Engineering Translational Medicine (ETM)
Addressing existing and future medical challenges of our society
Combining gene-based, cell-based and organoid engineering with data sciences has the potential to significantly advance the understanding and treatment of many illnesses that are currently still incurable or inadequately managed.
At D-BSSE, we develop cutting-edge methods and tools in genetic and cellular engineering, organoid development as well as data science and computational engineering. Together with our academic and clinical partners, we have an outstanding and internationally unique expertise in Basel to engineer the complex biological systems and to successfully translate them into clinical applications.
The Engineering Translational Medicine (ETM) initiative brings together these multidisciplinary basic researchers, biosystems engineers, and data scientists working together with clinicians with the overall goal to bring cutting edge research on molecular and cellular engineering and data science into the hospital and to the patients. This is realised through a variety of activities and at various levels.
ETM Initiatives
Networking
Together with our ETM core partners, the University of Basel, the University Hospital Basel and the University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB), we regularly organise a variety of activities to connect researchers and clinicians and to build a vibrant and active scientific community.
In particular, the ETM seminar series "Bench meets Bedside @ Schällemätteli" takes place 4-6 times a year. Each seminar includes a combination of scientific talks and community building activities and provides opportunities to meet and exchange foster new collaborations between experts from different institutions.
Research networks
At D-BSSE, we have initiated and participate in numerous research networks and collaborations dedicated to topics within the scope of ETM. Particularly noteworthy are the external page NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering, as well as collaborative research projects on personalised medicine supported by the Basel Personalised Medicine Initiative, Personalized Health & Related Technologies (PHRT) and the MedLab Fellowships.
Education and training
With our Next-gen Bioengineers programmes, ETH Zurich and Roche jointly train doctoral students and postdocs to become specialists prepared to tackle the biomedical challenges of our time.
In addition, we organise joint workshops and training events for early stage researchers from our academic core partners in Basel.
Institutional collaborations
Institutional collaborations like the Basel Research Centre for Child Health enable continued support for outstanding and innovative research that addresses unmet medical needs and for the benefit of patients and society.
AI know-how and infrastructure
Strong connections to the ETH AI Center and ETH technology platforms like NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies provide a strong framework to apply the computational tools developed at D-BSSE in a medical setting.
Industry
The vibrant ETM ecosystem is completed with robust industry connections. At D-BSSE, ETH Zurich and Roche have joined forces to advance the development and application of new methods in bioengineering for translational medicine and potential therapies. The Next-Gen Bioengineers partnership offers two exciting research programmes aimed at doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, respectively.
Entrepreneurship
The extensive list of spin-off companies originating from the department demonstrates the potential of D-BSSE research results to be translated into applications for the benefit of patients and society.
The entrepreneurial spirit at the department is fostered by initiatives as D-BSSE meets Industry.
Next ETM events
ETM News
Full house at Personalised Health Conference
Today, we are hosting the Personalised Health Conference with an excellent lineup of keynote speakers: Adrian Egli, Director of the UZH-Institute of Medical Microbiology, Emma Slack, ETH-Professor for Mucosal Immunology, and Jacques Fellay, EPFL-Professor of Genomics and Precision Medicine. Scientists from the D-BSSE and the EU-funded network Machine Learning Frontiers in Precision Medicine also share their latest findings and perspectives on translational research and personalised health.
Personalised Health Conference on 13-14 March at D-BSSE
In mid-March, the Personalised Health Conference will take place at D-BSSE. The programme includes two exciting days with keynote talks by Adrian Egli, Emma Slack and Jacques Fellay. On the second day the focus lies on translation, entrepreneurship and commercialisation. Registration is free of charge and ends on 10 March.
Kickoff of Basel collaborative research hub: Engineering Translational Medicine
On 25 October, researchers from the D-BSSE, the University of Basel, the University Hospital and the University Children’s Hospital Basel met at the new ETH-building on Schällemätteli campus to mark the kickoff of a joint seminar series dedicated to translational projects and clinical applications. Spearheading the roll-out of the Engineering Translational Medicine research hub, this first event brought together experts from bench and bedside to spark innovative approaches and collaborations.