Healthcare industry

Article - 22/07/2013

FESTO – tapping into the bioproduction market

Festo AG Co. KG is a leading provider of factory automation and process automation. The company has been involved in and contributed to shaping the development of such automation solutions ever since its foundation in 1925. Festo markets electrical and pneumatic drive technology valves sensors and other automation components as well as complete control units. Moreover when industrial bioproduction involving living microorganisms was gaining in…

Article - 21/05/2013

Green gold: bioactive plant foods

Nowadays everything must be good for something must have a direct noticeable or tangible effect. The ever topical issue of nutrition is no exception. All this makes functional food a promising and inexhaustible market. Teams of scientists around the world are focussing on how unhealthy food can be made healthy. Bioactive plant foods are expected to close a gap that should not have existed in the first place.

Article - 09/05/2013

Immunoproteasome Drug Targeting: Immunoproteasome inhibitors allow control of autoimmune diseases

Marcus Groettrup is the chair of immunology at the University of Konstanz and has been active in the field of immunology for many years. In 2009 Groettrup made a discovery that led to him setting up a company. His analysis of immunoproteasomes whose main function is to degrade unneeded or damaged proteins showed that these protein complexes also play a major role in the development of autoimmune diseases. Based on this knowledge Groettrup…

Press release - 30/04/2013

Impressions from the 2013 BIO International Convention in Chicago

A trade fair turns 20 and an industrial sector is coming of age. Where does BIO stand today? The number of exhibitors has slightly decreased the conference is characterised by general themes and trends and partnering has become the most important and indispensable part of the global event for biotechnology. What was once a gold rush atmosphere has given way to an experienced self-confidence about the economic importance of biotechnology.

Article - 29/04/2013

‘Autotech meets Biotech’ – current status and outlook

Intensive cooperation between the engineering-driven sectors and the biotechnology sector is a prerequisite for driving forward automation in the field of biotechnology. The Engineering – Life Sciences – Automation (ELSA) cluster initiative of BioRegio STERN Management GmbH aims to promote cross-industry cooperation. A study entitled ‘Biotech meets Autotech’, which was carried out as part of the ELSA project, provides insights into the current…

Article - 22/04/2013

HB Technologies AG - the automated research laboratory

Automated solutions for research and development have to fulfil special requirements; rather than being directed towards mass production, they need to be able to handle highly complex processes and minute amounts of sample. HB Technologies AG specifically focuses on this market, offering engineering services and products for use in the field of biotechnology.

Article - 12/03/2013

Science to business – exit strategies for biotech companies

The two directors of the consultancy firm LSCN Ltd. Dr. Alrik Koppenhöfer and Dr. Volker Ungermann explain the key issues involved in MA negotiations and licensing deals and how LSCN supports biotechnology companies and strategic investors in reaching their goals. Both managers agree that a good dose of realism is necessary.

Article - 11/03/2013

Trenzyme – optimal expression of recombinant proteins

Trenzyme GmbH in Konstanz offers services and products in the fields of genomics and proteomics. The company specialises in contract research and custom R&D services and is also working on new and improved products and processes. The company recently developed a new method for the rapid identification of optimal expression conditions for recombinant proteins.

Article - 11/03/2013

PHAST GmbH: firm focus on growth strategy

Since August last year, PHAST Development GmbH & Co. KG has been bringing a breath of fresh air to the old research campus of the pharmaceutical company Takeda (formerly Nycomed) in Konstanz. The pharmaceutical company, with its roots in the city of Homburg, Germany, is a specialist in innovative methods for testing the quality of medicines. Amongst other things, PHAST develops test methods that enable the optimisation of drug release. A…

Article - 25/02/2013

Computomics: unlocking the secrets of plant genome sequences

Thanks to the latest generation of sequencing technology, the deciphering of the complete genome of organisms is becoming faster and cheaper. The challenge is to compile the book of life from millions of DNA fragments and unlock the secrets of the human and other organisms. The young bioinformatics company Computomics in Tübingen is doing just this for crops. In contrast to the human genome, the genome of the majority of plants is still a book…

Article - 11/02/2013

REGiNA – the health region for regenerative medicine

REGiNA is a users’ centre for regenerative medicine in the area bordered by the cities of Stuttgart and Tübingen and the Neckar-Alb region. It was established with the aim of translating a variety of advanced regenerative methods into broad clinical application. Providing a diverse and broad range of information, REGiNA is focused on making new treatment possibilities and the opportunities created by regenerative medicine known to doctors,…

Article - 11/02/2013

Quality management: burden or opportunity?

