Research, Innovation and Education in Pharma, Medicine, and Environment
The FHNW School of Life Sciences consists of four institutes involved in research, innovation and education. Located in Europe's largest life sciences cluster, it cooperates closely with prominent national, European and international organisations and industries. The School has applied, industry-driven expertise in health and pharma technology, as well as circular bioeconomy, environmental restoration, mitigation of biodiversity loss and climate change, in line with European Green Deal priorities.
Research institutes
Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics
The Institute for Medical Engineeringand Medical Informatics works with hospitals and industry to carry out R&I in diagnostic and therapeutic systems. It develops patient-oriented devices, implants and methods, as well as advanced tools for medical data processing and analysis. Click here for the Institute's website.
Institute of Pharma Technology and Biotechnology
The Institute for Pharma Technology and Biotechnology maps industrial processes from raw ingredients to the final form of the drug. Its activities cover drug formulation, manufacture and delivery, with specific focus on dosage form design, production processes, quality, pharmacokinetics and personalisation. It has close partnerships with leading European and international pharma firms and start-ups. Click here for the Institute's website.
Institute of Chemistry and Bioanalytics
The Institute for Chemistry and Bioanalytics collaborates with agro, food, pharma and biochemical industries on sustainable processes, feedstock identification and preparation, advanced (nano)-materials and organ function diagnostic systems. It has expertise in analysis of large data sets, and the ability to develop and implement processes up to pilot scale, including safety assessments. It has close partnerships with leading EU bio-based and bioremediation industries and start-ups. Click here for the Institute's website.
Institute for Ecopreneurship
The Institute for Ecopreneurship conducts lab- and pilot- scale interdisciplinary R&I in the circular bioeconomy and environmental restoration. It creates innovative solutions for waste stream conversion into marketable products and for the treatment, detoxification and regeneration of contaminated water and soil. Sustainability is assessed with comprehensive ecotoxicological studies and life cycle analyses. Click here for the Institute's website.
Strategic equipment, technologies and infrastructure
The FHNW School of Life Sciences possesses fully equipped laboratories and pilot plants with state-of-the-art technologies for medical, industrial and environmental engineering, as well as equipment and infrastructure for wastewater treatment, biomonitoring and in vitro testing for industry.
The Process Technology Center (PTC) offers research and industry partners the ideal platform for scaling up processes developed in the laboratory before large-scale implementation.Click here for the Process Technology Center website.
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Bioprocess technology
2/7
Chemical process development and process safety
7/7
Environmental plant - for the wastewater management of tomorrow
Pilot-scale facilities
Fully automated chemical, biochemical and fermentation facilities for upstream and downstream processes.
Wastewater management system equipped with online biomonitoring, such as online toximeters and cell based in vitro test systems.
Solid sterile containment and cleanroom pharmaceutical manufacturing, including semi-automatic filling-finishing, dispersion, comminution, freeze and spray drying, extrusion, and compression.
Additive manufacturing
3D bioprinters for toxicological and environmental applications
3D-printers for medical engineering applications (Ti, Shape memory NiTi, Ti6Al4V, Ti6Al4V ELI, CoCr 316L, plastics, ceramics).
Medical engineering
Implant surface functionalization
CT and Micro-CT
DVT
c-arm
REM
tribometry
static and dynamic mechanical testing stands
removal-torque-system
medical 3D-scanning and tracking
ultrasound
IR
movement and gait analysis
high speed camera
EMG
EEG
ECG
endoscopy
Micro- and nano-scale particle technology
Solid state and surface characterization
light scattering
dispersed systems
rheology
Microscopy platform
SEM
ESEM
TEM
AFM
confocal microscopy
Chemical synthesis and analysis
DNA and peptide synthesiser
electro- and photo-chemistry
NMR
GC-MS
HPLC-MS including Ion Trap, qTOF, QqQ, LA-ICP-MS; ICP-MS (QqQ)
LC-OCD-OND for drinking water analysis
LDIR chemical imaging system
μXRF
Radioisotope Lab (C-14, H-3)
high precision isotopic carbon analyser
surface plasmon resonance
Single-cell analysis and sequencing
Flow cytometers and FACS
TenX system
next-generation sequencers MiSeq and Nextseq 550
qPCR
Collaboration with industries and research organisations
Horizon 2020 projects - As a coordinator
AquaNES
Electra
Prolific
Horizon 2020 projects - As a partner
InMare
Pearrl
MadforWater
Inspire Water
PertPV
Pavitra Ganga
Terminus
InGreen
InPharma
FuturEnyzme
Nowelties
Scale
NextGen
Horizon Europe projects
AgriLoop
MAR2PROTECT
CUMERI
NEXUS
StopUp
Nymphe
Projects funded by EU beyond H2020
EU JPND: Multinational research projects on personalised medicine for neuro-degenerative diseases (ORGTHERAPY)
Eurostars project 113627: Suppressing tremor to a bearable level (STABLE)
Eurostars project 113479: 3D cell culture platform for personalised ovarian concer therapy selection
Projects funded by INTERREG (Funding Program by France, Germany & Switzerland for the Upper Rhine Region)
SPIRITS: Smart 3D-printed interactive robot for interventional radiology and surgery
PERSONALIS: Platform for personalized medicine for autoimmune diseases
TRIMABONE: 3d printing for resorbable implants
WaterPollutionSensor: Use of a sensor network for the continuous monitoring of pesticides in drinking water
ALBUCOL: Customisable natural hybrid protein materials for tissue engineering
HelpMeWalk: Replace plaster casting in orthopedics with a digital solution
Variopore: Innovative technology for fast and reliable diagnosis of infectious diseases
Projects funded by international foundations
Wellcome Trust: Discovery of anti-DENV antibodies using artificial intelligence
Adalbert-Raps Stiftung: Effizienzsteigerung von Algenkultivierungsprozessen
UNIDO: Provision of eco-industrial park related services in Peru
Projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and BRIDGE
Structural and functional characterisation of the primer synthesis ofarchaeoeukaryotic primases
The underestimated role of the human omentum in metastatic spread
Efficient colonic drug delivery
Implemention of adverse outcome pathway in a plug and play microfluidics system: Liver fibrosis as a proof of principle
European Joint Programme Rare Diseases: Development of new analytic tools and pathways to accelerate diagnosis and facilitate diagnostic monitoring of rare diseases
Projects Funded by other Swiss foundations
Botnar Research Centre for Child Health: DAVINCI: Development and validation of a lateral flow test to detect COVID-19 antigens and immunity in saliva
Projects funded by Swiss governmental Institutions
BAFU: Review study on the use of biotests for the assessment of industrial wastewater and proposal of an evaluation concept
BAFU: Development of a concept for the determination and assessment of toxic wastewater in industrial plants
Projects funded by Innosuisse (Swiss Innovation Agency)
Development of a dual mode marker system for X-ray and optical stereoscopic camera tracking
NANTI: Development of a nanoporous antibacterial surface for titanium implants by reverse-pulse electrochemical copper deposition
Targeted vitamin delivery to the microbiome for improved gut health
ALABAMA: Automated LADME assay platform based onadvanced microphysiological arrays
Lyopan technology for orally dispersible tablets
Drugs for wound healing
Topical antiinfectives against leishmaniasis
Impulse: a novel vaccine platform for antimicrobial resistant bacteria
