The Science2Start award ceremony held as part of the 2015 BioRegio STERN summer reception at the Tübingen observatory once again recognised scientific excellence in the region. This year’s winners came from the Reutlingen Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI) at the University of Tübingen, the University of Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI) in Tübingen. First place went to the NMI for its microelectrode, microfluidic system MEAFLUIT, which simulates neuronal signalling pathways and can significantly reduce the need for animal testing in drug development. Researchers from the University of Tübingen took second place with a new antibiotic against multiresistant bacteria. A scientist from the MPI, also based in Tübingen, received an award for developing high-frequency screening technology using a 3D body model for the early detection of skin cancer.

The traditional summer reception organised by BioRegio STERN Management GmbH in cooperation with Technologiepark Tübingen-Reutlingen GmbH and the Verein zur Förderung der Biotechnologie und Medizintechnik e. V. has long been viewed as a must-attend event for scientists and entrepreneurs – and not just from the life sciences industry. On Thursday evening, numerous politicians, consultants and investors also used the event in the Tübingen observatory as an opportunity for discussion and sharing. Guest of honour was Dr. Ingmar Hoerr, founder and managing director of CureVac GmbH. Just a few weeks previously, his biotech company had received an investment of 46 million euros from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to be used in the development of innovative vaccines. In his speech paying tribute to the three top-placed winners of the seventh Science2Start ideas competition, Hoerr spoke about the nature of founding a company: “You enter into a nirvana, without knowing what will happen. It’s impossible to overestimate the value of having people willing to embark on that path.” Based on his own experience, he advised that being resolute and determined is key: “Actually founding a company is not the most difficult thing; sticking with it is much harder.” His recommended formula consists of a network, a team, courage – and a little bit of luck. The winners of the Science2Start competition have already overcome the first hurdle by presenting their ideas to an independent panel of judges and managing to impress them.

1st place for Dr. Paolo Cesare, Reutlingen Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (NMI) at the University of Tübingen, and his MEAFLUIT system When developing effective drugs for treating neuronal conditions (ones affecting the nerve cells), researchers often have to resort to animal testing to investigate the molecular, cellular and functional mechanisms of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy. In his new procedure, Dr. Paolo Cesare from the NMI combines microelectrode arrays (MEA) with microfluid technologies on a chip system. MEAs are miniaturised analysis chips for laboratory applications used to grow cells. Electrodes embedded in the glass can read the electrical signals of individual cells. In the MEAFLUIT system, several cultivation chambers on one of these chips are connected with microfluidic structures. For the first time, it is now possible to simulate neuronal signalling paths for specific functions in vitro and, for example, establish the effectiveness of painkilling drugs more quickly and without animal testing.

2nd place for Alexander Zipperer and Dr. Bernhard Krismer, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, and Martin Christoph Konnerth, Institute of Organic Chemistry, both University of Tübingen, and their new antibiotic Multiresistant bacteria are causing an increasing number of deaths as many active agents are now ineffective against pathogens such as MRSA. Using a bacterium that naturally inhabits human skin, Alexander Zipperer, Martin Christoph Konnerth and Dr. Bernhard Krismer from the University of Tübingen have managed to isolate an active compound that could be used as a new antibiotic for treating respiratory infections, for example.

3rd place for Dr. Federica Bogo from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen and her 3D full-body screening system Skin cancer is a widespread condition and prevention plays a decisive role in its progression. However, even dermatologists can’t always tell simply with the naked eye whether they are dealing with a harmless liver spot or a malignant melanoma – cancer, in other words. The team led by Dr. Federica Bogo from the MPI has developed an automated 3D full-body screening system that helps dermatologists ensure early identification of areas of skin displaying potentially dangerous changes and analyses them automatically.

The winners of this year’s Science2Start competition received prizes worth a total of 4,500 euros, which were once again sponsored by VOELKER & Partner, a firm of lawyers, tax consultants and auditors. They celebrated their success together and, like many of the almost 600 guests attending the event in the observatory, took the opportunity later in the evening to gaze through the telescope at the far reaches of the universe. However, host and BioRegio STERN Managing Director Dr. Klaus Eichenberg didn’t need to consult the stars before summing up his views. Also referring to the current cluster cooperation with Dresden-based biosaxony e.V., he commented: “The future of biotechnology lies in collaboration – with other industries and with other regions.”