All VIB news

A new report by the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA) presents the latest scientific evidence in the field of genome editing and explores paths to harmonize EU legislation with recent developments, while particularly considering relevant ethical and societal considerations. 

Our liver has a remarkable capacity to regenerate. However, the molecular mechanisms behind this ability are not yet entirely clear. Now, a team led by Georg Halder (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology) elucidates an indirect role for the bile ducts in liver regeneration. The results appear in Gastroenterology.

The team headed by Prof. Massimiliano Mazzone (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology), in collaboration with Dr. Emanuele Berardi and Dr. Min Shang, revealed a new metabolic dialogue between inflammatory cells and muscle stem cells. The researchers show that strengthening this metabolic crosstalk with an inhibitor of the enzyme GLUD1 fosters the release of glutamine, and improves muscle regeneration and physical performance in experimental models of muscle degeneration such as trauma, ischemia, and aging. Besides its translational potential, this work also provides key advances in several fields of research including muscle biology, immunometabolism, and stem cell biology.

Animab, a venture spin-off from VIB, announces today that it has successfully concluded a 3.4 M€ seed financing round. The company develops monoclonal antibodies for oral administration to ensure intestinal health of livestock. The initial focus is on improving the resilience of piglets during the fragile post-weaning period. The start-up will use the seed capital to develop its first oral antibody product for protection against ETEC and initiate a product portfolio for the livestock industry.

ONCURIOUS NV, a Belgium-based biotech company focused on developing innovative immune-oncology treatments, today presents its strategy directed at boosting T cell migration, infiltration and activity into solid tumors, and announces that it has reached preclinical proof of concept and has entered the lead optimization phase with its proprietary CCR8 Treg program.

A team of scientists led by Alan Urban and Gabriel Montaldo (NERF, empowered by imec, KU Leuven and VIB) developed and refined a 3D brain imaging platform based on ultrasound imaging that can speed up brain research. 

Confo Therapeutics today announced the selection of its first preclinical drug candidate, CFTX-1554, a compound designed to address peripheral neuropathic pain with the potential to address additional pain indications. 

A research team led by Joris de Wit at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research has uncovered new molecular players critical for the formation and function of neuronal circuits in the brain. Through proteomic profiling of a specific synapse in the hippocampus, they identified multiple uncharacterized synaptic cell surface proteins, including a new regulator of connectivity. 

Each year, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) awards a Gold Medal to outstanding young researchers in the life sciences for outstanding contributions to the field. In 2020, Prof. Sarah-Maria Fendt (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology) receives the prestigious award.

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, developers of CRISPR, the revolutionary genome editing technology, have been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for chemistry. This technique, based on a defense mechanism in the immune system of bacteria, allows scientists to introduce genetic alterations in a wide variety of organisms in a very efficient and targeted manner. 

Researchers led by prof. Wout Boerjan (VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology) have discovered a way to stably finetune the amount of lignin in poplar by applying CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Lignin is one of the main structural substances in plants and it makes processing wood into, for example, paper difficult. This study is an important breakthrough in the development of wood resources for the production of paper with a lower carbon footprint, biofuels, and other bio-based materials. 

In this week’s edition of Science, researchers at VIB and the UK DRI highlight the need for a better understanding of the environmental and genetic risks of Alzheimer’s disease. Gene variants should be studied in the right cell types and in the right context, they argue, if we want to make progress in our search for effective therapies.

After a  two-month voting competition, the 2020 MolecularCloud Distinguished Research Award was given to the teams of Bert Schepens and Xavier Saelens at the VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, alongside the team of their collaborator Jason McLellan at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Beer! Now that we have your attention, ever wondered why beer tastes so good? How it is made? And what sets different beers apart? Find out in the MOOC 'BREWINGx: Beer: the science of brewing' by the group of Prof. Kevin Verstrepen (VIB-KULeuven Center for Microbiology). The course starts on November 2nd.

Every year on World Alzheimer's Day, the French organization: Fondation Recherche Alzheimer honors top European researchers who have made an important contribution to research into the disease. The prize for "most promising young researcher" is awarded this year to two young talents, including Renzo Mancuso: an Argentinian scientist affiliated to VIB and the universities of Leuven and Antwerp.