From Tuesday 28 to Thursday 30 September, FHI and its partners will not only organize the Electronics & Applications trade fair, but also the brand new LabNL, both in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. During LabNL you will be informed about the latest innovations in the laboratory world, while visitors to E&A will experience the state of affairs in the electronics chain. Both fairs can be visited free of charge. 

LabNL focuses on lab managers, lab technicians, researchers and purchasers of lab equipment. Suppliers and manufacturers are ready on the exhibition floor to show you their latest innovations. 

LabNL’s scientifically oriented conference program deals with three overarching themes: lab automation, analytical techniques and life sciences. You can consult the list of speakers via the LabNL website and after registration you can visit LabNL for free. [registration will open on June 10] 

Electronics & Applications 2021 shows the visitor the latest state of affairs in the electronics industry. You can also follow the ‘Best solderer in the Benelux’ competition on the exhibition floor. The exhibition gadget, the E&A-Parrot, is also popular with visitors. 

Like LabNL, E&A offers an extensive conference program in which many current topics are discussed. Think of 5G, energy transition and hardware design. Registration for E&A is free. 

Read more about LabNL de Lab Beurs

Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology and Radboudumc have interwoven various bone cells into an ‘organoid’ that can independently make new, hard bone tissue. It’s the most complete 3D model of bone formation to date. The 3D model allows for the study of the key biochemical processes in unprecedented detail and could help in cracking the many mysteries surrounding bone formation. Moreover, the lab-grown bone is particularly suitable for testing and designing new treatments for bone diseases such as osteoporosis or osteogenesis imperfecta.

Imagine using stem cells from your bone marrow to grow a new piece of your bone tissue in the lab, after which medical doctors explore how certain drugs affect your bone tissue. In this way, a tailor-made treatment plan could be made for you, and potentially for everyone. Welcome to the world of personalized medicine.

This vision of drug development is no longer science fiction now that researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology and Radboud university medical center have actually realized the first part: growing a lifelike piece of bone tissue from human stem cells. It is the first organoid of bone, a simplified version of the original bone, and the researchers report about it today in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Sandra Hofman

Sandra Hofmann: “We show that we can make lifelike bone exclusively with two cell types.” Image: Vincent van den Hoogen

COHERENT PICTURE

“With this, we present, for the first time, the full picture of early-stage bone formation,” says Sandra Hofmann, associate professor in Bioengineering Bone from TU/e. And this is of great importance, particularly as the process by which bones form is still largely a mystery. Bone is a very complex material in which, on the one hand, countless cells and processes interact and, on the other hand, an ingenious matrix of collagen and mineral is built up to provide material strength. Much is known about the individual components, but a coherent picture has been lacking until now.

Three types of cells play the main role in bone formation: osteoblasts (which build bone tissue), osteoclasts (which take bone away) and osteocytes (which regulate the building and breaking down of bone). “Most studies so far have focused on one of these types of cells, but that is not a good representation of the real tissue,” says Hofmann. “We present here a piece of woven bone (early-stage bone) that developed from stem cells and contains two types of bone cells: osteoblasts and osteocytes. We now see that we can make lifelike bone exclusively with these two cell types.”

A tiny part of the bone organoid, reconstructed with 3D electron microscopy. The colors indicate different cells connected to form the osteocyte network, embedded in the collagen matrix (cyan).

GETTING WISER FROM MOLECULAR POKING

“And perhaps more importantly, our system behaves just like early-stage bone “, says Anat Akiva, assistant professor Cell Biology at Radboudumc. “We show that both types of cells produce the proteins that the cells need for their functionality, and we show with the greatest detail that the matrix actually is the bone matrix we see in real tissue.”

The fact that a simplified representation of the formation of bone at the molecular level is now possible offers unprecedented possibilities, according to the researchers. “A bone consists of 99% collagen and minerals, but there is also another 1% of proteins that are essential for successful bone formation,” explains professor Nico Sommerdijk from Radboudumc. “So what’s the role of these proteins? How do they support bone formation? Never before have we been able to look at the milestones of this process at a molecular level.”

And with that, they immediately have a great starting point from which to investigate the cause of genetic bone diseases such as ‘brittle bone disease’ and their possible treatments. “Remember that the origin of many diseases is at the molecular level – and so is the treatment,” says Akiva. “In fact, we now have a simple system in a reliable environment where we can poke around and see what happens.”

REFERENCE

Anat Akiva et al., An Organoid for Woven Bone, Advanced Functional Materials (9 March 2021). DOI:10.1002/adfm.202010524

Source: hDMT Technology news

Dutch State Secretary Mona Keijzer expects this financial support for innovation to help several dozen new knowledge-intensive companies get off the ground in the coming years.
Bart Brouwers

The Dutch government is allocating 24 million euros for start-ups that can grow thanks to knowledge from research. Three collaborations between innovative companies, universities, other knowledge institutions, and (venture) investors in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), Medtech, and water technology are involved. This is the second tender of the so-called Thematic Technology Transfer (TTT) scheme.

