Helen Albert, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Freelance science and health journalist with lots of experience writing about all aspects of life sciences and biotech. Recovering geneticist and evolutionary biologist. I am half German and half British and spend most of my time in Berlin while not hiding out in the Norfolk countryside in the UK. When not writing or editing, I like to spend my time taking photos, knitting, reading fiction, eating and making good food and travelling (when global conditions allow!).

Articles by Helen Albert

Interview 23 Aug 2021

Behind the Scenes at Novo Seeds: Building Startups from the Ground up

Søren Møller, Managing Investment Director at Novo Seeds, discusses how the firm’s investment strategy has changed over time to support the creation of biotech startups in the Nordics. Søren Møller has a PhD in molecular biology from the Technical University of Denmark. After spending some time as a postdoc at Stanford University in the US […]

August 23, 2021 - 9 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Single use plastics Bioplastics industry

In Depth 21 Jul 2021

What the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Ban Means for the Bioplastics Industry

A European directive banning a range of single-use plastics came into law this month. How are the new regulations impacting industrial biotech companies developing bioplastics? In an attempt to reduce staggeringly high levels of plastic pollution seen around the world, particularly in marine environments, the 27 EU member states and Norway agreed in 2019 to […]

July 21, 2021 - 10 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 23 Jun 2021

How Blockchain Companies Are Helping Us Protect Our Genomic Data

Using genomic data and the blockchain network, it is now possible to send anonymous genetic information around the world in the blink of an eye. Meet the companies that want to help us protect and control our own genetic data. As the cost of sequencing an individual genome falls and more people have access to […]

June 23, 2021 - 7 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Interview 21 Apr 2021

Changing Attitudes on Vaccine and Public Health Investment

The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed investment and research into vaccines and public health, but will such interest continue in the long term? Glenn Rockman, founder and Managing Partner of Adjuvant Capital, a VC firm investing in the infectious disease area, believes it will. Rockman did not plan to get into life science investment. With a […]

April 21, 2021 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 14 Apr 2021

Biomaterials Are Making the Building Industry More Sustainable

There is a growing awareness of the waste and pollution caused by the building industry. New biomaterials are being created using waste products and microbes to solve these ecological problems. “Using biological materials in buildings isn’t a new concept – we’ve built wooden structures for thousands of years,” said Gavin McIntyre, co-founder and Director of […]

April 14, 2021 - 10 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Water purification industry circular economy

In Depth 20 Jan 2021

Biotech Drives the Water Purification Industry Towards a Circular Economy

Water purification has never been more important, but antiquated methods and a lack of innovation have held the sector back. Biotechnology proposes solutions that bring us one step closer to a true circular economy. Rising populations and pollution levels mean that water purification is now more crucial than ever before. However, much of the industry […]

January 20, 2021 - 10 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Covid 19 manufacturing vaccine therapies antibody

News and Trends 9 Dec 2020

The Manufacturing Challenge to Meet Covid-19 Vaccine Demands

Companies developing vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics for Covid-19 are being forced to scale up manufacturing at high speed in order to meet the enormous demand. There has been an unprecedented amount of research carried out over the last year to develop vaccines, drugs, and diagnostic tests to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Before Canada gave the […]

December 9, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Interview 23 Nov 2020

CDMOs Are the Unsung Heroes of the Gene and Cell Therapy Revolution

Cell and gene therapy is booming amid the ongoing pandemic, and this is driving up demand for synthetic DNA products, often produced and delivered by CDMOs. Karen Fallen started her career at Celltech Biologics in the UK, which was acquired in 1996 by Swiss giant Lonza, a world leader in the pharmaceutical manufacturing space. She […]

November 23, 2020 - 5 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 11 Nov 2020

GMO Regulations in Europe Are “Not Fit for Purpose”

The controversial decision by the European courts in 2018 to regulate gene-edited organisms as GMOs has had a damaging effect on biotech companies working in this area. The current GMO regulations were established in Europe in 2001 and were designed to strictly regulate the introduction of DNA from other species into animals and plants. These […]

November 11, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

In Depth 9 Nov 2020

Gene Drives: A Controversial Tool to Fight Malaria

The advent of CRISPR gene editing has enabled the creation of gene drives, a technology that can increase the odds of a certain gene being inherited. While the technology could help us tackle malaria and control invasive species, the scientific community is divided on whether it is ethical. The possibility of creating gene drives was […]

November 9, 2020 - 12 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

News and Trends 30 Oct 2020

Bayer’s AskBio Acquisition Strong Statement For Gene Therapy in Europe

This week, German big pharma Bayer announced a €3.5B takeover of Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, a well known US gene therapy specialist. This is only one of many examples of the funding windfall experienced by the gene therapy field in 2020. Despite the difficulties posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 has been a good year for gene […]

October 30, 2020 - 6 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

Best in Biotech 19 Oct 2020

Top 10 Companies Combining AI and Drug Discovery in Europe

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence over the last decade have the potential to revolutionize how drugs are developed. These are the top 10 companies in Europe that are working to make AI drug discovery a reality. Drug development is a slow and increasingly expensive process. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to make the drug […]

October 19, 2020 - 8 minutesmins - By Helen Albert

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The twelve hottest biotech companies in the Boston area

Biotech bankruptcies: what to expect in 2024 following a record year?

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RNA editing set to take off: could it outperform gene editing?

Future of cancer treatment: what will therapy look like in 2034?

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