A Pioneer in Innovative Life Science Products

In which areas of the life sciences are you active?
We work globally within Roche’s Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development division, supporting our fellow scientists in equipping laboratories with technologies, automation, and all types of consumables. Our slogan is “Expert Solutions for World-Class Science.”

Where do you see the greatest growth potential within the life sciences, and what are the most important technological trends?
In our opinion, one of the most promising areas is the networking and connectivity of laboratories and their equipment. For the most part, we are still far behind in taking advantage of today’s automation capabilities. Many of the workflows and processes in our operations are still very outdated and urgently need to be modernized.

How would you rate your collaboration with your suppliers in the fields of analytical, biotech, and laboratory technology, as well as photonics? Where do you see room for improvement, and what would you like to see?
Unfortunately, our suppliers are largely no better than us in this regard—and I don’t mean that in a positive way. At home, we’ve been talking to our blackout blinds for some time now and turning devices on or controlling them with voice commands or gestures. In our industry, however, we’re struggling with acceptance and support for the foundational elements needed to make this happen—such as the implementation of standards for interfaces. We’re hoping to see the greatest possible improvement and widespread adoption as soon as possible so that the use of such trends and technologies can become a reality in the laboratory environment as well!

In which areas of the life sciences are you or Abbott active?

Abbott in Germany operates in the following areas: diabetes management, diagnostics, cardiovascular medical technology (diagnostics and therapy), and neuromodulation.

Where do you see the greatest growth potential within the life sciences sector, and what are the most important technological trends?

We see two important trends: On the one hand, life sciences are becoming increasingly personalized due to new developments such as digitalization and “big data,” as well as technical innovations. On the other hand, we’re seeing that people are taking a more active role in managing their health—both preventatively and as part of treatment. Abbott’s portfolio supports both of these trends, as we aim to help people lead fulfilling lives with the best possible health through our products and technologies.

What will be the biggest challenge for your company over the next ten years?

As the society we live in and the health challenges we face are constantly changing, it is crucial to adapt to these changes. With our life-changing technologies, we strive to do just that and to address future health needs as well. Our overarching goal at Abbott is to help people live life to the fullest at every moment and at every stage of their lives through life-changing technologies.

IIn which areas of the life sciences are you active?

With my research group, “Molecular Imaging of Immune Regulation,” at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Pulmonology at Charité, we are directly engaged in disease-related basic biomedical research. Our research focuses on questions regarding the immune response and its modulation in severe lung infections. Every year, we see many deaths caused by influenza viruses, and according to WHO estimates, a child under the age of 5 dies worldwide every 15 seconds due to this serious disease. For approximately seven decades—that is, since the beginning of the antibiotic era—the mortality rate for this disease has not been significantly reduced, and there is therefore a great need for research worldwide.

For this reason, we strive to develop particularly innovative experimental models that can simulate lung infections in humans as accurately as possible. For over 10 years, we have been using a model that employs native, living human lung tissue to analyze bacterial and viral infections. In addition to biochemical and molecular biological studies, we primarily employ highly advanced microscopic imaging techniques and machine-learning-based analytical methods. To provide even more sustainable technological support in this field, a new development center for multidimensional microscopy was established under my leadership as a partnership between Charité and Zeiss. The goal of this partnership is to translate the latest scientific requirements into industrial products as quickly as possible.

Where do you see the greatest growth potential within the life sciences sector, and what are the most important technological trends?

Although our models are highly specialized for lung research, the technologies and models we use are highly relevant to numerous other organ systems and diseases. We therefore collaborate in an interdisciplinary manner with numerous partners in the scientific community who have set themselves the goal of generating tiny functional organ units from human stem cells. These so-called organoids will play a key role in the coming years and may become highly relevant not only for disease research but also for transplant medicine. In addition to high-end imaging, high-throughput “-omics” technologies play a particularly leading role here. Genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses are conducted down to the single-cell level, which must also be analyzed and integrated using innovative bioinformatics. In addition to these two key technologies for analysis, however, other highly innovative techniques are currently available that are crucial for “model engineering.” These include not only stem cell technology but also gene editing methods such as CRISPR/Cas, 3D printing, and microfluidic systems. In my opinion, these fields hold very high growth potential.

How would you rate your collaboration with your suppliers in the fields of analytical, biotechnology, and laboratory technology, as well as photonics? Where do you see room for improvement, and what would you like to see?

Overall, I view collaboration with industry partners in these fields very positively. The scientific community benefits enormously from numerous new developments in industry, and companies generally show a high degree of interest in understanding the processes and requirements of biomedical researchers. Unfortunately, however, economic interests often stand in the way of the targeted design of technologies, meaning that important research questions cannot be adequately addressed. In addition, there is very high cost pressure that can hardly be met by the funding levels available in academia. We would like to see not only more and closer collaborations but also ones that are less burdened by budget constraints—collaborations that allow us to address, as efficiently as possible, the products of our industry partners on the one hand, but especially the pressing biomedical questions on the other.

IIn which areas of the life sciences are you active?

At HAWK in Göttingen, within the "Plasma and Laser Technologies" research focus area, we are engaged in the research and development of product and process innovations using optical technologies—in particular, plasma and laser technologies. Our key R&D partners include industrial companies and SMEs in the upstream and supplier sectors of the healthcare industry, as well as research institutions with complementary expertise, such as the Fraunhofer IST—Application Center for Plasma and Photonics, the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), and the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine (MPI-EM). As part of the BMBF’s “FH-Impuls” program, we have been intensifying our R&D activities since 2017 within our “Plasma for Life” partnership to generate new insights and solutions for life science-specific challenges in the healthcare industry (medical technology, biotechnology, orthopedic technology).  

Where do you see the greatest growth potential within the life sciences sector, and what are the most important technological trends?

We expect to see an increase in personalized products for personalized medicine and therapies, as well as for innovative laboratory research—including, for example, production in batch sizes as small as one. We are also observing a continued rise in the use of disposables instead of, for example, metal products for manufacturing and/or glass for packaging. Product and process innovations are currently in high demand, particularly in the fields of bioprocess technology, medical technology, orthopedic technology, and packaging technology, driven in part by highly specialized coating and surface pretreatment technologies and processes. New materials and material innovations—including new material combinations and composites, such as biopolymers, silicones, and technical textiles—are increasingly being used to reduce costs and to achieve new and improved product properties and functions. “Smart” treatment methods utilizing (miniaturized) measurement and control technology, along with data transmission, are increasingly being used for personalized in-situ therapy; combined cleaning methods enhance hygiene standards. Finally, we expect that the increased use of IT-supported big data analytics—including the growing use of image analysis algorithms—will lead to better and faster detection and evaluation of various clinical presentations, thereby supporting and refining treatment and surgical decisions.

How would you rate your collaboration with your suppliers in the fields of analytical, biotechnology, and laboratory technology, as well as photonics? Where do you see room for improvement, and what would you like to see?  

Communication with suppliers has generally been very quick and easy; whether by email or phone, we always received a prompt response. Delivery times are also satisfactory. The prices are reasonable (though you always have to compare websites). We see room for improvement on the websites: the information about individual items is often inconsistent and incomplete. More images of the items offered would also be helpful.