Flemish Institute of Biotechnology

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Main building of the VIB in Ghent

The Flemish Institute for Biotechnology , Dutch Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie ( VIB ), is a research institute in  Flanders ,  Belgium .

The VIB was founded by the Flemish government in 1995 and became a fully-fledged institute on January 1, 1996. The main objective of the VIB is to strengthen the excellence of Flemish life science research and convert the results into new economic growth. The VIB spends almost 80% of its budget on research activities, while almost 12% is spent on technology transfer activities and promoting new business startups. In addition, the VIB spends around 2% on socio-economic activities.

The institute is headed by Jo Bury and Johan Cardoen. Ajit Shetty is Chairman of the Board of Directors.

aims 

The primary goals of the VIB are to carry out biomolecular research at the top of the life sciences for the benefit of scientific progress and society. The strategic goals of the VIB are:

  1. Basic strategic research
  2. Technology transfer policy to transfer inventions to consumers and patients
  3. Scientific information for the general public

The VIB is instrumental in the international Covid-19 - Antibody research involved.

Departments 

The VIB scientists work on normal and abnormal or pathological processes that occur in a cell, an organ and an organism (humans, plants, microorganisms). Instead of moving scientists to a new campus, the VIB researchers work in research departments at six Flemish locations: the  University of Ghent , the  KU Leuven , the  University of Antwerp , the  Free University of Brussels , the  IMEC  and the  University of Hasselt .

Ghent University

  • VIB Inflammation Research Center, UGent (Bart Lambrecht)
  • VIB Center for Plant System Biology, UGent (Dirk Inzé)
  • VIB Medical Biotechnology Center, UGent (Nico Callewaert)
  • Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPBO), UGent (Marc Van Montagu)

KU Leuven

  • VIB Center for Cancer Biology, KU Leuven (Scientific Directors: Diether Lambrechts and Chris Marine)
  • VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, KU Leuven (Scientific Directors: Patrik Verstreken and Joris de Wit)
  • VIB Center for Microbiology, KU Leuven (Scientific Director: Kevin Verstrepen)
  • IMEC campus
  • NERF, a joint research initiative by IMEC, VIB and KU Leuven

Antwerp University

  • VIB Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp (Rosa Rademakers)

Free University of Brussels

  • Research Center for Structural Biology of the VIB, Free University of Brussels (Jan Steyaert)
  • VIB Laboratory Myeloid Cell Immunology, Free University of Brussels (Jo Van Ginderachter)
  • VIB Nanobody Service Facility, Free University of Brussels

Service facilities 

The VIB has set up several core facilities that focus on advanced technologies and provide high flow technology 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, Free University of Brussels
  • VIB Protein Service Facility, UGent
  • VIB Proteomics Expertise Center, UGent
  • VIB Bio Imaging Core, UGent and KU Leuven

Spin-offs 

The VIB was involved in the creation of spin-offs from academic research groups such as Ablynx, DevGen, CropDesign, ActoGeniX, Pronota (formerly Peakadilly), Agrosavfe, Multiplicom, Q-Biologicals, SoluCel, Aphea.Bio and Aelin Therapeutics.

Web links