Presentation of the Innovation Award of the BioRegions in Germany: Outstanding ideas continue to demonstrate scientific excellence at German universities

With the Innovation Award, the Working Group of German BioRegions honours innovative patents in the fields of modern biotechnology, biochemistry or medical technology related to biotechnology. For 17 years now, the award has successfully supported researchers in making their patented ideas visible and subsequently turning them into marketable products and founding their own companies.

The six finalists presented their research projects to an international audience of experts, potential investors and the specialised press. The winners, selected by a jury of experts, were then announced. The three equal prizes, each worth 2,000 euros, went to researchers from Duisburg/Essen, Berlin/Schiffweiler (Saarland) and Würzburg.

One of the three prizewinners is the team led by Prof Dr Bernd Giebel from the University of Essen/Duisburg and the start-up Exosla, which received an award for its project "Extracellular vesicles: Cell-free stem cell therapy 2.0“ was honoured. The underlying patent describes the immortalisation of primary mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) using a novel method and thus creates the basis for making this highly potent therapeutic approach usable for broad application for the first time.

Also among the 2024 winners is the project „Bifunctional peptides to combat pathogens“ by the team led by Dr Anja Himmelstein and Dr Marius Hittinger from Freie Universität Berlin and the start-up MucosaTec. The patent covers novel bifunctional peptides that enable a flexible and cost-efficient method of combating viral infections. The peptides bind to both the pathogen and the mucous membranes of the body, thus immobilising the microbes.

The third prize went to the project „FungiMAB“ by the team led by PD Dr Niklas Beyersdorf and Dr Daniela Langenhorst from the University of Wärzburg. The patent describes novel monoclonal antibodies that act specifically against immune evasion proteins of fungal pathogens. This overrides their intrinsic function of suppressing the immune system. This platform technology thus creates completely new approaches to the treatment of fungal infections.

The laudatory speeches for the respective prize winners were once again held by the prize money sponsors. This year it was Dr Christine Schreiber from Springer Nature, Dr Florian Rückerl from Dehmel-Bettenhausen Patentanwülte and Dr Angelika Vlachou from High-Tech Gründerfonds.

In addition, the finalists once again had the opportunity to win another award - the Audience Award 2024. Following the presentations, the audience was able to vote for their favourite project via online voting. Dr Uwe Freudenberg from Dresden emerged as the audience winner with his project „Polymer materials for curing inflammatory diseases“.

The field of finalists was completed by Dr Andreas Schneider and Dr Benjamin Aberle from Stuttgart with their project „New to nature production of terpenes from cyclases“ and Dr Nikolai Jaschke from Dresden with the topic „CBP/p300 HAT inhibition for the therapy of neutropenic fever“. Dr Julia Behnke, who won the 2019 Innovation Award and reported on her further path since then, also provided an exciting impulse.

Dr Cathrin Dierkes and André van Hall from the organising BioRegions BioIndustry and BioCologne hosted the award ceremony. „We are delighted that, together with the working group of the bioregions, we can once again contribute to providing a platform for innovative, cutting-edge research from Germany and making it more visible,“ said Cathrin Dierkes enthusiastically. André van Hall adds: „Fortunately, the basis of German biotechnology remains excellent. It is important to consistently develop the framework conditions for the sustainable success of biotechnology.“

About the Innovation Award

The Innovation Award of the German BioRegions is an initiative of the BioRegions Working Group. Every year, the working group honours the three most innovative (patented) research ideas in the life sciences. The Innovation Award of the German BioRegions thus promotes the transfer between science and industry and increases public interest in biotechnological research.

Further information: www.innovationspreis-der-bioregionen.de

About the working group of the BioRegions

The Working Group of BioRegions in Germany is a voluntary association of German BioRegions and is based at BIO Deutschland in Berlin. The 31 members deal with topics such as financing, founding and technology transfer as well as the external presentation of the German biotechnology sector. Since 2007, AK BioRegio has annually awarded the Innovation Prize of the German BioRegions, a nationwide competition for application-oriented ideas from universities, and organises the German Biotechnology Days together with BIO Deutschland.

Further information: www.biodeutschland.org/de/ak-bioregio.html

The Innovation Award of the German BioRegions 2024 was sponsored by long-standing partners, Springer-Verlag, the law firm Dehmel & Bettenhausen and the High-Tech Gründerfonds and jointly organised by BioIndustry and BioCologne.

Press contact for the Working Group of German BioRegions:
Working Group of BioRegions c/o BIO Deutschland

e. V. Schützenstraße 6a, 10117 Berlin

E-mail: info@ak-bioregio.org

Web: www.ak-bioregio.org