Healthcare industry

A study by the University of Konstanz shows that voluntary motivation to comply with anti-Covid-19 policies is relatively high in Germany, but can be undermined by enforcement - The consequence of this finding differs depending on the policy.

Digitalisation in Medicine - 08/12/2020

DiHeSys takes steps towards application

Digital Health Systems GmbH (DiHeSys) has completed its founding phase and entered a new stage of development. This is reflected in the arrival of a new managing director, a strategic cooperation and its first pilot projects.

The German Childhood Cancer Foundation is providing EUR 2.2m to fund the phase III clinical trial to investigate the treatment options for certain types of childhood brain cancer with a chronic course. Initiated by the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg, the trial will compare two standard chemotherapy treatments and a targeted therapy to establish which is the most effective and well tolerated as a standard therapy for young patients.

Article - 04/11/2020

Rapid coronavirus test delivers results in 43 minutes

The Hahn-Schickard Institute and Spindiag GmbH in Freiburg im Breisgau have joined forces to develop a rapid test used at the point of care. The test takes just 43 minutes to show whether a patient is infected with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The rapid test is expected to be given market approval in Germany and the EU during the final quarter of 2020.

International study in which Freiburg scientists are participating maps molecular targets for possible therapy for MERS, SARS-CoV1, and SARS-CoV2.

At a virtual event on Tuesday, the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems presented the broad scope of research its units will cover in the field of modern AI.

Phytopharmaceuticals - 14/09/2020

Medicinal cannabis to be grown in Germany

Anyone who thinks hemp is just an inconspicuous plant, whose ingredients can be used, at best, as an intoxicant, can quickly be proven wrong. Besides being used as a valuable raw material for textiles and building materials, the plant has great potential as a medicinal drug. The CANNABIS-NET network, coordinated by the University of Hohenheim, has been set up to establish the basis for producing medicinal hemp in Germany.

The great potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for the life sciences – from basic research in biology to medical applications – has largely been neglected to date. A new research unit aims to support AI research in the life sciences and to forge international links with the activities in Heidelberg.

Stem cell therapy for regenerating intervertebral discs - 16/07/2020

Ulm’s simulator has Europe’s back

Back pain is often caused by intervertebral disc disorders. Much has already been tried and is available to help patients. Despite extensive progress, there is still no surefire recipe for success. iPSpine, an EU-funded project to which researchers from Ulm are contributing interdisciplinary engineering and biomedical expertise, aims to design a novel therapy for back pain based on intervertebral disc regeneration.

Translational oncology - 26/05/2020

Translation: driver of cancer medicine

The fight against cancer is a pressing issue. Although technological advances in the treatment, prevention and early detection of cancer have improved over the past few decades, the number of people affected is increasing. Cancer medicine now wants to counteract this by joining forces with other players involved in the field.

Five new companies from the Stuttgart/Tübingen region in southwestern Germany have joined the Cyber Valley Start-Up Network. The innovative technologies and products of AmbiGate, Cytolytics, Mojin Robotics, plus10 and Tactai aim to achieve ground-breaking improvements in the fields of public health, manufacturing, and customer service. These start-ups join ten other companies that are already part of the Cyber Valley Start-Up Network.

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

Falsified chloroquine tablets identified in Africa - University of Tübingen supports local pharmacists in the analysis.

Identification of contacts is one of the most important measures to mitigate the spread of the Corona virus. Tracing apps are to help. Technical implementation, however, is associated with the risk of data misuse and the approaches presented so far do not sufficiently protect privacy. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and of the FZI Research Center for Information Technology have now proposed an app that enhances privacy.

Medical safety eyewear, disinfectant dispensers and ventilators from 3D printers – experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA are using their technological expertise in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Scientists from the Tübingen Competence Center for Machine Learning and physicians from the University Hospital of Tübingen have developed an app that uses anonymous health data to contribute to a better understanding of the novel coronavirus.

Prime Vector Technologies GmbH - 09/04/2020

A modular brick system for developing a COVID-19 vaccine

Prime Vector Technologies GmbH (PVT), a start-up company based in Tübingen in southern Germany, uses a modular brick system to develop vaccines against cancer and infectious diseases. The PVT team is currently working flat out to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

Scientists from Heidelberg and Mannheim launch research and development task force

Press release - 08/04/2020

“Access checker” remotely measures body temperature in addition to heart and breathing rate

An innovative measurement method is helping to detect people infected with coronavirus from a safe distance. It detects fever, increased pulse rates and fast breathing without endangering the person conducting the testing. Fraunhofer IPA and Fraunhofer IAO are currently testing the procedure at the Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart.

Today, the European Commission launched an advisory panel on COVID-19 composed of epidemiologists and virologists from different Member States to formulate EU guidelines on science-based and coordinated risk management measures.

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).

Article - 08/11/2019

Nanorobots as future minimally invasive tools for the eye

It is difficult to place drugs in the right place in the eye. When using droplets, only a small fraction of the drug reaches its target. Injecting drugs into the eye is also more a matter of luck than judgement. Basic researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Stuttgart have developed a nanorobot that can be loaded with active ingredients for treating eye diseases and directed through the solid tissue of the vitreous body.

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.

Spindiag, a young medtech company in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, announced today the expanded financing of its first Series A. Based on a proprietary microfluidic technology first researched at the company’s mother institute Hahn-Schickard, Spindiag is developing a sustainable platform to diagnose infections and, as a first product, a rapid test for multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Article - 23/04/2019

How can care infrastructures benefit from digitization?

The pilot project NeCTra (Networking - Care - Transparency) investigates how care processes within an urban social environment can be improved by using digital technologies. The goal is to bring together all partners and institutions in real time so that people in need of care and those seeking advice receive appropriate support more quickly.