Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie
The Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB, English: Flanders Institute for Biotechnology), is a research institute located in Flanders, Belgium. VIB was founded by the Flemish government in 1995, and became a full-fledged institute on 1 January 1996. The main objective of VIB is to strengthen the excellence of Flemish life sciences research and to turn the results into new economic growth. VIB spends almost 80% of its budget on research activities, while almost 12% is spent on technology transfer activities and stimulating the creation of new businesses, in addition VIB spends approximately 2% on socio-economic activities.
The institute is led by Jo Bury and Johan Cardoen. Hugo Van Heuverswyn is Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Goals
The strategic goals of the VIB are:
- Strategic basic research
- Technology transfer policy to transfer the inventions to consumers and patients
- Scientific information for the general public
Departments
The VIB scientist works on the normal and abnormal or pathological processes occurring in a cell, an organ and an organism (humans, plants, micro organisms). Instead of relocating scientists to a new campus, the VIB researchers work in research departments of four Flemish universities: Ghent University, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the University of Antwerp and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
- Ghent University:
- VIB Inflammation Research Center, UGent (Bart Lambrecht)
- VIB Department of Plant Systems Biology, UGent (Dirk Inzé)
- VIB Department of Medical Protein Research, UGent (Nico Callewaert)
- VIB Laboratory of Molecular Cancer Biology, UGent (Jean-Christophe Marine)
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven:
- VIB Department of Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, K.U.Leuven (Désiré Collen)
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, K.U.Leuven (Bart De Strooper)
- VIB Department of Molecular Microbiology, K.U.Leuven (Johan Thevelein)
- VIB Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, K.U.Leuven (Patrick Callaerts)
- VIB Switch Laboratory, K.U.Leuven (Frederic Rousseau & Joost Schymkowitz)
- University of Antwerp:
- VIB Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp (Christine Van Broeckhoven)
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel:
- VIB Department of Molecular and Cellular Interactions, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Lode Wyns)
Service facilities
VIB has established several core facilities focused on advanced technologies, which make high through-flow technologies available to academic and industrial researchers in Flanders.
- VIB BioInformatics Training and Service facility
- VIB Compound Screening service Facility, UGent
- VIB Genetic Service Facility, University of Antwerp
- VIB Nucleomics Core, KU Leuven
- VIB Nanobody Service Facility, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- VIB Protein Service Facility, UGent
- VIB Proteomics Expertise Center, UGent
Spin-offs
VIB was involved in the creation of spin-offs from academic research groups, such as for Ablynx, DevGen, CropDesign, ActoGeniX, Pronota (formerly Peakadilly), Agrosavfe, Multiplicom, Q-biologicals and SoluCel.
See also
- Science and technology in Flanders
- BIO.be
- Lisbon Strategy
- Institute for the promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT)
- Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen
- Flanders Investment and Trade
- GIMV
- FlandersBio
- Flemish institute for technological research
- BIOMED (University of Hasselt)
- Belgian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Walter Fiers
- Raymond Hamers
- Jozef Schell
- Herman Van Den Berghe
- Marc Van Montagu
- Wellcome Trust
- EMBL
Source
- J. Comijn, P. Raeymaekers, A. Van Gysel, M. Veugelers, Today = Tomorrow : a tribute to life sciences research and innovation : 10 years of VIB, Snoeck, 2006, ISBN 978-90-5349-630-5
- Biotechnology industry in Belgium
External links
Coordinates: 51°1′4.53″N 3°41′38.64″E / 51.0179250°N 3.6940667°E