Bioeconomy

Press release - 05/11/2010

Honey Bees: Genetic Labeling Decides About Blue Blood

Queen bees and worker bees share the same genome, but they are different in the chemical labeling of about 550 genes. This has been discovered by scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), jointly with colleagues in Australia. The cancer researchers had chosen the bee as a study object in order to understand how development can be so different in organisms with identical sequence of genetic material.…

Article - 04/11/2010

Eye evolution in the animal kingdom

For Darwin’s contemporary opponents the eye was so perfect and so complex that it could not possibly have developed as a result of natural selection. However, new evo-devo research findings show that the development of the eye is one of the cleverest and most convincing examples of evolution in animals.

A protein which acts as a danger signal in the body causes an unknown form of cell death in malignant brain tumors. This process is characterized by the formation of giant mitochondria in the dying cells. This has been discovered by scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the Institute of Pathology of Heidelberg University. Healthy brain cells, by contrast, are resistant to this form of cell…

Press release - 04/11/2010

Nycomed to acquire of majority stake in Guangdong Techpool Bio-Pharma

Nycomed today announced that it is significantly expanding its presence in China through the acquisition of a majority stake in Guangdong Techpool Bio-Pharma Co., Ltd. (Techpool), a fast-growing Chinese bio-pharmaceutical company based in Guangdong. Techpool, founded in 1993, specialises in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of biologic drugs derived from natural sources.

Article - 04/11/2010

Stefan Günther – Software for text and cell jungles

Junior professor Dr. Stefan Günther from the Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Freiburg has a long-standing interest in computer sciences and is now developing software to model three-dimensional protein structures. This enables him to predict interaction mechanisms between therapeutic substances and cellular enzymes.

Dr. Martin Burow, a proven expert in the field of prenatal diagnostics, has joined the LifeCodexx team as Head of Commercial Operations.

SYGNIS Pharma AG (Frankfurt: LIO; ISIN DE0005043509; Prime Standard) announced today a comprehensive, strategic restructuring of the company, which will include significant personnel and cost reductions. The process has been approved by the Supervisory Board and will be executed immediately.

Article - 02/11/2010

Multicellular tumour spheroids: 3D models for tumour research

Multicellular tumour spheroids, MCTS or MTS for short, have been the focus of studies by researchers since the early 1970s. MCTS are spheroid tumour cell aggregates that offer an excellent in vitro system for investigating the properties of solid tumours and their responses to therapy, thereby opening up new strategies for the establishment of new therapeutic approaches.

Press release - 01/11/2010

A virus discloses its secret: how does JCV infect body cells?

Viruses can infect cells when they detect specific attachment sites on the cells’ surface. An international group of researchers, including biochemists from Tübingen, have now discovered the molecular mechanism by which the JCV polyomavirus attaches to these receptors. The researchers deciphered the atomic structure of the virus and for the first time ever were able to prevent the virus from attaching to the host cell and causing infection.

Press release - 01/11/2010

Junior researcher from Freiburg receives research grant from the German Helmholtz Association

Dr. Andriy Luzhetskyy scientist at the Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Freiburg has received a scholarship from the Helmholtz Association young investigators group programme. The programme is aimed at outstanding junior researchers working in the following research areas energy earth and environment health key technologies structure of matter aeronautics space and transport. The scholarship holders receive an annual…

Press release - 27/10/2010

Cancer Research and Cancer Medicine at Top Level

German Research Minister Schavan and Baden-Wuerttembergs Prime Minister Mappus have inaugurated DKFZs renovated main building and visited NCTs new building.

Press release - 26/10/2010

Peripheral Induction of Alzheimer-Like Brain Pathology in Mice

Pathological protein deposits linked to Alzheimers disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy can be triggered not only by the administration of pathogenic misfolded protein fragments directly into the brain but also by peripheral administration outside the brain. This is shown in a new study done by researchers at the Hertie Institute of Clinical Brain Research in Tübingen.

