Kostas Vavitsas, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Kostas Vavitsas, PhD, is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Athens, Greece, and a freelance writer on biotech and synthetic biology topics.

Articles by Kostas Vavitsas

In Depth 11 Aug 2022

Biosecurity is synthetic biology’s most crucial ally

Synthetic biology has made it easier than ever to engineer organisms to serve our needs. But as the technology becomes widespread, concerns about its potential misuse arise. How can we ensure biosecurity without hindering the advance of synthetic biology? Biosecurity consists of the prevention of and response to the release of potentially harmful organisms. Now […]

August 11, 2022 - 6 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

In Depth 25 Aug 2021

After Years of Neglect, Algae Biotechnology Makes a Comeback

Despite their ability to create matter out of thin air, algae and cyanobacteria have long been neglected by the biotech industry. Recently, however, they have started to gain traction in new market niches. In the center of Paris, just across from Marie Curie’s old laboratory, Pierre Crozet, Associate Professor at Sorbonne University, studies photosynthesis. His […]

August 25, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

Investment Gap finance savings currency train bridge

News and Trends 23 Feb 2021

European Cancer Deals Increasingly Focus on Natural Killer Cells

Natural killer cells are becoming a hot topic in the booming cancer cell therapy scene, with the field’s latest big deal being a €640M licensing agreement between the French biotech Cellectis and US company Cytovia. T-cell immunotherapies like CAR T-cell therapy have revolutionized cancer treatment in recent times. However, they have a significant disadvantage. The […]

February 23, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

News and Trends 9 Feb 2021

EMA Green Light Sends Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Into Turbulent Market

As AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine debuts in the EU market this month, supply bottlenecks, viral variants, and political squabbles demonstrate that the quest to develop and distribute Covid-19 vaccines is far from over. The list of approved Covid-19 vaccines in Europe is growing ever longer with the EMA approval of the […]

February 9, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

News and Trends 15 Jan 2021

GSK Acne Deal Heralds Growing Interest in Skin Microbiome

This week, the Paris-based Eligo Bioscience became one of a growing number of biotechs to land a big pharma deal focused on the skin microbiome, receiving up to €185M from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) as they explore a CRISPR-based treatment for acne. Acne is a condition that troubles the majority of adolescents and often persists into adulthood. […]

January 15, 2021 - 4 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

Cultured meat Europe cellular agriculture

News and Trends 14 Dec 2020

Will Europe Follow Singapore in Approving Cultured Meat?

Singapore is the first country to grant approval to meat grown from animal cells, known as cultured meat. Will European countries follow suit? Eat Just is a San Francisco-based company that sells plant-based alternatives to eggs and other animal products. The firm made headlines last week when it got regulatory approval to market cultured chicken […]

December 14, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

News and Trends 26 Nov 2020

AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 Vaccine Proves Its Worth in Phase III

A much anticipated Covid-19 vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, achieved 70% efficacy in phase III interim data. While less effective on paper, it could prove cheaper and easier to distribute than its most advanced competitors. Scientists and politicians heartily received the announcement of promising interim clinical trial results from the Covid-19 […]

November 26, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

News and Trends 20 Nov 2020

Breakthroughs in Decentralized Testing Could Contain Covid-19

Hospital facilities in Europe are being pushed to their limits as the Covid-19 pandemic continues into winter. Coronavirus testing that doesn’t require a central lab is now arriving on the scene, and it could be the solution to effectively monitor and contain the disease. Despite the recent announcements of promising phase III data on Covid-19 […]

November 20, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

In Depth 2 Nov 2020

Synthetic Biology: The Next Step in the Cannabinoid Revolution

The recent relaxation of cannabis legislation in Canada, many parts of the US, and several European countries has attracted a lot of investment. While most endeavors focus on extracting cannabinoid compounds from cannabis plants, there’s a growing interest in producing them using engineered microbes. Nehtaji Gallage was first acquainted with cannabinoids when she was a […]

November 2, 2020 - 6 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

News and Trends 17 Sep 2020

3D Bioprinting Gains a Foothold in Biomedicine

3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing by reducing costs and giving designers and engineers immense flexibility. Could 3D bioprinting do the same for biotechnology? The 3D bioprinting field is still quite young, but it is developing rapidly. In fact, the 3D bioprinting market is expected to grow from €700M ($820M) in 2019 to a massive €4B […]

September 17, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

News and Trends 11 Aug 2020

How European Startups Have Advanced Cancer T-Cell Therapy in 2020

With the help of a huge €66M Series A round last week, the German startup T-knife is developing cancer T-cell immunotherapies with the help of genetically modified mice. However, this is just one of several cancer T-cell therapy startups making advances this year, with other innovations including off-the-shelf treatments and a potential universal cancer therapy. […]

August 11, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

News and Trends 27 Jul 2020

Biological Fungicide Clears Wheat of Rust Disease in European Field Trial

A fungicide derived from amoeba has proven effective at protecting wheat from rust disease and other major fungal diseases at bay. Developed by French company Amoéba, this product could provide an eco-friendly solution to a growing problem in agriculture worldwide. Every year, over 5 million tons of wheat are lost to rust disease globally, which […]

July 27, 2020 - 2 minutesmins - By Kostas Vavitsas

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