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Dear colleague,
Can microbes be valuable for us instead of only giving us unpleasant infections or diseases? Well, the answer is yes!
Find out their advantages, the potential future treatments of Alzheimer’s disease, and how we keep our VIB family (re)connected. Happy reading!
Kind regards,
Inge Boets, Communications Director at VIB
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Microbes as tiny architects
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Microorganisms don’t always have the best reputation. People often link them to infections and diseases. At VIB, we want to tackle these misconceptions and show why microbes deserve our attention!
These tiny architects can produce beneficial products that help cure diseases, reduce food waste, create greener energy, and much more.
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Three new VIB Grand Challenges projects |
The following projects have been selected in the VIB Grand Challenges Program, that aims to increase the societal impact of VIB's research:
BIOPET will harness the power of microbes to produce healthy and
sustainable pet food, thanks to a yeast-based platform that enables precision fermentation.
The POINTILLISM 2.0 project will develop a predictive test for immunotherapy response in cancer patients.
Belgium’s Amyloidosis Consortium (BE.AMYCON) will become a hub for expertise and knowledge on a group of diseases under the amyloidosis umbrella.
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Breakthrough study discovers how brain cells die in Alzheimer's |
A research team led by Bart De Strooper (VIB-KU Leuven and UK Dementia Research Institute) and Sriram Balusu (VIB-KU Leuven) has discovered that neurons initiate a programmed form of cell death, known as necroptosis when they are exposed to amyloid plaques and tau tangles – the hallmark misfolded proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s. More importantly, the research team was able to prevent the death of neurons, rescuing them in the process.
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What makes red hot chili peppers so spicy? |
Most of us are familiar with the painful, eye-watering sensation that comes with taking a bite out of a red hot chili pepper. But what puts the kick in these chilies? We asked Thomas Voets (VIB-KU Leuven), who studies this TRP channel and others involved in pain processes.
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Our spin-offs in the spotlight
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VIB spin-off
Orionis Biosciences, a privately held life sciences company with an integrated drug discovery and chemical biology platform, announced a multi-year collaboration with Genentech, to discover novel small molecule medicines for challenging targets in major disease areas.
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VIB spin-off MRM Health, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing next-generation live microbiome consortia therapeutics, reports positive topline results from its Phase 2a
clinical trial with MH002 in mild-to-moderate Ulcerative Colitis.
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Meet Esther Klingler, our new group leader |
We welcome Esther Klingler as a new group leader at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research. She will move from Switzerland to Leuven to start her lab, which will study the developmental trajectories of emotional circuit neurons.
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ERC starting grant for Anastassia Vorobieva |
Anastassia Vorobieva (VIB-VUB) has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant worth 1.5 million euros. We met up with Anastassia to discuss her career path and PoreMADNeSS, the research project that convinced the ERC jury.
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We welcome three new MSCA fellows |
After the addition of four Marie Curie fellows this year, we are now welcoming three more! Congratulations to Quique Velasco Serna (VIB-KU Leuven), Sandip Ghuge (VIB-UGent) and John McKendrick (VIB-UGent).
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Spotted on X (previously known as Twitter) |
Stein Aerts @Steinaerts
I’m grateful and excited to launch VIB.AI as the 10th VIB Center. We stand on the shoulders of giants, namely the outstanding computational labs already present
at VIB, and the vibrant AI communities in Flanders.
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Working at VIB |
The frontiers of science, the latest technologies, a positive impact on society... Feeling inspired? Check out our jobs for one that matches your profile and spread the word.
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Head VIB Bioimaging Core
VIB Bioimaging Core in Leuven
Head of Human Resources
VIB Headquarters in Ghent
DevOps
VIB Data Core in Ghent
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New automated phenotyping system |
VIB inaugurated its new facility for automated crop phenotyping. With this milestone, VIB's new research facility in Nevele is fully operational. From now on, both industrial and academic researchers are welcome to test new breeding techniques, crop protection, or biostimulants on a large scale.
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Our VIB family (re)connected |
Former VIB members spread all over the globe to start (and continue) inspiring careers, and they remain a valued part of our family. The VIB Alumni Series brings them together to share their experiences. On 13 November 2023, VIB alumni will gather in Leuven to (re)connect, preceding the VIB Conference on ‘Periphery-brain Interplay and CNS Disease’.
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Meet us at the following events |
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Unsubscribe
VIB, Suzanne Tassierstraat 1 , 9052 Ghent, Belgium |
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