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
In Depth 28 Jun 2021 Transforming Food Waste into Bioenergy Food waste is one of the many environmental problems caused by modern agriculture. Biotechnology innovations may help us tackle it by turning waste into energy. For decades now, bioenergy has been posited as a renewable and clean source of energy. Biomass, particularly from forestry, is the largest source of renewable energy in the UK. However, […] June 28, 2021 - 6 minutesmins - By Sachin Rawat Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 23 Jun 2021 How Blockchain Companies Are Helping Us Protect Our Genomic Data Using genomic data and the blockchain network, it is now possible to send anonymous genetic information around the world in the blink of an eye. Meet the companies that want to help us protect and control our own genetic data. As the cost of sequencing an individual genome falls and more people have access to […] June 23, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 14 Jun 2021 Biomimicry in Biotech: Taking Inspiration from Nature Scouring the natural world can be an effective way of finding design inspiration for new scientific innovation. Several biotech companies are using biomimicry to develop weird and wonderful bio-inspired products. If you’re looking to design a new tool to overcome a scientific challenge, chances are that evolution has beaten you to it. It’s not […] June 14, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Farhan Mitha Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 7 Jun 2021 The Post-Covid Future of AI for Drug Development With the global Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020, pharma companies and biotechs have increasingly turned to artificial intelligence to improve precision and speed in drug development. Artificial intelligence (AI), the ability of machines to learn from new input, is a broad term for a range of computing methods. Recommendation engines used by online shopping or […] June 7, 2021 - 11 minutesmins - By Matthew Williams Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 31 Mar 2021 Equity Crowdfunding for Biotech Startups: Does It Work? In the last decade, crowdfunding has become a popular way to finance all sorts of projects and products. Biotech is no exception, but many question whether the high risk and long term nature of investing in the biotech industry makes it a good fit for equity crowdfunding. When you hear the term crowdfunding, you might […] March 31, 2021 - 9 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 22 Mar 2021 Can Immunotherapy Offer Hope for Parkinson’s Sufferers? Despite decades of research, effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease are proving elusive. Could immunotherapy finally provide a solution? More than seven million people worldwide are currently living with Parkinson’s disease, an incurable neurodegenerative disorder. Current treatment options are limited as they only attempt to mask the symptoms rather than address the cause. But there is […] March 22, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By David Cox Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email