24 Sep '13

The week in science & education 09/13

Summary

Researchers connected to the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology identified the protein called FMRP as an important cause of breast cancer spreading to other parts of the body. FMRP’s role in the brain is well known, where its absence leads to Fragile X Syndrome

 

Researchers identify protein as an important cause of breast cancer

Researchers connected to the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) identified the protein called FMRP as an important cause of breast cancer spreading to other parts of the body. FMRP’s role in the brain is well known, where its absence leads to Fragile X Syndrome, the most prevalent form of inherited intellectual disability. Previous studies also suggested that patients with the syndrome had a lower risk of cancer, but little was known about the molecular events that lead to this beneficial effect.

Scientists of the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and Ghent University found that most terminally ill patients are transferred very late to palliative care. Half of the patients with a chronic and progressive lung disease receive palliative care for less than 10 days before they die. Half of patients with heart failure are transferred 12 days before their death and patients with dementia 14 days. The investigation was carried out by the research group Care for the End of Life, supported by the government of Flanders.

Ghent University student restaurant Sint-Jansvest will only serve one non-vegetarian meal a day. This almost completely vegetarian student restaurant is a first for a Flemish university. UGent plans to expand its expertise in the art of veggie cooking in order to influence the quality and quantity of the vegetarian meals in all its restaurants.

Together with the Dutch University of Utrecht, the University of Leuven is launching a transnational two-year academic degree in literary translation. It is the first two-year programme at Master’s level in which the theory of the subject is taught together with research on the profession. In Flanders, the programme consists of one year of studies in general translation, followed by a postgraduate year in literary translation. The programme has been founded with financial support of the Dutch Language Union.  www.masterliterairvertalen.eu

More than one-quarter (28%) of secondary students in Antwerp leave school without a diploma, a number that far exceeds the Flemish average of 14%, according to a survey by the Centre for Study and School Careers. In Brussels (27%) and Ghent (22%), the situation is also very problematic. Because of the increased risk of poverty, academics propose a graduation duty, connected to the right to unemployment benefits, or obligatory training on the labour market.

The week in science & education

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Biotechnology

Biotechnology refers to the use of existing living systems or organisms to develop useful products – for instance, through genetic engineering or DNA manipulation. Flanders is a powerhouse for biotechnology, which accounts for one of the region’s fastest-growing economic sectors.
Plant biotechnology - Flanders was the birthplace for present-day plant biotechnology. This technology to genetically modify plants is now being used around the world.
Two waves - The Flemish biotech industry developed in two waves – one in the 1980s with companies like Plant Genetic Systems and Innogenetics, and a second one in the 1990s, with companies like Ablynx, Devgen and Tigenix.
Successes - Recent biotech successes in Flanders have opened new opportunities in everything from biofuel and stem cell production to cancer treatment.
50

More than half of all biotechnology shares traded on the Euronext biotech index belong to Flemish companies

13 000

people are employed in the life science industry in Flanders and Brussels

3

billion euros in total annual turnover of the Flemish biotech industry

  • FlandersBio
  • Flemish Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology
  • Flemish Institute for Biotechnology

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