Healthcare industry

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.

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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.

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

Article - 29/07/2013

Genetic fingerprinting - a useful method in fruit production

Genetic fingerprinting is a well-known technique used for paternity testing and in forensic science. However, the technique is also used in the field of agriculture. Molecular genetics makes it possible to develop and apply new research and breeding methods to the field of fruit production in order to improve production and quality standards. Dr. Haibo Xuan from the Competence Centre for Fruit Production (KOB) at Lake Constance has been working…

Article - 03/06/2013

With metabolomics food analytics goes all the way

In the not-too-distant future, food analysts hope they will be able do more than just detect mycotoxin traces and determine the concentration of individual nutrients such as vitamin C. Their ambition is in fact much broader: “We would like to understand the nutritional and physiological effect of food,” said Prof. Sabine Kulling from the Max Rubner Institute in Karlsruhe. As with other life sciences areas, metabolomics is seen as a key technology…

Article - 25/03/2013

Epigenetics for personalised cancer care for women

Every year in the EU, 45,300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 330,000 with breast cancer. Ovarian cancer has a mortality rate of around 64% and breast cancer around 27%*. The EU-funded research project EpiFemCare aims at improving cancer detection and subsequent patient care. The research project aims to develop blood tests based on epigenetic DNA modifications, i.e. the methylation of the base cytosine, for the identification of…

Press release - 17/12/2012

Curetis AG initiates clinical trial in the U.S. towards FDA clearance

Curetis AG announced the start of a clinical trial of its Unyvero™ System and the corresponding LRT (lower respiratory tract) application in the U.S. The company expects enrollment completion within the next 12-15 months, followed by a 510(k) submission to the FDA in 2014. The prospective, multicenter trial will include samples collected from more than 2,000 hospitalized patients suspected to have a lower respiratory tract infection and several…

Article - 08/10/2012

The Heidelberg Institute of Human Genetics celebrates its 50th anniversary

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Institute of Human Genetics at the University Hospital of Heidelberg celebrates its major achievements in molecular genetic analyses, the diagnosis of hereditary diseases and tumour diseases as well as its research into the molecular causes of genetic defects. The largest institute of human genetics in Germany is also at the forefront of genetic counselling and debates on health policies and ethical…