Insects aren’t doing well. Several scientific studies show that three quarters of them have disappeared over the past 30 years. For instance, by agricultural practices that removed much of natural variety, and many pollinators, from the fields. Pollinators What can … Read more
Forever chemicals, particularly per- and polyfluoralkyl compunds (PFAS), are one of the biggest present environmental health hazards. These synthetic chemicals aren’t localised in a few contaminated areas; they are everywhere: in rivers, groundwater, wastewater, and even in household dust. They … Read more
Just a short while ago, people hardly knew about viruses as a medicine. In particular, this is true for bacteriophages (or phages, for short) – viruses that eat bacteria. Until less than a century ago, we even didn’t know about … Read more
The Conversation’s Brad Libby recently posted a thought-provoking article about converging technologies, and their potential. He envisages artificial intelligence (AI), lithium-ion batteries, infrared cameras, lidar laser range detectors, actuators, 3D printing and more. What if these technologies converge simultaneously? Would … Read more
According to RethinkX, precision fermentation and cellular agriculture will create an entirely new business model in the food sector: food-as-software. This will disrupt and transform our food and agricultural industries. If major changes in a number of key technologies come … Read more
As researchers succeed in tagging oceanic predators, they discover new facts about the deep sea. Many animals dive very deep, even to where light doesn’t penetrate anymore. It’s indescribable, what they unveil. The pressure, the cold and the dark Knowable … Read more
This week, the Dutch magazine Sciencelink ran an article written by Marysa van den Berg on an important new development in disease control. The use of bacteriophages, viruses that kill bacteria. A solution for the problem that an increasing number … Read more
In a recent series on the invaluable site The conversation, Australian scientists raised the question to what extent we will in the future be able to rely on antibiotics. Resistance to antibiotics is on the rise, all over the world. … Read more
The World Health Organization says we’re currently losing to the bugs. Because resistance to antibiotics is increasing; and because there are too few new antibiotics in the pipeline. In The Conversation, Allen Cheng reviews the situation. Antibiotics, a wonderful discovery … Read more
As a human species, we are caught in a permanent struggle with nature. It disturbs our careful agriculture and grows weeds; they adapt to our herbicides: resistance. Moreover, nature reverts to resistance as we develop smart methods to fight illness. … Read more
One of the avenues researched in the quest for the secrets of life, is the creation of a minimalist life form. What is life in its simplest form? Does it evolve? Does it adapt to its environment? And how did … Read more
The World Health Organization WHO expects antimicrobial resistance to become a persistent problem. A growing number of people develops resistance against antibiotics. In 2050, this might cause an additional 10 million people to die. What can we do to prevent … Read more
The 2021 Biennale in Venice introduced a new concept into architecture: the probiotic design. From the 19th century onwards, architects and housewives tried to keep the interior of our buildings as clean and non-biotic as possible. But recent discoveries have … Read more
The European GRETE project has come to an end. The aim of this research project was to develop new textiles from wood pulp. With partners from Finland, Austria, Italy, Spain and Portugal, it spanned many biobased sources and many technologies. … Read more
Thousands of developers of artificial intelligence recently asked for a moratorium on its development for half a year. ‘Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be … Read more
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is on the rise; generally, this is looked upon as a serious problem. Therefore, their alternatives are much researched. One of the promising substances is cat’s claw. This plant from the tropical rain forest is exceptionally … Read more
This past summer, a widespread drought across the United States lowered crop yields by as much as one-third as corn, wheat, barley and other plants suffered from too much heat and too little water. It’s a scenario that will likely … Read more
MIT in Boston (UsA) is one of the scientific centres developing initiatives to stop climate change. On April 11, it announced five flagship projects in its Climate Grand Challenges. Among these, a project Revolutionizing agriculture with low-emissions, resilient crops. Intended … Read more
Until quite recently, professionals in healthcare tended to look upon body and mind as strictly separated therapeutic entities. And we still don’t treat them a being equal. The notion that all phenomena are interconnected permeates to an increasing number of … Read more
What does the future of pharma look like? So far, our task was easy, a description of history. Now things become much more difficult. There is a multitude of subjects on the agenda. Like the health gains that we jeopardized … Read more
From being almost forgotten to being the most abundant kind of microorganisms: phages. Moreover, harmless to people. It is simple to contain a bacterial infection with phages, if one has access to a phage that takes on the bacterium in … Read more
There are no leaders in the world of microorganisms. All creatures have friends and enemies. Some of them are actual living organisms, others are at the intersection of living and non-living matter. Alternatively, they are only active in a reciprocal … Read more
Right now, there is a lot of interest in all microorganisms in and on our bodies. Researchers have good look at the intestinal flora in particular. Recently, we wrote two articles on this subject, with the significant titles Who are … Read more
One quarter of the recently developed new medicines are biomedicines. It still isn’t clear where this may lead us in terms of new antibiotics. But our insight into nature’s fundamental processes grows by leaps and bounds. Again and again, this … Read more
After some time during a 100 year war, it may become unclear why and how it all started. Even the possible outcome may disappear out of sight. In the battle between chemistry and bacteria, chemistry seems to be losing. A … Read more
