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, artificial 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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India Jane Wise

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...

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7 January 2025, Leuven – Specific brain cells known as layer 5 pyramidal neurons play a vital role in how our brains process information. Research by the team of Prof. Joris de Wit (VIB-KU Leuven) and colleagues highlights the differences between two types of these brain cells —intratelencephalic (IT) neurons and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons—and how these differences may affect their vulnerability to conditions like autism and schizophrenia.

Research reveals unique features of brain cells linked to neurodevelopmental conditions

7 January 2025, Leuven – Specific brain cells known as layer 5 pyramidal neurons play a vital role in how our brains process information. Research...

The availability of the amino acid aspartate is one reason why the lung is a frequent organ of metastasis

Researchers reveal why the lung is a frequent site of cancer metastasis

Leuven, 2 January 2024 – Researchers from the lab of Prof. Sarah-Maria Fendt (VIB-KU Leuven) and colleagues have uncovered that the availability of the amino acid aspartate is one reason why the lung is a frequent organ of metastasis. Their work appears in Nature and improves our understanding of cancer biology while providing the foundation for new therapeutic interventions in metastatic diseases.

Leuven, 20 December 2024- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons. The average life span after diagnosis of this incurable disease is two to five years. In the relentless pursuit of understanding the cause of motor neuron death, scientists from KU Leuven and the VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research have identified an intriguing new lead: tiny, antenna-like structures 0n cells called primary cilia. Their study, published in Brain, could open a potential new avenue for therapeutic development.

Tiny antennas on cells offer new ALS insights

Leuven, 20 December 2024- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons. The average...

Leuven, Belgium, 17 December 2024 – Researchers at Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF), led by Prof. Vincent Bonin, have published two new studies uncovering how visual information is processed and distributed in the brain. The studies reveal the complexity and flexibility of visual information processing in the brain.

Leuven researchers discover new connectivity rules in the brain’s visual network

Leuven, Belgium, 17 December 2024 – Researchers at Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF), led by Prof. Vincent Bonin, have published two new...

Researchers from VIB, VUB, Ghent University, and eTheRNA Immunotherapies developed an immunotherapeutic platform based on lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs)

Therapeutic potential of a novel mixture of mRNA in nanoparticles overcomes tumor progression  

Brussels, 9 December 2024 – Therapeutic mRNAs offer great potential as a versatile and precise tool against cancer and other diseases. However, the therapeutic effectiveness is limited by the poor translation uptake of naked mRNA. To circumvent this challenge, researchers from VIB, VUB, Ghent University, and eTheRNA Immunotherapies developed an immunotherapeutic platform based on lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs). In different cancer models, applying a novel mixture of immunotherapeutic mRNA encapsulated in LNPs led to a clearly improved therapeutic efficacy with limited side effects. This proves the added value of the platform to the development of effective mRNA immunotherapies.

Catalyst for collaboration and biotechnological innovation

VUB and VIB launch new Bio Incubator Brussels on VUB campus

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and VIB have joined forces to launch the brand-new Bio Incubator Brussels (BIB) on the green VUB Main Campus in Etterbeek. This innovative hub brings together science, technology, and entrepreneurship to transform groundbreaking biotechnological advancements into new companies. Start-ups in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and health technology can now utilize this facility, which offers ready-to-use lab and office spaces. The VIB Nanobody Core Facility was the first to move in.

Researchers call for more women-specific drug research 

Does the menstrual cycle influence the effect of chemotherapy?

A team of Dutch and Belgian researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode Institute, and the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology has found that the menstrual cycle phase may influence the effectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer. The finding highlights the importance of further research into the menstrual cycle, the effects of drugs on women versus men, and female-specific research in general.

Leuven, 3 December 2024 – Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating condition that slowly robs people of their memory and cognitive abilities, affecting millions of people worldwide. Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD), a rare inherited form of the disease, is linked to mutations in several genes, including APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2. The impact of PSEN2 mutations has remained less understood—until now. A research team led by Prof. Wim Annaert at VIB-KU Leuven has shed light on how mutated PSEN2 accelerates disease progression in FAD. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, offer new insights into the mechanisms driving this genetic form of the disease.

The genetic roots of rare mutations in Alzheimer’s disease

Leuven, 3 December 2024 – Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating condition that slowly robs people of their memory and cognitive abilities...

Researchers at VIB-UGent have unraveled how the opening and closing of stomata - tiny pores on leaves – is regulated in response to high temperatures and drought. 

New insights in plant response to high temperatures and drought

Ghent, 29 November 2024 – We are increasingly confronted with the impacts of climate change, with failed harvests being only one example. Addressing these challenges requires multifaceted approaches, including making plants more resilient. An international research team led by researchers at VIB-UGent has unraveled how the opening and closing of stomata - tiny pores on leaves – is regulated in response to high temperatures and drought. These new insights, published in Nature Plants, pave the way for developing climate change-ready crops.

Roots go through a puberty phase, which could have important implications for developing climate-resilient agriculture

Plant roots change their growth pattern during ‘puberty’ 

Ghent, November 15, 2024 – Understanding how roots grow can help us develop plants that, for example, are more resistant to drought. Research by Prof. Bert De Rybel’s team (VIB-UGent), in collaboration with the VIB Screening Core and Ghent University, uncovers how roots go through a puberty phase, which could have important implications for developing climate-resilient agriculture. Their work appears in Science.

Research reveals unique features of brain cells linked to neurodevelopmental conditions

Researchers reveal why the lung is a frequent site of cancer metastasis

Tiny antennas on cells offer new ALS insights

Leuven researchers discover new connectivity rules in the brain’s visual network

Therapeutic potential of a novel mixture of mRNA in nanoparticles overcomes tumor progression

VUB and VIB launch new Bio Incubator Brussels on VUB campus

Does the menstrual cycle influence the effect of chemotherapy?

The genetic roots of rare mutations in Alzheimer’s disease

New insights in plant response to high temperatures and drought

Plant roots change their growth pattern during ‘puberty’

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India Jane Wise

Science Communications Expert, VIB

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