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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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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:
k
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
k
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
k
Synthetic biosystems – from the cell to fabrication
(Cell2Fab)
Dr. Katrin Messerschmidt, Prof. Bernd Müller-Röber
Universität Potsdam
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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:
k
finding targeted
personalised treatment
for the patient
k
saving negative side effects
k
reducing health costs for non-necessary
treatment
k
optimising stratification of drug
treatment
k
providing more rapid approval of drugs
in targeted non-randomised trials
k
repositioning of drugs or recovery of
"fallen angels" for the pharmaceutical
industry
k
complex biomarker discovery
k
reducing animal testing via virtual trials
Address
Alacris Theranostics GmbH
Fabeckstraße 60-62
14195 Berlin · Germany
info@alacris.de
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
u.kunter@az-biopharm.de
Phone +49 30 936520
Phone +49 30 30-93652200