|
|
|
Corporate |
|
|
|
Scientifically speaking, NGI is now running like a well-oiled machine. One article after the other is being published in Nature, Science, or other (high-impact) journal. We therefore expect that the scientific targets which NGI has set for the period 2008-2013 will be amply met. Also, the valorisation train has built up a head of steam. The adage 'From Thesis to Product' is beginning to take shape. The instruments (Venture Challenge, Life Sciences Pre-Seed Grant, BioGeneration Ventures, BioBusiness Masterclass, Mibiton) are catching on. In cooperation with others, these instruments are being applied throughout the field of Life Sciences, and will almost inevitably yield measurable valorisation results during the year ahead. During the next few years, increasing attention is also to be devoted to NGI’s third spearhead: the embedding of the infrastructure it has created. Initial steps in this direction were already taken last year, with the publication of the vision book 'Partners in the Polder'. In 2010, the recommendations are to be concretised in collaboration with our partners in the field of Life Sciences, while we also intend to promote and spotlight the added value of public-private partnerships for the Netherlands. Colja Laane, Director NGI |
|
Valorisation |
|
|
Genedata new member of Kluyver Centre Industrial Platform The Swiss company Genedata, a leading player in the field of advanced software programmes for research in the field of life sciences and drug discovery, has joined the Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation (Kluyver Centre) Industrial Platform. Genedata's 'Phylosopher® biological data management platform' and 'Expressionist® biomarker discovery platform' greatly contribute to the central data storage and the integration of transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic data for academic and industrial research partners within the Kluyver Centre. Read more |
|
|
Jeroen Hugenholtz joins Coca Cola Germany Jeroen Hugenholtz has resigned his post as Vice Director and programme leader at the Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation (Kluyver Centre) as of 1 April. He is now taking charge of Coca Cola's Biosciences department in Germany, which is engaged in the development of sustainable production processes. Jeroen Hugenholtz was one of the Kluyver Centre’s founders in 2002, and has since made considerable contributions to the consortium’s scientific and social success. He will retain his position as part-time professor at the University of Amsterdam. The role of Hugenholtz as programme leader of Programme 3 (Lactic Acid Bacteria) will be taken over by two Kluyver Centre scientists: Oscar Kuipers (RUG) and Peter Bron (Nizo/TIFN). |
|
|
Test for the prediction of eye colour available Forensic laboratories can now use eye colour as a factor in their search for unknown perpetrators. Forensic Genomics Consortium Netherlands researchers (Erasmus MC) have developed a test (kit) which, on the basis of a very small amount of DNA material, can predict with over 90% accuracy whether a person has blue or brown eyes. It is presumed that this eye colour test is just the first in a series of DNA tests to be developed with which to identify unknown persons on the basis of physical features. The developers have had the scientific description of the test published in Forensic Science International: Genetics. Read more |
NGI is to organise a Lifesciences@work event for the first time on 17 June. The object of this event is to bring together all participants in the various NGI Start-Up Support activities since 2008, including the Venture Challenge and Life Sciences Pre-Seed Grant, to enable them to exchange experiences in an informal setting, while also offering additional support in the form of hands-on workshops and expert meetings aimed at setting up a successful business. The winner of the Venture Challenge Spring 2010 will also be announced on this day. |
|
Genomics Centres |
|
|
Ecogenomics Innovation Center (ECOLINC) The Ecogenomics Consortium will in 2010 receive a follow-up grant of € 3 million from NGI for its ECOLINC programme, which together with its partners' own contribution means a total funding of € 6 million. The focus of the ECOLINC programme lies on valorisation of the most promising discoveries from the first round of NGI grants. The objective is to pursue both the commercial use of products of soil bacteria and the development of screening methods and applications. The ECOLINC programme swallowtails with the larger, newly allocated FES programme BE-Basic. Read more | |
|
€ 4 million for Celiac Disease Consortium The Celiac Disease Consortium (CDC) has received a NGI subsidy of € 4 million for the years 2010-2012, another € 4 million will be matched by the CDC partners. CDC will focus on translational research and the development of actual applications for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Celiac Disease. The establishment of a Clinical Expertise Centre plays a crucial role in the implementation of the results. At the same time, this centre will be an important source of information and materials for the researchers. |