The serious search for new antibiotics starts only in 2015. Private and public initiatives collect funds for new research. Oxford University for instance, equips a new institute for research and action on resistance. The results seem to be positive. Between … Read more
A number of powerful people has embarked on a mission to defy death. The most recent among these is Jeff Bezos, former CEO of Amazon and one of the five richest people on earth. He was preceded by George Church, … Read more
In 2019, the American FDA approved just one antibiotic: lefamulin, a medicine against pneumonia. It is marketed under the name of Xenleta. The history of this medicine makes a telling story. It clearly shows the obstacles in the search for, … Read more
We can still contain the vast majority of infections with the existing collection of medicines. But we need to use them wisely. We also need to develop new medicines on the basis of the old themes. But that development has … Read more
In the tumultuous events in the medical realm in the second half of the past century, we witness a remarkable change: the position of high esteem of the individual doctor is being substituted by other professionals. The pole position is … Read more
When the Oxford team books its first successes, the Germans already occupy the Netherlands for three months. From 1943 onwards, the allies issue a ban on publications on penicillin. And yet, in November 1945 the Nederlandse Gist- en Spiritusfabriek in … Read more
By the end of 1941, Heatley starts working at Merck. He quite regularly exchanges letters with Florey. And Florey receives an enormous box from the United States. He is sure that it will contain the long-awaited kilo of penicillin. But … Read more
In April and May 1940, the Oxford team tests its brown powder on cats, rabbits, rats, mice and other animals. The animals stay healthy. They also discover that injection is the best way of administering the drug. If it is … Read more
Four major questions dominated the Oxford research on penicillin. We review them in good order. 1. How do we grow as much mould as possible, while maximizing penicillin production? 2. Which harmful bacteria will be attacked by penicillin? 3. Are … Read more
Eventually, a team of Oxford University succeeds in the production and purification of penicillin. But a strange team it is; it never grows into some kind of unity. It consists of Ernst Chain, Howard Florey, Norman Heatley, Margaret Jennings and … Read more
Both the UK and the US greet M&B 693 or sulfapyridine with much enthusiasm. In the war years, this message about the sulfas is a much-needed piece of good news. Project ‘100 years of antibiotics’ Episode 9. In the crossfire … Read more
The success of Salvarsan leads Paul Ehrlich to believe that he will quickly be able to eliminate many other pathogens. In 1914, he addresses the 7th International Medical Congress in London. In paraphrase he says: ‘All countries in the world … Read more
All over the world, antibiotics resistance increases. Overdose prescriptions are an important cause. And also the natural phenomenon of increasing resistance as the same medicine is being used for years at a stretch. The problem is severe in humane antibiotics … Read more
The solutions are here!, talking about major global problems. Solutions that exist already but are not generally applied. Or that are under severe and undeserved attack and therefore receive insufficient support. We have in mind: renewable energy and energy storage, … Read more
Battery recycling is an area long neglected by battery producers. Performance and cost were much more important. So now we are stuck with a rapidly growing heap of worn-out batteries of which we don’t know how to treat it. Or … Read more
Chemical and Engineering News recently ran an article that sheds light on the importance of traditional Chinese medicine for modern scientific development. Traditional treatments inspire the discovery of insecticides and antimalarial drugs. Useful symbiotic microorganisms The herb Stemona sessilifolia has … Read more
During a workshop at the latest European Forum on Industrial Biotechnology (EFIB) in Brussels, the BBI JU funded ReSolve-project introduced a number of newly developed, less hazardous, viable bio-based renewable solvents. These new solvent molecules proved to have better performance … Read more
When talking of technology, many people nowadays have ICT in mind. But then they neglect the major steps forward taken by the life sciences: all chemical and biological knowledge of living organisms. We keep discovering new phenomena. Naturally! Of course. … Read more
The Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking, BBI JU, one of seven JUs under the Horizon2020 program, recently published their next Call for Proposals, the sixth one on the path towards 2020. At an info day in Brussels, visited by over 600 … Read more
Through biosolar cells, researchers try to improve photosynthesis, the process through which plants, algae and some bacteria capture sunlight. The product of such ‘artificial leaves’ is hydrogen for instance, that can be processed to fuels and chemicals, with CO2 and … Read more
The Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking, abbreviated as BBI JU, is in the final stages of the procedure to award funding for new research and development proposals. BBI JU is a €3.7 billion Public-Private Partnership between the EU and the Bio-based … Read more
Anyone who opposes genetically modified (GM) food can tell you that ‘in France’ they found that GM maize causes cancer in rats. This study was conducted under leadership of Gilles-Éric Séralini, professor in molecular biology at the University of Caen. … Read more
In the entire discussion on biotechnological rejuvenation, very few researchers ask the question why this should be a goal worth pursuing. In a series of articles (July 25, July 28 and July 31) we explore the potential of biotechnology to … Read more
Biotechnology has now reached the point that some researchers target rejuvenation as their goal, ultimately in humans. With a slight hint of immortality behind the horizon. But if we look more carefully, they are still far removed from those targets. … Read more
What will come after healthy aging? In biotechnology, advances have been so swift over the past few decades, that some scientists have started thinking of ways to tackle aging itself, that ultimate and fatal disease of mankind. Even with some … Read more