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Image: A hand pressing a light switch with its finger, all in red; Copyright: Lars Knaack/INM

Lars Knaack/INM

OptoAssays: New light-controlled tests simplify cost-effective diagnostics

04.10.2024

A team of researchers from the University of Freiburg and the INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials has developed a bio-based test procedure that can diagnose complex diseases simply and cheaply. These “OptoAssays” use light control to move biomolecules and read out results without mechanical support - with potential applications in on-site diagnostics.
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Image: Colorful cell organoid of a retina with a yellow dot of DNA; Copyright: Cassian Afting, AG Wittbrodt

Cassian Afting, AG Wittbrodt

Controlling organoid development with the help of DNA microspheres

27.09.2024

A research team from Heidelberg University and the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research has developed a new method of molecular engineering. This makes it possible to precisely control organoids and improve their complexity. With the help of DNA microspheres, growth factors can be released in a targeted manner to recreate tissue structures more realistically.
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Image: Examination of cell cultures in a laboratory

From lab to market: How vessel-chips are changing drug testing

20.08.2024

As the medical field seeks more ethical and accurate alternatives to traditional drug testing, vessel-chip technology is a prospective solution. This technology promises greater accuracy and a reduced need for animal trials.
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Image: A pile of white lateral flow test cassettes; Copyright: SteveAllenPhoto999

SteveAllenPhoto999

DIANA: Alliance for innovative point-of-care tests

23.07.2024

To improve local medical care through point-of-care tests (PoCT), 80 partners from industry and research in Saxony and Thuringia have joined forces to form the DIANA (Diagnostics and Sustainability) alliance. Dr. Dirk Kuhlmeier coordinates the alliance.
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Image: A Fraunhofer IWS laboratory device is held by a person in blue gloves; Copyright: minkus-images.de/Fraunhofer IWS

minkus-images.de/Fraunhofer IWS

Insights into the development of metastases with miniature laboratories

22.04.2024

New developments at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS and partners enable improved research possibilities for cancer therapy using microphysiological systems.
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Image: A man looks through a microscope in the foreground, while a woman stands in the background and explains something to him; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf/Andreas Wiese

Messe Düsseldorf/Andreas Wiese

World Laboratory Day: Laboratory medicine in transition

16.04.2024

World Laboratory Day takes place annually on April 23. It is intended to draw attention to the work in laboratories and the achievements of laboratory employees. MEDICA-tradefair.com takes the day as an opportunity to highlight current trends that continue to shape these work environments. These trends will also be a main focus of the MEDICA LABMED FORUM at MEDICA 2024.
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Image: The background is black and in the foreground, there are some sugar tubes and pastilles. Furthermore, there is the almost transparent organ-on-chip; Copyright: Silke Riegger, 3R-Center

Silke Riegger, 3R-Center

Diabetes: technology enhances molecular understanding

26.03.2024

With over seven million individuals in Germany affected by diabetes, science still faces challenges in drug research. However, under the leadership of Prof. Peter Loskill from both the NMI and the University of Tübingen, scientists have devised a method that markedly enhances our understanding at the molecular and cellular levels within the pancreas.
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Image: In the foreground, there is a golden chip, which is used for the analysis, held by two fingers. The background is black. Copyright: David Baillot/University of California San Diego

David Baillot/University of California San Diego

Faster and more accurate pathogen detection through DNA melting

05.03.2024

Unlike conventional blood cultures, which can take anywhere from 15 hours to several days to yield results, the new digital DNA melting analysis delivers actionable insights in under six hours. This accelerated turnaround time enables clinicians to initiate targeted treatment strategies promptly, minimizing the risk of disease progression and improving patient outcomes.
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Image: Man with long hair and olive green sweater posing: Kristian Franze with brain model; Copyright: Stephan Spangenberg

Stephan Spangenberg

UNFOLD research project receives prestigious ERC Synergy Grant

01.11.2023

Physicist and veterinarian Prof. Dr. Kristian Franze, Director at the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin (MPZPM) and Director of the Institute for Medical Physics and Microtissue Engineering at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), has been awarded an ERC Synergy Grant.
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Image: 3D illustration of red and elongated Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Copyright: iLexx

iLexx

Why tuberculosis bacteria form long chains

25.10.2023

A researcher team from Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne led by Dr. Vivek Thacker now group leader at the Department of Infectious Diseases at Heidelberg University Hospital have studied why tuberculosis bacteria form long strands and how this affects their infectivity.
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Image: “Organ-on-chip” symbol image. Close-up of a biochip on a black background; Copyright: NMI

NMI

Menopause: leveraging organ-on-chip technology for new insights

09.10.2023

Addressing the impact of female menopause on dynamic resilience and exploring preventive and therapeutic strategies is the aim of an international and interdisciplinary research group led by Prof. Dr. Peter Loskill from the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute and the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.
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Image: Microscopy image and artistic representation of the CHOOSE system in a human brain organoid; Copyright: Knoblich Lab / IMBA-IMP Graphics

