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VIB Blog

On our blog, you can find content curated by the VIB community. Discover our research through the eyes of our scientists.Want to be kept...

Get to know the researchers driving cutting-edge research at VIB and delve into the latest advancements in life sciences.

VIB Blog: Insights and innovations in life sciences research

Op onze blog vindt u inhoud samengesteld door de VIB-gemeenschap. Ontdek ons onderzoek door de ogen van onze wetenschappers.

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Explore how studying hibernation in hamsters provides valuable insights into combatting Alzheimer's disease.

Hibernating hamsters as a model to study Alzheimer's disease

-written by Pablo Largo Barrientos, a postdoctoral researcher at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research

Hibernation as a model to study Alzheimer’s disease

Explore the gender-specific complexities of fatty liver disease and learn about potential treatments tailored to individual gender needs.

Gender-driven solutions for fatty liver disease

In a world where our health is paramount, fatty liver disease, known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is...

Gender personalized medicine: the future of fatty liver disease treatment

In a world where our health is paramount, fatty liver disease, known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is climbing the ranks of health concerns we can't afford to ignore. Imagine your liver, which controls over 500 vital functions, including the body's detox powerhouse, getting clogged with fat. Alarmingly, about 30% of people globally are wrestling against this silent epidemic. It's a complex disease with various risk factors, especially related to gender and sex hormonal differences, making a one-size-fits-all treatment difficult.

The VIB BioImaging Core is entering an exciting new phase to advance the bioimaging support within VIB. In March, Erin Tranfield started as Head of the VIB BioImaging Core Ghent, and Pablo Hernández Varas took the lead of the VIB BioImaging Core Leuven in May. Sounds like the perfect time for an interview in which we get to know them and their vision.

Meet the new Heads of the VIB BioImaging Core: Erin Tranfield and Pablo Hernández Varas

The VIB BioImaging Core is entering an exciting new phase to advance the bioimaging support within VIB. In March, Erin Tranfield started as Head...

An interview with VIB Bioinformatician – Dr.House - Zakaria Eddafir

Cracking the code of undiagnosed diseases

350 million people worldwide live with undiagnosed diseases. Genome sequencing can provide answers for 40% of children and adults with undiagnosed diseases, but around 60% still don't receive a diagnosis. The Wilhelm Foundation is dedicated to finding new ways and collaborations to address diseases that currently have no solutions. That’s led them to organizing a hackathon, an event where participants from diverse disciplines use computational tools and techniques to solve biological problems within a set timeframe. At this Undiagnosed Hackathon event, 126 clinicians, bioinformaticians, molecular biologists, scientists, developers, AI specialists, and individuals from 28 countries formed multidisciplinary teams to tackle the most challenging diseases.

From Alzheimer's disease to cancer biology and plant systems, gain insights into the applications and transformative impact of spatial omics at VIB.

Unraveling the power of spatial omics in biotech research

Next to machine learning, spatial omics is becoming one of the hottest topic in biotech!

Deciphering the hidden language of life

Bridging the gap between immunology and cancer

How VIB researchers innovate together 

Allen F. Repko, former director of the interdisciplinary studies program at the University of Texas, said it best: Our disciplines are where we begin, but not where we end. These words resonate strongly in the field of immuno-oncology. Recent breakthroughs in cancer research often found their roots in immunological findings. The disciplines of cancer biology and immunology seem to be more interwoven than we could have imagined a few decades ago. At VIB, researchers in both disciplines join hands in solving the complex puzzle that is cancer. As a preview to our #ImmunoOnco24 Conference in Antwerp, we want to highlight some of this research.

"Bringing together researchers to exchange experiences and maximize resource utilization is crucial"

Conversations with Experts: the art of spatial omics 

In anticipation of the upcoming Spatial Omics conference, we had the pleasure of speaking with two experts and organizing committee members. The first is Johan Swinnen, head of the Laboratory of Lipid Metabolism and Cancer at KU Leuven. The other expert is Evelien Van Hamme, who leads the Spatial Catalyst at VIB. Each, in their own way, is an expert in spatial omics, a technique that is transforming our understanding of biological tissues.

A tumor is a complex ecosystem. Understanding how this ecosystem of different cell types in the tumor microenvironment works is a crucial step toward personalized, effective treatments. Meet the Pointillism 2.0 project of the VIB Grand Challenges Program and some of the insights that have inspired it.  

Revealing the many faces of cancer: Pointillism, heterogeneity, and plasticity 

Reviving our immune system to recognize and get rid of cancer cells – immunotherapy – promises to reshape how we approach cancer treatment. One of the leading examples of immunotherapy is immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, which works by blocking so-called ‘immune checkpoint inhibitors’. This removes the brakes on the immune system to help the body recognize and attack cancer cells.

Conversations with alumni: Immuno-Oncology

An interview with Mathias Wenes

Mathias Wenes will kick off the recent insights into immuno-oncology with a presentation on metabolic interventions to improve CAR T cell therapy. Mathias works at the University of Geneva and MPC Therapeutics, but has his roots in VIB. In this interview, we talk about his career trajectory, the role of conferences, and his time at VIB.

Recent advances in the life sciences have given researchers increasingly detailed insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying health and disease. One thing, however, is missing: the spatial dimension. Spatial omics seeks to remedy this and VIB has invested in this suite of technologies since it burst on the scene. But what is spatial omics, and what are the challenges that remain?  

Spatial omics: Understanding life in 3D 

Bodies are made of tissues, tissues are made of cells, and those cells are territories bustling with the activity of many, many molecules. To understand the molecular activity in those cellular territories, we need to make maps. But how do we make maps of something we can’t see?