Press release - 12/04/2022 Technology transfer award for PCR rapid test device for infection diagnostics Spindiag GmbH, together with the University of Freiburg and the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V., was awarded the Technology Transfer Prize 2020 from the German Physical Society (DPG) on April 09, 2022 for the development of the PCR-based rapid test system Rhonda.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/technology-transfer-award-pcr-rapid-test-device-infection-diagnostics
Microfluidic systems - 18/11/2021 Dermagnostix develops molecular diagnostic tests for skin diseases Dermagnostix GmbH has developed a rapid test to differentiate between psoriasis and eczema. This test is currently undergoing preclinical testing, with market launch planned for 2023. The start-up is already working on two other dermatological tests. Centrifugal microfluidics is the name of the technology on which the tests are based.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dermagnostix-develops-molecular-diagnostic-tests-skin-diseases
Press release - 16/07/2021 Corona test with cotton swab To diagnose an infection with the coronavirus, usually a throat swab is taken and genetic viral material detected by using a highly sensitive PCR. To date, more than 65 million of these tests have been performed in Germany alone. Due to the massive increase in testing worldwide and simultaneous loss of production, there was a significant shortage of test materials in the early stage of the pandemic.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/corona-test-cotton-swab
Press release - 26/05/2021 Memetis continues its path to become a technology leader in Shape Memory driven miniature valving – Fluid-o-Tech S.r.l. invests an undisclosed amount to support memetis’ growth and development The Deep-Tech Start-Up memetis GmbH from Germany, which produces the world’s most compact and lightest commercially available valves driven by shape memory alloys, announces a new partnership with Fluid-o-Tech S.r.l., an Italian innovation and market leader in the field of fluid-pumps. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/memetis-continues-its-path-become-technology-leader-shape-memory-driven-miniature-valving-fluid-o-tech-srl-invests-undisclosed-a
Press release - 25/09/2020 Bosch’s new rapid coronavirus test delivers reliable results in 39 minutes Bosch has developed a new rapid test for its Vivalytic analysis device to detect the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. The test provides a reliable result in 39 minutes and is currently the fastest polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test worldwide.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/boschs-new-rapid-coronavirus-test-delivers-reliable-results-39-minutes
Trenzyme GmbH - 20/05/2020 The SARS-CoV spike protein and its receptor The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus uses a spike protein to bind to the ACE2 receptor on the cell surfaces of lung tissue. Additional cofactors are needed to allow the virus genome to penetrate human cells and multiply. Knowing these relationships can help understand the course of the infection and develop counterstrategies. To this end, the Constance-based company Trenzyme has produced a recombinant spike protein to support coronavirus research.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-sars-cov-spike-protein-and-its-receptor
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…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/alternativer-infektionsweg-fuer-grippeviren-durch-neues-testverfahren-entdeckt
Article - 28/08/2017 SpinDiag GmbH – rapid test makes it difficult for pathogens Antibiotic-resistant pathogens are becoming an increasing problem, especially in hospitals. Infected patients must be isolated as soon as possible. However, appropriate methods for testing patients upon admission to hospital and isolating them if necessary are still lacking. A young biotechnology company from Baden-Württemberg called SpinDiag GmbH has developed a cost-effective method for the rapid testing of microbial resistance in normal…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/spindiag-gmbh-rapid-test-makes-it-difficult-for-pathogens
Article - 12/06/2017 IHO: global consulting for the molecular diagnosis of leukaemia IHO GmbH from Mannheim offers a professional solution for the international exchange of information and services concerning the molecular diagnosis of leukaemia. This drives forward the harmonisation of these methods and brings therapy monitoring to a new global level.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/iho-global-consulting-for-the-molecular-diagnosis-of-leukaemia
Article - 25/04/2017 Andreas Marx: myPOLS is developing enzymes for special applications Prof. Dr. Andreas Marx, chemist and polymerase specialist, is Professor of Organic Chemistry/Cellular Chemistry at the University of Konstanz. Three years ago, he also founded a company called myPOLS Biotec GmbH together with his then doctoral student Ramon Kranaster. myPOLS Biotec GmbH produces DNA polymerases that are tailored to the requirements of the company’s clients. In addition, the company also carries out contract research. The dual…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/andreas-marx-mypols-is-developing-enzymes-for-special-applications
Prenatal diagnosis - 23/03/2017 Microdroplets for safe and rapid prenatal diagnoses Although the methods used to carry out amniocentesis are quite sophisticated, there is still a 0.5 percent risk of miscarriage following the intervention. Therefore, an EU-funded project called AngeLab is developing a rapid test that only requires a blood sample of the mother rather than amniotic fluid. The test yields information on the genetic health of the foetus within only a few hours. As part of the project, researchers from the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/microdroplets-for-safe-and-rapid-prenatal-diagnoses
Article - 02/03/2017 Personalised antibiotics therapy: fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria Antibiotics have long been used as all-purpose weapons against infectious diseases – too often and too early, as we now know. This tendency has caused many bacteria to become resistant to standard antibiotics. The search for new substance classes has proved quite difficult. Care must therefore be taken to use existing antibiotics prudently in order to reduce the number of bacteria becoming resistant to them in the long term. Researchers from…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/personalised-antibiotics-therapy-fewer-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria
Article - 08/11/2016 Towards at-home genetic testing The ability to detect a broad range of conditions and modifications in human, animal, plant and pathogen genes is highly important in the field of medicine for diagnosing diseases and starting therapy as quickly as possible. Chemists at the University of Konstanz have now developed a genetic test that does not need to be carried out in the laboratory and can be evaluated with the naked eye, similar to a pregnancy test. The test would therefore be…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/towards-at-home-genetic-testing
