Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB Interdisciplinary and interregional research for the benefit of health

At ULB, human health is a major challenge in terms of research and innovation. The interfaculty institutes, ULB-VUB Joint Research Groups, ERC Grants and partnerships with businesses testify to this dynamism.

In its attempt to have researchers from different disciplines working on joint research subjects, ULB has created 8 interdisciplinary research institutes, including the Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics of Brussels (IB 2 ), which aims to model, understand and process massive amounts of data that are becoming increasingly difficult to store; the Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation in Healthcare (I 3 h), which conducts research on new collaborative innovation models in the field of healthcare; the Institute for Research and Immunology (U-IRC), whose clinical and fundamental research work focuses on inflammatory diseases and vaccination; the ULB Cancer Research Center (U-CRC), which brings together researchers from ULB, the Erasme Hospital and the Bordet Institute; and the Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), which seeks to better understand the development and functioning of the brain at highly different scales.

In parallel with these institutes, the ULB-VUB Joint Research Groups (JRGs) act as high-level research and technology transfer centres. Currently active in the area of health, the BBRG (Brussels (Bio)Pharmaceutical Analysis Research Group) targets biomarkers corresponding to different diseases with a view to synthesising peptide-based biomedicines, whilst the BDRP (Brussels Diabetes Research Cluster) studies mechanisms involved in the dysfunctioning, death and regeneration of patient pancreatic beta cells and searches for new biomarkers to allow beta cell imaging.

The excellence of the health research at ULB has been rewarded with several ERC Grants including “ORGANITRA”, a Starting Grant (2018) research project by Prof. Hennie Valkenier-van Dijk aimed at developing new synthetic molecules capable of transporting phosphated organic compounds through the cell membrane; “EXPAND”, a Consolidator Grant (2013) project by Prof. Cédric Blanpain on stem cells and the study of mechanisms governing tissue expansion during the development and repair of adult tissue; “METAPTPs”, a Consolidator Grant (2018) research

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project by Prof. Esteban Gurzov that seeks to understand why and how diabetes develops in patients; and APOLS, an Advanced Grant (2015) research project by Prof. Etienne Pays, which studies the evolving capacities of Trypanosoma, a parasite responsible for sleeping sickness.

Partnership research is equally well represented at ULB. The expertise and equipment of the University’s research units are accessible to businesses to meet their service provision requirements. The Flow Cytometry platform of Biopark Charleroi Brussels South, BRIGHTCore (Brussels Interuniversity Genomics High Throughput Core), CMMI (Centre for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging), the functional neuroimaging platform and the transgenesis platform are among the 11 technological platforms dedicated primarily to the life sciences and engineering.

Moreover, the technology and know-how transfer office (ULB-TTO) manages a portfolio of 112 active technologies, 80 of which are protected by patent families. Available technologies include methods for the treatment of microbacterial infections, rapid diagnosis of bacterial infections, innovative inhaler formulations to improve the treatment of lung tumours, and a method for the production of recombinant proteins by cells.

ULB also has a system in place to support the creation of spin-offs with ULB-TTO, 3 incubators (EEBIC, Biopark-Dev, CAP Innove), the Theodorus investment fund and the StartLab which supports student entrepreneurs. Of the 39 business spin-offs from the ULB that are currently active, 13 specialise in biotechnology and 3 in medical devices. Antigon (optimising the safety of blood transfusions), ASIT Biotech (production of devices for diagnosis and treatment of immune diseases) and Bone Therapeutics (bone cell therapy) are fine examples. Lastly, the ULB-TTO actively participates in a dynamic innovation ecosystem including incubators, the Regions of Wallonia (SPW Economy, Employment, Research) and Brussels-Capital (Innoviris), the LIEU Network, the Walloon and Brussels competitiveness clusters, Walloon innovation operators, industry federations etc. All vital forces are welcome!