VIB is an independent research institute that translates insights in biology into impactful innovations for society. Collaborating with the five Flemish universities, it conducts research in plant biology, cancer, neuroscience, microbiology, inflammatory diseases, artifical intelligence and more. VIB connects science with entrepreneurship and stimulates the growth of the Flemish biotech ecosystem. The institute contributes to solutions for societal challenges such as new methods for diagnostics and treatments, as well as innovations for agriculture. Learn more at www.vib.be.

VIB is an independent research institute that translates insights in biology into impactful innovations for society. Collaborating with the five...

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Joran Lauwers

VIB is een onafhankelijk onderzoeksinstituut dat inzichten in de biologie vertaalt naar impactvolle innovaties voor de samenleving. Het werkt samen met de vijf Vlaamse universiteiten en diverse partners in de biotechsector en doet onderzoek in plantenbiologie, kanker, neurowetenschap, microbiologie, ontstekingsziekten, artificiële intelligentie en meer. VIB verbindt wetenschap met ondernemerschap en stimuleert zo de groei van de Vlaamse biotech. Het instituut draagt bij aan oplossingen voor maatschappelijke uitdagingen, zoals nieuwe methoden voor diagnose en behandeling en landbouwinnovaties. Meer info op www.vib.be. 

VIB is een onafhankelijk onderzoeksinstituut dat inzichten in de biologie vertaalt naar impactvolle innovaties voor de samenleving. Het werkt...

French (Belgium)

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Leuven, 22 April 2024 - On Monday, 22nd April, Princess Astrid visited the lab of Prof. Ludo Van Den Bosch and Prof. Philip Van Damme at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research. In 2023, Ludo was awarded the Generet Prize for his research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This prize, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, carries a grant of 1 million euros, making it the most prestigious award for rare disease research in Belgium and Europe.

Princess Astrid visits the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research

Leuven, 22 April 2024 - On Monday, 22nd April, Princess Astrid visited the lab of Prof. Ludo Van Den Bosch and Prof. Philip Van Damme at the ...

APP-CTFs disrupt organellar communication, interfering with cellular homeostasis

New mechanism uncovered in early stages of Alzheimer's disease

Leuven, 16 April 2024 – Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains one of the most challenging and prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. In a new study published in Developmental Cell, researchers from the lab of Wim Annaert (VIB-KU Leuven) have identified a novel mechanism potentially connected to the early stages of AD. They demonstrated that a fragment of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), called APP-CTF, disrupts communication between cellular compartments crucial for calcium storage and waste disposal, which could be an early event preceding neuronal cell death. These findings, with potential implications for the development of new AD treatments, suggest that preventing APP-CTF accumulation needs to be taken into account to develop more effective treatments.

New research unveils how spinal cord nerve cells can learn and remember—completely independent of the brain 

Wired to learn and remember 

Leuven, 11 April 2024 — The role of the spinal cord is often simplified to that of a simple relay station, carrying messages between the brain and the body. However, the spinal cord can actually learn and remember movements on its own. A team of researchers at the Leuven-based Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF) details how two different neuronal populations enable the spinal cord to adapt and recall learned behavior in a way that is completely independent of the brain. These remarkable findings, published today in Science, shed new light on how spinal circuits might contribute to mastering and automating movement. The insights could prove relevant in the rehabilitation of people with spinal injuries.

Ghent (Belgium), 4 April – Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that affects millions worldwide. Now, a groundbreaking clinical study conducted by researchers at Ghent University Hospital, VIB, and Ghent University has demonstrated the potential of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to improve symptoms in patients with PD. This research, published in eClinicalMedicine, provides promising evidence that FMT could be a valuable new treatment for this debilitating disorder.

Stool transplant shows promise for Parkinson's disease

Ghent (Belgium), 4 April – Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that affects millions worldwide. Now, a groundbreaking...

Leuven, Antwerp, and London, 27 March – Microglia are specialized immune cells in the brain. While they normally protect our brains, they can also contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. The exact mechanism behind this contribution is not yet fully understood due to the complexities involved in studying them in human brain samples. Now, a research team led by Prof. Bart De Strooper (UK-DRI@UCL and VIB-KU Leuven) and Prof. Renzo Mancuso (VIB-UAntwerp) made a xenotransplantation model – mice with stem-cell-derived human microglia in their brains to observe how human microglia respond to the disease environment. Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, will help scientists better understand the complex mechanisms involved in Alzheimer's disease.

Understanding the role of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease

Leuven, Antwerp, and London, 27 March – Microglia are specialized immune cells in the brain. While they normally protect our brains, they can also...

Revolutionizing the beverage industry and making better beer

AI predicts the taste and quality of beer

Leuven (Belgium) 26 March 2024 - Belgian scientists have developed AI models that can predict how a particular beer will be rated by consumers, and what aroma compounds brewers can add to improve it. The research was published today in the renowned scientific journal Nature Communications and may revolutionize how the food and beverage industry develops new products.

Ghent, Belgium 25/03/2024 – Brassinosteroids are steroidal phytohormones required for the growth and development of plants, and are widely used in agriculture to improve crop yields. They are synthesized in the cell interior but binding their receptors at the cell surface. While brassinosteroids were discovered over 50 years ago, research on the mechanisms exporting them out of the cell lagged for decades. Researchers have now uncovered a role for the Arabidopsis ABC transporter ABCB19, formerly known as an auxin transporter, in brassinosteroid export. Their findings have been published in Science this week.

New study elucidates the role of Arabidopsis ABCB19 as brassinosteroid exporter 

Ghent, Belgium 25/03/2024 – Brassinosteroids are steroidal phytohormones required for the growth and development of plants, and are widely used in...

The system has applications in the production of medicines, and edible and industrial proteins, offering a cheaper and qualitative alternative to existing commercial variants

Flemish researchers launch OPENPichia, an industrial open access yeast system for the production of proteins

Ghent, 05 March 2024 – A team of researchers at the VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology has succeeded in reconstructing one of the most important industrial expression systems for proteins in open access. Pichia pastoris, a yeast used in the biopharmaceutical industry is often used to produce molecular building blocks. Up until now, use of this technology was restricted by a paywall. Thanks to this research, a similar expression system can be offered at a much lower cost. Additionally, results of new research using this open access system can be shared more easily. The results of this research have been published in the Nature Microbiology.

New research by the lab of Prof. Jo Van Ginderachter (VIB Center for Inflammation Research and VUB), in collaboration with Prof. Carl De Trez (VUB) and others, identifies a protein that could pave the way toward drugs against sleeping sickness.

Newly discovered protein blocks sleeping sickness 

Brussels, 28 February 2024 - Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions of people and is fatal if left untreated. Most treatments and preventative options, however, are not very effective. New research by the lab of Prof. Jo Van Ginderachter (VIB Center for Inflammation Research and VUB), in collaboration with Prof. Carl De Trez (VUB) and others, identifies a protein that could pave the way toward drugs against sleeping sickness. Their work appears in Nature Communications.

Researchers at the Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, and VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, show that antibody therapy can be effective against erosive hand osteoarthritis. Using the antibody denosumab leads to bone remodeling and the prevention of erosive joint damage. This is the first evidence that erosive progression can be halted in this disease. The results appear in Nature Medicine. 

Erosion blockade breakthrough: clinical trial signals hope for hand osteoarthritis

The erosive type of hand osteoarthritis is a common inflammatory type of degeneration that notably affects the joints of the fingers. As a result, this condition has a high disease burden, resulting in progressive damage and loss of function. While current therapies can alleviate symptoms, they do not address the structural damage in the affected hands.