Startup Scout 13 Sep 2019 This Biotech Makes Meat Substitutes from Crops Using Fungi We’re traveling to Glasgow, UK, this week. The biotech 3F BIO is using fungi to convert plant sugars into proteins in a process that uses less than half of the water and feed that farming animal meat requires. Mission: To turn plant sugars into proteins using fungi, which could help to feed the growing world’s […] September 13, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 6 Sep 2019 This Biotech Regenerates Bone Tissue to Treat Tooth Loss In the university town of Umeå, Sweden, the biotech company Omnio is developing treatments for tooth loss in conditions such as periodontitis. Mission: To promote wound healing by enhancing the action of plasminogen, a protein in the blood that is important in the healing process. Enhancing the action of this molecule could allow the company […] September 6, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 30 Aug 2019 This Biotech Develops Epigenetic Drugs to Fight Brain Cancer Nestled in the historic city of Uppsala, Sweden, Beactica is fighting the brain cancer glioblastoma by targeting mechanisms controlling the expression of cancer cell genes. Mission: Develop first-in-class drugs for brain cancer that block a protein called lysine-specific demethylase 1 that helps cancer cells to divide and grow. Beactica targets glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain […] August 30, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 16 Aug 2019 This Biotech Fights Alzheimer’s Disease by Targeting Support Brain Cells It’s time to go to London, UK, this week. The UK biotech AstronauTx is developing drugs that could slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease by aiming at star-shaped cells in the brain called astrocytes. Mission: To develop small molecule drugs targeting astrocytes, whose inflammatory activity is linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease […] August 16, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 9 Aug 2019 This Biotech Cleans up Drugs from Sewage Using Enzymes We’re visiting Uppsala, Sweden, this week. This city is home to Pharem Biotech, a company developing enzymes to break down drug residues contaminating wastewater. Mission: To remove drug residue from sewage water by developing enzymes that are modified to be 200 times more effective than natural enzymes. This technology could reduce the ecological and health […] August 9, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 2 Aug 2019 This Biotech Uses Messenger RNA to Treat Lethal Lung Inflammation Based close to Berlin, Germany, the biotech startup Pantherna Therapeutics is developing a messenger RNA drug to treat a life-threatening lung condition that requires mechanical ventilation. Mission: To develop a messenger RNA (mRNA) drug to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome, an inflammatory lung reaction that kills up to half of patients with the condition. Acute […] August 2, 2019 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 26 Jul 2019 This Biotech Makes Food for Space Missions Using Bacteria Time to head to Helsinki, Finland, this week! We’re visiting Solar Foods, a biotech using bacteria to produce protein-rich flour out of carbon dioxide and water. Mission: To develop a protein-rich powder that can be made with little more than bacteria, electricity and water. This production method could be more efficient and sustainable than traditional […] July 26, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 19 Jul 2019 This Biotech Breaks Down ‘Undruggable’ Proteins to Treat Cancer In the Polish city of Wrocław, Captor Therapeutics is developing cancer treatments that destroy disease-causing proteins. Mission: To develop cancer treatments able to degrade proteins that are normally outside the reach of traditional drugs, called the ‘undruggable proteome’. Small molecule drugs are able to target a small minority of proteins in the cell, such as […] July 19, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 12 Jul 2019 This Biotech Uses ‘Omics’ to Develop Treatments for Drug-Resistant Cancer Next time you travel to Barcelona, Spain, check out Aromics, a biotech that is using genomics and proteomics to develop treatments for cancers such as malignant mesothelioma, which can be caused by asbestos. Mission: To use omics technology to treat drug-resistant cancers, as well as to identify cancer biomarkers that could improve monitoring in clinical […] July 12, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 5 Jul 2019 This Biotech Helps the Immune System to Infiltrate and Destroy Tumors The Nice-based biotech company Yukin Therapeutics is developing drugs that can work together with checkpoint inhibitors to help the immune system smash tumors such as melanoma. Mission: To develop a drug that can change the tumor microenvironment to allow the immune system to infiltrate and destroy the tumor more effectively. This could give a big […] July 5, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 28 Jun 2019 This Biotech Makes Dyes from Agricultural Waste Using Microbes Welcome to Norwich, UK, where Colorifix converts agricultural waste products into dyes using microbes, reducing the water and energy required to produce the dyes. Mission: To make textile dyes more sustainable by replacing chemical methods with microbial fermentation. Dyes are an essential part of the textile and fashion industries. The majority of dyes today are […] June 28, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
Startup Scout 14 Jun 2019 This Biotech Reduces Drug Side Effects Using Silica Gel Implants DelSiTech is a Finnish company developing injectable silica gel implants that release drugs slowly over time, causing fewer side effects and helping patients stick to their treatment regimen. Mission: To develop silica gels that slowly release drugs over time to treat conditions including HIV, hepatitis B, retinal disease and cancer. One big problem in chronic […] June 14, 2019 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email