Article - 26/10/2016 GeneWerk: precision analyses for humans Gene therapy approaches are increasingly being used for treating life-threatening diseases in humans. GeneWerk GmbH, a spin-off of the DKFZ and the NCT in Heidelberg, offers customised, high-resolution molecular and bioinformatic analyses that ensure the efficacy and safety of gene therapy and immunotherapy studies. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/genewerk-precision-analyses-for-humans
Article - 20/06/2016 New diagnostic tool for greater health safety when dealing with multidrug-resistant pathogens Infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and diseases such as breast or colon cancer are among the major causes of death worldwide. Early diagnosis is therefore key for the identification of people affected and for providing immediate therapy. The R&D service provider Hahn-Schickard and its partners are currently working on the development of a rapid and simple diagnostic system that can detect life-threatening infections and cancer at…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-diagnostic-tool-for-greater-health-safety-when-dealing-with-multidrug-resistant-pathogens
Dossier - 14/06/2016 CRISPR/Cas – genome editing is becoming increasingly popular The number of publications and patents that involve the CRISPR/Cas system has been increasing exponentially since the technique was first described a few years ago. The increase in funding for projects involving CRISPR/Cas also demonstrates how powerful this new method is. The targeted modification of genomes (also called gene editing or genome editing) using CRISPR/Cas is extraordinarily accurate and also has the potential to cure hereditary…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/crisprcas-genome-editing-is-becoming-increasingly-popular
Article - 30/05/2016 The unknown dark spot of the microcosm The world of microorganisms is still largely unknown. Researchers such as Kai Sohn from the Fraunhofer IGB in Stuttgart are working on decoding, analysing and gradually gaining a better understanding of the microbial genome. In their search for new enzymes and other biomolecules, both biotechnologists and pharmacologists are interested in micoorganisms, and physicians are hoping that detailed insights into the microbial genome will lead to the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-unknown-dark-spot-of-the-microcosm
Article - 21/01/2016 Genome research as information research DNA sequencing has become indispensable in modern science. Innovative advances that will bring about changes in the life sciences and medicine are due to rapid developments in genome analysis technologies. In the interview below, Peter Pohl, CEO and co-founder of GATC Biotech AG, explains why DNA sequencing will become even more important in future. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/genome-research-as-information-research
Article - 29/09/2014 myPOLS Biotec UG - made-to-measure enzymes for diagnostics and research The company myPOLS Biotec UG, a spin-off from the University of Konstanz, specializes in services involving DNA and RNA polymerases and creates artificial enzymes by evolution in test tubes. These next-generation polymerases can be used for many research and diagnostics applications. myPOLS Biotec’s polymerases are promising enzymes for future applications with the potential to make the detection of pathogens and DNA analysis faster and easier. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mypols-biotec-ug-made-to-measure-enzymes-for-diagnostics-and-research
Article - 11/08/2014 dsl-Labor: developing PCR tests for medical diagnostics PCR has become a common application in medical diagnostics, in areas ranging from the detection of microbes to genetic testing. The demand for new tests is huge, given that there is a seemingly endless list of applications for which PCR can be used. dsl-Labor für Molekulargenetische Diagnostik specialises in the development of PCR tests and also gives advice and training to medical laboratory personnel. Veterinarians are among the company’s major…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dsl-labor-developing-pcr-tests-for-medical-diagnostics
Article - 04/08/2014 Europe’s first gene therapy Scientists from the National Center for Tumour Diseases (NCT) have shown that adeno-associated viruses (AAV) do not pose a cancer risk. This conclusion is based on the analysis of several million patient cells treated with AAV and the finding that the viruses do not integrate into the patient genome. AAV is the first-ever gene therapy for clinical use in the Western world. AAV vectors could also potentially be used as prototypes for the treatment…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/europe-s-first-gene-therapy
Article - 14/07/2014 Andreas Marx – “Chemical Biology” of DNA polymerases Whether inside the cell or in molecular biology laboratories, the synthesis of DNA would not be possible without DNA polymerases. The regulation and application of this versatile enzyme family is the subject of research carried out by Prof. Dr. Andreas Marx at the University of Konstanz in Southern Germany. In addition to basic research into naturally occurring DNA polymerases, Marx deals with the development of novel polymerases that can be used…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/andreas-marx-chemical-biology-of-dna-polymerases
Article - 30/06/2014 Targeting epigenetic DNA modifications for the diagnosis of cancer Epigenetic DNA modifications have been shown to play a role in carcinogenesis and are therefore a promising target for the early detection of cancer. Dr. Daniel Summerer and his research group at the University of Konstanz have developed a method that enables the direct and site-specific identification of epigenetic changes. The method represents a new approach in the field of epigenetic analysis as well as a major step towards simpler cancer…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/targeting-epigenetic-dna-modifications-for-the-diagnosis-of-cancer
Article - 24/03/2014 DNA – from Watson and Crick to modern molecular biology Watson and Crick deciphered the structure of DNA around 60 years ago and thus provided the key to understanding how genetic information is passed on. Since this discovery, which laid the foundation for molecular biology, new insights and developments have significantly changed many research areas and have also found their way into our everyday lives. DNA sequencing, genetic fingerprinting or personalised medicine – Watson and Crick’s heritage is…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dna-from-watson-and-crick-to-modern-molecular-biology
Guest article - 07/10/2013 First-hand experience at the Chinese Academy of Science in Shanghai A grant from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts enabled Judit Maur to spend three months as part of a research group at the Chinese Academy of Science in Shanghai. During this period, she worked on the synthesis of a new metabolic pathway for the production of mandelic acid.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/first-hand-experience-at-the-chinese-academy-of-science-in-shanghai