Healthcare industry

The NMI Reutlingen is currently tackling a major problem associated with antibody tests for the detection of COVID-19: false positive test results.

Article - 01/02/2018

Combined test systems to advance the development of drugs for treating Alzheimer’s

Which substances are suitable for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's? Due to complex biochemical relationships, testing suitable drug candidates is difficult, especially in the early drug development phase. Many predictive test systems only cover individual aspects. A team from Baden-Württemberg and France is now combining different models to develop a new approach.

High-Tech Gründerfonds is investing EUR 600,000 in Reutlingen-based SIGNATOPE GmbH. SIGNATOPE will use the funds to advance the development of its unique biomarker assay system, that has been established to support pharmaceutical research. The technology is based on special antibodies and allows the early detection of possible side effects during the drug development process. Thereby, the need for animal testing will be reduced while the drug…

Article - 21/12/2016

For all types of tests: Signatope’s biomarker assays

Signatope is a new biotech company that has been offering innovative biomarker assays for application in drug discovery since August 2016. The company’s assays can be used in all phases of drug development to detect potential adverse drug effects on the kidneys, liver and other organs in any species whatsoever using minute amounts of sample.

Article - 17/05/2016

Innovative biochip for discovering drugs for treating neuronal conditions

Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy are three prominent examples of neuronal conditions (disorders affecting the nerve cells) for which drugs for treatment are intensively sought. Paolo Cesare from the NMI in Reutlingen has developed an innovative 3D system for testing drugs that does not require animal testing. In 2015, the MEAFLUIT system was awarded first prize in BioRegio STERN Management GmbH's Science2Start idea competition.

Article - 09/05/2016

FlexiTel – microsensors for tissue monitoring

When soft tissue is transplanted, for example in a patient undergoing tumour surgery, care must be taken to ensure that the new tissue is connected to the blood system in the area where the tumour has been removed. How well this works is difficult to find out, especially in the case of deep-seated defects. Partially implantable microsensor probes called FlexiTel have the potential to improve this situation by monitoring success during the first…

Article - 02/05/2016

Biopolymers – raw materials for innovative medical products

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable biopolymers that are becoming increasingly important. Bioplastics are now used not only in everyday objects such as plastic bags and yogurt pots but also increasingly in the field of medicine, which is why intensive research into medical devices made from biodegradable polymers such as PHA has been going on for quite some time.

Article - 04/11/2015

DNA capture molecules wanted for cells

Artificial blood vessels made of special polymers are no longer a pipedream. However, one problem that needs to be solved is that the artificial vessels have to be compatible with tissue. One solution could be to dupe the body into thinking that the artificial vessels are real by coating their inside walls with the patient’s own cells. Researchers from Reutlingen have developed a microfluidic chip that identifies molecules that can capture the…

Article - 16/12/2013

Cellendes puts paradigm change in cell research to good use

Cells grown on the flat furfaces of tissue culture plates do not behave as they would in their natural environment. This is why scientists are now using three-dimensional substrates to replicate the natural environmental of cells in tissue cellular matrix. Dr. Brigitte Angres and Dr. Helmut Wurst founders and managing directors of Cellendes GmbH in Reutlingen have taken advantage of this new knowledge and developed two novel hydrogels for cell…

On 05.12.2013, the NMI holds a workshop in the NMI Innovation Forum in Reutlingen about "sticking and checking in medical technology in 2013." The event to innovative joining, testing and coating process for medical technology takes place from 1 till 5 pm. The application is possible till 29.11.2013. The attendance fee is 20 euros.

Article - 24/06/2013

Cells and biomaterials for the treatment of intervertebral disc defects

A new therapeutic method uses a patient’s own cartilage cells for the regeneration of intervertebral discs. The NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen and its partners are scientific partners in the first clinical application of the new method. The key aim of the researchers from Reutlingen is the validation of the safety, efficiency and efficacy of the new method in order to prepare for approval for broad application in…

Article - 25/02/2013

Molecular monitoring of premature infants

Premature births are not uncommon in Germany where around seven percent of newborns are born before week 37 of pregnancy. The WHO estimates that the numbers of preterm births are growing due to the increasing age of mothers. Doctors caring for the tiny patients are faced with a dilemma because regular blood samples required for the clinical monitoring of important blood parameters cannot be taken due to the infants low body volume.

