As part of this year's German Biotechnology Days (DBT) in Berlin, the Innovation Award of the BioRegions was once again presented on April 16, 2024.
With the Innovation Prize, the working group of Germany's BioRegions honors innovative patents from modern biotechnology, bioeconomics or medical technology related to biotechnology. For 17 years now, the prize has successfully supported researchers in making their patented ideas visible and subsequently turning them into marketable products.
The six finalists presented their research projects to an international audience of experts, potential investors, and the press. The winners, selected by a jury of experts, were then announced and handed the three equal prizes, each worth 2,000 euros.
One of the three award winners is the team led by Prof. Dr. Bernd Giebel from the University of Essen/Duisburg and the start-up Exosla, which received the award for its project “Extracellular Vesicles: Cell-free stem cell therapy 2.0.” The underlying patent describes the immortalization of primary mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) using a novel method, thus creating the basis for a high-potential therapeutic approach usable for broad application for the first time.
Another 2024 winner 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 startup MucosaTec. The patent covers novel bifunctional peptides that provide a flexible and cost-effective method of combating viral infections. The peptides bind both to the pathogen and to the mucous membranes of the body, thus immobilizing the microbes.
The third prize went to the “FungiMAB,” a project led by PD Dr. med. Niklas Beyersdorf and Dr. Daniela Langenhorst from the University of Würzburg. The patent describes novel monoclonal antibodies that act specifically against immune evasion proteins of fungal pathogens. This overrides their intrinsic function of deceiving 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 again held by the prize sponsors. This year it was Dr. Christine Schreiber from Springer Nature, Dr. Florian Rückerl from Dehmel-Bettenhausen Patentanwälte 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 favorite 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 treatment of neutropenic fever”.
There was also an affirmation of the positive effects of the innovation Priye, as Dr. Julia Behnke, whom won the price in 2019, spoke of her experiences and the path she has taken since.
Dr. Cathrin Dierkes and André van Hall from the organizing BioRegions BioIndustry and BioCologne moderated the award ceremony. “We are delighted that we can once again contribute to giving innovative cutting-edge research from Germany a platform and making it more visible with the working group of the bioregions,” says Cathrin Dierkes enthusiastically. André van Hall adds: “Fortunately, the basis of German biotechnology remains excellent. We must continue to develop the framework conditions for the sustainable success of biotechnology.”