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Christopher Playfoot

Luxembourg’s Vision for a Digital HealthTech Future

Luxembourg may be one of the smallest nations in the world, at just over 2,500 square kilometers and around 670,000 inhabitants, but it packs a punch in the global life sciences ecosystem. With world-class research institutes, startup accelerators, and the country’s growing digital prowess, Luxembourg is attracting global talent and putting digital healthtech solutions front and center. So, how did the Grand Duchy establish and grow its thriving research and startup landscape, and what is the vision for the future?

The gut and the bad: How technology can help us uncover the links between our food, gut microbiome, and human health

In our overfed yet undernourished modern society, we must understand how the things we eat contribute to our gut microbiome and overall health. Analyzing how the friendly and not-so-friendly communities of microbes in our gut respond to our daily intake of food, additives, supplements, and pharmaceuticals will help companies formulate more nutritious products while providing us with crucial insights to help us all be healthier for longer.

Human brain organoids for Parkinson’s disease research – A helping hand from Luxembourg

Could we ever recreate the complexity of the human brain in the lab? Over ten years ago, researchers aimed to do just that by developing a three-dimensional cell culture method to grow the first ever miniaturized versions of the human brain, so-called ‘brain organoids.’ Innovation in this field continues at a rapid pace, with researchers in Luxembourg and around the world refining methods to grow organoids that resemble specific brain regions. These advances can help us understand the effects of Parkinson’s disease on cells while driving the discovery of novel therapeutics beneficial to those in need.

How to reduce the risk of running injuries – a step in the right direction

An estimated 50 million people in Europe regularly go for a run, including almost 20% of the Belgian population. While most might not be running marathons at an Olympic pace, the chance of getting injured can feel inevitable to any runner. This fear is justified, as around half of all runners experience at least one injury annually. But what’s driving this unsettling statistic, and how can runners potentially reduce the likelihood of a dreaded injury spell?

Bridging the gap between academia and the sports tech industry

For scientists or budding entrepreneurs with the next big idea in sports tech, the road from conceptualization to product can seem perilous, with many pitfalls along the way. To stand a chance at getting your research out of the lab and into the hands of athletes, it’s essential to start off on the right foot. Read on to see how the collaboration of scientists and sports tech development experts is helping this unique ecosystem in Belgium to flourish.

Monitoring muscles in motion with wearable ultrasound technology

Ultrasound is a powerful technology that helps healthcare professionals take the first images of your child in utero and allows us to look at soft tissue, such as muscles, tendons, and most internal organs. But ultrasound largely requires patients to be static, meaning crucial information is missed about how muscles or organs behave when they’re most strained during exercise. Now, novel advances and innovative designs from the Netherlands and beyond are bringing ultrasound devices into the wearable medtech era, with exciting possibilities to monitor muscles and organs in motion. These technologies are pushing boundaries in both the medical and sports worlds while helping to diagnose patients, to help athletes train, or to shorten their road to recovery.