In September 2019, the Dutch government made the same amount available for collaborations in the fields of regenerative medicine, smart systems, and circular solutions. According to the government, this support has now led to the first investments such as in a startup developing a biological drug against thrombosis.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) selected the three consortia. Each consortium will receive 8 million euros of the available 24 million euros.

1. Artificial intelligence

The first collaboration will focus on the application of artificial intelligence within the themes of healthcare and security. Coordinated by the University of Amsterdam, five Dutch universities, four university medical centers, the Center for Mathematics and Computer Science, and the Eindhoven-based venture investor LUMO Labs will participate.

TTT.AI is intended to become the Dutch counter for AI startups that originate from a knowledge institution. “With this AI consortium we can successfully bring more AI initiatives from our knowledge institutions to the market and to society,” says Peter Westerhuijs, project leader of the consortium and business developer at IXA-UvA.

Andy Lürling, Founding Partner of LUMO Labs, says that his investment fund is already working extensively with knowledge institutions. “Thanks to this TTT.AI consortium, together we are much better able to identify promising initiatives and give them a flying start. Pioneering research and innovative development in the field of AI can thus find their way into society faster and better. Early-stage funding is indispensable to make the step from idea to impact.”

2. Medical technology for better diagnoses

A consortium of the four technical universities, university medical centers in Rotterdam, Nijmegen, and Maastricht, and the Amsterdam-based venture investor Innovation Industries are joining forces for more successful medical technology. They are building a national and open program that will bring together the right knowledge and expertise at an early stage and accelerate the market passage of medical technology innovations for better or less burdensome diagnoses and treatments, for example.

3. Water technology for energy reuse and storage

Netherlands Enabling Water Technology (NEW), the consortium for water technology, will also receive €8 million. The consortium consists of WetsusUniversity of GroningenDeltares, and Investment and Development Company North Netherlands (NOM). NEW stimulates startups with initiatives in the field of water technology to accelerate the transition to a circular, sustainable and climate-neutral economy, for example in the field of water and raw materials reuse and production and storage of energy from water.

The NEW plan consists of two parts: knowledge transfer and a fund. The partners in the knowledge transfer part will scout promising knowledge startups, have them develop at an accelerated pace and nominate the most promising startups to the NEW fund. “Without the financial support from the NEW fund, many good ideas in the water technology field will ultimately not make it to the market,” said an explanation from NEW. “Through the combined knowledge and broad expertise, stronger innovations will be developed by the knowledge starters. This, in combination with the NEW fund managed by NOM, will lead to more promising knowledge startups and a faster transition of startups to the growth phase.”

“The Netherlands as an innovation leader”

State Secretary Mona Keijzer expects that with this targeted financial support for innovation, several dozen new knowledge-intensive companies can get off the ground in the coming years. “The Netherlands is Europe’s innovation leader and we want to remain so. This scheme focuses on technological cooperation between science and entrepreneurs and gives a boost to our future jobs and income. It is important that we focus on innovation for both the short and long term in the current economic crisis.”

Original article: Innovation Origins

On Thursday March 25, the first online MinacNed member event was organised in 2021 on Microbubble technology in medical application.

With an audience from industry and science, the team kicked off the online webinar series of MinacNed member events. In the first session of 2021, Prof Michel Versluis, TU Twente and Dr Klazina Kooiman, Erasmus MC gave an excellent overview of the foundation and application of micro bubble technology in medical application.

The setting was open for the attendees to ask their questions from the speakers. Moderator Douwe Geuzebroek, from Lionix International, asked the speakers where they could see collaboration with MinacNed partners. There is a need to collaborate with industry, our speakers explained. To better understand what is needed for the clinical phase. It is possible to simulate application in practice in a lab setting. Now there is a need to work with industry to raise the technical questions from a hospital setting where the technology is applied in daily practice.

Collaboration with industry

MinacNed members who are looking to collaborate with these groups to further develop micro bubble technology in imaging, and therapy with micro bubbles can contact the MinacNed office. The applications discussed in the meeting in drug delivery, treatment of tumor and cardiovascular disease are is the current research focus.

Thin film/MEMS event

On April 20, 2021 the next MinacNed member event will be hosted by moderator Frank van de Scheur, Head of MEMS at Philips and Chair of the MinacNed board. The keynote speakers invited are Rob van Schaik principal architect Thin film/Mems at Philips and Richard Norte, Assistant professor at Delft University of Technology & Co-Founder at Nenso Solutions.

The registration will open on April 6, registration is free for MinacNed members. Read more about the next MinacNed event here.