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News
Member of D-BSSE
2012
March 12th, 2012: BEL Research Covered in "ETH Globe"
ETH newspaper ETH Globe covered our research in a focal issue on medical technology with an article entitled "How Nerve Cells Communicate".
The contribution included an overview on our
efforts to connect nerve cells and also retinal cells to custom-made microelectronic chips.
>> ETH Globe Article (in German) >>
2011
December 7th, 2011: BEL Research Covered in Swiss Newspaper "Neue Zürcher Zeitung"
Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) covered our research with a contribution entitled "Electronic Eavesdropping on Nerve Cells". The contribution in the category "Science" included an overview on efforts to electrically connect brain cells to microelectronic chips.
November 25th, 2011: DECHEMA Award of Max-Buchner Research Foundation (€ 20'000) to Andreas Hierlemann
Andreas Hierlemann received the DECHEMA Award 2011 of the Max-Buchner Research Foundation
for his pioneering interdisciplinary work in developing sensor systems
by combining chemical and biological systems with microelectronics. The
prize is endowed with € 20'000 and is awarded for outstanding, published research in the fields
of applied chemistry, process engineering, biotechnology and chemical
apparatus.
November 2011: BEL Research in Movie of Bernstein Center Freiburg
The Bernstein Center of the University of Freiburg in Germany (BCF) recorded a Research Movie entitled "The Neuron's Footprint: Electrical activity analysis in living nerve cells" describing the research activities of the Egert group in Freiburg in collaboration with our group, as well as our microelectrode array technology.
October 28th, 2011: BEL Research Covered in Swiss Radio DRS2
Swiss Radio DRS2 covered our research with a contribution "When Living and Dead Matter Communicate: What happens when brain cells grow on and interact with microchips?" The contribution in the category "Wissenschaft DRS2" was intended to exemplify the interdisciplinary research at the Department BSSE in Basel.
>> SRF Contribution (in German) >>
October 26th, 2011: Best Student Poster Award to Michele Fiscella
Michele Fiscella received for his poster entitled "Recording of Light Induced Neural Activity of Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells on an Integrated High-density Microelectrode Array" the Best Student Poster Award at the 1st International SystemsX.ch Conference on Systems Biology in Basel, Switzerland.
>> SystemsX Conference Poster Awards >>
February 10th, 2011: BEL Review Paper on the Front Page of "Proceedings of the IEEE"
A review article, entitled “Growing Cells atop Microelectronic Chips: Interfacing Electrogenic Cells in vitro with CMOS-based Microelectrode Arrays", made it to the front page of the Proceedings of the IEEE (2011, Vol. 99, No. 2). The Proceedings of the IEEE are the most important resource of information on major trends in electrical engineering, electronics, and computer science.
>> IEEE Proceedings article >>
2010
December 17th, 2010: European Research Council "Advanced Grant" (2.5 Mio Euro) for BEL
Andreas Hierlemann and the BEL received an "Advanced Grant" (2.5 Mio Euro during 5 years) from the European Research Council (ERC) for a proposal entitled "NeuroCMOS: Seamless Integration of Neurons with CMOS Microelectronics". ERC Advanced Grants are intended to allow exceptional established research leaders in any field of science, engineering and scholarship to pursue frontier research of their choice.
>> ETH life article (in German) >>
December 16th, 2010: BEL Spin-off Insphero is finalist for the Academic Enterprise Awards Europe (ACES)
The BEL spin-off company Insphero AG was nominated a finalist of the Academic Enterprise Awards Europe (ACES), which are the only pan-European awards for enterprise in university and public research institutes. They give public recognition to those researchers, engineers, professors, students and government officials in Europe, who have done the most in 2010 to foster a culture of enterprise on campus. They draw nominations from all sectors, disciplines and countries in Europe, and are judged by the Science|Business Innovation Board.
>> ETH life article (in German) >>
November 6th, 2010: BEL Spinoff Zurich Instruments and Sadik Hafizovic covered in "New Scientist"
BEL spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG and co-founder Sadik Hafizovic were covered in an article of the magazine New Scientist entitled "How Switzerland punches above its weight" describing the excellent conditions and successful spin-off policy in Switzerland. Sadik was quoted: "Looking back, it was the best decision ever; Switzerland is a place where you can build a company with the least amount of trouble".
September 1st, 2010: Douglas Bakkum receives "Ambizione" grant from SNF (512.000 CHF)
Douglas Bakkum received an "Ambizione" grant (512.000 CHF for 3 years) from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) for his proposal entitled "Network dynamics underlying learning in embodied cortical brain cells grown over an 11,011-electrode CMOS circuit". The Ambizione program is geared for young researchers to conduct, manage and lead an independently planned project at a Swiss university. Researchers are subsidized for a maximum of three years with a salary (research associate level) and project funds.
August 6th, 2010: BEL Spin-off Insphero secures "Series A" financing (1.8 Mio CHF)
The BEL spin-off company Insphero AG announced it has secured 1.8 million CHF in a Series A financing led by Redalpine Venture Partners. InSphero will invest the capital from Redalpine, business angels and the Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) to better serve its global customers. Insphero is a supplier of novel 3D cell-based assays for efficacy testing and toxicology.
