Article - 08/09/2016 A diamond might make sequencing more accurate DNA sequencing techniques have been developed along the lines of faster, further, cheaper. State-of-the-art methods make it possible to handle large projects in a relatively short period of time. However, the error rate is still very high. Dr. Maria Fyta and her team at the Institute for Computational Physics at the University of Stuttgart have carried out quantum-transport calculations which suggested that specific chemical modifications in the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-diamond-might-make-sequencing-more-accurate
Article - 27/07/2016 “Open science“ – a successful recipe for combating viruses Danger identified, danger averted – the better the dynamic changes of the viral genome are understood, the better the spread of the pathogens can be predicted, thus enabling more efficient countermeasures to be taken. A team of researchers from Tübingen and Seattle is developing an open source online platform that maps the evolution of viruses and identifies dangerous developments.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/open-science-a-successful-recipe-for-combating-viruses
Article - 19/07/2016 Licence to kill – the enormous potential of CAR T cells With 6 million euros of EU funding, the CARAT project aims to optimise a technology called CAR T that is used to equip T cells with antibody fragments and specifically direct them to destroy cancer cells. The CARAT consortium comprises a multinational team of experts from the Institute for Cell- and Gene Therapy at the Freiburg University Medical Center led by Prof. Dr. Toni Cathomen and seven partner institutions. Cathomen’s team is developing…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/licence-to-kill-the-enormous-potential-of-car-t-cells
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 - 12/05/2016 Novel method for predicting the spatial structure of biomolecules Biomolecules can only fulfil their functions in the cell when they fold into a characteristic native three-dimensional structure. Knowing this structure is not only of paramount importance for basic research, but also for medicine and pharmacology. Scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have therefore developed a simple method to predict the three-dimensional structure of biomolecules from the analysis of readily available…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/novel-method-for-predicting-the-spatial-structure-of-biomolecules
Article - 02/05/2016 Hepatitis C: a new starting point for vaccine development With approximately 150,000 infected people in Germany, hepatitis C is a common disease for which therapies, but no vaccine, are available. Dr. Tobias Böttler from the Freiburg University Medical Center and his team are exploring the body’s immune response to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and have found valuable information that could be used for vaccine development.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/hepatitis-c-a-new-starting-point-for-vaccine-development
Dossier - 18/04/2016 Epigenetics – heritable traits without changing the DNA sequence Epigenetics, i.e. the inheritance of traits that does not involve a change in the DNA sequence, was once a controversial subject that has since become a central focus of biological research. Epigenetic inheritance is now studied by numerous national and international research programmes. Many cellular regulatory and differentiation processes are controlled by epigenetic mechanisms that take place on different levels, including the DNA, histone,…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/epigenetics-heritable-traits-without-changing-the-dna-sequence
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 - 14/10/2015 High-throughput technologies and bioinformatics from a single source – the Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC) “Omics” is a current buzz word used to describe comprehensive investigations in many areas of the life sciences. In practice, omics refers to fields of scientific study that involve a huge number of experiments and even more data. Evaluating and managing all the data within a fixed period is a huge challenge for most researchers working on their own. It was to address these issues that the Quantitative Biology Center – QBiC for short – was…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/high-throughput-technologies-and-bioinformatics-from-a-single-source-the-quantitative-biology-center-qbic
Article - 07/10/2015 Call for a moratorium on germ line experiments in humans Modern genetic engineering tools enable genes to be modified in a genomic context in living cells. Genome surgery unlocks enormous potential for the treatment of genetic diseases, but it could also be misused for the uncontrolled manipulation of the human genome. An interdisciplinary working group of German scientists is calling for a moratorium on human germ line experiments to provide a space to define the opportunities and risks of this new…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/call-for-a-moratorium-on-germ-line-experiments-in-humans
Article - 15/06/2015 Centre for Personalised Medicine in Tübingen - developing tailor-made treatments for patients Since January 2015, Tübingen has been home to a Centre for Personalised Medicine (ZPM). Twenty-three institutes and hospitals have joined forces to improve diagnosis of disease and develop individualised treatments for patients with a variety of diseases. In parallel, the centre also develops new diagnostic strategies. This means, for example, that data derived from the analysis of the entire genetic material of cells, proteins and metabolic…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/centre-for-personalised-medicine-in-tuebingen-developing-tailor-made-treatments-for-patients
