Jonathan Smith, Author at Labiotech.eu

About

Reporter for Labiotech. I hail from the UK. I was born in Bristol, studied Neuroscience in the University of Bristol, and trained mice in Eisai, Hertfordshire, for one year. I then tickled locusts for my Ph.D. at the University of Leicester, before eventually ending up here!
Out of the office, I travel, play video games and board games, drink beer and play the piano.

Articles by Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 1 Mar 2022

European Biotech Industry Braces as War Erupts in Ukraine

Europe has been blindsided by its biggest war in decades with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Amid a raging humanitarian crisis, the biotech industry is preparing for increasing economic uncertainty, cyber threats, and clinical trial disruptions. The invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces last week caused a widespread outcry from the European community. The geopolitical landscape […]

March 1, 2022 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Industrial plant sustainability bioeconomy

News and Trends 23 Feb 2022

EU Bioeconomy Fund Bags €300M to Scale up Sustainability Companies

The European Circular Bioeconomy Fund has smashed its funding target by raising €300M. The aim is to help sustainability-focused biotechs scale up and usher in a ‘bio-revolution’ in Europe. As European economies grapple with the aftershocks of the Covid-19 pandemic, policymakers have pledged to prioritize sustainability in plans such as the European Green Deal. However, […]

February 23, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 22 Feb 2022

Fast Stroke Treatments in the Works with TargED’s €39M Series A

Patients with sudden strokes and blood clotting conditions need faster and safer treatments. The Dutch company TargED Biopharmaceuticals has raised a €39M Series A round to fund the development of a fast-acting protein drug that could bridge this gap. Time is of the essence when treating acute ischemic stroke, a condition caused by a blood […]

February 22, 2022 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Belgium biotech vc fund newton biocapital japan

News and Trends 18 Feb 2022

Belgian VC Fund Leads Investment Wave in Japanese Biotech

As US and European investor interest in Japanese biopharma startups spikes, the Belgian venture capital firm Newton Biocapital has launched a €150M fund to harness synergy between European and Japanese life sciences. Japan boasts a world-class technology industry in addition to a thriving life sciences scene. The nation hosts large companies including Takeda, Eisai, and […]

February 18, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 16 Feb 2022

Startup Bags €50M Series A to Smash Gene Therapy Vector Limits

After closing Spain’s largest biopharma Series A round, the company SpliceBio has set its foundations in the gene therapy field and joins the push to deliver bigger therapeutic genes into patients. SpliceBio was founded in 2012 to tinker with a type of protein called inteins, which can stick peptides together to form new proteins. The […]

February 16, 2022 - 5 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 15 Feb 2022

Next-Gen Covid-19 Vaccines and Drugs Crowd into Late-Stage Trials

Despite the widespread rollout of vaccines over 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic remains a threat to healthcare systems worldwide. Numerous treatments and vaccines are hitting the late-stage pipeline, which could greatly expand the anti-Covid-19 arsenal. Two years ago, the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world and left economic disruption, healthcare crises, and widespread lockdowns in its wake. […]

February 15, 2022 - 7 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 10 Feb 2022

Global Team-up Cuts Genomics Costs to Fight Salmonella Infections

An international academic team has made strides in carrying out genome sequencing faster and more cheaply in low- and middle- income nations. This could improve the control of potentially lethal salmonella infections and propel research into vaccines. As the price of DNA sequencing continues to fall, genomics and bioinformatics firms are drawing ever more attention […]

February 10, 2022 - 6 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

January Financial Top European Investments

News and Trends 3 Feb 2022

The Top European Biotech Investments in January 2022

Viral infection treatments, cell therapy, and artificial intelligence led biotech investments in January 2022 as the European sector took a collective breather from December’s funding frenzy. European biotech investments started 2022 at a modest level compared to the huge cash flow seen in November and December 2021. While December 2021 saw almost €1.6B money raised, […]

February 3, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

ethris mrna therapy respiratory infection

News and Trends 1 Feb 2022

Ethris Raises €23M to Make Inhaled Respiratory Therapies from mRNA

Thanks to Covid-19 vaccines, messenger RNA (mRNA) technology has reached the mainstream. With a €23.4M Series B round, the German firm Ethris is riding the mRNA buzz by developing inhalable mRNA therapies for respiratory diseases. As Covid-19 mRNA vaccines entered the market for the first time in 2020, the wide potential of mRNA technology became […]

February 1, 2022 - 3 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 28 Jan 2022

AI Hot in Healthcare Despite IBM’s Watson Health Pullout

Earlier this week, the tech giant IBM sold off chunks of its once-promising artificial intelligence (AI)-guided division Watson Health. Despite this setback, European firms see a bright future for the use of AI in healthcare. The tech giant IBM hit the headlines this week when it sold off parts of Watson Health — a division […]

January 28, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

News and Trends 26 Jan 2022

Bioinformatics Startups in Focus as SeqOne Genomics Bags €20M

The French company SeqOne Genomics has raised €20M in a Series A round as growing investments reach startups delivering the next generation of genomics and bioinformatics. The cost of sequencing the human genome has plummeted over the decades to less than €900 ($1,000) today. Partly thanks to advances in cloud computing, innovations are flourishing in […]

January 26, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

Gene therapy genenta science genflow biosciences

News and Trends 21 Jan 2022

Two Gene Therapy Players Launch IPOs on Stormy Stock Market

After a drought of more than a year, the European gene therapy sector saw initial public offerings from Genenta Science and Genflow Biosciences. The firms aim to shine as biotech stocks elsewhere perform poorly. Until recently, European gene therapy companies were going through a dry spell in terms of launching initial public offerings (IPO). The […]

January 21, 2022 - 4 minutesmins - By Jonathan Smith

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Jonathan Smith

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Articles by Jonathan Smith

European Biotech Industry Braces as War Erupts in Ukraine

EU Bioeconomy Fund Bags €300M to Scale up Sustainability Companies

Fast Stroke Treatments in the Works with TargED’s €39M Series A

Belgian VC Fund Leads Investment Wave in Japanese Biotech

Startup Bags €50M Series A to Smash Gene Therapy Vector Limits

Next-Gen Covid-19 Vaccines and Drugs Crowd into Late-Stage Trials

Global Team-up Cuts Genomics Costs to Fight Salmonella Infections

The Top European Biotech Investments in January 2022

Ethris Raises €23M to Make Inhaled Respiratory Therapies from mRNA

AI Hot in Healthcare Despite IBM’s Watson Health Pullout

Bioinformatics Startups in Focus as SeqOne Genomics Bags €20M

Two Gene Therapy Players Launch IPOs on Stormy Stock Market

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Catalonia: A biotech hub going from strength to strength, with Barcelona at its core

Top biotech deals of February 2025

Grab your free report on 3D organoids and explore their future potential

These 7 biotechs are shaping the next generation of endometriosis care

Connect with decision-makers and researchers worldwide for collaborative opportunities

Subscribe to our newsletter

Advertise with us

Catalonia: A biotech hub going from strength to strength, with Barcelona at its core

Top biotech deals of February 2025

Grab your free report on 3D organoids and explore their future potential

These 7 biotechs are shaping the next generation of endometriosis care

Connect with decision-makers and researchers worldwide for collaborative opportunities

Subscribe to our newsletter

Advertise with us

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