In Depth 6 Jan 2021 The Bio-Based Economy: What’s Holding It Back? As pollution and climate change become growing problems, breaking society’s addiction to fossil fuels is a daunting task. What are the main obstacles holding European biotechs back from building a more sustainable economy and how can we resolve them? Modern society’s dependence on fossil fuels is unsustainable. Although the Covid-19 pandemic caused a 7% drop […] January 6, 2021 - 9 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 4 Jan 2021 What Does the Next Decade Have in Store for European Biotech? Just like that, another decade has gone by. It’s time to look at what the future will bring to the European biotech industry. European biotech has seen some huge breakthroughs and a few setbacks during the last 10 years. As we enter a new decade with great uncertainty due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, let’s […] January 4, 2021 - 9 minutesmins - By Karen O’Hanlon Cohrt Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 30 Dec 2020 A Look Back at the Past Decade of European Biotech As we prepare to enter a new decade, we look back on the major milestones and blunders within European biotech over the last 10 years. Over the last decade, we have seen many biotech breakthroughs to come from Europe, including first-in-class therapies for cancer, the first approved in vivo gene therapy, as well as notable […] December 30, 2020 - 15 minutesmins - By Karen O’Hanlon Cohrt Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 23 Dec 2020 Humble Beginnings: The Origin Story of Modern Biotechnology The history of modern biotechnology began around four decades ago with the invention of genetic engineering. Genentech, one of the fundamental companies in this field, set many trends for modern biotech companies today. Biotechnology doesn’t necessarily involve labs. In fact, humans have been using forms of biotechnology for millennia, for example, using fermentation to brew […] December 23, 2020 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 21 Dec 2020 Enemy or Valuable Ally? How Biotech Uses Viruses for Good Taking advantage of the ability of viruses to manipulate life is opening new doors for the biotech industry. Once only seen as our enemies, viruses are fast becoming some of our most valuable allies. Viruses may not have the best public image, but to biotechnologists, there’s a lot to admire about them. These tiny molecular […] December 21, 2020 - 7 minutesmins - By Farhan Mitha Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Expert Advice 14 Dec 2020 How to Hire and Retain Talent in the Biotech Industry Hiring is a big challenge for biotech companies; life sciences recruitment experts share their strategies for attracting and retaining talent in the biotech industry. The big obstacle for life sciences recruiters is that companies in this industry generally require highly qualified candidates with very specific skills. “As every company is very specialized in what they […] December 14, 2020 - 7 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 7 Dec 2020 Are We Still Friends? What Brexit Means for UK Synthetic Biology Synthetic biology is one of the big strengths of UK science, but can the country uphold its vantage point after Brexit, without the support of the EU? (Disclaimer: At the time of writing, no deal has been made between the UK and the EU following Brexit. This intrepid writer is an Irish citizen who made […] December 7, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By David Kirk Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 30 Nov 2020 Can Anti-Aging Research Keep Us Healthy in the Long Run? Searching for the fountain of eternal youth has been the dream of humanity for millennia. While this is still in the realm of science fiction, anti-aging companies are hoping to tackle age-related diseases by targeting the underlying biology of aging. While we’ve been hunting for immortality for millennia, there hasn’t been much success. However, an […] November 30, 2020 - 10 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 11 Nov 2020 GMO Regulations in Europe Are “Not Fit for Purpose” The controversial decision by the European courts in 2018 to regulate gene-edited organisms as GMOs has had a damaging effect on biotech companies working in this area. The current GMO regulations were established in Europe in 2001 and were designed to strictly regulate the introduction of DNA from other species into animals and plants. These […] November 11, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 9 Nov 2020 Gene Drives: A Controversial Tool to Fight Malaria The advent of CRISPR gene editing has enabled the creation of gene drives, a technology that can increase the odds of a certain gene being inherited. While the technology could help us tackle malaria and control invasive species, the scientific community is divided on whether it is ethical. The possibility of creating gene drives was […] November 9, 2020 - 12 minutesmins - By Helen Albert Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
In Depth 4 Nov 2020 The Return of Gene Therapy Gene therapy is a hot area in the biotech industry right now, with many treatments in development and a number of recent approvals. However, the path has not always been a smooth one. Gene therapy has been one of the biggest success stories of the 21st century. Genetic diseases were once seen as incurable, etched […] November 4, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Farhan Mitha Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
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 Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email