Academia
Soy in 1000 gardens: citizen science project to map soil microbes in Flanders
Good science takes many hands. In the case of a new citizen science project by VIB, UGent, ILVO, KU Leuven, […] March 31, 2021 · BioVoxAugustine Therapeutics strengthens Board of Directors and sets up Scientific Advisory Board
Leuven, Belgium, 19th March 2021 – Augustine Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on the development of innovative medicines for rare […] March 19, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
Lessons learned from COVID-19: how do we prepare for the next pandemic?
Although the crisis has not yet passed, COVID-19 has already taught us many valuable lessons. This past year has tested […] March 10, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
Record-breaking pollen levels linked to increased risk of COVID-19
Increased pollen concentrations are correlated with higher rates of COVID-19. Hot on the heels of record-breaking European pollen counts, this […] March 10, 2021 · BioVox
V-Bio Ventures: a fresh fund with a difference
V-Bio Ventures recently announced their second fund, with the first closing already totaling 78 million euros. As a VC fund […] February 24, 2021 · V-Bio Ventures
Prestigious prize for Belgian breakthrough in brain research
Prof. Dr. Pierre Vanderhaeghen from VIB-KU Leuven has been awarded the Generet Prize for Rare Diseases for his research on […] January 27, 2021 · BioVox
The rapid evolution of Chinese biotech
The world is smaller today than it has ever been. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen the advantages of […] December 2, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
Get to know Lewis Cantley: winner of the 2020 Dr. Paul Janssen Award
Every year, the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research is granted to a scientist who embodies the eponymous man’s […] September 30, 2020 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
UAntwerp researchers find cause for mysterious nodding syndrome
For decades, researchers have been trying to uncover the cause of nodding syndrome, a mysterious and deadly form of epilepsy […] September 30, 2020 · BioVox
VIB: the driving force behind a booming biotech ecosystem
Since VIB was established, the world class research institute has been led by a duo of managing directors. As Johan […] July 7, 2020 · BioVox
Colorectal cancer discovery raises hope for microbiome treatment
A new mechanism causing colorectal cancer has been discovered by researchers from VIB and Ghent University. A specific protein was […] July 7, 2020 · BioVox
Fundamental research leads to treatment breakthrough in rare genetic diseases
A basic research breakthrough is improving patient lives, as researchers realized their rare genetic condition could be treated by repurposing […] June 8, 2020 · BioVox
Talking T cells with David Masopust
Immunology is a complex but vitally important branch of the life sciences. Earlier this year, we attended a Keystone Symposia […] June 8, 2020 · BioVox
Belgian clinical trials for COVID-19
With COVID-19 cases soaring into the millions, and a vaccine still a ways off, patients are desperate for a treatment. […] May 5, 2020 · BioVox
University Hospital Ghent and VIB are testing medication to treat COVID-19-associated respiratory illness
University Hospital Ghent and VIB are assessing a drug called Leukine® to treat patients with respiratory illness associated with COVID-19. Major medical centers in [...] March 25, 2020 · BioVox
Professors of Product Development from UAntwerp are looking at emergency production of mouth masks
At the University of Antwerp, twelve product developers are working day and night to develop oral masks. “Together with industrial partners, we try to set up an [...] March 24, 2020 · BioVox
Gates Foundation commissions large coronavirus study from KU Leuven
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is to provide samples of 15,000 therapeutic molecules to the Gasthuisberg hospital at the University of Leuven, to aid research into therapies to combat the coronavirus COVID-19, De Standaard reports. March 24, 2020 · BioVox
VIB achieves important milestone in the development of a COVID-19 drug
Earlier this year, the lab of Xavier Saelens (VIB-UGent) announced the discovery of a unique antibody that is capable of binding the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). [...] March 24, 2020 · BioVox
Augustine Therapeutics: bridging the valley of death with VIB Discovery Sciences
Augustine Therapeutics is one of VIB’s latest spinoffs, developing a first-in-class drug for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The company recently announced a seed-funding [...] February 26, 2020 · V-Bio Ventures
Battling antibiotic resistance: new strategy targets bacterial slime
Researchers have developed a new antibacterial strategy that weakens bacteria by preventing them from cooperating. The method involves attacking the protective biofilm [...] January 22, 2020 · BioVox
Signposts inspired by bat sonar improve self-driving robots
To improve sonar navigation systems used by self-driving robots, researchers from Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany have turned to nature for an ingenious solution. [...] January 22, 2020 · BioVox
New immune system gene discovered in a Flemish boy
Researchers studying a rare disease have identified a new gene responsible for human immune system regulation. An international collaboration combined […] November 26, 2019 · BioVox
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine: How do cells adapt to changing oxygen levels?
