ABSTRACT
For years, researchers led by Professor Fabian Fischer at HES-SO Valais have been concentrating on microbial fuel cells, also called bio-electrochemical systems, which use electrogenic bacteria to generate electricity. Their latest innovation is a device consisting of about 14 metres of joined-up microbial fuel cells, housed in the 'catacombs' - a series of underground tunnels - beneath the wastewater treatment plant in Sion. It uses bio-electrogenic rather than aerobic microbes for the primary purpose of producing energy and purified water, but also to save electricity.
ABSTRACT
In June 2018, experts met at ETH Zurich to discuss technological challenges in advanced cell systems, variant interpretation, novel therapeutics and the integration of clinical data. The translation of these technologies into innovative clinical approaches in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, neurology and cardiology will be a challenge for the future. Detailed information at http://www.personalizedhealth.nexus.ethz.ch/.
ABSTRACT
The healthcare and life science sector is growing inexorably, and is now a multi-billion dollar industry. In 2016 the companies in this sector posted sales of USD 140 billion, and their profitability more than doubled by comparison with 2010. The pharmaceutical, diagnostics, medtech and chemical sectors have become Switzerland's most powerful export industry, and significant number of approved medications and diagnostics contain biotech elements.
ABSTRACT
When Daniel Gygax, former President of Swiss biotechnet, and Letizia Vittorelli from the University of Palermo had the idea in 2005 to create the Summer School on Advanced Biotechnology, their aim was to exchange ideas and experience in a friendly and open-minded atmosphere to advance scientific knowledge. The network is a recipe for success: In 2017, it was the turn of the HES-SO Valais/Wallis to welcome the event to Sion from September 3 - 6.
Subject(s)
Biotechnology/educationABSTRACT
On April 7, 2017, TEDD (Tissue Engineering for Drug Development and Substance Testing) and the Animal Research Foundation joined forces at ZHAW Waedenswil to present their latest scientific results in the domain of the 3Rs of biomedical research: how to Refine, Reduce and Replace animal testing with alternative approaches.
Subject(s)
Animal Testing Alternatives , Drug Discovery , Tissue Engineering , Animals , Drug Evaluation, PreclinicalABSTRACT
The focus of the 2016 TEDD Annual Meeting - the Competence Centre for Tissue Engineering for Drug Development and Substance Testing - was on current segments of the 3D cell culture market, especially scaffold-free and scaffold-based cell culture, as well as bioprinting, and the use of recellularized tissues. Particular emphasis was placed on metabolic tissue engineering, specifically the generation of human brown fat cells from progenitor cells. Let's take a look behind the scenes of the latest developments.
Subject(s)
Cell Culture Techniques , Drug Discovery , Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects , Stem Cells/cytology , Tissue Engineering , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , HumansABSTRACT
When an innovative technology is going to be implemented in hospitals, medical practices or pharmacies, it often does not appear really new to researchers. It is the implementation itself and the domain where it is used that are at the core of innovation. That's why the SWISS SYMPOSIUM in Point-of-Care Diagnostics (POCD) brings together key stakeholders from research and industry to clinical settings and patient care to exchange knowledge and experience and to stimulate activities in POCD.
Subject(s)
Point-of-Care Systems , Humans , Smartphone , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedSubject(s)
Cell Culture Techniques/methods , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor/methods , Alzheimer Disease/pathology , Animals , Drug Discovery/methods , Drug Industry/methods , Humans , Kidney , Liver Cirrhosis/pathology , Tissue Array Analysis/instrumentation , Tissue Array Analysis/methods , UniversitiesABSTRACT
"Keep up with today's single-use technology standard but also remain one step ahead" - that could have been the motto of the BioTech 2016 conference at ZHAW Waedenswil on September 5 and 6, which brought together manufacturers, suppliers, users, regulatory specialists and representatives of organizations in this field to implement single-use devices all over the world. It was an effectiveness analysis of the trend to replace reusable equipment in production facilities with single-use components.
Subject(s)
Bioreactors , Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy , Genetic Therapy , Humans , ImmunotherapyABSTRACT
For years biotechnet Switzerland has provided access to biotechnology capacity at Swiss universities of applied sciences, universities and research centres. Innovative companies put their trust in its support and services in research, development and training. Now two of the individuals who have made biotechnet what it is while keeping it on course for the future are departing.
Subject(s)
Biotechnology/education , HumansABSTRACT
In vitro diagnostics (IVD) has huge potential. Primary drivers in the global market are the patient's awareness of infectious diseases, the introduction of advanced molecular and tissue diagnostic tests for patient-stratified and targeted anti-cancer therapy and, last but not least, the growing geriatric population. Rapid progress in device miniaturization and information technology (IT) offers new possibilities in decentralized testing. Grand View Research Inc. expects the global market for IVD to reach US $ 74.3 billion by 2020. Hence the launch in 2015 by the NTN Swiss Biotech - together with the driving forces of Biotechnet Switzerland - of the 'Thematic Platform in vitro Diagnostics'.
Subject(s)
Communicable Diseases/diagnosis , Drug Discovery/organization & administration , Drug Industry , Biomarkers/analysis , Biosensing Techniques , Drug Monitoring , Humans , Point-of-Care Systems , SwitzerlandABSTRACT
In a world of dwindling fossil-based energy, global air pollution and warming, biocatalysis may be a perfect problem-solver. It has the potential to procure sustainable raw materials and energy from biomass, and enables chiral and highly functionalized compounds to be produced ecologically for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. At ZHAW Waedenswil on June 20, 2016, the Competence Center for Biocatalysis (CCBIO) gave European experts the opportunity to present the latest findings from science, research and practice in the future-oriented field of biocatalysis.
Subject(s)
Biocatalysis , Enzymes/chemistry , Biomass , Biotechnology , Chemistry, Agricultural , Drug IndustryABSTRACT
Where are we today with 3D cell cultures as predictive, physiologically relevant model systems? Are there any successful applications, innovative developments or yawning gaps? The DECHEMA April conference assembled international experts to take a look behind the scenes and reveal relevant disease models, applications of 3D models in clinical practice and industry, predictive cell models for compound characterization and enabling technologies.
ABSTRACT
In summer 2016, Michael Raghunath from the National University of Singapore (NUS) will take over the professorship from Ursula Graf-Hausner in cell culture technology and tissue engineering at ZHAW Life Sciences and Facility Management. What are his objectives and the corresponding strategies? What challenges will he face, what will he choose to focus on? Michael Raghunath was kind enough to let us have a look behind the scenes.
ABSTRACT
At HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Prof. Fabian Fischer is specialized in microbial fuel cells for novel applications that meet the challenge of producing renewable energies. He and his team possess a unique expertise in bioelectric energy vector generation, phosphate extraction (CHIMIA 2015, 69, 296) and the testing of antimicrobial surfaces. Let's take a look behind the scenes of the Institute of Life Technologies in Sion.
