Healthcare industry

Dossier - 29/03/2009

Options for the food industry

Biotechnology has since found its way into the food industry and in fact into the entire value creation chain from raw material production to food processing to the sale of the final product. There are many ways in which biotechnology can contribute to better food products. These include the use of enzymes and microorganisms as well as in the production of food supplements and to improve analytic tests.

Press release - 15/03/2009

Jürgen Wolfrum – crossing the frontiers of science

The frontiers between scientific disciplines have always interested Prof. Jürgen Wolfrum a physicist who has been awarded many international prizes. Wolfrum is a pioneer in applied laser spectroscopy which he uses successfully in a variety of fields. For example in the automotive industry he uses laser spectroscopy to investigate elementary chemical reactions and combustion processes.

Article - 10/03/2009

When neurones lose their way

Dr. Deborah Morris-Rosendahl and her team at the Freiburg Medical School are investigating genetic cephalic disorders which are collectively referred to as lissencephaly. The scientists offer clinical diagnostics and investigate the causes of the disease.

Article - 16/01/2009

Study: nutritional and dietary treatments for ADHD

Doctors and researchers have been at odds for many years as to whether long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have an effect on the behaviour and cognition of ADHD children. It is hoped that a study at Ulm University will bring more clarity to the debate and potentially come up with an alternative to the controversial psychostimulant therapy.

Press release - 08/01/2009

ILM – Molecular cytogenetic diagnostics

The ILM used multicolour fluorescence in-situ hybridisation for the detection of chromosomal changes in the vein tissue of patients suffering from recurrent varicosis.

Press release - 08/01/2009

ILM – Applicators and method development

The ILM offers a broad range of services relating to the development of devices and methods. The service offer comprises the entire value creation chain from the initial solution concept to the applicable functional model.

The German Cancer Research Centre and Bayer Schering Pharma AG signed an agreement to establish a strategic research alliance. The partners will invest a total of 3.5 million euros in cooperative cancer research over the next two years.

Dr. Pitter Huesgen Dr. Michael Strerath and Dr. Carl Kübler have been awarded this years Nycomed Award. The Award which is worth a total of 15000 distinguishes outstanding doctoral theses in the fields of biology chemistry and physics.

Does tactile sensation also depend on structure and order? Using modern imaging methods the research group led by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Hennig from the University Hospital of Freiburg is investigating whether mice with disturbed brain organisation are able to process tactile stimuli normally.

BioRegionUlms concept on the development of innovative biopharmaceutical products and services in Baden-Württemberg has been declared one of the winners.

The European Research Council is to fund a project at the University Hospital of Freiburg on the development of ultra fast magnetic resonance imaging for applications in the fields of neurology the neurosciences and oncology.

Despite having an X and a Y chromosome carriers of SOX9 gene mutations are nevertheless at risk of developing female sex characteristics. Prof. Dr. Gerd Scherer at the University of Freiburg is investigating how SOX9 controls a persons gender.

“In order to fully understand an organism, it is necessary to consider it as a whole,” said Dr. Uwe Schulte, biochemist and CEO of Logopharm GmbH in Freiburg. A growing number of scientists hold the same view, and there is a growing inclination to research the big picture. This is reflected in the continuously increasing number of projects looking into systems biology research.

The Rhine-Neckar biotechnology cluster BioRN was distinguished as one of the five most significant high-tech regions in Germany and will receive part of the 200 million Euro federal grant.

The German Federal Cabinet agreed on a draft bill on human genetic testing Gene Diagnostics Law. The law protects people against the danger of potential discrimination that could result from knowledge of the genetic properties of individuals. The draft bill prohibits secret tests to determine parentage.

Researchers at the University of Stuttgart are leaders in the field of diagnosis and analysis of plant viruses. In a two-week Summer School the researchers imparted their knowledge to virologists from all over the world.

Article - 25/08/2008

Markers that reveal the correct biological age

Researchers at the University of Ulm have just identified a number of proteins that reveal the biological age of a person. These biomarkers might be used in medical applications to adapt the medical treatment of older people to their individual biological age.

The Lake Constance region offers a broad range of cancer therapies and is home to several institutes and companies that are dealing with cancer research. The BioLAGO biotechnology network offers them a joint platform for co-operation and exchange of information.

The NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen organised its biannual MEA conference from 8 to 11 July 2008. More than 200 developers and microelectrode array users from 18 countries came together in Reutlingen to present their latest developments and results.

The new iNNOVATION fORUM of the Baden-Württemberg MicroMountains Network offered researchers and the medical device industry an intensive moderated dialogue and the chance to make new contacts and to improve their chances for future innovations.

The resolution of the magnetic resonance imager is so good that it can visualise molecular structures. Siemens has provided the cancer researchers from Heidelberg with the powerful imager.

Tübingen-based Hölle & Hüttner AG is taking over the entire share capital of Cologne-based INTAVIS Bioanalytical Instruments AG retroactively as of 1 January 2008. Both companies specialise in the development and marketing of systems for the automation of biochemical and molecular biological processes.

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

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…