Antwerp researcher Rosa Rademakers has won the Breakthrough Prize in the US — one of the world’s most prestigious science awards. Rademakers received the prize and more than 2.5 million euros for her groundbreaking discovery that a rare genetic mutation plays a key role in both frontotemporal dementia and ALS.
Europe has long positioned itself as a global leader in life sciences. With world-class research institutions and a steady pipeline of scientific breakthroughs, that claim is well founded. But at the heart of the ecosystem, there is a growing disconnect. Is Europe equipped to build and retain globally competitive companies, or is it just a generator of innovation for others to scale?
Biodol Therapeutics is aiming to ease the burden of chronic pain for millions of patients around the globe. The company is developing a unique new drug with a dual function: a non-opioid standalone treatment for neuropathic pain or migraine, but also a combination therapy with opioids. By reversing opioid tolerance, Biodol’s compound eliminates the need for higher doses, making these powerful drugs safer and more effective at alleviating suffering.
Farmers rely heavily on chemical fertilizers to boost crop yields, but this approach comes at a cost to soil quality, biodiversity, and plant fertility. Soil microbes may provide greener alternatives to help plants grow better under tough conditions like drought by triggering faster growth and earlier flowering. The intended result? Improved crop yields when water is scarce.
With the rapid rise of Chinese biopharma, this ‘new kid on the block’ has gone from baby to behemoth on the world stage. This powerhouse of innovation and industry is now turning heads in both the US and Europe, having transformed from copycat to top dog in the space of just a few years. How has China done it, and what can Europe do in response?
What if the next step in preventing fatty liver disease could come from the sea? The Alga-Care project is investigating whether bioactive compounds from microalgae could help protect the liver from fat accumulation, oxidation, and damage. This VLAIO-funded intercluster project is supported by both Biovia and De Blauwe Cluster, uniting biomedical expertise and marine biology for a potential One Health solution.
What if obesity was not only about how much you eat? A new study in mice suggests that a small motor protein hidden inside the cell nucleus may help decide whether fat tissue ages healthily or quietly turns sick. Lose this protein, and the body's fat get bigger even when the diet never changes — a twist that may carry lessons far beyond the lab.
Over 60% of European soils are considered unhealthy, threatening our food, water, and climate. Yet the knowledge needed to restore them exists — it is just inaccessible and underused, scattered across hundreds of databases and institutions. The SoilWise project is changing that by building a one-stop-shop for soil data that anyone can access and build upon. Because to save our soils, we first need to find our data.
What if the next step in preventing fatty liver disease could come from the sea? The Alga-Care project is investigating whether bioactive compounds from microalgae could help protect the liver from fat accumulation, oxidation, and damage. This VLAIO-funded intercluster project is supported by both Biovia and De Blauwe Cluster, uniting biomedical expertise and marine biology for a potential One Health solution.
What if obesity was not only about how much you eat? A new study in mice suggests that a small motor protein hidden inside the cell nucleus may help decide whether fat tissue ages healthily or quietly turns sick. Lose this protein, and the body's fat get bigger even when the diet never changes — a twist that may carry lessons far beyond the lab.
Over 60% of European soils are considered unhealthy, threatening our food, water, and climate. Yet the knowledge needed to restore them exists — it is just inaccessible and underused, scattered across hundreds of databases and institutions. The SoilWise project is changing that by building a one-stop-shop for soil data that anyone can access and build upon. Because to save our soils, we first need to find our data.