FHNWSchoolofLifeSciences
DrivinginnovationinEurope’slargest lifesciencescluster
TheFHNWSchoolofLifeSciencesconsistsoffourinstitutesinvolvedinresearch,innovation andeducation.LocatedintheheartofEurope’slargestlifesciencecluster,itcollaborates closelywithprominentnational,Europeanandinternationalorganisationsandindustries.
TheSchoolhasapplied,industry-drivenexpertiseinhealthandpharmatechnology,aswell ascircularbioeconomy,environmentalrestoration,mitigationofbiodiversitylossandclimate change,inlinewithEuropeanGreenDealpriorities.
TheInstitutefor MedicalEngineeringandMedical Informatics workswithhospitalsandindustrytocarry outR&Iindiagnosticandtherapeuticsystems.Itdevelops patient-orienteddevices,implantsandmethods,aswellas advancedtoolsformedicaldataprocessingandanalysis.
TheInstitutefor PharmaTechnologyandBiotechnology mapsindustrialprocessesfromrawingredientsto thefinalformofthedrug.Itsactivitiescoverdrug formulation,manufactureanddelivery,withspecific focusondosageformdesign,productionprocesses, quality,pharmacokineticsandpersonalisation.Ithasclose partnershipswithleadingEuropeanandinternational pharmafirmsandstart-ups.
TheInstitutefor ChemistryandBioanalytics collaborates withagro,food,pharmaandbiochemicalindustrieson sustainableprocesses,feedstockidentificationand preparation,advanced(nano)-materialsandorgan functiondiagnosticsystems.Ithasexpertiseinanalysisof largedatasets,andtheabilitytodevelopandimplement processesuptopilotscale,includingsafetyassessments. IthasclosepartnershipswithleadingEUbio-basedand bioremediationindustriesandstart-ups.
TheInstitutefor Ecopreneurship conductslab-andpilotscaleinterdisciplinaryR&Iinthecircularbioeconomyand environmentalrestoration.Itcreatesinnovativesolutions forwastestreamconversionintomarketableproducts andforthetreatment,detoxificationandregenerationof contaminatedwaterandsoil.Sustainabilityisassessed withcomprehensiveecotoxicologicalstudiesandlifecycle analyses.
Strategicequipment,technologies andinfrastructure
Fullyequippedlaboratoriesandpilot plantswithstate-of-the-arttechnologies formedical,industrialandenvironmental engineering;equipmentandinfrastructurefor wastewatertreatment,biomonitoringandin vitrotestingforindustry.
ProcessTechnologyCenter
TheProcessTechnologyCenter(PTC)offers researchandindustrypartnerstheideal platformforscalingupprocessesdeveloped inthelaboratorybeforelarge-scale implementation.
“Ouruniqueinfrastructure,linkedwithautomationanddigitalisation, isamongstthemostmoderninEurope.TheProcessTechnologyCenter ofourSchoolisspecificallydesignedfortherequirementsofthelife sciencesindustryandoffersuniqueopportunitiesforresearchand development,trainingandeducation.”
Prof.Dr.FalkoSchlottig,DirectorFHNWSchoolofLifeSciences
Pilot-scalefacilities
–Fullyautomatedchemical,biochemicalandfermentation facilitiesforupstreamanddownstreamprocesses.
–Wastewatermanagementsystemequippedwithonline biomonitoring,suchasonlinetoximetersandcellbasedin vitrotestsystems.
–Solidsterilecontainmentandcleanroompharmaceutical manufacturing,includingsemi-automaticfilling-finishing, dispersion,comminution,freezeandspraydrying,extrusion, andcompression.
Specificequipmentsandtools
Additivemanufacturing:3Dbioprintersfortoxicologicaland environmentalapplicationsaswellas3D-printersformedical engineeringapplications(Ti,ShapememoryNiTi,Ti6Al4V, Ti6Al4VELI,CoCr316L,plastics,ceramics
Medicalengineering:Implantsurfacefunctionalization,CTand Micro CT,DVT,c arm,REM,tribometry,staticanddynamic mechanicaltestingstands,removal-torque-system,medical 3D-scanningandtracking,ultrasound,IR,movementandgait analysis,highspeedcamera,EMG,EEG,ECG,endoscopy.
Micro-andnano-scaleparticletechnology:Solidstateand surfacecharacterization,lightscattering,dispersedsystems, rheology.
Microscopyplatform:SEM,ESEM,TEM,AFM,confocal microscopy.
Chemicalsynthesisandanalysis:DNAandpeptide synthesiser,electro andphoto chemistry,NMR,GC-MS; HPLC-MSincludingIonTrap,qTOF,QqQ,LA-ICP-MS;ICPMS(QqQ);LC-OCD-ONDfordrinkingwateranalysis;LDIR chemicalimagingsystem; μXRF,RadioisotopeLab(C-14, H-3);highprecisionisotopiccarbonanalyser,surface plasmonresonance.
Singlecellanalysisandsequencing:Flowcytometersand FACS,TenXsystem,next generationsequencersMiSeqand Nextseq550,andqPCR.
