After several years of nominations, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna have finally been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their development of CRISPR/Cas genetic editing. These ‘genetic scissors’ can be used to can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with unprecedented precision. CRISPR technology has already had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences, but the technique and the Nobel prize itself aren’t without controversy.
Developing new therapies is sometimes not enough: for retinal indications, accurate delivery is key to making a drug work. Lowering the patient burden by minimizing injections is also an important factor to consider. Oxular, an Oxford-based biotech and V-Bio Ventures portfolio company, has developed a technology platform to address the unmet need for less frequent dosing and better drug delivery in retinal diseases.
Tumors create complex microenvironments where they suppress the normal functioning of the immune system. Blood vessels and macrophages are an important part of this environment. A new VIB-KU Leuven startup called Montis Biosciences is working to enhance anti-tumor immunity by investigating interactions between perivascular macrophages and the tumor vasculature.
Gent, Belgium, 27 October 2020 – Today V-Bio Ventures announces its investment in Animab, a new venture spin-off from VIB, in a EUR 3.4 million Seed financing round. The company develops monoclonal antibodies for oral administration to ensure intestinal health of livestock. The initial focus is on improving the resilience of piglets during the fragile post-weaning period. The start-up will use the seed capital to develop its first oral antibody product for protection against ETEC and initiate a product portfolio for the livestock industry.
For the third year in a row, Belgium has been ranked the number one country in Europe for biotech! Belgium is consistently included in the top five countries on a number of measures. But when it comes to the total market value of all public biotech companies in Europe, Belgium really takes the cake with a huge 24% slice. Furthermore, despite pressure from the pandemic, the value of Belgian biotech companies has increased by no less than 56% in the past year to €42 billion, putting 2020 on course to be a record-breaking year in a positive way. The great news was presented by KBC Securities at the virtual State of the Union organized by flanders.bio and VIB for this year’s Knowledge for Growth.
Every year, the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research is granted to a scientist who embodies the eponymous man’s dedication to his patients and unfailing curiosity and passion for scientific progress. The 2020 winner of this prestigious award is Dr. Lewis Cantley, who discovered the family of PI3K enzymes, thereby increasing our understanding of a wide range of diseases including cancer and diabetes. Nearly 30 years on from this seminal discovery, Dr. Cantley’s research has resulted in more precise cancer therapies that have saved patient lives, making him a true champion of science.
For decades, researchers have been trying to uncover the cause of nodding syndrome, a mysterious and deadly form of epilepsy that only affects children on the African continent. In a collaboration between Belgian and African scientists, researchers from the University of Antwerp have now discovered the root cause of the disease. In a cascade of events, nodding syndrome is triggered by another disease called river blindness, which in turn is caused by parasitic worms spread by blackfly bites. As complicated as it sounds, this is great news for the children, as it means that nodding syndrome can easily be controlled by administering the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin and exterminating blackflies.
While physicians care for their individual patients and are interested in the factors contributing to the individual’s condition, evolutionary biologists investigate the cause of the biological phenomenon, trying to understand for example why a certain disease has developed in a particular species such as our own Homo sapiens. By combining the view of physicians with the view of evolutionary biologists, the field of evolutionary medicine has the potential to improve our understanding of certain diseases and how to prevent them.
After several years of nominations, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna have finally been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their development of CRISPR/Cas genetic editing. These ‘genetic scissors’ can be used to can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with unprecedented precision. CRISPR technology has already had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences, but the technique and the Nobel prize itself aren’t without controversy.
Developing new therapies is sometimes not enough: for retinal indications, accurate delivery is key to making a drug work. Lowering the patient burden by minimizing injections is also an important factor to consider. Oxular, an Oxford-based biotech and V-Bio Ventures portfolio company, has developed a technology platform to address the unmet need for less frequent dosing and better drug delivery in retinal diseases.
Tumors create complex microenvironments where they suppress the normal functioning of the immune system. Blood vessels and macrophages are an important part of this environment. A new VIB-KU Leuven startup called Montis Biosciences is working to enhance anti-tumor immunity by investigating interactions between perivascular macrophages and the tumor vasculature.
Gent, Belgium, 27 October 2020 – Today V-Bio Ventures announces its investment in Animab, a new venture spin-off from VIB, in a EUR 3.4 million Seed financing round. The company develops monoclonal antibodies for oral administration to ensure intestinal health of livestock. The initial focus is on improving the resilience of piglets during the fragile post-weaning period. The start-up will use the seed capital to develop its first oral antibody product for protection against ETEC and initiate a product portfolio for the livestock industry.
For the third year in a row, Belgium has been ranked the number one country in Europe for biotech! Belgium is consistently included in the top five countries on a number of measures. But when it comes to the total market value of all public biotech companies in Europe, Belgium really takes the cake with a huge 24% slice. Furthermore, despite pressure from the pandemic, the value of Belgian biotech companies has increased by no less than 56% in the past year to €42 billion, putting 2020 on course to be a record-breaking year in a positive way. The great news was presented by KBC Securities at the virtual State of the Union organized by flanders.bio and VIB for this year’s Knowledge for Growth.
Every year, the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research is granted to a scientist who embodies the eponymous man’s dedication to his patients and unfailing curiosity and passion for scientific progress. The 2020 winner of this prestigious award is Dr. Lewis Cantley, who discovered the family of PI3K enzymes, thereby increasing our understanding of a wide range of diseases including cancer and diabetes. Nearly 30 years on from this seminal discovery, Dr. Cantley’s research has resulted in more precise cancer therapies that have saved patient lives, making him a true champion of science.
For decades, researchers have been trying to uncover the cause of nodding syndrome, a mysterious and deadly form of epilepsy that only affects children on the African continent. In a collaboration between Belgian and African scientists, researchers from the University of Antwerp have now discovered the root cause of the disease. In a cascade of events, nodding syndrome is triggered by another disease called river blindness, which in turn is caused by parasitic worms spread by blackfly bites. As complicated as it sounds, this is great news for the children, as it means that nodding syndrome can easily be controlled by administering the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin and exterminating blackflies.
While physicians care for their individual patients and are interested in the factors contributing to the individual’s condition, evolutionary biologists investigate the cause of the biological phenomenon, trying to understand for example why a certain disease has developed in a particular species such as our own Homo sapiens. By combining the view of physicians with the view of evolutionary biologists, the field of evolutionary medicine has the potential to improve our understanding of certain diseases and how to prevent them.