Knoblich Lab / IMBA-IMP Graphics

Autism: brain organoid shows genetic bases

21.09.2023

Technology, developed by researchers from the Knoblich group at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Treutlein group at ETH Zurich, permits the identification of vulnerable cell types and gene regulatory networks that underlie autism spectrum disorders.
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Image: Female engineer in laboratory clothing inspects a small circuit board; Copyright: wosunan

wosunan

Microrobots: opportunities for cancer treatment and wound healing

18.09.2023

A group of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed the world’s first microrobot (“microbot”) capable of navigating within groups of cells and stimulating individual cells.
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Image: Man with dark hair, glasses and a checked shirt smiles into the camera against a gray and white background; Copyright: Peer Erfle/IMT

Peer Erfle/IMT

Microchips: better understand diseases like schizophrenia

15.09.2023

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the recipients of its prestigious Starting Grants. Among them is a researcher from the Technical University of Braunschweig: Dr. Thomas Winkler will receive €1.5 million for his research on modular organ-on-chip technology to better understand neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.
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Image: A bald man in a white coat stands in a laboratory and looks over at other people; Copyright: Joakim Palmqvist

Joakim Palmqvist

Advanced biosensors to detect tumors, viruses and bacterial diseases

06.09.2023

Linnaeus University is partnering with industry and healthcare to develop advanced biosensors, investing SEK 35 million in a project aimed at faster and cost-effective diagnoses of aggressive lung cancer, viral, and bacterial diseases, potentially enabling self-testing at home.
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Image: A woman with dark hair and a white coat sits in a laboratory and smiles at the camera; Copyright: Alex Dolce, Florida Atlantic University

Alex Dolce, Florida Atlantic University

Sickle cell disease: portable tool for diagnosis, monitoring receives U.S. patent

30.06.2023

Using microfluidics, flow cytometry and electrical impedance, Sarah Du recently received a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a novel invention that will offer patients a better way to manage their disease.
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Image: Two women with loose hair and colorful blazers pose in front of an institute; Copyright: Gregor Hübl / Universität Bonn

Gregor Hübl / Universität Bonn

Researching organoids: two new Argelander Professors at the University of Bonn

21.06.2023

Two new assistant professors at the University of Bonn are setting out to develop “mini-organs” in order to study metabolic and disease mechanisms.
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Image: A microwell plate on a laboratory bench is filled with a multi-tip pipette; Copyright: Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin

Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin

Panadea Diagnostics: new start-up for better infection diagnostics

06.06.2023

"Get the right result, every time": the start-up Panadea Diagnostics has set this as the goal of its work. Operating since April 2023, the biotechnology company founded by researchers at Hamburg's Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) develops special technologies for antibody detection of tropical and emerging infectious diseases.
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Image: The research team: three men and one woman pose next to a screen and a microscope; Copyright: NTU Singapore

NTU Singapore

Why wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds

19.05.2023

Wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds because shapes influence cell movements, a team of researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found.
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Image: Brain immune cells (“microglia”) in culture exposed to amyloid-beta proteins which are involved in Alzheimer’s disease; Copyright: DZNE/AG Milovanovic

DZNE/AG Milovanovic

Tuning brain cells with light

11.05.2023

An international research team, comprising scientists from University Hospital Bonn, DZNE, the Netherlands, and the US has been awarded a US$ 1.3 million grant by the “Human Frontier Science Program” to investigate brain immune cells and manipulate them via light irradiation.
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Image: Baby mannequin connected to a ventilator in an incubator; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf

Messe Düsseldorf

With stem cell model on the trail of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

09.05.2023

Researchers have designed a new stem cell model to study congenital diaphragmatic hernia in newborns with underdeveloped lungs. They were able to isolate stem cells from the fluid that is suctioned from the baby’s lungs and normally gets discarded and use them as a foundation for the model.
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Image: A human brain organoid (red) grows on the hammock-like structure of a mesh MEA; Copyright: Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine

Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine

Microelectrode array: hammock for brain organoids

20.04.2023

Novel microelectrode array system enables long-term cultivation and electrophysiological analyses of brain organoids.
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Image: Schematic illustration of organoid bioprinting with artificial intelligence ; Copyright: Cyborg and Bionic Systems

Cyborg and Bionic Systems

Bioprinting technology and AI enable high quality in vitro models

19.04.2023

In the process of organoid manufacturing, bioprinting technology not only facilitates the creation and maintenance of complex biological 3D shapes and structures, but also allows for standardization and quality control during production.
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Image: Tissue engineering, tweezers with a solution in a laboratory vessel; Copyright: Fraunhofer-Translationszentrum/Fraunhofer ISC

