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Amy LeBlanc

A new type of power plants to combat climate change

Miracle microchips improving cell therapy manufacturing

A microchip engineer might seem like an odd fit for a keynote speaker at an event focused on cell therapy, but at Science for health Peter Peumans will be presenting one of the day’s visionary talks. Peumans will draw on his experience with the tech powerhouse imec to give us an insider’s perspective on the role new chip technologies may soon take on in the cell therapy field.

Confo Therapeutics: the next Belgian biotech star?

Just days before KBC Securities’ "State of the Union" announcement on how well Belgian biotech has been faring in 2019, Confo Therapeutics closed a terrific series A financing round. The company raised 30 million euros, which will be used to accelerate their drug discovery activities using their camelid-based ConfoBody™ technology.

The future of healthcare is digital

This month marked the crystal anniversary of the life sciences networking event Knowledge for Growth. The event was a huge success, with 1300+ attendees representing 600+ companies from 20+ countries around the world. The theme for this year was “Precision in Life Sciences”, with the fascinating plenary talks discussing the effect of digitalization on healthcare.

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 September event will bring together experts from across the board; academics, industry leaders, clinicians and service providers; facilitating the formation of new research connections. The ultimate aim is not only to showcase Belgian research, but to create value for patients by encouraging new and innovative partnerships. For the inaugural 2019 edition, the focus is on the exciting field of cell therapy.

OCTIMET Oncology tackling cancer with a new captain at the helm

In this article, V-Bio Ventures introduces one of their portfolio companies, OCTIMET. This Belgian oncology startup just added a new member to its executive team, with the appointment of Shelley Margetson as CEO. It’s exciting times for OCTIMET, who are gearing up for a series B with their sights set on potential partners in China.

Holographic imaging technology shines a light on cells

Have you ever considered how scientists are able to count transparent cells in a see-through solution? Traditional methods involve dyes, microscopes, time and effort. Now there’s a new technology on the market: Ovizio Imaging Systems has developed a technical solution to this longstanding problem. Using an imaging technique called digital holographic microscopy, Ovizio’s devices perform cell counts by reconstructing 3D images using light. This new type of imaging provides quantitative information about cells, including their number, morphology and viability, all without a drop of dye!

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, including dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. With an increase in disease-ridden insects, we’re likely to start seeing these infections at higher rates in European countries, in Belgium and beyond.

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; enough that just 20 panels could provide a family’s electricity and heating needs for a whole European winter. The Belgian device is an innovative step forward for clean energy and sustainability around the globe.

Women in STEM: fixing the leaky pipeline

The lack of women in STEM is a complex problem, including a loss of girls and women at all levels of a research career – a phenomenon often referred to as the “leaky pipeline” of STEM. Let’s look at why some of these leaks have formed and what we can do to fix them!

Orphan CNS diseases receive attention with new Minoryx site in Belgium

The Spanish start-up Minoryx Therapeutics recently opened a subsidiary in Belgium to further their research on treatments for rare and orphan diseases. Co-founder and CEO Marc Martinell spoke to BioVox about his personal reasons for founding the company and why Belgium is such an attractive location to start-ups in the medical sector.

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, a new study published in Nature Microbiology has linked specific microbiome changes with depression and quality of life. The largest of its kind to-date, the research was made possible by over 2000 participants from the Flemish Gut Flora Project and the Dutch LifeLines DEEP project. The results may lead to novel therapies for people suffering from this debilitating mental illness.

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 of industrial and medical applications including being used to improve MRI scans. BioVox spoke to Prof. Milos Nesladek, the mastermind behind these tiny gemstones.