossert in Ulm is one of 16 new priority programmes of the German Research Foundation DFG. The DFG has set aside ten million euros.

Article - 28/06/2008

A doorman in plant cells

The Research Group of Klaus Harter at the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology ZMBP University of Tübingen Germany identified the AHK5 as an important signallingprotein for the stress-response in plant cells. The result of the study is released on PLoS ONE.

The University Eye Hospital in Heidelberg is the first hospital in Germany to offer innovative eye treatments with a femtosecond laser. Starting in July 2008 the innovative treatment will be offered free of charge as part of a clinical study on intrastromal corrections.

The economic situation in Germany has improved considerably in the second quarter of 2008. Things are looking particularly robust in biotechnology and medical technology. This is the verdict following a new VDI survey on the German innovation climate index.

At the end of the year Alessandro Banchi 62 Chairman of the Board of Directors at Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH and head of Marketing and Sales is to be succeeded by the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors Dr. Andreas Barner 55.

Dr. Frank Brändle and Dr. Marco Thines managing directors of PathoScan GbR in Hohenheim have developed a PCR-based test system which allows the detection of fungi and bacteria in seed at very early stages. The test system will be patented in the near future.

Results obtained by scientists at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University Hospital of Heidelberg show that in contrast to previous assumptions the tumour necrosis factor alpha TNF-alpha has no influence on pain and mobility.

Plants are unable to survive without sulphur. Sulphur is an important constituent of many proteins but also of glutathione a central molecule in plants response to stress. The metabolism of sulphur is an important field of research of Prof. Dr. Heinz Rennenberg at the University of Freiburg.

Eight projects in the preclinical and first clinical stage will be transferred to 4SC. Nycomed decided not to further invest in oncology RD activities. 4SC develops drug candidates for inflammatory diseases cancer and infectious diseases.

In Germany one couple in ten is unable to conceive naturally. There are a number of different in vitro fertilisation methods available for those who wish to have children. However the potential risks to the child are still unknown.

The Hartmann Group based in Heidenheim continues to grow in the first quarter of 2008. Sales increased 6.3 over the last year sales volume increased 7.1. The company expects further growth in sales and volume for the year 2008.

Article - 20/06/2008

No unanimous feedback possible

At the beginning of the year 2009 the first bachelors degree students will graduate from Furtwangen University of Applied Science in disciplines including bio- and process technology BPT and medical technology MEB. What does the first generation of bachelors students think about their life sciences courses? Karin Bundschuh from the Freiburg BioRegion talked with the Universitys academic dean Professor Anton Karle and some students.