Genetic
CRISPR takes the ‘bitter’ out of Belgian endives and chicory
Researchers have identified the bitter substances in Belgian endives and chicory. Using the gene-editing technique CRISPR/Cas9, they have also succeeded […] February 16, 2022 · BioVoxNew start-up Trince raises EUR 4 million for innovative technology to produce personalized cancer therapies safer, cheaper, and faster
Ghent, Belgium, 6 December 2021 – Trince, a spin-off of Ghent University (UGent), is developing innovative and efficient technology to insert […] December 6, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
Rejuvenate Biomed: Expanding peoples’ health spans by boosting cell resilience
Aging will affect each and every one of us at some point; it is part of the covenant of life. […] November 24, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
New GMOs on the horizon: say ‘cheese’!
To meet the challenges of climate change and global food demand, more VCs are investing in AgTech companies. A lot […] October 20, 2021 · V-Bio Ventures
The dark matter of the genome: Flamingo Therapeutics taps potential of mysterious RNA for cancer therapies
Things are moving fast for Flamingo Therapeutics, a Leuven-based biotech company developing innovative RNA-targeted cancer therapies. The start-up is a […] October 20, 2021 · BioVox
Betting on the best egg: Aurora test doubles pregnancy chances in assisted conception
Assisted conception techniques have matured in the last few decades, with Belgian scientists playing a big part in the progress. […] August 18, 2021 · BioVoxNewton Biocapital invests in EditForce to support development of a unique DNA/RNA editing platform based on PPR protein technology
Brussels, Belgium / Tokyo, Japan – 1 July 2021 – Newton Biocapital (“Newton”), a life sciences investment fund active in […] July 1, 2021 · Turnstone CommunicationsDroia Ventures raises a new fund of EUR 220 million to target genetic diseases and expands leadership team with George Golumbeski
Brussels, Belgium, 11 May 2021 – Droia Ventures today announced the final closing of its third fund, having raised EUR […] May 11, 2021 · Turnstone Communications
Beer, bread and bioethanol: SUPERYEAST project to improve industry sustainability
Prof. Kevin Verstrepen, of the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, has received a prestigious ERC Proof of Concept grant for […] April 28, 2021 · BioVox
Saving man’s best friend: Volition blood test allows cheap and easy cancer screenings for dogs
A Belgian invention is revolutionizing cancer diagnostics for dogs by making it possible to screen for two common canine cancers […] March 10, 2021 · BioVox
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 · BioVoxeTheRNA and China Grand Pharma enter a strategic collaboration in the Greater China Region focussed on eTheRNA’s proprietary mRNA development products and manufacturing capabilities
Niel, Belgium, 1 December 2020 – eTheRNA immunotherapies NV (“eTheRNA”) announced it has entered into a strategic cooperation and product […] December 2, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
A life-changing discovery: CRISPR scientists awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
After several years of nominations, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna have finally been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry […] November 4, 2020 · BioVox
Can Darwin’s theory explain why we get sick?
While physicians care for their individual patients and are interested in the factors contributing to the individual’s condition, evolutionary biologists […] September 30, 2020 · V-Bio Ventures
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
Inari: shaking things up in the agriculture business
Inari Agriculture has been awarded the 2020 Newcomer of the Year Trophy by Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT). Inari (US) opened its first foreign R&D branch in Ghent’s biotech [...] February 12, 2020 · Turnstone Communications
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
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
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
Inari’s agricultural revolution hits Europe with a new site in Ghent
Inari, a U.S. company revolutionizing agricultural R&D, have just opened up their first overseas office in Ghent, Belgium. Partnering with […] February 6, 2019 · Turnstone Communications
What’s next for CRISPR crops in the EU?
