For many people, a daily dose of vitamins and minerals has become part of their everyday routine. Especially in winter we ingest massive quantities of vitamin D because we think it boosts our immune system. But is that accurate and is that daily vitamin pill as innocent as it appears?
The technology developed by Professor Thomas De Beer and his team from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences may play a key role in containing future virus outbreaks. ‘Continuous spin freeze-drying’ may facilitate and accelerate the development, production, storage and transport of, for instance, mRNA vaccines.
Marianne De Backer is a heavyweight in the world of biotechnology. Today she is CEO of Vir Biotechnology, a biotech company headquartered in Silicon Valley. She is a champion of women in leadership positions in this still male-dominated industry.
Eline Pottie is addicted to drugs, well to researching them anyway. As a postdoc, she is investigating how psychedelics work and where the effects come from. “I find it fascinating that we still don’t know why these drugs make us hallucinate,” she says.
Dean Jan Van Bocxlaer talks about the new faculty building on Campus Heymans.
Ghent University uses about 260.000 m³ water annually, of which 92% is high-quality tap water. This needs to change. Ghent University is going to instigate the necessary adjustments based on a new policy on circular water management – and a break-away from traditional techniques. This is why, since 12 May 2021, there’s a wastewater treatment facility at Site Heymans in Ghent, Belgium based on water plants and bacteria: a constructed wetland.
A test that ‘weighs’ whether and how much corona you have, but can also recognize flu and perhaps even cancer. That’s what molecular biologist Maarten Dhaenens and PhD student Bart Van Puyvelde have been working on for the past year. “This way of testing offers so many possibilities for the future.”
“If you are among the top in the world, the world will come to you.” That is the premise of Dr Ajit Baron Shetty. As a top executive at Janssen Pharmaceutica, he brought the world to Beerse, and as chairman of the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), he continues to help build bridges between Ghent University and the world.
Researchers and governments come from all over the world to ask advice to Sarah De Saeger and Marthe De Boevre. The two UGhent researchers are world authorities in their field, namely toxic substances in fungi that cause cancers and affect immune systems. “We want to share our knowledge with regions that need it.”
Ragad Haj Ali is doing her first bachelor in pharmaceutical sciences, but has already been through a lot in her life. Meanwhile, she is proud to have the opportunity to study at Ghent University. She remains positive, despite the many challenges.
Baby Pia, there can’t be anyone in Flanders who doesn’t know her. Suffering from a rare muscular disease, she was in the eye of the storm during the fall of 2019. A medicine that could save her life came with a dizzying price tag of almost 2 million euro. The debate surrounding too expensive medicines caught fire. But did it change anything?
At Ghent University, many researchers work hard each day to improve cancer treatment and thus extend our life expectation. However, research takes time. Tremendous time. And money. Postdoctoral research Dr. Heleen Dewitte knows all about it.