June 26th, 2010: BSSE and BEL covered in "Connect", the ETH Alumni magazine
The BEL and the Department BSSE are featured in "Connect", the ETH alumni magazine, in the title story "Systems biology, a new field for engineers". The title photo represents one of the BEL biosensor devices.
>> Connect Article pdf (in German)>>
February 12th, 2010: Spin-off InSphero covered in Venturelab News
Insphero AG is featured in the Swiss "Venturelabnews" magazine as an example of a spinoff company high-flyer. Venturelab is the national spin-off initiative of the Swiss CTI Innovation Promotion Agency.
>> Venturelab News pdf (in German)>>
2009
November 28th, 2009: Spin-off InSphero receives interest-free loan from the Swiss Volkswirtschaftsstiftung (CHF 100.000)
The Swiss Volkswirtschaftsstiftung decided to support the business development of the BEL spin-off Insphero AG with an interest-free loan of 100.000 CHF. The foundation for financial support of young entrepreneurs was founded in 1918 and supports 4-6 start-ups per annum.
November 24th, 2009: Spin-off InSphero wins prestigious Heuberger Business Award (CHF 150.000)
Only three months after winning the Venture Kick award, the BEL spin-off Insphero AG received the prestigious Heuberger Winterthur Young Entrepreneur Award. InSphero and two other startups (including another BSSE spin-off BioVersys GmbH) received grants of 150’000 CHF, donated by the Robert and Ruth Heuberger Foundation, Winterthur, Switzerland. Zurich Instruments AG, a second BEL spin-off was also amongst the six finalists selected from 150 applicants.
October, 2009: Spin-off InSphero covered in SystemsX.ch Newsletter: "Venture Kick plays midwife to promising companies"
The newsletter of the Swiss Initiative in Systems Biology, SystemsX.ch, featured an article on the successful spin-off company Insphero AG on the occasion of their Venture Kick success.
September 29th, 2009: BEL Spinoff Zurich Instruments in the Press: "ZI reduit le temps d'un scanner par dix"
A press article on the spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG has been published in "Le Temps" a journal published in the French part of Switzerland. In the article, the potential to revolutionize research and industrial markets is ascribed to the technology developed by Zurich Instruments as this technology considerably decreases the time required to perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
>> "Le Temps" article pdf (in French) >>
September 14th, 2009: Spin-off InSphero in ETH life
An article on Jan Lichtenberg and the successful spin-off company Insphero AG has been published in the ETH webjournal ETH life.
>> ETH life article (in German) >>
August 28th, 2009: Venture Kick, 3rd Stage (CHF 100'000), to Jan Lichtenberg and Insphero AG
Jan Lichtenberg, his partners and their spin-off company Insphero AG successfully mastered the 3rd round of the Venture Kick competition and received CHF 100'000 for the company. Venture Kick finances the first steps of the realization of a business idea with a grant of up to 130,000 Swiss francs with no expectation of repayment. In addition, one receives the professional support of experienced experts.
>> more information on Venture Kick >>
June 19th, 2009: BEL Spinoff Zurich Instruments in the Press: "Now it is time to develop"
Press articles on the spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG and Sadik Hafizovic have been published in "News" a commuter journal by Tamedia. In the article, Sadik Hafizovic was termed an "ingenious inventor", a characterization we fully support.
>> "News" page pdf (in German) >>
June 18th, 2009: "De Vigier" Award (CHF 100.000) for BEL Spinoff Zurich Instruments
Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, and Beat Hofstetter and their spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG won the prestigious De Vigier Award for young entrepreneurs and received CHF 100'000 for the company. This award is given away by the W.A. de Vigier foundation in Solothurn and includes a direct financial support (à fonds perdu) of young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, who want to start up a new and dynamic company in Switzerland.
March 26th, 2009: Another BEL Spin-off
Another spin-off company of BEL has been founded: Insphero AG. The company commercializes 3-dimensional tissue and tissue immobilization technology.
>> more information on spin-off Insphero >>
February 11th, 2009: Venture Kick, 2nd Stage (CHF 20'000), to Jan Lichtenberg and Insphero AG
Jan Lichtenberg, his partners and their spin-off company Insphero AG successfully mastered the 2nd round of the Venture Kick competition and received CHF 20'000 for the company. Venture Kick finances the first steps of the realization of a business idea with a grant of up to 130,000 Swiss francs with no expectation of repayment. In addition, one receives the professional support of experienced experts.
>> more information on Venture Kick >>
January 26th, 2009: Subcellular Resolution Using CMOS-based MEAs for Acute Brain Slices
A CMOS-based microelectrode array featuring 3'150 electrodes per mm2 was developed at BEL and was used to extracellularly measure the action potentials of Purkinje cells in acute brain slice preparations at subcellular resolution.
2008
December 14th and 22nd, 2008: BEL Spin-off in the Press
Press articles on Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, Beat Hofstetter and their successful spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG have been published in CASH and in the ETH webjournal ETH life.