Genetically Modification Organisms (GMOs) is one of the most hotly debated topics in the news today. Resistance to GMOs has […] October 9, 2018 · BioVox
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
DNA as a storage device for big data
Sometimes science fiction seems to become real right in front of our eyes. Slowly but surely, our genes are revealing […] June 19, 2018 · BioVox
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
Big data, big produce – Trends in agri-biotech
In the last few decades, with the introduction of GMOs, the agricultural industry was turned upside down. Major consolidations between […] April 16, 2018 · BioVox
Politicians should consider the consequences of not deploying GM technology
Genetic modification (GM) technology can offer solutions so that farmers can more efficiently grow crops with less environmental impact. Despite […] February 19, 2018 · BioVox
The Cystic Fibrosis association pushes research to the next level
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening disease, for which there is currently no treatment. There are some drugs on the […] February 19, 2018 · BioVox
New cures for hereditary diseases around the corner?
Hereditary diseases are caused by mutations or deletions in (single) genes that lead to either dysfunctional or inadequate levels of […] December 18, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
Very promising cancer treatment: RNAi immunotherapy
RXi Pharmaceuticals was co-founded by Craig Mello, PhD, the co-recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery […] October 10, 2017 · BioVox
Personalized healthcare, a long-awaited revolution
Although it’s already 2017 and medicine has made great progress in the last decade, healthcare is often still very generic, […] September 11, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Diagnosing rare genetic conditions within minutes
Moon is a new software package that, within minutes, diagnoses patients who suffer from rare diseases. All the software requires […] June 8, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
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
Grail: A billion-dollar gamble?
Grail has vowed to change the field of cancer diagnostics via simple blood tests and ctDNA analysis. Their Big Data approach, in which the company will build an atlas of DNA found in the blood, convinced major investors, such as Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, of the technology’s potential. A whopping $1 billion was gathered in the company’s series B financing round. Yet, do Grail and its technology deserve this huge ticket?
March 15, 2017 · V-Bio Ventures
DuPont Pioneer’s next generation of waxy corn shows the green side of CRISPR-Cas9
February 16, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
IP strategy for oligonucleotides
Oligonucleotides have been gaining traction in the world of molecular biology. Their huge potential in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications […] January 9, 2017 · Turnstone Communications
Multiplicom: a strong focus on DNA analysis
Multiplicom o ffers molecular diagnostics products, focused on human genetics, oncology and prenatal testing. The company was built on a technology […] November 16, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
First “three-parent baby” born
Mutations in mitochondrial DNA can cause severe diseases and fertility problems. Since mitochondria are only inherited from the mother, a mother with faulty [...] October 14, 2016 · BioVox
Why Nobel laureates are condemning Greenpeace’s anti-GMO campaign
Genetically modified crops are grown by 18 million farmers in 28 countries worldwide. In May, a federal study by the […] September 13, 2016 · BioVox
The power of big data constricted by law?
Huge amounts of data, including personal data, are currently being created. If we are to believe IBM, 90% of the […] September 12, 2016 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
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
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
Precision oncology: shaping a patient-centric approach
OncoDNA was founded only three years ago in Gosselies. Its focus: help the oncologist follow the evolution of a patient’s […] April 19, 2016 · Janssen Pharmaceutica
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
Sammson gene causes melanoma
In collaboration with big N2N researchers from UGent, VIB scientists from KU Leuven have revealed a remarkable link between malignant […] March 24, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Help! First aid for the Nagoya Protocol
The Nagoya Protocol, an international agreement concerning the utilization of genetic resources, entered into force more than a year ago. […] March 10, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
I was published in science! - Expanding the RNA alphabet
A completely new area of genetic research is on the rise. In the past two years, RNA epigenetics has increasingly […] February 15, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
How to protect a country’s genetic resources ?
The Nagoya Protocol might ring a bell, but few people know exactly what it stands for. Many biotech companies develop […] February 8, 2016 · Turnstone Communications
Dawn of a new era: How CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing cuts beyond science
Every year, the leading scientific journal Science selects its “breakthrough of the year.” The gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 was the runner […] January 18, 2016 · BioVox
Folate-rich rice to combat vitamin deficiency
I was published in Nature Certain biological functions require essential nutrients; these are molecules that the body cannot produce itself […] November 2, 2015 · Turnstone Communications
Key role for polyglutamine repeats in cell function
Scientists at VIB and KU Leuven have revealed that variable polyglutamine repeats in the DNA tune the function of the […] August 13, 2015 · Turnstone Communications