Article - 22/04/2015 AIDS viruses play hide and seek AIDS-causing HI viruses preferentially integrate into transcriptionally active genes of the host cell genome. These gene regions are located in the immediate vicinity of the nuclear pores. A team of researchers from Heidelberg University Hospital and colleagues from Italy have now shown that the integration of the viruses is controlled by components of the nuclear pores. These findings are an important step towards gaining a detailed…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/aids-viruses-play-hide-and-seek
Overview Basic research The latest articles, press releases and dossiers on basic research in Baden-Württemberghttps://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/research
Overview Red biotechnology The latest articles, press releases and dossiers on red biotechnology in Baden-Württemberghttps://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/biotech
Overview Pharmaceutics The latest articles, press releases and dossiers on pharmaceutics in Baden-Württemberghttps://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/pharma
Press release - 07/03/2015 Genome Analysis of Cancer Cells: Germany’s Biggest Sequencing Unit Established in Heidelberg Thorough examination of the genome of cancer cells is essential for a better understanding of the disease and to improve treatment. Therefore, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), with the support of the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), will invest in the Illumina HiSeq X Ten Sequencing System, the world’s first and only platform to deliver full coverage human whole genome for less than 1000 Euros per genome with the power to sequence more…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/genome-analysis-of-cancer-cells-germany-s-biggest-sequencing-unit-established-in-heidelberg
Article - 22/12/2014 Bioinformaticians shed light into the data jungle In recent years, the University of Tübingen has developed a tightly integrated service structure for the computer-based management of life sciences data. This structure is the point of contact for all those that produce or work with “omics” data – in Tübingen and beyond.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/bioinformaticians-shed-light-into-the-data-jungle
Article - 15/12/2014 From HIV structure to new AIDS therapies The building blocks of the viral protein capsid are rearranged as HI viruses mature into infectious AIDS-causing agents. Researchers from Heidelberg have made these structural changes visible on the molecular level. The findings could potentially be used for developing much-needed new AIDS therapeutics.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/from-hiv-structure-to-new-aids-therapies
Article - 13/10/2014 Personalised cancer therapy based on microRNA analysis microRNAs are not just required for the regulation of gene expression, their expression signatures also allow conclusions to be drawn on the type and progression of cancer. Sensovation AG is therefore working with partners from industry and clinical research to develop an automated microRNA analysis platform that can detect and evaluate microRNA signatures faster than has previously been possible. The system is designed to make it easier to…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/personalised-cancer-therapy-based-on-microrna-analysis
Article - 15/09/2014 Gene therapies for pulmonary disease are close to final development Gene therapy currently offers the only chance of curing genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and beta thalassaemia. Gene therapy is the replacement or correction of a mutated gene with DNA that encodes a functional gene. Intensive research has been going on in this field for many years however only a handful gene therapies are available at this point in time. Dr. Michael Kormann junior professor at the Childrens Hospital at the University of…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/gene-therapies-for-pulmonary-disease-are-close-to-final-development
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 - 28/07/2014 Successes and setbacks of clinical gene therapy The use of retroviral haematopoietic stem cell gene therapy to treat hereditary immunodeficiencies has achieved great success in resolving the actual symptoms of the disease, but many of the patients that underwent therapy developed leukaemia later. Effective gene therapies involving gene shuttles that do not cause cancer are therefore required. The good news is that such therapies already exist.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/successes-and-setbacks-of-clinical-gene-therapy
Article - 14/07/2014 Enhancers promote the activation of cancer-causing genes Scientists from the EMBL and the DKFZ in Heidelberg have made an important discovery about a highly aggressive childhood brain tumour: the oncogenes are activated as a result of comprehensive DNA rearrangements that had moved them into the vicinity of DNA sequences called enhancers. This activation mechanism might play a role in many types of tumours and therefore has the potential for being used in the targeted development of new, more effective…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/enhancers-promote-the-activation-of-cancer-causing-genes
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