Healthcare industry

Article - 19/09/2019

Magnetised algae as microrobots for medical and environmental purposes

Algae, for most of us, is something that lives in water courses that we occasionally find unpleasant. However, that is to do them a wrong. These extremely versatile and frugal organisms might in future prove to be extremely important. Scientists at the University of Stuttgart are investigating how algae can be used as microrobots in biomedicine and environmental remediation.

Article - 02/06/2014

Researchers shed light on important metabolic pathway

A research team led by microbiologist Dr. David Schleheck, in cooperation with chemists from the University of Konstanz, has discovered how sulpho-glucose is degraded in Escherichia coli bacteria. As this sulphurous glucose analogue is produced by all photosynthetically active organisms, the researchers’ discovery is of great importance for our understanding of the global sulphur cycle.

Article - 27/05/2013

Autophagy – a stupid idea?

The term autophagy or autophagocytosis comes from the Greek and means something like to eat oneself. During normal cell operation waste accumulates that needs to be disposed of in some way as it would otherwise impair crucial cellular processes. But even in times of starvation cells behave just as the body as a whole does the system does not become inoperative immediately and die but draws on its reserves. On the cellular level this happens by…

Article - 07/01/2013

GlobalFlow GmbH – how smart materials management can help save resources

The two GlobalFlow GmbH managing directors, Nadine Antic and Seda Erkus, only recently completed their energy and resource management and environmental technology studies and immediately set out to establish their own company. GlobalFlow GmbH, which is based in Reutlingen, offers comprehensive services related to the conservation of resources and materials management.

Article - 29/05/2012

David Schleheck: exploring the effective degradation of surfactants

David Schleheck biologist at the University of Konstanz focuses on the bacterial degradation of surfactants and LAS in particular. The results of his research are of huge importance for the recycling of grey water in areas including home sewage treatment systems for example.

Article - 05/03/2012

Ubiquitin and related molecules do more than just degrade and recycle cellular waste

The proteins of the ubiquitin family have long been regarded as cellular Post-its with to be discarded written on them. However over the last ten years it has become increasingly clear that the proteins of the ubiquitin family that cells use to label defective or unneeded proteins also regulate a broad range of important cellular processes. It has also been found that they are involved in the pathogenesis of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases…

Press release - 12/07/2011

Cortisol Controls Recycling of Bile Acids

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center DKFZ have made a discovery in mice whose liver cells are unable to receive cortisol signals This hormone is responsible for a process in which the liver recycles bile acids from the blood. If this recycling is disrupted the animals develop gallstones and lose weight because they are no longer able to digest dietary fats.

Article - 16/05/2011

Autophagy - recycling and survival

Cells degrade components that are no longer needed and return them to the cellular metabolism. Dr. Jörn Dengjel and his team from the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies FRIAS are aiming to decipher the molecular and cell biological mechanisms of this recycling process which is also known as autophagy or autophagocytosis. Detailed insights into these mechanisms will also help to improve the researchers understanding of diseases such as cancer…

Article - 21/03/2011

C.S.P. – linking cultivation and application

A growing number of industrial companies would like to use renewable raw materials for production, out of ecological, economic or technical interest. However, it is not always easy for many of the companies to get into contact with farmers and secure the supply of crops in the quantity and quality they require. Dresden-based C.S.P. Consulting und Service für Pflanzliche Rohstoffe GmbH is now able to use its know-how and that of its partners to…

Article - 12/07/2010

TET Systems: Controlled gene expression in eukaryotes

The most common and most successful system used for the experimental regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes is based on a gene switch that regulates the resistance of bacteria to tetracycline. The Tet technology also provides researchers with a tool that enables them to specifically, quantitatively and reversibly control the activity of individual genes in vivo and in vitro. The Heidelberg-based company TET Systems sells licences for the Tet…

Article - 11/06/2010

Recycling of bacterial cell wall constituents

Bacterial cells are focused on growth and proliferation. These processes are initiated by cellular enzymes that break up the cell wall material murein introduce new material and degrade material that is no longer needed. And all this in large amounts about 50 per cent of murein are degraded and newly formed turnover per cell generation. Dr. Christoph Mayer and his team from the University of Constance have shown that the cells carry out effective…

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…

Article - 28/09/2009

Electrified regulated protein transport

Physiologists have for a long time regarded the communication between cells as a purely “external” process. However, research carried out by Dr. Nikolaj Klöcker and his team at the Freiburg University Medical Centre now shows that the cells do not exclusively regulate their electrical properties directly at the cell membrane. They also found a range of molecular switches in neurons and epithelial cells that are able to control the cells’…

Article - 11/05/2009

Biopolymers to improve drinking water quality

In the long run, biopolymers will find their way into industry and everyday life; they are the polymers of the future. The Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management at the University of Stuttgart offers applications of biopolymers for the preparation of water as well as a new recycling strategy.

Article - 09/03/2008

Successful attack on resistant tumour cells

In laboratory experiments Dr. Anja Apel from the University Hospital in Heidelberg proved that cancer cells that are resistant to radiation therapy can be made to become susceptible to this kind of treatment again by blocking the cells own recycling system.