Helen Albert, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Freelance science and health journalist with lots of experience writing about all aspects of life sciences and biotech. Recovering geneticist and evolutionary biologist. I am half German and half British and spend most of my time in Berlin while not hiding out in the Norfolk countryside in the UK. When not writing or editing, I like to spend my time taking photos, knitting, reading fiction, eating and making good food and travelling (when global conditions allow!).

Articles by Helen Albert

biomaterials being used in tissue engineering such as repairing a heart

In Depth 10 Jan 2023

Innovative biomaterials are revolutionizing tissue regeneration

Scientists are increasingly realizing the potential of biomaterials to help with many tasks. A key area biomaterials are being used in is tissue engineering and regeneration, something several biotechs and academic labs are currently exploring. Biomaterials are materials or substances designed to function in a biological environment, which may or may not be made of […]

January 10, 2023 - 14 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Best in Biotech 6 Oct 2022

15 biotech companies shaking up the scene in Cambridge

Cambridge has a large biotech scene that is starting to rival that of its U.S. namesake. Here are 15 biotech companies in Cambridge you should know about. The U.K. is home to several biotech hubs, including the golden triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge, as well as Bristol and Stevenage. Cambridge is a small but […]

October 6, 2022 - 9 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Interview 29 Aug 2022

Making a success out of technology transfer at UCLB

Having a good relationship with the technology transfer office at your university can be key to creating a successful startup. Anne Lane, CEO of University College London’s (UCL’s) commercialization company UCLB, discusses recent successes and shares insights on how to advance new innovations. Anne Lane began her career as a scientist, completing a PhD at […]

August 29, 2022 - 13 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 4 Jul 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven RNA therapeutics into the mainstream

As messenger RNA vaccines save lives around the world, and RNA interference drugs are greenlit for rare diseases, the field of RNA therapeutics is now moving faster than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic proved a turning point for the biotech companies BioNTech and Moderna, which specialize in developing technology based on messenger RNA (mRNA). The […]

July 4, 2022 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 23 May 2022

The coming of age of European synthetic biology

Within a few years, synthetic biology has evolved from being a new player in the molecular biology and biotech arena to being a front-row contender with multiple industrial advances and large amounts of investor money. There have been a number of definitions of synthetic biology, also known as synbio. Generally, it involves redesigning genetic systems […]

May 23, 2022 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

biotech industrial insect food agribiotech

Best in Biotech 28 Mar 2022

The Top 10 Insect-Powered Biotech Companies

Insects are often seen as pests, but many species can provide new sources of food, materials, and even ways to clean up plastic waste. Here are 10 companies in this space that we think are worth watching. Many people think of insects simply as pests that eat crops and carry diseases such as malaria. While […]

March 28, 2022 - 9 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 31 Jan 2022

Nature’s Painters: Making Sustainable Colors with Microbes

The production of textile dyes and food colorants can have a big environmental footprint. Biotech startups are rising to the challenge by engineering bacteria, fungi, and algae to sustainably produce natural colors. Eight years ago, University of Cambridge researcher Jim Ajioka was in Nepal helping to produce a biosensor to detect arsenic in drinking water […]

January 31, 2022 - 9 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Interview 13 Oct 2021

Thinking About Risk Early on Is Key for Cell Therapy Success

For cell therapy to become mainstream, important issues such as management of risk and quality control need to be addressed, argues Duncan Borthwick, Global Marketing Manager at cell therapy manufacturing firm Solentim. Research and development of cell therapies, along with other advanced medicines like gene therapies, has increased exponentially over the last few years. According […]

October 13, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 17 Sep 2021

Cell Therapy Firm Raises €64M to Revolutionize Manufacturing

This week’s €64M Series B fundraise from the French firm TreeFrog Therapeutics is the latest in a thriving movement to make the manufacture of gene and cell therapies easier and cheaper. Cell and gene therapies offer huge potential to treat a wide range of diseases including cancer, neurological, and genetic diseases. They have even shown […]

September 17, 2021 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 8 Sep 2021

As J&J Vaccine Fails Phase II, the Quest for an HIV Vaccine Continues

Johnson & Johnson became the latest company to have a failed vaccine trial against HIV last week. While it was a great disappointment to many, efforts continue in this space, helped by recent Covid-19 vaccine advances. HIV has been around for decades. While antiretroviral treatments have improved enormously, turning what was once a death sentence […]

September 8, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 6 Sep 2021

Why We Desperately Need to Develop New Antifungals

While serious fungal infections are rare, there is a limited number of approved drugs to treat them, and they may not always work due to the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Despite the challenges, researchers are starting to add new weapons to the arsenal to protect us against these microscopic invaders. Developing effective antifungals is a […]

September 6, 2021 - 10 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Interview 23 Aug 2021

Behind the Scenes at Novo Seeds: Building Startups from the Ground up

Søren Møller, Managing Investment Director at Novo Seeds, discusses how the firm’s investment strategy has changed over time to support the creation of biotech startups in the Nordics. Søren Møller has a PhD in molecular biology from the Technical University of Denmark. After spending some time as a postdoc at Stanford University in the US […]

August 23, 2021 - 9 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

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Helen Albert

About

Articles by Helen Albert

Innovative biomaterials are revolutionizing tissue regeneration

15 biotech companies shaking up the scene in Cambridge

Making a success out of technology transfer at UCLB

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven RNA therapeutics into the mainstream

The coming of age of European synthetic biology

The Top 10 Insect-Powered Biotech Companies

Nature’s Painters: Making Sustainable Colors with Microbes

Thinking About Risk Early on Is Key for Cell Therapy Success

Cell Therapy Firm Raises €64M to Revolutionize Manufacturing

As J&J Vaccine Fails Phase II, the Quest for an HIV Vaccine Continues

Why We Desperately Need to Develop New Antifungals

Behind the Scenes at Novo Seeds: Building Startups from the Ground up

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest biotech news!

10 biotech companies to watch in 2025

Biotech in 2024: A retrospective

Grab your free report on 3D organoids and explore their future potential

Five biosimilar companies you should know about

Connect with decision-makers and researchers worldwide for collaborative opportunities

Subscribe to our newsletter

Advertise with us

10 biotech companies to watch in 2025

Biotech in 2024: A retrospective

Grab your free report on 3D organoids and explore their future potential

Five biosimilar companies you should know about

Connect with decision-makers and researchers worldwide for collaborative opportunities

Subscribe to our newsletter

Advertise with us

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Articles by Helen Albert

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