... Healthcare industry BW

Focus on innovative drug development - accurate, time- and cost-saving

Drug research is a complex and costly process that requires extensive laboratory analyses and vast quantities of consumables, with disposable sample carriers in particular being used in their millions. Karlsruhe-based PHABIOC GmbH has come up with a solution in the form of the SpecPlate, a ground-breaking alternative to sample carriers that significantly reduces the time taken to perform analyses as well as the quantity of materials consumed. Serial production is already underway.

... Healthcare industry BW

CO2 and H2 as starting materials for proteins and vitamins

Agricultural land needed to sustain the world's growing population is becoming increasingly scarce. To help address this challenge, researchers from the Environmental Biotechnology Group at the University of Tübingen have developed an innovative and sustainable power-to-vitamin technology. This breakthrough enables protein- and vitamin-rich foods to be produced with the help of microorganisms in a bioreactor using carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

... Healthcare industry BW

Robotic control of surgical instruments using magnetic resonance imaging

Catheter-based examinations and surgical procedures are severely limited by the restricted controllability of conventional instruments and harmful radiation exposure to both patients and medical staff caused by prolonged exposure to radiation during fluoroscopy. EndoSurge, a Stuttgart-based start-up, has developed innovative robotic microcatheters that can be precisely controlled using the magnetic field of an MRI device. This breakthrough enables radiation-free interventions, significantly enhancing safety and precision in catheter-based procedures.

... Healthcare industry BW

Targeted, virus-free gene therapy for the eye using degradable nanopropellers

Eye diseases that result in blindness in young people are primarily caused by genetic mutations. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Universities of Tübingen and Heidelberg is developing an innovative gene therapy method using biodegradable, magnetic nanopropellers. These innovative nanopropellers can effectively deliver intact genes into the affected cells, offering a potential solution for treating genetic disorders of this kind.

... Healthcare industry BW

New medical device marking requirements and regulations in Great Britain

Since Brexit, additional regulations for medical devices have come into effect in Great Britain, i.e. England, Wales and Scotland. Although the transition periods have been extended, medical device manufacturers should familiarise themselves with the new conformity marking requirements. EU medical device regulations will continue to apply in Northern Ireland.