Companies are facing increasing demands. Globalisation and an increasingly quality-conscious market increase competition and pricing pressure. To remain globally competitive companies need a product and service quality that will satisfy the customer in the long term. Alexander Cansier managing director of OrgaConnect GmbH has specialised in the support of small and medium-sized companies in the life sciences pharmaceutical and medical technology…

Article - 04/02/2013

capmatch medical – financing network for life sciences start-ups and investors

“capmatch medical” was specifically designed for young medical device and biotech companies that are seeking capital from investors in Europe. Combined with professional coaching and process management, capmatch medical’s matching approach improves the chances of successful matchmaking between companies and dedicated investors.

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 - 17/12/2012

rent-a-lab – the bioassay specialist

rent-a-lab has been offering services to detect and determine the quantity of biomolecules for around ten years. The company is mainly focused on studies related to the binding of biomolecules to GTP-binding protein-coupled receptors, a field that has attracted a great deal of attention following the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2012 for the identification of this important class of receptors.

Article - 10/12/2012

MicroMol GmbH and “the fine art of life science”

MicroMol GmbH carries out microbiological, molecular and cell biological analyses, is active in research and development, performs validations and produces and sells laboratory products for the life sciences industry. This brief description reflects a broad product and service portfolio that addresses a wide range of different clients, including companies in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries and in the medical technology, industrial…

Press release - 05/12/2012

Next Generation Sequencing of GATC Biotech AG accredited by German DAkkS

Being the first in Europe, the Next Generation Sequencing Laboratories of the Constance Genome and Diagnostics Centre has been accredited according to ISO 17025 from the national accreditation body for the Federal Republic of Germany (DAkks). The independent governmental institution has acknowledged the high quality standard of the sequencing service on technology platforms Illumina HiSeq and Roche GSFLX sequencing.

Dossier - 26/11/2012

Genetic diagnostics: technology reaches the limits of what is medically reasonable

Rapid progress in sequencing technologies is poised to set the imagination of biomedical researchers on fire. Experts now believe that progress is about to make possible what seemed to be utopian a few years ago – it seems likely that it will soon be possible to sequence the human genome in only a few minutes and store and automatically analyse it using tiny automates. However, is everything that is technically feasible also reasonable?

Press release - 22/11/2012

CeGaT and Genomatix are finalists of Boston Children’s Hospital’s CLARITY challenge

CeGaT (Center for Genomics and Transcriptomics) GmbH, the Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn and Genomatix Software GmbH were announced as finalist (Top 3) of the CLARITY challenge, organized by Boston Children’s Hospital.

Article - 19/11/2012

Biopharm GmbH: growth factors for use in regenerative medicine

With more than 26 years’ experience in the field of orthopaedics, dermatology and personalised medicine, the Heidelberg-based biotechnology company Biopharm GmbH is firmly established in the regenerative medicine market. Based on its proprietary growth factor technology platform, Biopharm develops innovative methods for the treatment of bone and cartilage damage and improvement of the wound healing process.

Press release - 12/11/2012

GATC Biotech joins a new EU research network for young researchers

Seven European research institutions and GATC Biotech have formed a consortium providing cutting-edge training in the scientific study of the human past. The BEAN (Bridging the European and Anatolian Neolithic) Initial Training Network has been awarded four years of funding from the European Commission through the Marie Curie Actions program. It is a new multinational and multidisciplinary Marie Curie Research initiative exploring the origins of…

Article - 22/10/2012

syneed imaging: precise visualisation of functional tissue properties

Functional medical imaging modalities are of great significance in modern medical diagnostics. Existing ways of diagnosing diseases are now being expanded with the arrival of the innovative parameter imaging method. syneed imaging uses proprietary highly sensitive software for the analysis of dynamic image data. This software complements standard methods such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and increases the significance of…

Article - 15/10/2012

gerbion®: hunting down pathogens

Detecting viruses, bacteria or parasites in human, animal, food and environmental samples is routine for the staff of gerbion GmbH & Co. KG. The company has been using virological, microbiological and serological methods for many years, but is now also using cutting-edge molecular biology methods for detecting pathogens. The founders of the Kornwestheim-based diagnostics company have concentrated on own research work and the development of…

Article - 01/10/2012

MCAT GmbH: Highly efficient intermediates for new drugs

Konstanz-based MCAT GmbH is focused on the development and production of azido-PEG glycosides, carbohydrate structures that can be used for a broad range of different applications, including the functionalisation of surfaces, the derivatisation of drugs and other compounds as well as the production of multivalent lectin ligands.