Production of chemicals from wood waste Researchers from the Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation have succeeded in making a significant leap forward in the production of biochemicals and biofuels from waste wood. They discovered that the bacterium Cupriavidus basilensis breaks down harmful by-products which are produced when sugars are released from wood. They also managed to incorporate the degradation process in bacteria which are in common industrial use. The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA (PNAS). Read more |
|
VIRGO will receive € 4 million from NGI for a VIRGO-II project, another € 4 million will be contributed by the VIRGO partners. This project aims to generate novel intervention strategies for virus infections on the basis of a detailed understanding of the virus–host interaction at the molecular level. The consortium focuses on respiratory virus, hepatitis virus and HIV infections. There is a large unmet medical need for effective and safe diagnostic, prophylactic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies and tools for these infections that continue to cause a significant burden on (public) health and society. VIRGO also received a FES grant of € 10.7 million. |
|
|
|
|
|
Nutrigenomics embedded within Top Institute The Nutrigenomics Consortium will be continued within the Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN) as the Netherlands Nutrigenomics Centre (NNC) that embraces all nutrigenomics related activities in the Netherlands. The NNC has obtained € 1 million from NGI (matched by their own contribution) and focuses on valorisation of microarray and database infrastructures combined with data mining and smart design of intervention studies with transcriptomics-based phenotyping as output. Biological meaning and translation from knowledge based mouse models on the small intestine, liver and biomarkers will be integrated with Nutrition and Health related TIFN projects. |
ERC Advanced Grants for cancer research Netherlands Proteomics Centre researcher Jacques Neefjes (Netherlands Cancer Institute) has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant of € 2.1 million by the European Research Council. Mr Neefjes aims to acquire further insight into the way that the immune system is controlled. In pursuing this objective, he focuses on a certain group of molecules, known as the MHC class II, which are essential for the production of antibodies and the stimulation of killer cells. As such, they are involved in processes such as immune reactions to infections and cancer, but also auto-immune diseases that may occur following transplants. Cancer Genomics Centre researcher René Bernards also received an ERC Advanced Grant this year. Read more |
|
INSTRUCT: Integrated Structural Biology Infrastructure for Europe Netherlands Proteomics Centre director Albert Heck (Utrecht University) and Carol Robinson (Oxford University) will co-direct the INSTRUCT Associate Centre for Mass Spectrometry. INSTRUCT is part of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and is funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme. It will link the information obtained by the major structural biology methods with state-of-the-art cell biology techniques to provide a dynamic picture of key cellular processes at all scales with a focus on a few key biomedical questions and environment problems. Read more |
Mobile signal protein involved in cell specification of plants Netherlands Proteomics Centre researcher Dolf Weijers (WUR) and his German colleagues have discovered novel signals involved in cell specification in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Weijers studied the specification of an embryonic cell to a founder cell of the primary root meristem, the hypophysis. It was shown that the transport between cells of a small mobile transcription factor is involved in this embryonic root initiation. The results were published in Nature. Read more |
The management team of the Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing (NCHA) has recently changed. Scientific director Rudi Westendorp left to be able to focus on the management of another programme of the Top Institute for Healthy Ageing (Ti-GO). His co-director André Uitterlinden (professor of Complex Genetics at the Erasmus MC) takes over together with Eline Slagboom (professor of Molecular Epidemiology at the LUMC). Annette de Deugd-van Kalkeren remains the Managing Director. Read more |
|
