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Amy LeBlanc

Building bigger for Belgium’s maturing biotech scene

Biotech is booming in Belgium. To support the evolving needs of this world-class ecosystem, the Mariën family initiated and are realizing Obelisc: a new and additional Bio-accelerator in Ghent’s science park. The building will service the larger start-ups graduating from local bio-incubators as well as international companies looking to put down roots in Belgian soil.

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 Cardoen recently stepped down for health reasons, Jérôme Van Biervliet has been chosen for the position alongside Jo Bury. We sat down with both Jérôme Van Biervliet and Jo Bury to hear their thoughts on VIB’s vital role in the ever-evolving Belgian biotech ecosystem.

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 found to affect the integrity of the intestinal wall, allowing infiltrating bacteria to cause inflammation that drives cancer progression. Promisingly, the scientists also demonstrated that manipulating the immune system or microbiome can prevent this chain event, findings that may lead to new treatments for colorectal cancer.

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 a common anti-diabetic medication. The treatment has already been tested on several patients and has been a huge success with clinical trials now being initiated around the world.

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 conference on T cell immunology as media partners. There, we got to speak with Prof. David Masopust, the man who discovered resident memory T cells. His seminal breakthrough opened up a new branch of T cell biology and catapulted the field forwards. Masopust shares his thoughts on the enormous untapped potential of T cells in new treatments and vaccines.

Onno van de Stolpe talks Belgian biotech

At this year’s Innovation for Health, we sat down for a chat with Onno van de Stolpe. Winner of the Trends Manager of the Year in 2019, van de Stolpe is the driving force behind Galapagos NV, a billion-euro blockbuster and one of the Europe’s top biotech companies.

TheSocialMedwork: equal access to medicines for everyone, everywhere

We recently sat down with Sjaak Vink, the visionary entrepreneur behind TheSocialMedwork. This enterprise gives patients all over the world access to medication that has not yet been approved in their home countries. We spoke with Vink about his personal motivations for founding TheSocialMedwork and his dream for universal basic healthcare.

Belgian clinical trials for COVID-19

With COVID-19 cases soaring into the millions, and a vaccine still a long way off, patients are desperate for a treatment. In response, numerous clinical trials have been initiated around the world. The majority of these trials are examining existing drugs to see if they can be repurposed to treat COVID-19. We spoke with Prof. Bart Lambrecht, pulmonologist at Ghent University Hospital (UZ Gent), about some of the clinical trials taking place here in Belgium.

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 round of €4.2 million, led by V-Bio Ventures. We spoke to several of the key persons in Augustine about how the startup is tackling the “Valley of Death”: the no-man’s-land between academia and industry where many potential therapies often fail.

Why everyone needs to be a part of the CRISPR conversation

Hetty Helsmoortel is a science communicator who has dedicated herself to bringing research breakthroughs to a broader audience. In her recent book “De Geknipte Genen”, she tackles CRISPR: a revolutionary gene editing technology whose applications raise tricky ethical questions. We sat down with Dr. Helsmoortel to discuss her views on CRISPR’s potential and why she feels it is so important for the public to be well informed on this technical topic.

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 valley just over a year ago. Since then, the Belgian team has been hard at work developing plants that can address both growing global food requirements and climate change. They’re approaching the challenge with both the latest genetic techniques and with a fresh perspective on how a business should be run.

Could tick saliva help save lives?

The biotech Bioxodes is using a molecule derived from tick saliva to stop blood clots. The Walloon company is focused on preventing thrombosis during procedures involving medical devices. The current gold-standard anticoagulant can cause unwanted bleeding and side effects; could a molecule derived from ticks really be safer?

Predictions for Belgian Biotech in 2020

With the Belgian biotech landscape blooming, BioVox reached out to some of the investors in our network to see what their predictions are for the coming year. From trends to companies to keep an eye on, here’s their take on 2020!

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 produced by the whole bacterial colony, rather than the individual bacteria themselves. Because this results in non-resistant bacteria outcompeting their antibiotic resistant neighbors, the strategy does not promote the development of further resistance.

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. By studying the relationship between bats and flowers, scientists found that the plants were reflecting a specific sonar signal to guide the bats. They used this concept to create artificial sonar signposts.