Fraunhofer-Translationszentrum/Fraunhofer ISC

SAPs4Tissue: human tissue models with customized biomaterials

12.04.2023

In a joint project of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, and the Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, Würzburg, scientific principles and biomaterials for the standardized production of valid tissue models are to be developed.
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Image: Three men and a woman in white lab coats pose for the camera in a laboratory; Copyright: Universidad de Barcelona

Universidad de Barcelona

Microfluidics physics-based device to predict cancer therapy response

06.04.2023

A team of experts has designed a microfluidic device called microfluidic dynamic BH3 profiling (μDBP) that predicts the effectiveness of cancer treatment quickly and automatically.
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Image: Picture of the complete sensor with a PDMS well of 100 μl volume for the drop test; Copyright: HZDR/Sandoval Bojorquez

HZDR/Sandoval Bojorquez

Nanobiosensor developed for detecting SARS-CoV-2

04.04.2023

Infection and immunity status of the population are considered key parameters for handling pandemics. For this purpose, detecting antigens and antibodies is of great importance. The devices currently used for this purpose - what are known as point-of-care (POC) devices- are one option for rapid screening. Their sensitivity, however, needs further improvement.
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Image: Study co-authors in white coats (from left) Caleb Bashor, Antonios Mikos and Letitia Chim; Copyright: Gustavo Raskosky/Rice University

Gustavo Raskosky/Rice University

Upgraded tumor model optimizes search for cancer therapies

27.03.2023

Rice University researchers developed an upgraded tumor model that houses osteosarcoma cells beside immune cells known as macrophages inside a three-dimensional structure engineered to mimic bone. Using the model, bioengineer Antonios Mikos and collaborators found that the body’s immune response can make tumor cells more resistant to chemotherapy.
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Image: Portrait of a researcher with PPE equipment analyzing brain activity; Copyright: DC_Studio

DC_Studio

New artificial model validates antibodies ability to reach the brain

03.03.2023

A research group at Uppsala University has developed a simple and effective artificial blood-brain barrier model that can be used to determine how well antibody-based therapies can enter the brain.
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Image: Pipette adding sample to stem cell cultures growing in pots for stem cell implantation; Copyright: imagesourcecurated

imagesourcecurated

Electrodes grown in the brain – paving the way for future therapies for neurological disorders

02.03.2023

The boundaries between biology and technology are becoming blurred. Researchers at Linköping, Lund, and Gothenburg universities in Sweden have successfully grown electrodes in living tissue using the body’s molecules as triggers. The result, published in the journal Science, paves the way for the formation of fully integrated electronic circuits in living organisms.
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Image: Human blood cells, highly magnified under the microscope; Copyright: PeterHermesFurian

PeterHermesFurian

"Spleen-on-a-chip" yields insight into sickle cell disease

06.02.2023

With this microfluidic device, researchers modeled how sickled blood cells clog the spleen’s filters, leading to a potentially life-threatening condition.
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Image: Preview picture of video

Together for the newest technology – Highlight tour at the Fraunhofer joint stand

15.11.2022

Several Fraunhofer institutes present their latest technology in the field of medical technology and health at MEDICA 2022. Automation processes, polymers and digital networking are just some of the topics to be found at the stand. We talked to some of the institutes during our highlight tour.
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Image: Chip with adipose tissue is held in place by hands in purple disposable gloves; Copyright: Berthold Steinhilber

Berthold Steinhilber

Ex vivo obesity research thanks to the adipose-on-chip system

08.07.2022

Ex vivo studies of human obesity without animal testing? The Adipose-on-Chip system offers a solution that allows scientists to gain better insights into various obesity-linked secondary diseases and comorbidities in the future.
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Image: Preview picture of video

Multi-organ chips: Drug research without animal testing at vasQlab

15.05.2019

New active substances that are suitable for drugs are initially tested in animal experiments. However, the results cannot always be transferred to the human organism. At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Prof. Ute Schepers from vasQlab explains how active substances can be tested in human tissue without endangering human health.
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Image: Cell cultivation in a Petri dish; Copyright: panthermedia.net / matej kastelic

Organ-on-a-chip – Organs in miniature format

01.02.2019

In vitro processes and animal tests are used to develop new medications and novel therapeutic approaches. However, animal testing raises important ethical concerns. Organ-on-a-chip models promise to be a feasible alternative. In a system the size of a smartphone, organs are connected using artificial circulation.
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Image: Graphic rendering of several cells in a petri dish; Copyright: panthermedia.net/dani3315

Organ-on-a-chip systems: limited validity?

01.02.2019

Organ-on-a-chip systems are technically a great enhancement of medical research because they facilitate testing of active ingredients on cell cultures in the chambers of a plastic chip. This replaces animal testing and improves patient safety. That being said, they are not a true-to-life replication of the human body and can only simulate a few functions and activities.
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