In Depth 8 Nov 2021 Blockchain Makes Biotech Supply Chains Traceable Blockchain technology can be used to reliably trace entire supply chains, preventing counterfeit drugs and foods from making their way to consumers. Supply chains are long, often spanning multiple continents, complex, and dotted with blind spots. These opaque gaps leave room for unethical agents to interfere with the supply chain. If you were running a […] November 8, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 25 Oct 2021 Biotech Startups Face a Growing Wave of Cyberattacks The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year triggered a wave of cyberattacks in the life sciences industry, and the problem is likely to get worse. Biotech startups need to improve their cybersecurity, but where should they start? In January 2020, it was time to open the champagne for Andrew Sewell, Professor of Infection and […] October 25, 2021 - 11 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 20 Oct 2021 Arming Biological Nanobots to Deliver Drugs Inside Our Bodies Nanobots are tiny biological machines that can deliver drugs to the target destination to make them more efficacious and reduce side effects, which are the biggest challenges of drug delivery. Traditional drug treatments, for example cancer chemotherapy, can come with toxic compounds that indiscriminately damage healthy tissues. Nanobots could circumvent this issue by protecting the […] October 20, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Carlos de Rojas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 11 Oct 2021 A Cure for Cancer? How CAR-T Cell Therapy is Revolutionizing Oncology CAR-T therapy has been hailed as a cure for cancer, but what really is this ‘miraculous technology’ and what can we actually expect from it? The field of immuno-oncology is booming with billions of euros in investment. The ability to rewire our own immune system to fight cancer has certainly created huge expectations. After the […] October 11, 2021 - 10 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 15 Sep 2021 Blood Cells: The Future of Drug Delivery From red blood cells to platelets, the cells in our own blood could prove an effective way of delivering drugs to their target and improving their safety. Many pharmaceutical drugs in the market come with side effects that generally arise from their effects on parts of the body other than their intended target. Even when […] September 15, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
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 Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
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 Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 16 Aug 2021 Plants Allow Astronauts to Make Medicines in Space As humans venture into deep space travel, plants might become essential to keep astronauts healthy on years-long trips to Mars. Astronauts have been taking medicines with them on space missions since the beginning of space travel. The crew on the Apollo 11 mission that landed on the Moon carried antibiotics, painkillers, nasal sprays, and sleeping […] August 16, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 4 Aug 2021 Ditch the VC: Alternative Funding Options for Biotech Startups Getting money for a biotech startup can be a daunting task. Venture capital is not the only — and not always the best — option to fund a life sciences company. “A lot of entrepreneurs, particularly young first-time entrepreneurs, think venture capital is the only way to build up a company,” said Andreas Schmidt. Ten […] August 4, 2021 - 9 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 28 Jul 2021 Tracking Covid-19 Cases with Wastewater Testing Researchers have been using DNA testing technology to detect traces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus behind Covid-19 in wastewater streams in order to predict and prevent outbreaks locally. Wastewater testing can be a useful method to study the behavior of people living in a specific region. For example, a European study conducted back in 2014 looked […] July 28, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 21 Jul 2021 What the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Ban Means for the Bioplastics Industry A European directive banning a range of single-use plastics came into law this month. How are the new regulations impacting industrial biotech companies developing bioplastics? In an attempt to reduce staggeringly high levels of plastic pollution seen around the world, particularly in marine environments, the 27 EU member states and Norway agreed in 2019 to […] July 21, 2021 - 10 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 12 Jul 2021 The Hidden Role of Biobanks in Covid-19 Research Biobanks have played a key role in the fight against Covid-19 by allowing researchers to access the samples they needed to study the disease and develop vaccines and treatments. While the pandemic presented a big challenge to the often underfunded biobanks, it also provided an opportunity for growth in many other areas of research going […] July 12, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Carlos de Rojas Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email