CeGat GmbH - 06/08/2020

CeGaT: Specific coronavirus antibody test for all

Have I perhaps already had COVID-19 in the past? This is a question many of us have been asking. Reliable tests that would provide the answer have simply not been available until now. However, the Tübingen-based biotech company CeGaT is now offering a coronavirus antibody test to anyone who wants one, thus answering this question with the highest probability currently possible. Response to the offer has been huge in the few weeks since the test…

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.

Tumour organoids facilitate drug discovery - 20/07/2023

Drug screening for children with cancer using patient-specific miniature tumours

Standard drugs often don’t work in children and adolescents with recurrent cancer. Researchers from the Hopp Children's Tumour Centre (KITZ) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have been looking to open up new therapy options for those affected, and have cultivated individual miniature tumours from biopsy samples to test the effectiveness of a variety of drugs within a few weeks.

Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the European Bioinformatics Institute EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, UK, are using the Danish health registers to predict individual risks for 20 different types of cancer with a high degree of accuracy. The prediction model can also be transferred to other healthcare systems.

Knowledge of the target structures for the immune cells is a basic prerequisite for the development of personalized cancer immunotherapies. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center and the NCT Heidelberg are publishing a sensitive method based on mass spectroscopy to identify such tumor-specific "neoepitopes". The analytical method is designed to detect these low abundance protein fragments and requires minimal amounts of…

On 25 November, the German Research Foundation (DFG) announced the continued funding of two existing Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) at the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Medicine. In CRC 1453 Nephrogenetics (NephGen), doctors and researchers are using genetic information to search for mechanisms underlying kidney diseases.

The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is supporting the “Sleep-Neuro-Path” research network with around 1.6 million euros. Coordinated by the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim, a team of scientists is investigating the role of sleep-related biomarkers in the development of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Creating scope for innovative projects from various disciplines: That is the aim of the research incubators at Ulm University. The aim is to initiate developments and ideas that could become relevant research areas for the University. In the current call for proposals, the jury has selected two interdisciplinary projects on quantum chemistry and digital, sensor-based diabetes research.

New edition - 24/05/2019

Tumour metastasis

Cancer is usually not curable when metastases have formed in the body. Metastases are often resistant to drugs that have successfully eliminated the primary tumour. The basic features of the complex process of metastasis are now known, but many details still remain elusive. Intensive research activities are focusing on new therapeutic concepts aimed at developing effective anti-metastatic therapies.

Article - 17/03/2021

Epigenetic switches in bacteria as biosensors

The analysis of pathogen biomarkers and biomarkers for the diagnosis of diseases can be crucial for health. However, the detection of pathogens and diseases depends on a sensitive and reliable method that delivers rapid results. Biosensors have such properties. Researchers at the Institute of Biochemistry and Technical Biochemistry (IBTB) at Stuttgart University have constructed an epigenetic circuit composed of plasmids that might make it…

Sarcomas in soft tissue usually occur in young people and are difficult to treat. Due to a lack of laboratory models, the causes of their development are poorly understood. A team of researchers has now succeeded in creating mouse models with a functioning immune system that replicate sarcoma types that remain unstudied. The method opens up new avenues for the targeted development of immunotherapies for children and adolescents with sarcomas.

Enhancing human perception of the imperceptible - 28/08/2025

AI-driven imaging expands possibilities in surgery

Doctors frequently experience a restricted view of the surgical field, particularly during endoscopic procedures. A novel technique developed by Prof. Dr. Lena Maier-Hein's team at the DKFZ in Heidelberg integrates spectral imaging with AI-driven data analysis. This innovation facilitates accurate tissue differentiation and delivers real-time insights into organ function.

Women who have experienced a stroke or heart attack are at a higher risk of mortality than men. Fraunhofer researchers want to improve gender-specific aftercare with a customized assistance system – thus helping to prevent further heart disease.

MRI analysis of fat and muscle distribution in more than 66,000 people provides a more accurate assessment of health risks / Poor muscle quality poses an additional risk / Study provides reference values based on age, sex, and height

Researchers at University of Galway, the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) Heidelberg University, and Heidelberg University Hospital have created digital babies to better understand infants’ health in their critical first 180 days of life. The international team created computer models that simulate the unique metabolic processes of each baby. The models can help to better understand rare metabolic diseases.

Baden-Württemberg AI Alliance - 08/04/2025

Achieving widespread use of AI

Artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and risks. The Baden-Württemberg AI Alliance is dedicated to fostering collaboration among AI stakeholders to ensure that AI solutions deliver tangible benefits to citizens and businesses across the state. The alliance will also place greater emphasis on advancing AI applications within the healthcare sector.

A molecular mechanism that contributes to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease has been discovered by a research team of Heidelberg University. The team, using an Alzheimer’s mouse model, demonstrated that a neurotoxic protein-protein complex is responsible for nerve cells in the brain dying off and the resulting cognitive decline. This finding opens up new perspectives for the development of effective treatments.

Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center and the University of Freiburg show how certain painkillers influence the iron metabolism of liver cancer cells and can thus contribute to iron deficiency and anemia in cancer patients.

Article - 10/01/2019

Stocktaking and recommendations for action: the BBAW’s fourth gene technology report

In the new gene technology report, the interdisciplinary working group of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW) takes stock of gene technology developments in Germany during the past few decades, and discusses the societal, legal and ethical challenges associated with these technologies in the future. The report is highly topical due to the controversy surrounding the ruling of the European Court of Justice on CRISPR/Cas9 genome…

Microfluidics in medical technology - 24/03/2021

Ultra-compact: valves with shape memory actuators

Karlsruhe-based company memetis shows that this is possible. Intelligent components for controlling fluids open up huge potential in the medical technology and biotechnology sectors - from vaccine development and cell line analysis to drug research and point-of-care solutions.

Certain developmental signals play a significant role in maintaining our genetic blueprints. They prevent alterations in the genome, known as mosaicism. The underlying biological mechanism helps the DNA to produce an identical copy of itself during cell division using the original genetic blueprint. However, it can also contribute to genomic mosaicism during nerve cell development.

AI-supported image recognition accelerates identification of zebrafish mutants - 16/07/2025

EmbryoNet AI automatically identifies developmental disorders

In complex organisms, embryonic development is tightly regulated by intricate signalling pathways. When these pathways are disrupted, they can lead to characteristic developmental defects that are not easy to detect with the naked eye. Developmental biologist Prof. Dr. Patrick Müller from the University of Konstanz has developed EmbryoNet, an AI-powered software tool that uses image analysis to reliably identify such developmental disorders.

Fluorescence and smartphones instead of laboratories - 11/09/2025

Mobile blood-analysis system for at home medication monitoring

For many medications, regular monitoring of drug concentrations in the blood is necessary to ensure efficacy and safety. Until now, this process has been time-consuming and required laboratory personnel and resources. The Heidelberg based start up QuantiLight has developed a mobile device with innovative sensor technology that enables quick, easy measurements at home or in a doctor's surgery.

Diagnostic tool for people with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - 17/06/2025

Chronic inflammatory bowel disease - using an app to sustainably improve everyday life

Keeping appointments? Planning everyday life? For people living with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), sudden and unpredictable flare-ups can severely limit their ability to participate in daily life. The start-up coreway aims to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by IBD by leveraging data-driven insights and contributing to the advancement of personalised medicine.