November 24th, 2008: Venture Kick, 3rd Stage (CHF 100'000), to Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, and Beat Hofstetter
Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, and Beat Hofstetter and their spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG successfully mastered the 3rd round of the Venture Kick competition and received CHF 100'000 for the company. Venture Kick finances the first steps of the realization of a business idea with a grant of up to 130,000 Swiss francs with no expectation of repayment. In addition, one receives the professional support of experienced experts.
>> more information on Venture Kick >>
November 5th, 2008: Venture Kick, 1st Stage (CHF 10'000), to Jan Lichtenberg and Insphero AG
Jan Lichtenberg, his partners and their spin-off company Insphero AG successfully mastered the 1st round of the Venture Kick competition and received CHF 10'000 for the company. Venture Kick finances the first steps of the realization of a business idea with a grant of up to 130,000 Swiss francs with no expectation of repayment. In addition, one receives the professional support of experienced experts.
>> more information on Venture Kick >>
October 28th, 2008: ETH Medal to Urs Frey
Urs Frey was awarded the ETH medal and 1500 CHF for his doctoral thesis entitled "High-density neural interface and microhotplate gas sensor in CMOS technology". The best dissertations at ETH, usually not more than the top 8%, are proposed for this distinction awarded by the Rector of ETH. The dissertation of Urs Frey was nominated by the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET).
October 14th, 2008: CTI Start-up Label to BEL-Spinoff Zurich Instruments AG
Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, and Beat Hofstetter and their spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG received the CTI startup label. CTI Start-up promotes the immediate benefit of the scientific and technology knowledge worked out by researchers and entrepreneurs. The best projects are awarded the CTI Start-up label, which gives credibility, provides integration into networks, and helps to access venture capital.
>> more information on CTI Start-up label >>
September 9th, 2008: Eurosensors Fellow Award 2008 to Andreas Hierlemann
A. Hierlemann received the Eurosensors Fellow Award 2008 at the Eurosensors Conference 2008 in Dresden, Germany, "for his outstanding contributions to the the field of chemical and biological sensors and to Eurosensors". The annual Eurosensors Fellow Award was established in 2000 to acknowledge outstanding contributions to the field covered by the scope of the Eurosensors conference series.
September 1st, 2008: Venture Leaders Award to Sadik Hafizovic
Sadik Hafizovic received the Venture Leaders Award 2008, from Venturelab, the national initiative of the CTI Innovation Promotion Agency, in close collaboration with the international Entrepreneur Of The Year® award by Ernst&Young. The award includes the chance to participate in a unique 10-day program for high-potential entrepreneurs, including an entrepreneurship course, networking with venture capitalists and business opportunities in Boston (USA) to the value of CHF 10,000.
>> more information on Venture Leaders Award >>
July 8th, 2008: BEL Picture on Proceedings Cover Page
A picture showing a cerebellar slice on one of our microelectrode array chips, acquired in a collaboration project of Urs Frey and Ulrich Egert (University of Freiburg), was selected as front-page photo for the Proceedings of the 6th International Meeting on Substrate-Integrated Microelectrode Arrays (MEA Meeting 2008) in Reutlingen, Germany.
>> more information on the MEA Meeting 2008 >>
April 11th, 2008: Venture Kick, 2nd Stage (CHF 20'000), to Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, and Beat Hofstetter
Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, and Beat Hofstetter and their spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG successfully mastered the 2nd round of the Venture Kick competition and received CHF 20'000 for the company. The company commercializes digital lock-in amplifier technology as developed at BEL. Venture Kick finances the first steps of the realization of a business idea with a grant of up to 130,000 Swiss francs with no expectation of repayment. In addition, one receives the professional support of experienced experts.
>> more information on Venture Kick >>
April 3rd, 2008: First BEL Spin-off
The first spin-off company of BEL has been founded: Zurich Instruments AG. The company commercializes digital lock-in amplifier technology as developed at BEL.
>> more information on spin-off Zurich Instruments >>
April 2nd, 2008: Appointment of Professors
Three new professors have been appointed at the D-BSSE: Andreas Hierlemann, Jörg Stelling und Martin Fussenegger. The new professors come from ETH Zurich and strengthen the new department BSSE in basel. Moreover, the collaboration between ETH Zurich and the University of Basel is expanded.
>> ETH Life article (in German) >>
February 15th, 2008: Capacitive Chiral Microsensor Paper
A capacitive chemical microsensor was developed, which provides antipode signals upon exposure to the two enantiomers of the same chemical compound, e.g., methyl-propionate-derivatives. Cyclodextrin was used as a chiral selector.
January 23rd, 2008: Venture Kick, 1st Stage (CHF 10'000), to Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, and Beat Hofstetter
Sadik Hafizovic, Flavio Heer, and Beat Hofstetter and their spin-off company Zurich Instruments AG successfully mastered the 1st round of the Venture Kick competition and received CHF 10'000 for the company. The company commercializes digital lock-in amplifier technology as developed at BEL. Venture Kick finances the first steps of the realization of a business idea with a grant of up to 130,000 Swiss francs with no expectation of repayment. In addition, one receives the professional support of experienced experts.
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