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to William G. Kaelin Jr, Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza. Their discoveries have [...] October 24, 2019 · BioVox
HIV breakthrough at UZ Gent leads to new hope for a cure
When patients take HIV medication, a small amount of the virus nonetheless stays hidden in the body, preventing a cure. […] September 23, 2019 · BioVox
Meet the men who unraveled the mystery of protein folding
Franz-Ulrich Hartl and Arthur Horwich have been named the winners of the 2019 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. […] August 27, 2019 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Solving food waste one StixFresh sticker at a time
Food waste is a major global issue exacerbated by premature fruit spoilage. A US company, StixFresh, is working together with VIB-KU Leuven Prof Patrick Van Dijck [...] July 15, 2019 · BioVox
WELBIO joins ranks with celebrities after a new bacterium is named after the institute
WELBIO has received a truly unique form of acknowledgement: a newly discovered bacterium has been named after the research institute. […] July 10, 2019 · Turnstone Communications
Edible antibodies to prevent and treat gut diseases
Belgian researchers have developed edible antibodies that can prevent gut bacterial infections. Normally antibodies need to be injected, but the […] June 27, 2019 · BioVox
A new type of power plants to combat climate change
The prestigious organization EMBO recently announced several new members, including the appointment of VIB-UGent scientist Prof Wout Boerjan. Boerjan joins […] June 27, 2019 · BioVox
Science for health: a new event for creating research connections
Science for health is Belgium’s new research event, set to promote more collaborations in our stellar life sciences ecosystem. The […] May 29, 2019 · BioVox
Deadly mosquitoes are invading Europe
Due to climate change, two species of tropical mosquitoes are spreading into Europe at increasing rates. Their presence is linked to a range of tropical viruses [...] April 3, 2019 · BioVox
Hydrogen gas panel set to revolutionize clean energy production
Bioscience engineers at KU Leuven have created a record-breaking hydrogen gas panel. The panel is capable of producing 250 liters of hydrogen gas per day [...] March 27, 2019 · BioVox
Women in STEM: fixing the leaky pipeline
Happy International Women’s Day! This year, in honor of the day, we’ve decided to highlight an important and personal topic: […] March 8, 2019 · BioVox
Microbiome linked to depression in a groundbreaking Benelux study
The microbiome had been at the forefront of a lot of research and news in the past few years. Now, […] February 19, 2019 · BioVox
Life after a PhD: alternatives to academia
This article was authored by Rishabh Chawla from V-Bio Ventures. Having finished a PhD in life sciences can often leave […] February 19, 2019 · V-Bio Ventures
New laser-based medical device revolutionizes cardiovascular disease diagnosis
Imec and Ghent University have developed a unique photonic-based medical device for the screening of arterial stiffness and the diagnosis […] January 16, 2019 · BioVox
A microbiome solution for type 1 diabetes?
Few things unite us the way trying to help a sick child does. Children living with the burden of type […] December 14, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
A Personal Translation of Microbiome Futures
Nature Biotechnology published a thought-provoking piece addressing critical questions in the development of microbiome-based solutions focused on disease interception. Co-authored […] November 28, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
AI and The Black Box Dilemma
Artificial intelligence has become a regular staple in our modern lives. With increasingly complex programs allowing for scarily accurate image […] November 6, 2018 · BioVox
Ghent knowledge hub growing strong
The Flemish life sciences ecosystem is stronger than ever. This expertise, in biotech and health, is plain to see in […] October 23, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Are the days of journal paywalls finally numbered?
Europe has taken an ambitious step forwards in the fight for open access to academic papers. On September 4th, Science […] September 25, 2018 · BioVox
Saving lives through fundamental research: James Allison wins Dr. Paul Janssen Award 2018
Dr. James Allison has dedicated his career to improving our fundamental understanding of how the adaptive immune system works. Much […] September 18, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Can weeds be programmed to exterminate themselves?
Walking through a forest on a breezy September day, the very air seems to crackle with colour and life. The […] September 11, 2018 · BioVox
How CRISPR/Cas9 is improving drug development using zebrafish
CRISPR/Cas9 came to the attention of scientists everywhere over five years ago. Ever since it hit the main stage, the […] September 4, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Uncovering the secrets of inflammasomes
Mohamed (Mo) Lamkanfi made the jump from academia to industry a mere eight months ago, to pursue a career with […] August 21, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
The world's smallest diamonds
Researchers at Hasselt University have just synthesised the world’s smallest diamonds. The gems, based on a 26-atom carbon core, will be useful in a whole range [...] August 14, 2018 · BioVox
New beta cell antigens discovered in Type 1 diabetes
A study published just last week has unveiled several new antigens implicated in Type 1 diabetes. In an ongoing project, […] August 7, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Cycling for Science
Researchers from Ghent University have been able to map the effects of climate change thanks to images of the Tour […] July 16, 2018 · BioVox
Damya Laoui at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy
Photo copyright: VUB / Thierry Geenen Last year, Damya Laoui received the prestigious American MIT-prize for young innovators under 35 […] July 3, 2018 · BioVox
TrinCE transfection wins pitch awards
The pitching session at Knowledge for Growth 2018 gave a select number of start-ups a chance to present their company […] June 5, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
CD3 as co-creator of drugs with academia and pharma
The Center for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3), based in Leuven, bridges the gap between innovative biomedical research emerging from […] May 28, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Visualizing the deep with a drivable endoscope that crawls into the sinus anatomy!