Genetic risk factor for osteoarthritis identified Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis leading to pain and disability. Currently, no cure and only a few symptomatic treatments are available. Genetic studies may provide more insight in the pathogenesis of the disease and contribute to the development of new therapies. A study of the TREAT-OA consortium, in which the Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing participates, shows that common DNA variation on chromosome 7q22 influences the risk of developing knee and hand osteoarthritis. Results were published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Read more |
|
|
Novel candidate cancer genes identified Cancer Genomics Centre researchers Anton Berns and Maarten van Lohuizen (Netherlands Cancer Institute – Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Ziekenhuis (NKI-AVL)) and collaborators at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have identified strong, novel candidate tumour suppressors and oncogenes. A significant number of these genes contain binding sites for the stem cell transcription factors Oct4 and Nanog. Notably, mice carrying tumours with mutations in or near stem cell module genes, which are thought to participate in cell self-renewal, died significantly faster than mice without these mutations. Read more |
|
In a recent Science publication,
|
Genomics Programmes |
|
|
Expressions of Interest welcome! Forensic Science is a topic of growing interest. It applies principles of chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics as well as biology and social sciences to the purposes of justice in order to resolve criminal, civil and regulatory issues. In the course of 2010, two NWO councils take the initiative to launch the first Forensic Science Research Programme in the Netherlands. NGI considers joining these councils and welcomes Expressions of Interest from the genomics/life sciences community before 9 May 2010. Read more |
|
Society |
|
|
Europe kicks off Global Bioenergy Project
|
|
|
Imagine... a Biobag to change the world Students of Sorghvliet High School in The Hague won the Imagine Cup Student Competition 2009/2010 for their idea to reduce the extent of logging and improve living conditions in Guatemala by means of what is known as a Biobag. The Biobag, an idea conceived by researcher Jelmer Tamis at Delft University of Technology, is a small and inexpensive fermenter that converts waste into biogas which people can use to cook on. The Imagine Cup Student Competition was set up by the Imagine Life Sciences Foundation, a spin-out of the Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation, sponsored by the Centre for Society and Genomics. Read more |
National DNA lab day for teachers a huge success The first Netherlands National DNA lab day, organised by the Centre for Society and Genomics was held on Friday 12 March, in Utrecht. Over 200 teachers, TOAs (technical research assistants) and other interested parties seized the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the latest scientific developments, new didactics and of course the Mobile DNA laboratories. In addition to keynote speeches on the spread of mankind throughout the world by Peter de Knijff, and ageing by Jan Hoeijmakers, there was a wide range of practical, didactic and substantive workshops available. Read more |
At least 20% of the energy needs in Europe can be met by bioenergy from sustainable agriculture without compromising food safety and security. In fact, bioenergy could even bolster food security. Key sustainability issues such as the use of water and maintenance of biodiversity can be respected. These are the conclusions of the first European Convention on Sustainable Bioenergy that was hosted on 24-26 February by the
|
Events |
|
|
26 May 2010 The Centre for Medical Systems Biology (CMSB) is organising a symposium on 26 May, to celebrate a visit by Bartha Knoppers. She is a professor of Law at the University of Montreal and an expert on the ethical aspects of genetics, genomics and biotechnology. Bartha Knoppers is the Distinguished Visiting Scientist to the Centre for Society and Genomics and CMSB. The venue is the Netherlands National Museum of Natural History, Naturalis in Leiden, and admission is free, subject to prior registration. More information: p.overveld@lumc.nl. Read more and register |
|||
|
23 November 2010
This year Life Sciences Momentum will celebrate its 10th anniversary. It is the event where the Dutch Life Sciences field comes together to discuss developments and its future. Participants include the whole who's who of industry, science, government, healthcare, civil-society organisations, education, finance, politics, media and more. This year's theme is Global Connections. Alongside domestic developments we will be focussing especially on our international potential and global developments in the Life Sciences. |
|||
|
26 May 2010
|
27 May 2010 |
27 - 28 May 2010 |
27 June - 1 July 2010
|
|
update contacts –
order a publication |
|
| T +31 (0)70 344 0672 | E info@genomics.nl | www.genomics.nl | |