Six research and development projects from the BioRegion STERN are currently in implementation

NanoR – quality assurance for mRNA vaccines

The “NanoR” project by 4base lab AG from Reutlingen has set out to develop new approaches for the testing and quality control of mRNA-based vaccines, with the aim of reducing the error rates for synthesised mRNA and improving their quality. The quality of the mRNA is crucial for its stability and is therefore also responsible for how it behaves and initiates a response in patients. The new method can decisively improve quality control in the pharmaceutical industry, as it allows scientists – for the first time – to compare the half-life of RNA vaccines in the human body with quantifiable data from quality control in vaccine production. In the future, this could open up more opportunities with regard to effectiveness and safety in the development of new vaccines.

ASARSI – developing a rapid breath test

Contexo GmbH from Winterbach and Mediagnost Gesellschaft für Forschung und Herstellung von Diagnostika GmbH from Reutlingen are working with University Hospital Tübingen’s Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases to jointly develop a rapid breath test for reliably detecting bacterial and viral pathogens in the respiratory tract, especially in the case of SARS-CoV-2 infections. In a similar way to an alcohol breathalyser test, this rapid test aims to perform an on-the-spot breath analysis and provide an immediate result indicating whether or not the patient is infected. Besides being accurate, reliable and easy to use, this solution is also intended to be highly adaptable when it comes to detecting other bacterial or viral respiratory tract infections.

AutoProNano – automated production of nanoparticles

As part of the AutoProNano German/French collaborative project, Goldfuss engineering GmbH, a systems engineering specialist based in Balingen, is working with its other German partners – nanoPET Pharma GmbH, the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, and the Institute of Medical Engineering Schweinfurt (IMES) of the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) – and its French partners – Cordouan Technologies and Poly-Dtech – to develop an adaptable, automated process for the production and analytics of diagnostically relevant nanoparticle systems. In biomedicine, there is a growing demand for functional nanoparticles (NPs) with specific optical or magnetic properties, biofunctional surfaces for the detection of antigens, and/or drug loading. However, if nanoparticles are to be put into regular use as medicinal products, they need to comply with stringent requirements. It is particularly important that nanoparticles can be reliably reproduced with the exact properties required. The overall aim of the project is to establish a flexible, robot based process for the automated production and characterisation of diagnostic NPs for in vitro and in vivo diagnostics.

Medical 3D RADAR scanner – contactless measurement of respiration and heartbeat

Tübingen-based Synovo GmbH is working in collaboration with the French company ADBInno SARL and the Institute of High-Frequency Technology at Hamburg University of Technology (TU Hamburg) to develop the contactless 3D RADAR scanner for diagnostics in human and veterinary medicine. The 3D RADAR scanner means that, for the first time, physical examinations of respiration and heartbeat can be carried out without direct contact. The 3D RADAR scanner facilitates a diagnostic procedure that involves examining patients without touching them. The innovation involves the contactless recording of minimal vibrations of the surface of the body that are caused by respiration and heartbeat, along with other physiological parameters. The scanner records these from a distance ranging from decimetres to metres, so there is absolutely no risk in terms of hygiene. The diagnostic analysis is performed with the aid of a computer and separately from the examination. It is also supported by artificial intelligence (AI).

Green Controlling – sustainable product development supported by a digital twin

Design agency defortec GmbH from Dettenhausen, near Tübingen, is working in partnership with macs Software GmbH from Zimmern ob Rottweil to develop software that helps companies make environmental performance an objective parameter in the lifecycle of a product. The “Green Controlling” development project involves using a digital twin to digitally map the value chain of an actual product development project through the entire production process. The aim is to calculate the environmental performance of products and illustrate their sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle from design to the end-of-life phase. The software aims to make it easier for industrial companies and SMEs from the healthcare sector to comply with the new EU directive on sustainability reporting.

KikaRo – developing an AI-based camera control system for robots used to load highly reflective parts into CNC machines

Stuttgart-based SHERPA Robotics GmbH is planning to develop a fully automated, AI-based camera system for loading CNC machines in the metal and plastics processing industry. SMEs are particularly likely to benefit from this development, since these companies primarily deal with batch sizes of between 1 and 100, with frequent workpiece changes. This new AI-based automated system reduces the changeover time and, therefore, the working time involved, avoids operator errors made when the robot cell is being programmed, and eliminates the costs associated with conventional rotary tables and lifting devices. This new AI-based solution also resolves a particular technical challenge that has so far proved problematic for camera systems – the handling of highly reflective component surfaces.

Project partners

German SMEs:

• AHF analysentechnik AG, Tübingen
• 4base lab AG, Reutlingen
• Synovo GmbH, Tübingen
• JLM Innovation GmbH, Tübingen
• KWO Kunststoffteile GmbH, Offenau
• CLADE GmbH, Esslingen am Neckar
• yuri GmbH, Meckenbeuren
• Multi Channel Systems MCS GmbH, Reutlingen
• Mediagnost GmbH, Reutlingen
• Contexo GmbH, Winterbach
• FREESIXTYFIVE GmbH, Bad Kreuznach
• defortec GmbH, Dettenhausen
• macs Software GmbH, Zimmern ob Rottweil
• Goldfuss engineering GmbH, Balingen
• Bluelab Wasseranalyse Systeme GmbH
• Sherpa Robotics GmbH

German research partners:

• NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen
• University Hospital Tübingen
• Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für angewandte Forschung e.V., Villingen-Schwenningen
• University Hospital Würzburg
• Furtwangen University
• Institut für Energie und Umwelttechnik e.V. (IUTA), Duisburg
• Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, Würzburg
• Reutlingen University
• University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (FHWS)

International partners:

• IONICON Analytik GmbH, Austria
• Qualizyme Diagnostics GmbH & Co KG, Austria
• ADBINNO SARL, France
• Cordouan Technologies SAS, France
• Poly-Dtech, France

Coordinators:

• ISOCS, France
• BioRegio STERN Management GmbH, Germany