Do you suffer from chronic sinusitis? 3NT Medical have developed a highly advanced endoscope that allows access, visualization and treatment […] May 28, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Two genes work together to trigger childhood leukemia
Two known cancer-causing genes, HOXA9 and JAK3/STAT5, are cooperating to trigger acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a common form of childhood cancer. […] April 17, 2018 · BioVox
European collaboration project set to track all human cells
Over sixty leading European scientists are uniting in an ambitious project to track every cell in the human body. The […] April 17, 2018 · BioVox
Leveraging terabytes of single cell data
Yvan Saeys is a young professor at VIB-UGent. As the group leader of the department of Data Mining and Modeling […] April 16, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
From Academia to Industry: growing in new directions
What does it mean to “be a scientist”? People generally have a very academia-centric view: scientists do research, write grants […] April 12, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
A world without disease: Janssen - Flanders.bio partner day 2018
A new vision was in the spotlight at the Flanders.bio – Janssen Pharmaceutica Partner Day this year. “A world without […] March 19, 2018 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Imaging beta-cells for better diabetes treatment
One in eleven adults around the world has diabetes, according to figures published by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in […] March 18, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Caitlin Gillis at VIB - Foreign Scientist in Belgium
Caitlin Gillis left the sunshine and warmth of Australia a few years ago to come live Europe. After a stint […] March 18, 2018 · BioVox
The biggest killer after malaria - How to tackle RSV?
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) annually threatens many babies and there is currently no drug or vaccine to combat the disease. […] February 19, 2018 · Turnstone Communications
Growing organs in the lab: science or science fiction?
Catherine Verfaillie was very close to being an Olympic athlete in heptathlon, but due to a major knee injury, she […] January 18, 2018 · BioVox
The controversy around sugar and cancer
In a recent article published in Nature Communications (1) by a group of scientists led by Belgian professor Johan Thevelein […] January 18, 2018 · BioVox
Curing coughs: understanding the development of asthma using dust mites
Winter is upon us and many people will be suffering from colds and coughs. However, very few of these coughs […] December 18, 2017 · BioVox
Olivier Gevaert in Stanford – Belgian scientist living abroad
After an Erasmus exchange in Germany during his Master’s in Industrial Engineering, Olivier Gevaert knew he would someday move abroad. […] December 18, 2017 · BioVoxA handheld cardiac monitor that can save lives
Chest pain is a known symptom of blocked cardiac arteries, and urgent medical care is essential to improve health outcomes. […] December 18, 2017 · BioVox
Synthetic biology – revolutionary technology in search of a better name
Despite what the name might suggest, synthetic biology is not about creating artificial life. Instead, it focuses on scouring nature […] December 18, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Interactomics: taking apart the cellular machinery
Among the booming omics disciplines, such as genomics, proteomics, or metabolomics, the field of interactomics is perhaps less known. VIB […] November 21, 2017 · BioVox
Exploring biological samples in three dimensions: VIB BioImaging Core
Microscopy is an essential tool in life science research. Within VIB, this expertise is centralized in two core facilities: the […] November 21, 2017 · BioVox
Engineering compounds to protect crops from drought
Every year, more crops are lost to excessive heat and drought worldwide. Researchers have strived to find an affordable and […] November 20, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
How Aphea.Bio managed to gather the funds to transcend from academia to industry
Aphea.Bio is an agriculture startup, originating from the VIB and flourishing underneath the wings of V-Bio Ventures. Steven Vandenabeele (CTO […] October 16, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
Liesbeth Aerts in Sydney - Belgian scientist living abroad
Until August 2017, Liesbeth Aerts lived in Sydney, where she worked as a dementia researcher at the University of New […] October 9, 2017 · BioVox
The leap from academia to industry
The earlier in development, the greater the risk. It’s an unspoken law in biotech that makes valorizing promising academic projects […] September 11, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
CheckPack: Making your food packaging intelligent
Food waste is still a huge problem in Western society. In the near future, however, intelligent food packaging will be part of the solution. Not only can innovative [...] September 11, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Lars Klareskog pushes rheumatology beyond symptomatic treatment
Over the years, the perception of inflammatory diseases has changed drastically. The advent of cytokine inhibitors meant great improvement to many patients, especially those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. However, these treatments remain symptomatic. Together with Janssen Pharmaceutica, world-renowned rheumatologist Lars Klareskog is ready to take the research and treatment of inflammatory joint disease to the next level.
