Press release - 14/06/2010 A Window to New Dimensions At the SMBC 2010 in Freiburg, systems biologists are optimistic about the future: their goal is to develop new models for whole organs or even the whole body. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/a-window-to-new-dimensions
Article - 14/06/2010 Mycoplasma bacteria as models for minimal cells Bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma are one of the smallest self-replicating cells and serve as model organisms in synthetic biology research for investigating essential life functions as well as being used as chassis for novel, tailor-made biosyntheses. Researchers from Heidelberg are among the groups who focus predominantly on investigating mycoplasma bacteria as minimal organisms.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mycoplasma-bacteria-as-models-for-minimal-cells
Press release - 14/06/2010 Substance in broccoli supports pancreatic cancer therapy The new cancer medication sorafenib inhibits resistant tumour stem cells in pancreatic cancer and is especially effective when combined with sulforaphane, an organic compound found in broccoli and cauliflower.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/substance-in-broccoli-supports-pancreatic-cancer-therapy
Dossier - 14/06/2010 Engineers of life Synthetic biology focuses on the development of biological systems with new defined characteristics assembled according to the principles of engineering. Synthetic biology has the potential to be used for a broad range of applications and has solutions in store for major problems of the future. It also fuels fears that human beings are playing the role of creators and going beyond natural boundaries. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/engineers-of-life
Article - 12/06/2010 Correcting enzyme defects using stem cells Bone marrow transplantation was originally developed for the treatment of leukaemias and other malignant diseases of the haemotopoietic system. Thanks to increasing technological process it has been possible to considerably expand the treatment spectrum over the last few years. Dr. Ingo Müller paediatrician at the University Hospital in Tübingen now uses bone marrow transplantation for the therapy of genetic metabolic diseases with highly…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/correcting-enzyme-defects-using-stem-cells
Article - 17/05/2010 The kidneys – intelligent filtration The blood is filtered in microscopically small renal corpuscles which divert toxins or metabolic degradation products to the urethra through a thin membrane. Dr. Tobias Huber and his team at the Freiburg University Medical Centre are investigating the molecular processes that occur at this so-called slit diaphragm.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-kidneys-intelligent-filtration
Article - 29/04/2010 The biopharmaceutical industry remained stable in times of crisis The German biopharmaceutical industry has come through 2009 without experiencing too many major slumps. The roaring growth of the biopharmaceutical industry in previous years has been replaced by more moderate growth. This is the result published by the 4th Medical Biotechnology report in 2010 compiled on behalf of the biotech interest group of the vfa bio Association of Research-Oriented Pharmaceutical Companies by the Boston Consulting Group. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-biopharmaceutical-industry-remained-stable-in-times-of-crisis
Article - 15/04/2010 Bone-hard basic research for an ageing society Osteoporotic bones not only break very easily, they also heal badly when a fracture occurs. A fractured femur neck might mean that elderly patients have to remain bedridden for a long period and maybe even need nursing care. Fractures that heal badly, in combination with other diseases, frequently lead to a fatal outcome. A panregional team of researchers, including researchers from Ulm, has been working together since 2007 on basic research into…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/bone-hard-basic-research-for-an-ageing-society
Article - 12/04/2010 The interplay of forces Biomechanics not only deals with forces and movements generated by an organism, but also with the effects of external forces acting on cells and organs: Mechanical forces can be specifically used to boost changes in the body. Scientists in the Continuum Mechanics Department at the University of Stuttgart are investigating the biomechanical basis of such forces and their effects.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-interplay-of-forces
Article - 15/03/2010 Cystic fibrosis therapy is making good progress Thirty years ago cystic fibrosis CF formerly also known as mucoviscidosis was considered to be a disease that only affected children. Hardly any children with this hereditary metabolic disease ever reached early adulthood. Since then both the therapy and the life expectancy of CF patients have improved considerably. Dr. Gerd Döring from Tübingen is investigating the occurrence of respiratory tract defects that are common in CF patients.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cystic-fibrosis-therapy-is-making-good-progress
Article - 15/03/2010 Cornelia Ulrich: Cancer prevention through food and sports The appointment of Cornelia Ulrich as professor and head of the Departments of Preventive Oncology at the National Centre for Tumour Diseases and the German Cancer Research Centre shows that Heidelberg is expanding its research priorities in the prevention and early diagnosis of cancer. Ulrichs main focus has been on the folic acid metablism C1 compounds and inflammation.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cornelia-ulrich-cancer-prevention-through-food-and-sports
Article - 13/03/2010 Assembling life from building blocks? As part of its “Bioethics Forum”, the German Ethics Council recently held a meeting in Berlin to inform the public about the fundamentals of synthetic biology and potential ethical problems and consequences in terms of our ideas about life and mankind in general arising from the progress made in this new field of research. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/assembling-life-from-building-blocks
Press release - 09/03/2010 Insilico: co-designer of innovative cell factory for fine chemicals A new BMBF joint project to transfer systems biology research directly into practical applications is profiting from Insilico Biotechnology’s expertise. The goal is to make Pseudomonas bacterial strains fit for commercial use in the field of industrial biocatalysis. The project will run for three years, coordinated by BASF and financed with approx. EUR 5.5 million. Insilico Biotechnology is the second partner from industry, while all others are…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/insilico-co-designer-of-innovative-cell-factory-for-fine-chemicals
