Merck KGaA, a leading science and technology company, from Germany, and imec, a world-leading research and innovation center for nanoelectronics and digital technologies, have announced a strategic partnership to develop an advanced platform for microphysiological systems (MPS), also known as organ-on-a-chip systems.

In a feasibility study using various cell lines, Berlin researchers have shown a further development of a cell painting method to be suitable for displaying disturbances of cell functions after exposure to test substances. The method can be used for questions of basic research, applied/translational research as well as for toxicity tests of chemicals or drugs.

The State Prize for the Promotion of Alternative Methods to Animal Testing 2024 goes to a team led by biologist Prof. Jürgen Knoblich from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA).

Using melanoma cells from patients, a research team from the University of Regensburg has observed that during early metastasis of skin cancer cells, an embryonic stem cell program is activated as a defense against the body's own immune response. The body's own defenses are weakened and the cancer can spread to the new tissue.