Article - 18/02/2013

Biotechnology in Biberach: a success story that breaks new ground

At its New Year reception Biberach University of Applied Sciences outlined the universitys success the establishment of its biotechnology programme is going smoothly and student interest remains steady. Biberach also has a successful track record of acquiring third-party funding and has established new national and international cooperations.

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 - 31/12/2012

siRNA for the regeneration of tissue and nerves

Regenerative medicine is increasingly making use of siRNA to turn off proteins that prevent the application of regenerative therapies. Researchers at the NMI in Reutlingen develop siRNA technologies that have the potential to prevent the development of fibroses, the encapsulation of implants and improve the regeneration of nerves.

Article - 01/10/2012

Review: BIOPRO/Festo Laboratory Automation Innovation Day

How will laboratory automation develop in the future? What challenges need to be tackled, what are the requirements of laboratory automation users and how can automation technology contribute to making laboratory processes more efficient and more reliable? These and many other questions were discussed in detail at the “Lab Automation Symposium” which was jointly organised by BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg and Festo and held on 20th September 2012.

Press release - 16/07/2012

Winners of the "Science2Start" ideas competition honoured

BioRegio STERN Management GmbH honoured the three winners of the regional "Science2Start" ideas competition last Thursday evening. The award ceremony was part of the traditional summer soirée given by BioRegio STERN Management GmbH in collaboration with TTR Technologieparks Tübingen-Reutlingen GmbH, the Verein zur Förderung der Biotechnologie und der Medizintechnik e.V. (Society for the Promotion of Biotechnology and Medical Technology)…

Article - 19/03/2012

When the “second brain” fails – therapeutic options from the field of regenerative medicine

Researchers from the Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine ZRM in Tübingen are focused on the enteric nervous system of the gastrointestinal tract with the aim of developing cell-based therapies for the treatment of bowel diseases. The researchers are working with local partners in a BMBF-funded project that is seeking to develop therapies for Hirschsprung’s disease.

Dossier - 12/03/2012

Regenerative medicine makes use of patients’ own resources

Regenerative medicine offers new therapeutic options for many diseases in which organ function or structure are damaged or lost. The majority of regenerative therapies involve cell-based methods that are often combined with innovative biomaterials. Regenerative therapies combine know-how from the biosciences with state-of-the-art medical technology and also benefit from progress in the engineering and material sciences.

Press release - 28/11/2011

BIOTECHNICA 2011: science delegations from China to visit BIOPRO booth

For the first time scientists from Baden-Württembergs partner province Jiangsu P.R. China and Shanghai displayed research posters and discussed their work and potential areas of cooperation.

Press release - 27/06/2011

NMI TT GmbH – creating value from research

NMI TT GmbH is a subsidiary of the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen with which it works closely. Developments by the renowned NMI are commercialised by NMI TT GmbH and the profit flows back into the NMI’s research activities – thus leading to a value creation cycle that benefits research and development as well as the economy.

Article - 10/04/2011

Wilhelm Aicher is committed to regenerative medicine research

Laboratory-based regeneration of human cartilage and muscle tissue is his strong suit: Prof. Dr. Wilhelm K. Aicher brings his expertise in cellular and molecular biology to research focusing on the development of innovative therapies for the treatment of tissue damage. Successes such as a knee cartilage made from autologous (patients’ own) cells show that Aicher is on the right track.

Press release - 08/01/2011

Sense2care - new dimension of blood gas analysis systems

Established in August 2010 at the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen (NMI) in Reutlingen, sense2care is an innovative medical technology company. The High-Tech Foundation Fund has now awarded sense2care a total of €500,000 for investing in the development of miniaturised systems to monitor critically ill patients in the operating theatre and in intensive care.

Press release - 02/08/2010

NMI – 25 years of success

The NMI in Reutlingen is one of the most prestigious research institutes in Germany, “a beacon of applied research” as the Minister of Economic Affairs recently called the institute. This success is no accident: for 25 years now, the institute with its interdisciplinary team has been working efficiently and actively towards this achievement. Moreover, it greatly succeeded in bridging science and industry.