Innovations from Hamburg

CAN GmbH Develops Toxicology Test for Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles are exceedingly versatile, and they are used, for example, in surface coatings, as laquer components, in the creation of new materials, or as marker substances in diagnostics. As nanoparticles are applied in more and more fields, the question of their potential as a health hazard has increasingly come to the fore.

The Centre for Applied Nanotechnology GmbH (CAN) has developed a method for testing the toxicity of nanoparticles. A project supported by Innovationsstiftung Hamburg produced nanoparticles synthetically and fully characterized them in terms of their physiochemical properties. CAN developed a range of assays based on skin connective tissue, and pulmonary and intestinal epithelial cells. The established cell assays were adapted to the special requirements of nanosystems application and transferred into standard operating procedures (SOPs). The measurement methods proved to be reproducible, resulting in the development of SOPs which, for instance, can be used in quality monitoring or in the development and production of nanoparticles.

The testing routines developed by the project are already being employed in two other ongoing projects with third-party funding and have also found their way into services provided by CAN GmbH in the business area "CANtox and CAN Analytics".

DERMALOG to Develop "Finger Alcohol Test"

DERMALOG Identification Systems GmbH in cooperation with the Institute for Forensic Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf plans to develop a method to simultaneously take fingerprints and conduct a non-invasive blood alcohol test. The Programme for Innovation is contributing EUR 250,000 to support the development of the new technology which is to be applied in areas where security and safety are critical, such as aircraft cockpits or dangerous goods transports.

Blood alcohol is determined using a miniaturized 2D transmission spectrometer operating in a spectral range of 800nm to 1000nm. This is the range in which skin tissue shows high transmission rates, allowing for optimal finger scanning, and at the same time the distinct chemical signals of alcohol can be identified and quantified reliably.

DERMALOG is one of the leading companies in biometric identification systems design. Innovationsstiftung Hamburg is the project sponsor of the Programme for Innovation issued by the Ministry of Economic and Labour Affairs.

New Therapeutic Agents for Insect Venom Allergies
One out of four people show allergic reactions to insect stings or bites, some of which are strong enough to cause a life-threatening anaphylactic shock. However, many patients forego therapy, as desensitization e.g. with bee venom extracts requires several years of treatment. PLS-Design GmbH, with financial support from Innovationsstiftung Hamburg, has been working on a novel therapeutic approach for the past three years. Biomolecular methods are to yield precise mixtures of individual allergens. Desensitization treatment with these molecules holds the promise of greatly improved success rates and a reduced risk of undesired side effects. Having successfully completed the first project phase, PLS will now receive some EUR 300,000 in support funds from the Life Sciences Programme of the Hamburg Ministry of Science and Research to continue the development of a prototype containing clinically relevant recombinant insect venom allergens.

PLS was established in Hamburg in 2004 to translate academic knowledge into industrial products. The company’s core competences are structure-based protein engineering and affinity molecule design. Innovationsstiftung Hamburg is the project sponsor of the Life Sciences Programme issued by the Ministry of Science and Research.

Outdoor Cultivation of Microalgae

Microalgae are one of the energy sources of the future, given the fact that they can provide many times the energy of land plants such as rape. The biomass yield from microalgae can be used to produce gas, diesel, ethanol or hydrogen. Since the CO2 emissions from power plants, cement or lime works can be utilized in algae cultivation, the climatic benefits of algae biomass already take effect during production. This is why microalgae are increasingly coming into focus.

SSC Strategic Science Consult GmbH wants to develop the prototype photobioreactor for the open-land cultivation of microalgae. The Programme for Energy and Innovation of the Hamburg Ministry of Urban Development and the Environment has provided approx. EUR 160,000 in support of the project. The development effort is based on SSC’s patent for a so-called convection reactor. Compared with currently used types, this reactor is to achieve significant improvements in performance, durability and energy input.

SSC GmbH’s core business is the planning and implementation of new technologies in the energy and environmental fields. Innovationsstiftung Hamburg is the project sponsor of the Programme for Energy and Innovation issued by the Ministry of Urban Development and the Environment.