Press release - 04/02/2010 Insilico banks on high-performance computing Insilico Biotechnology is cooperating with HLRS, the High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart, in order to take computations for the fields of industrial and pharmaceutical biotechnology to new superior levels. The joint project, which is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, aims at developing methods for using thousands of computational cores simultaneously so that innovative predictions can be made much…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/insilico-banks-on-high-performance-computing
Dossier - 01/02/2010 Metabolic diseases Metabolic diseases are characterised by disorders of the intermediary metabolism which can either be inherited or acquired. The extent and incidence of metabolic diseases can differ considerably and can range from widespread diseases such as diabetes to rare congenital diseases that frequently have a fatal outcome. Through new approaches in genome research amongst other things science and industry are increasingly focusing on metabolic diseases.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/metabolic-diseases
Article - 31/01/2010 A view into the genome provides information on the lipid metabolism Since its foundation around 10 years ago the VIVIT institute in Dornbirn and Feldkirch has been dealing with the impact of disorders of the sugar and lipid metabolisms on the pathogenesis of diseases such as atherosclerosis liver damage or coronary heart disease. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-view-into-the-genome-provides-information-on-the-lipid-metabolism
Article - 28/01/2010 Liver cell transplantation for the treatment of innate urea cycle defects Liver transplantation is the only life-saving therapy available to patients suffering from genetic defects of the urea cycle. However, newborns cannot be transplanted with a donor liver. The injection of liver cell suspensions into the liver of sick babies through the portal vein can substitute the lack of enzyme activity, hence preventing brain damage until such time as liver transplantation becomes possible.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/liver-cell-transplantation-for-the-treatment-of-innate-urea-cycle-defects
Article - 28/01/2010 Prevention of metabolic diseases – IABC AG relying on individual intervention The supply of nutrients such as vitamins minerals and trace elements is directly related to the appearance of numerous metabolic diseases. In order to identify nutrient deficiencies in good time and counteract the development of diseases the Institute of Applied Biochemistry IABC in Kreuzlingen has developed investigation methods that enable statements to be made on an individuals personal nutrient requirements.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/prevention-of-metabolic-diseases-iabc-ag-relying-on-individual-intervention
Press release - 21/01/2010 Open access drug discovery database launches with half a million compounds ChEMBLdb a vast online database of information on the properties and activities of drugs and drug-like small molecules and their targets was launched on January 18 2010 with information on over half a million compounds. The data lie at the heart of translating information from the human genome into successful new drugs in the clinic.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/open-access-drug-discovery-database-launches-with-half-a-million-compounds
Article - 20/01/2010 A new metabolic disease? We take up amino acids with our food. They play a key role in almost all life processes in the human body. But what happens when the molecular machinery in the cells is no longer able to correctly process the amino acids? It was only about six years ago that Prof. Dr. Jörn Oliver Saß and his colleagues at the Freiburg University Medical Centre discovered a new metabolic disorder characterised by the defective degradation of a N-acetylated amino…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-new-metabolic-disease
Article - 18/01/2010 New substance helps PKU patients enjoy food For many decades, a special low-protein (low-phenylalanine) diet has been the only way of treating children suffering from phenylketonuria (PKU) that effectively prevents them from developing severe impairments in mental function. However, this type of diet is not very tasty and it is often difficult to get children to cooperate. A paediatrician from Reutlingen, Prof. Dr. Friedrich Trefz, has now been able to show that the substance sapropterin…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-substance-helps-pku-patients-enjoy-food
Dossier - 11/01/2010 Green genetic engineering – a controversial future technology Green genetic engineering comprises a plethora of methods that enable the production of genetically modified (i.e. transgenic) plants by introducing extra genes, which are often foreign to the species into which they are introduced, into a plant genome. The number to be introduced can vary from one single gene to several genes. For example, in order to establish a new and foreign metabolic pathway in a particular plant, several genes need to be…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/green-genetic-engineering-a-controversial-future-technology
Article - 01/12/2009 Ralf Takors – a bio-engineer Multidisciplinary talent, people who can combine biological knowledge in an outstanding way with engineering, is in great demand. Ralf Takors, who has been head of the Institute of Bioprocess Engineering (IBVT) at the University of Stuttgart since July 2009, is one such talent. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/ralf-takors-a-bio-engineer
Dossier - 24/11/2009 Environmental medicine and biosensor technology Smog, chemicals in rivers, particular matter from copying machines in offices – human beings are exposed to many toxic influences. Environmental medical specialists are investigating the effect that these kinds of substances have at the same time as trying to find ways to reduce their influence on human health as much as possible. Molecular and cell biologists and even biotechnologists all have a key part to play in these efforts. On the one…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/environmental-medicine-and-biosensor-technology
Article - 19/11/2009 Cellzome - kinase inhibitors for therapy Cellzome is a privately-owned biotechnology company which develops new drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases at its two company sites in Heidelberg (Germany) and Cambridge (UK).https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cellzome-kinase-inhibitors-for-therapy