Kansi |
VTT 3.2009 A m Ag A zine on technology, science A nd innovAtions IT for health? turning biomAss into fuel p.56 is grAphene the new silicon? p. 46 fitness with fibre p. 64 SCIENCE & FORESIGHT VTT turns science into profitable business. This section of VTT Impulse shows how multidisciplinary research leads to innovations (pp.16-40).EDITORIAL Hans Söderlund Research Professor VTT Health technologies for a better life Health-supporting technologies are diverse and they have a multidisciplinary background. Rapid progress in molecular biology and genetics provides a solid basis for the discovery of novel drugs and new diagnostic markers. New types of drugs have become available, such as therapeutic proteins. The massive amount of data generated within life sciences has resulted in the rapid advancement of computational sciences. Developments in electronics and microfluidics have given us effective diagnostic tools. Thanks to these modern technologies, a vast amount of information can be collected from the human body. Advanced technical solutions for a better life can be created by combining biotechnology and ICT technology. VTT's role in the health and well-being network involves bringing in a multitude of technologies, while our collaborative partners offer the clinical contribution. One of our core competences is systems biology. Here, the key idea is that the workings of any living organism depend on an enormously complex network of signals and linked reactions. Any change can affect every element in a complex system. Systems biology becomes reality in laboratories where scientists measure as much as they can to discover the roles of genes, proteins and other biomolecules. This involves measuring all the activities related to metabolism, which provides the organism with energy and the necessary building blocks for growth. This is followed by computational efforts to build a model of the chemistry of life. At VTT, the systems biology approach is used in many ways. For example, we have high content screening systems to find potential cancer drugs by using automated cell culture systems and three-dimensional cell cultures mimicking organs. It is applications like these that force us to develop novel analytical tools to collect the data. The systems biology approach is not limited to drug discovery: it also gives us diagnostic tools. We find markers, specific molecular signatures in our body, which may be indicative of a given disease or an increased risk for it. These data can be beneficial in the analysis of lifestyle risk factors, such as dietary habits. Technology may help us manage our diseases or to improve our health. However, technical solutions should not be in the driving seat when it comes to health care. Technology should improve our lives not take them over. The costs of health care are constantly rising, and decision makers must continually address this issue when allocating resources. With such an array of available solutions, the cost structure of health care may become unsustainable. For that reason, technology development must always focus on human aspects and technical solutions should be directed to affordable cures. Otherwise there is a risk of returning to a time when health care was only available to a privileged few.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Page 64
Page 65
Page 66
Page 67
Page 68
Page 69
Page 70
Page 71
Page 72
Page 73
Page 74
Page 75
Page 76
Page 77
Page 78
Page 79
Page 80
|
|
|
Why do I see this page ?
Your Flash Player is older than version 7 or Javascript is not enabled. What you see is the raw text of the publication.
To read this Digipaper-publication install/update your Flash Player from this link or enable Javascript.
|
 |
For proper operation Digipaper-publication needs Flash Player version 7 or newer.
Install the latest version of Flash Player from this link. |
|