Biotop-report 2013

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BioTOPics 46 | September 2013 

BioTOP-Report

FH

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BioTOPics 46 | September 2013 

BioTOP-Report

 Life Sciences 

COSMOS – Coordination of Standards in 

Metabolomics

Metabolomics is applied not only in human medicine as a diag-

nostic tool but also in plant science.

Is a tumour malignant? Will a plant produce a large amount of 

biomass? These and other questions can potentially be answered 

with metabolic profiles. Metabolic profiles permit assessing the 

current status and further development of cells or tissues. The 

use of this technique was promoted primarily at the Max Planck 

Institute of Plant Physiology (MPI-MP) in Potsdam-Golm. Prof. Lo-

thar Willmitzer, one of the directors at the institute, is regarded as 

a pioneer in this field, and Dr. Joachim Kopka and his team created 

one of the first important databases for metabolomics data, the 

Golm Metabolome Database (GMD). To facilitate data exchange 

at the European level, the COSMOS initiative was launched. COS-

MOS –  short for Coordination of Standards in Metabolomics – is 

managed by the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) and aims 

to create a database in which researchers from all disciplines can 

store data in standardised formats together with information 

about the design of their experiment. In this way, the metabolo-

mics researchers at the MPI-MP will play a key role in organising 

the integration of existing data resources. In addition to collect-

ing the actual measurement data, the description of the experi-

ments performed is also a major challenge. The retrievability and 

comparability of studies is improved by standardised vocabulary 

and computerised data entry. 

It is impossible to predict traits of the full-grown plants just by looking at the seedlings, which look all too much alike. Metabolic profiles are a lot more revealing 

and give information about the future phenotype and composition of the plants. (Source: MPI-MP)

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41

BioTOPics 46 | September 2013 

BioTOP-Report

 Life Sciences 

Life Sciences

Biotech 2020+ 

With its funding programme “Base Technologies for Next Generation Biotechnology Processes”, the German 

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) wants to create the foundation for a bio-based economy 

and promote the German production location. The research concepts receiving funding are working on the 

development of entirely new biotechnological production processes. 

Under the first funding stage of the programme, 35 research proj-

ects have taken up work on base technologies for next generation 

biotechnological processes. They are investigating the full range 

of possible new methods in biotechnology and are supported 

with 42 million Euros by the BMBF. The projects are interdisci-

plinary, involving experts from the life sciences and engineering 

as well as chemistry, physics and medicine. 

The four leading German research organisations also played 

a major role in defining the strategy process “Biotechnology 

2020+” from the start. The topics range from a modular biore-

actor for cell-free protein synthesis (Fraunhofer Society) through 

synthetic biology (Max Planck Society) and printable biotechnol-

ogy (Helmholtz Association) to new synthesis methods by which 

natural materials can be manufactured for medicine (Leibniz As-

sociation). 

In the German capital region, the Fraunhofer Institute for Bio-

medical Engineering (IBMT) is coordinating the national joint 

research project “Biomolecules from the Production Line” at its 

branch in Potsdam, while the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and 

Interfaces in Potsdam is participating in the Max Planck Research 

Network MaxSynBio, which will take up work in early 2014.

Other projects in the German capital region participating in the 

programme are:

 

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BioPICK – Modularised multi-phase biocatalysis by 

enzymatically active w/o Pickering emulsions in a 

membrane reactor 

Prof. Anja Drews 

Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft, Berlin  

Prof. Marion Ansorge-Schumacher 

Technische Universität Dresden 

 

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 Use of solar energy for bioelectrocatalysis: development 

of photobioelectrode structures for synthesis 

Prof. Fred Lisdat 

Technische Hochschule Wildau 

Dr. Heiko Lokstein, Prof. Athina Zouni 

Technische Universität Berlin 

 

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 Synthetic biosystems – from the cell to fabrication 

(Cell2Fab) 

Dr. Katrin Messerschmidt, Prof. Bernd Müller-Röber  

Universität Potsdam

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42

BioTOPics 46 | September 2013 

BioTOP-Report

Alacris Theranostics GmbH 

Alacris Theranostics GmbH, operative since 

September 2011, is specialised in develop-

ing new approaches in personalised medi-

cine for cancer patient diagnosis, treatment 

and drug stratification. Alacris has built up a 

next-generation sequencing laboratory for 

the analysis of clinical samples and applies a 

systems biology approach for patient and 

drug stratification using the ModCell

TM

 soft-

ware which is exclusively licensed to Alacris. 

This approach has been originally developed 

in the department of Prof. Lehrach at the 

Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. 

Based on genome and transcriptome infor-

mation and including kinetic pathway infor-

mation, mutation and drug databases it is 

providing a “Virtual Patient” model. This 

”Virtual Patient” can predict the effects of 

drug treatment and optimised combinatory 

treatment for personalised medicine 

approaches. ModCell

TM

 also facilitates bio-

marker discovery and "Virtual Clinical Trials" 

for patient and drug stratification. 

Alacris' work provides the opportunity for:

 

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finding targeted personalised treatment 

for the patient 

 

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saving negative side effects 

 

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reducing health costs for non-necessary 

treatment 

 

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optimising stratification of drug 

treatment 

 

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providing more rapid approval of drugs 

in targeted non-randomised trials 

 

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repositioning of drugs or recovery of 

"fallen angels" for the pharmaceutical 

industry

 

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complex biomarker discovery 

 

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reducing animal testing via virtual trials 

Address 

Alacris Theranostics GmbH

Fabeckstraße 60-62

14195 Berlin · Germany

[e-mail]

www.alacris.de

Unlocking The Power Of

Individualised Medicine

Analytisches Zentrum Biopharm GmbH Berlin

Analytisches Zentrum Biopharm GmbH Ber-

lin is a testing facility for pharmaceutical 

analytics. Tests are carried out on pharma-

ceutical products and raw materials (stability 

tests, batch tests, method development and 

validation). The laboratories have all the 

equipment needed for these tests according 

to ICH and pharmacopoeias. Climatic cham-

bers are available for storing samples under 

ICH conditions. Narcotics, hormones and 

cytostatic agents are handled on a daily 

basis.

The portfolio also includes determining the 

content of active ingredients in biological 

matrix (e.g. plasma samples from clinical 

studies on humans or availability studies on 

agricultural livestock, tissue samples from 

withdrawal period studies on farm animals 

and others). High-performance LC-MS/MS 

devices for high sample throughput are 

available for this. The analytical studies are 

performed according to the applicable Euro-

pean and FDA guidances.

The testing facility uses quality assurance 

systems according to GLP and GMP that 

have been successfully certified by the 

authorities. The GLP certificate includes test 

categories 1 and 8, so that physical-chemi-

cal tests are also carried out according to 

REACH. The GMP certificate covers the qual-

ity control/batch check on finished medici-

nal products and pharmaceutical raw mate-

rials. 

Further information is available from 

www.az-biopharm.de

Address

Analytisches Zentrum Biopharm GmbH 

Berlin

Bitterfelder Strasse 19

12681 Berlin · Germany

Contact

Dr. Ulrich Kunter

[e-mail]

Phone [phone]

Phone [phone]

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