Belgium’s leading life sciences professionals will convene at Biovia’s Knowledge for Growth, the premier business conference bringing together key stakeholders from the biotech, pharma, medtech, agricultural, and chemical industries. This event offers a unique opportunity to engage with policymakers, experts, and knowledge institutions at the forefront of innovation.
As usual, VUB will be present at Knowledge for Growth, this year taking place on June 4 in Antwerp. Come visit us, engage, and get inspired.
MEET VUB:
- TTO Flanders - VUB TechTransfer (Booth #53): Meet VUB TechTransfer and our TTO colleagues from other Flemish universities at the TTO Flanders booth.
- VUB MICROLAB (Booth #71): MICROLAB is a new VUB Core Facility with an open access cleanroom for glass and silicon etching of microstructured devices.
VUB PITCHES:
During the TTO Flanders Elevator Pitch Session: Research to Business (13:30 - 15:00), two leading VUB researchers will present their work.
- Dr. Eric Gaba (Postdoctoral Researcher, Brussels Human Robotics Research Centre - BruBotics): From pineapple leaf waste to prosthetic innovation: Scalable bio-based composite material
- Prof. Dr. Lorenzo Franceschini (Research Professor, Translational Oncology Research Centre - TORC): Developing personalised synthetic RNA for the selection of next-generation therapeutics
Read more & buy tickets here
Dr. Eric Gaba: From pineapple leaf waste to prosthetic innovation: Scalable bio-based composite material
This project investigates pineapple leaf fibre, an abundant agricultural waste, as a sustainable bio-based reinforcement for high-performance composite materials. With a focus on prosthetic sockets, it integrates biomaterial engineering, circular economy principles, and user-centred design to develop lightweight, durable, and low-carbon alternatives to conventional composites. The work aims to improve sustainability, accessibility, and comfort in prosthetics while enabling scalable bio-based solutions for a wide range of applications.
Prof. Dr. Lorenzo Franceschini: Developing personalised synthetic RNA for the selection of next-generation therapeutics
The therapeutic use of mRNA holds great promises for treating incurable diseases. Advances in synthetic biology enable the production of nearly any targeted protein through mRNA-based vaccines and therapies. However, significant challenges in mRNA manufacturing must still be overcome to enable personalized treatments. Our innovative platforms address a critical bottleneck in RNA production by providing fully synthetic DNA templates for rapid in vitro RNA transcription, allowing high-throughput screening and validation of therapeutic candidates like antigens and T cell or chimeric antigen receptors, accelerating preclinical research and advancing next-generation individualized RNA therapies.