Business from technology

Biotechnology for health and well-being

Research content

VTT is involved on a broad basis in modern technologies aiming at improving human health and well-being. Development work is largely utilizing the systems biology and biomolecular recognition approaches. The aims are to predict, prevent and diagnose diseases and disorders as well as to provide with cost-effective search and validation processes for drug development.

New concepts are developed for drug discovery and drug molecule production as well as health promoting foods and for securing safety in food processing.  Antibody engineering techniques are applied for the development of novel antibodies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The cell factory concept for engineering microbes and plant cells is used to produce new lead molecules for drug discovery, and bioactive ingredients for health promoting foods.

More specifically our research focuses on:

• Drug discovery, drug target validation and mechanism of action in breast and prostate cancers by high-throughput methods
  
• Metabolic engineering of yeast and plant cells aiming at production of known bioactive molecules, intermediates and recombinant proteins as well as new leads for pharmaceutical applications
  
• Biomolecular recognition and antibody engineering techniques are exploited for the development of new generation antibodies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Medical systems biology aiming at predicting diseases like cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and neurological disorders
  
• Biomarker discovery using micro-array methods and omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics)
  
• Nutrition studies aiming at promoting human health and well-being
  
• Translational bio-informatic solutions
  

Future prospects

VTT aims at being a forerunner in next generation drug development and diagnostics. The Systems Biology approach allows us to understand the biochemical reactions occurring in human cells and tissues. Our work has resulted in various new applications and developments for promoting human heath and well-being, and thereby has opened up new opportunities for several industrial sectors.

Resources

In addition to our highly skilled multinational professionals and research staff, we have excellently equipped modern laboratories and leading-edge modelling and simulation tools at our disposal. We collaborate intensively and broadly with various VTT experts in ICT, data-mining, imaging, micro-technologies etc. as well as with our research partners domestically and globally.