Collaborationwithindustriesandresearchorganisations
Horizon2020projects
HorizonEuropeprojects
ProjectsfundedbyEUbeyondH2020
– EUJPND:Multinationalresearchprojectson personalisedmedicineforneuro-degenerativediseases (ORGTHERAPY)
– Eurostarsproject113627:Suppressingtremortoa bearablelevel(STABLE)
– Eurostarsproject113479:3Dcellcultureplatformfor personalisedovarianconcertherapyselection
ProjectsfundedbyINTERREG,a fundingprogramme byFrance,GermanyandSwitzerlandfortheupper Rhineregion
– SPIRITS:Smart3D printedinteractiverobotfor interventionalradiologyandsurgery
– PERSONALIS:Platformforpersonalizedmedicinefor autoimmunediseases
– TRIMABONE:3dprintingforresorbableimplants –WaterPollutionSensor:Useofasensornetworkforthe continuousmonitoringofpesticidesindrinkingwater
– ALBUCOL:Customisablenaturalhybridproteinmaterials fortissueengineering –HelpMeWalk:Replaceplastercastinginorthopedicswith adigitalsolution
– Variopore Innovativetechnologyforfastandreliable diagnosisofinfectiousdiseases
Projectsfundedbyinternationalfoundations
– WellcomeTrust Discoveryofanti DENVantibodiesusing artificialintelligence
–Adalbert-RapsStiftung:Effizienzsteigerungvon Algenkultivierungsprozessen
– UNIDO:Provisionofeco industrialparkrelatedservicesin Peru
ProjectsfundedbytheSwissNationalScience Foundation(SNSF)andBRIDGE
–Structuralandfunctionalcharacterisationoftheprimer synthesisofarchaeoeukaryoticprimases
–Theunderestimatedroleofthehumanomentumin metastaticspread
–Efficientcolonicdrugdelivery
–Implementionofadverseoutcomepathwayinaplugand playmicrofluidicssystem
–Liverfibrosisasaproofofprinciple
–EuropeanJointProgrammeRareDiseases:Development ofnewanalytictoolsandpathwaystoaccelerate diagnosisandfacilitatediagnosticmonitoringofrare diseases
ProjectsfundedbyotherSwissfoundations
– BotnarResearchCentreforChildHealth DAVINCI: Developmentandvalidationofalateralflowtesttodetect COVID-19antigensandimmunityinsaliva
ProjectsfundedbySwissgovernmentalinstitutions
– BAFU:Reviewstudyontheuseofbiotestsforthe assessmentofindustrialwastewaterandproposalofan evaluationconcept
– BAFU:Developmentofaconceptforthedetermination andassessmentoftoxicwastewaterinindustrialplants
ProjectsfundedbyInnosuisse
– DevelopmentofadualmodemarkersystemforX rayand opticalstereoscopiccameratracking
NANTI:Developmentofananoporousantibacterialsurface fortitaniumimplantsbyreverse-pulseelectrochemical copperdeposition
–Targetedvitamindeliverytothemicrobiomeforimproved guthealth
– ALABAMA:AutomatedLADMEassayplatformbased onadvancedmicrophysiologicalarrays
–Lyopantechnologyfororallydispersibletablets
–Drugsforwoundhealing
–Topicalantiinfectivesagainstleishmaniasis
–Impulse:anovelvaccineplatformforantimicrobial resistantbacteria
–
MultitronautoBP:Automatedbioprocessingplatform
– transFORM3D:Intelligenterundautomatischer SchuheinlagenDesign-Algorithmus
–
FFORTESS:Fluorinefreeomniphobicroughnesstailored extendedslipperysurfaces
–Ramanready
–Portablemagnetocardiographydeviceforthediagnosisof functionallyrelevantcoronaryarterydisease
ParticipationinR&Inetworksandboards
– EuropeanFederationofBiotechnology(EFB):Vice chairmanshipoftheplant,agricultureandfooddivision
– EuropeanHygenicEngineeringandDesignGroup(EHEDG): Swissregionalpresidency
–Europeanpartnershipfortheassessmentofrisksfrom chemicals(PARC):Swissnationalhub
– InternationalUnionofPureandAppliedChemistry(IUPAC): Sessionmember
– SwissNationalScienceFoundation(SNSF):Swissexpert assessor
–
BRIDGE(SNSF-Innosuisse Boardmember
–BiotechnetSwitzerland:Presidency
– SwissSocietyofToxicology(SST):Boardmember
– SwissCentreforAppliedHumanToxicology(SCAHT): Councilmember
– SwissCenterforElectronicsandMicrotechnology(CSEM): Scientificadvisoryboardmember
– SwissSocietyforBiomedicalEngineering(SSBE):Board member
–EuropeanAllianceforMedicalandBiologicalEngineering andSciences(EAMBES):Councilmember
–WallenbergFoundation:Scientificadvisoryboardmember
–InternationalFederationforMedicalandBiological Engineering(IFMBE):Swissdelegate
– PERSEOAG:Boardmember
– SefundaAG:Boardmember
Findmoreinformationandpictures ofourfullyequippedlaboratories andstate-of-the-artpilotplants onourwebsite.
FHNWUniversityofAppliedSciencesandArts NorthwesternSwitzerland,SchoolofLifeSciences Hofackerstrasse30,4132Muttenz,Switzerland
info.lifesciences@fhnw.ch 2July2025