Article - 25/10/2010

Industrial biopolymers – between children’s shoes and seven-league boots

The International Symposium on Biopolymers was held in Stuttgart between 4th and 7th October 2010. The event organisers also held a special focus day on industrial applications as suggested by BIOPRO. The conclusions drawn from the Industry Day can be summarised as follows methods are becoming increasingly mature production capacities are growing and the price of biobased polymers and bulk chemicals are becoming more attractive. However many…

Article - 25/10/2010

Angelika Rück visualises the dance of molecules

Angelika Rück measures the luminescence time of molecules in order to find out whether proteins are speaking with each other. She hopes that she will soon be able to differentiate inflammation from tumours. Rück who is head of microscopy at the Ulm-based ILM has worked hard with her colleagues to make the Eselsberg-based Ulm University location one of southern Germanys leading life cell imaging centres.

Article - 25/10/2010

Circadian rhythms and molecular clocks

The research group led by the biochemist Professor Michael Brunner at Heidelberg University is investigating the molecular mechanisms of the 24-h circadian rhythm of Neurospora crassa. The researchers have been able to show how the fungus is able to maintain the day-night rhythm even in the presence of disturbing light signals at night.

Press release - 25/10/2010

Résumé of BIOTECHNICA 2010

More than 9,500 visitors from 40 different nations attended BIOTECHNICA to set up new business deals and obtain the latest information on biotechnology trends in the fields of healthcare, food production, industry, environmental protection, lab equipment and bioinformatics. And Baden-Württemberg companies and networks were in prime position at the exhibition.

Article - 25/10/2010

A plant hormone and growth in the dark

All multicellular organisms including plants produce hormones. One of the hormones plants produce is the phytohormone jasmonic acid which has for a long time mainly been known as a second messenger substance that is released when plants are attacked by pathogens. Some years ago Dr. Michael Riemann from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT discovered that jasmonic acid acts as a major growth regulator of phytochrome-mediated responses in…

Article - 22/10/2010

Christian Bonten focuses mainly on bioplastics

Prof. Dr. Christian Bonten has been head of the Institute for Polymer Technology IKT at the University of Stuttgart since 1st September 2010. The former Institute for Plastics Testing and Science has recently become part of the IKT and has therefore come under Bontens area of responsibility. Bonton believes that bioplastics have great future potential and he plans to set milestones to drive bioplastics development forward.

Article - 22/10/2010

Christian Bonten focuses mainly on bioplastics

Prof. Dr. Christian Bonten has been head of the Institute for Polymer Technology IKT at the University of Stuttgart since 1st September 2010. The former Institute for Plastics Testing and Science has recently become part of the IKT and has therefore come under Bontens area of responsibility. Bonton believes that bioplastics have great future potential and he plans to set milestones to drive bioplastics development forward.

Press release - 21/10/2010

How Genes Are Selectively Silenced

Cells have to use their resources economically. Therefore they read only those genes which are needed at a given moment while the others are chemically labeled and thus selectively turned off. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum DKFZ have now been the first to discover how these labels are placed at exactly the right spot in the genetic material.

Press release - 20/10/2010

Cytonet cooperates with Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar

Joint Venture between Weinheim Biotech-Company Cytonet, the University Children’s Hospital in Heidelberg and the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Doha, Qatar to promote Liver Cell Therapy.

The www.info-rm.de website and the information hotline for the REGiNA project supported by the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) were launched last week during BioStar 2010, the 4th Congress on Regenerative Biology and Medicine. The information system for both doctors and patients is part of the Users’ Centre for Regenerative Medicine, which is currently being set up with the participation of the University Hospital Tübingen, the…

Press release - 19/10/2010

“Regenerative medicine has the potential to revolutionise medicine”

More than 300 researchers from all over the world have gathered at the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart for the 4th Congress on Regenerative Biology and Medicine BioStar 2010. In this innovative field methods and therapies are developed whereby the bodys own regenerative processes are directly supported by cell biology tissue engineering and medical technology.

BASF's new Nutrition & Health division established with effect from August 1, 2010 is to set up global headquarters in Lampertheim, Germany. Approximately 150 employees will move into currently empty office space in Lampertheim at the start of 2011.

Article - 18/10/2010

DNA analysis is becoming more automated

GATC Biotech AG is already on the lookout for next generation sequencing technologies in the form of real-time single-molecule sequencing. In an interview with BIOPRO Thomas Pohl CTO of GATC Biotech AG explains why the company is continuously expanding its existing equipment with the latest global technologies.