June 12, 2017 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Sylvie Janssen in Manhattan - Belgian scientist living abroad
Sylvie Janssens lives in Manhattan, New York, where she relocated after earning her PhD in biotechnology at Ghent University. She […] June 8, 2017 · BioVox
Designer yeast: synthetic genome closer to reality
Five entirely synthetic yeast chromosomes were created this year. By 2018 every chromosome is expected to have a synthetic couterpart, resulting in en entirely synthetic genome.
May 22, 2017 · BioVox
Reversed Brexit: £250 million for Bart De Strooper's dementia research
The UK has pledged a budget of £250 million to the creation of the UK Dementia Research Institute (DRI). The […] April 17, 2017 · BioVox
Macrophages to protect you from asthma
It has long been known that exposure to microbes can play a protective role against the subsequent development of asthma. Researchers from GIGA of the University of Liège provide an explanation and propose to use this discovery to set up a strategy of cell therapy to treat asthma in humans. Their discovery is published in Immunity.
April 17, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Partnering for a better mental health
To address the challenges of drug development, solid strategic partnerships are needed. On the Janssen partner day, the company showcased an ongoing partnership with the University of Antwerp in mental health and how this partnership leads to better outcomes.
March 14, 2017 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
Interspecies chimeras: One embryo, two species
The creation of an interspecies embryo in the lab sends tremors through the scientific world and beyond. This pig embryo containing human cells presents [...] February 16, 2017 · BioVox
Using bacteria to fight obesity and diabetes
Using the gut bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila to treat obese and diabetic patients is now one step closer to becoming a […] February 13, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Music or neuroscience? Balthazar’s violinist chose music (at least for now)
For Patricia Vanneste, violinist with the popular rock group Balthazar, it wasn’t a choice she made lightly. Patricia has played the violin since she was five. [...] December 6, 2016 · BioVox
Life sciences high on the UGent priority list
Interdisciplinary research is a top priority for Anne De Paepe, Chancellor of Ghent University in Belgium. Even if it means […] November 15, 2016 · Turnstone CommunicationsThe choroid plexus: where inflammation meets neurology
We write about change — about impact and consequences, about discoveries and the people behind them. This time, we introduce […] November 14, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
KU Leuven students develop winning device to detect kidney failure
A team of fourteen KU Leuven students has built a diagnostic device that can analyze the blood of kidney patients […] November 14, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
A new level of science: artificial evolution and complex systems
Pierre Collet, professor in Computer Science at Strasbourg University, is one of the key opinion speakers at the BioWin Day 2016. He works on artificial evolution, [...] October 27, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Arming cells with a cancer vaccine
In immunotherapy, the patient’s own immune system is activated to fight cancer cells. Such strategies have been pursued for a […] October 14, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Making water out of air
A group of students from Ghent University is currently working on an innovative project that tackles the problem of drinking water scarcity. This project, [...] October 14, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Jeroen Pollet in Texas - Belgian scientist living abroad
Houston (Texas, USA) has been home to Jeroen Pollet since August 2011. He arrived as a Fulbright scholar; now he is an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) [...] October 14, 2016 · BioVox
Lifting life sciences to the next level: a cross-disciplinary game
We at BioVox have mentioned the golden rules for life sciences success a couple times now: “Collaboration is key” and […] September 12, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
The PhD of Sue Ellen : Start small to dream big
Sue Ellen Taelman studied bioscience engineering (with an emphasis on environmental technology ) at Ghent University from 2007 until 2012. […] September 12, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Huge steps forward in VIB skin cancer research
When it comes to finding a cure for melanoma skin cancer, major strides are being taken as we speak. One of […] August 29, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
The Center of Human Genetics reveals all your secrets
Have a cystic fibrosis or BRCA mutation, or maybe a dangerous variant of the Huntington’s gene dangling in your cells? […] July 14, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Watch Liège becoming a major healthcare hub
Bridge 2 Health (B2H), previously known as sCINNAMIC, is a company whose mission is to valorize biomedical research from the […] June 21, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
I was published in science - A cocktail of bugs
Each one of us carries trillions and trillions of ‘bugs’, as Jeroen Raes (Group Leader at Bioinformatics and (eco-)systems biology lab, VIB/VUB/KU Leuven) likes to [...] June 20, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
GlycoDelete: the road to plant-grown pharmaceuticals
May 17, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
ALS: A fierce diagnosis
Do you remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? Back in 2014, it was used to create awareness and collect donations for […] May 17, 2016 · BioVox
Zostera Marina’s dive into the blue - Published in Nature
Seagrass genome provides insights into the way marine ecosystems might adapt to climate change Coastal ecosystems are highly productive and […] April 18, 2016 · Turnstone Communications