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Biotechnology and Life Sciences in Baden-Württemberg

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Science

Biofilm research aims at fighting hospital germs

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium that can be found in many different places – soil, water, washing basins, toilets and washing machines, to name but a few examples. Due to its resistance to antibiotic treatment, P. aeruginosa is mainly known as the cause of hospital-acquired infections. David Schleheck, a biologist from Konstanz University, deals specifically with the bacterium’s presence in biofilms. His research could open up new possibilities for combating P. aeruginosa.

Bioenergy

Green coal from plants – CO2 neutral and infinite

It is just a matter of time before coal and oil will run out. However, there are, it would seem, ways to counteract this situation. Plants can be turned into fossil energy carriers, with the added advantage that the combustion of plants on average only releases as much CO2 as the plants have previously absorbed from the atmosphere. Professor Andrea Kruse from the University of Hohenheim is developing methods for using whole green plants for the industrial production of biofuel.

Dossier

No new drugs to be placed on the market without clinical trials

New pharmaceuticals are subject to approval by drug authorities. Prior to approval of a new pharmaceutical, several hurdles such as preclinical and clinical studies need to be cleared. Clinical trials are performed to ensure the quality, efficacy and safety of a medicinal product. Clinical development is a time-consuming and costly process and takes on average ten to fifteen years before a pharmaceutical company can apply for the approval of the drug. The costs, including failures, can amount to approximately one billion US dollars per drug.

Health

The neglected infectious disease

Dengue fever is the most common infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease is spreading in Europe, an upward trend that is due to increased long-distance travel. There are no specific drugs or vaccine for dengue, which is why an international research network has been established to improve the management of the disease. The consortium is coordinated by the Department of Tropical Medicine at Heidelberg University.
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Nutrition

Green gold: bioactive plant foods

Nowadays, everything must be good for something, must have a direct noticeable or tangible effect. The ever topical issue of nutrition is no exception. All this makes functional food a promising and inexhaustible market. Teams of scientists around the world are focussing on how unhealthy food can be made healthy. Bioactive plant foods are expected to close a gap that should not have existed in the first place.
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