prandd's blog
Mechanically-isolated wood fibres show several different properties in comparison to chemically-isolated fibres. This is one of the most recent results of a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna. The project yields significant findings on the structural changes in wood fibres after exposure to moisture and tension. The current results are important for both the structural analysis of wood as well as for the investigation of innovative applications for this classic material.
An innovative vaccination can significantly reduce deposits of the substances in the brain responsible for causing Alzheimer’s disease. This result was disclosed today by Affiris GmbH, a company located at the Campus Vienna Biocenter, Austria. The rapid progress during the pre-clinical development phase has already enabled the Vienna-based company, although having operated only since April 2004, to plan clinical trials for 2006, and thus proves the international competitiveness of the Campus Vienna Biocenter.
Zurich, September 6, 2005 - The internationally renowned Balzan Foundation has named its four Prize Winners for 2005. Each prize has a value of 1 million Swiss francs. Honoured for their outstanding contributions to knowledge are the married couple Dr. Rosemary and Prof. Peter R. Grant, the team Dr. Russell J. Hemley and Dr. Ho-kwang (David) Mao, Prof. Dr. Lothar Ledderose as well as Prof. Dr. Sir Peter Hall. The names were announced by the Foundation's Prize Committee at a media conference in Milan (Italy). The Prize Award Ceremony will take place on November 11 in the Swiss Houses of Parliament in Berne.
An analysis method permitting the simultaneous quantification of numerous
parameters in the immune system was recently presented at the Campus Vienna
Biocenter. The technology, which has been developed by Bender MedSystems, is
based upon the principle of a widespread analysis device and thus allows for
rapid implementation in daily laboratory life. It thus succeeds in
satisfying the growing demand at clinical and pharmaceutical organisations
for increasingly efficient analysis methods at favourable costs.
Women from ethnic minorities who live in Western societies are exposed to substantial health risks. The reason is that modern health care does not always take cultural values into account. These are the findings of a continent-spanning project by the Austrian Science Fund FWF and identifies the lack of cultural and gender-sensitive health care and its consequences, based on the example of New Zealand and Austria.
Women from ethnic minorities who live in Western societies are exposed to substantial health risks. The reason is that modern health care does not always take cultural values into account. These are the findings of a continent-spanning project by the Austrian Science Fund FWF and identifies the lack of cultural and gender-sensitive health care and its consequences, based on the example of New Zealand and Austria.
Fibrex Medical Research & Development GmbH announces the reception of public funding for the development of a new sepsis therapy. The Austrian Forschungsförderungs-Gesellschaft (FFG) is giving financial support until completion of phase I clinical trials. The initial funding amounts to 385.000 Euro. If certain milestones are met, the total grant amount over the three year project period may reach up to 1.28 million Euro.
Believers in Brazil can choose from a wide variety of religions. The main reason for this rich selection lies in the country’s colonial history and its current socio-economic development. This is the key message of a project recently concluded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF in order to analyze why Brazil of all countries experiences such a big run on faith.
An Armenian manual about horse medicine from the 13th century has been translated into German for the first time. The compendium is Armenia’s oldest preserved veterinary medical work and offers an overall view of expert knowledge about horses during the late 13th century in the Near East. The Austrian Science Fund FWF supported this project and it was made possible thanks to an Austrian Armenologist, her excellent knowledge about the country and its language as well as her close cooperation with veterinarians in Vienna.
A missing receptor molecule contributes to the growth of tumors in human ovaries. This surprisingly evident connection has now been proven by a team at the Medical University of Vienna, who published their data in the science journal Molecular Cancer Research. The team, who is supported by funding from the Austrian Science Fund FWF, also discovered the possible genetic reason why the receptor molecule, which is an important factor in regulating cell growth, is missing.
Vienna, Austria and Berlin, Germany (June 14, 2005) - Today, biomedical research has a wide range of powerful working techniques at its disposal. DNA micro-arrays for example, enable the analysis of thousands of genes in a single working step. By now, the biological data generated with the help of these techniques amounts to many terabytes at the individual research institutions throughout the world. While fast and efficient information management is a central pre-requisite to scientists for the targeted planning of experiments, e.g. for the elucidation of disease processes, or simply for ordering the right biomaterials - the huge amount of dispersed biological knowledge makes its accessibility complicated and time consuming.
As a result of a joint development project the RZPD German Resource Center for Genome Research (RZPD Deutsches Ressourcenzentrum für Genomforschung), and the Austrian bioinformatics specialist Insilico GmbH have presented the solution to this problem.
Vienna, June 13: In August 2005 the Viennese agency PR&D will start an extensive program of Public Awareness measures, together with representatives from the Campus Vienna Biocenter. The aim of the program is to give a wide range of target groups in the public a better understanding of research and development on site. The activities, which are of great societal importance, are being made possible by financial support from the Austrian Council for Research and Technology Development in the amount of EUR 140.000.
GRAZ, Austria June 9: ORIDIS Biomed (Austria) announced today that Georg Casari has joined the company as the Chief Information Officer. Dr. Casari's extensive expertise in bioinformatics and biotechnology is a valuable asset to the company, which is regarded as Austria's leading enterprise providing targeted treatment solutions for liver cancer and metabolic liver diseases.
Over 1,700 Austrian parks and gardens from five centuries were documented in a work spanning 20 years. With the publication of the last of the three-volume series, this enormous survey of Austria’s historic gardens has now been concluded. With aid from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the Institute of Landscape Architecture and Garden Design of the Vienna University of Technology has thus succeeded not only in creating a consolidated basis for further scientific work, but also in delighting the hearts of Austria’s garden lovers.
The protein Mnd2 inhibits premature separation of chromosomes during the formation of gametes. The now published discovery of this regulatory function may help to understand the origin of some common congenital chromosome defects. The project of a team of the University of Vienna funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) contributes to the Campus Vienna Biocenter maintaining a top-level position in the field of cell division research.
