Sophia Genetics' CEO Jurgi Camblong, © EPFL Innovation Park

Artificial intelligence (AI) specialist Sophia Genetics SA (St. Sulpice, Switzerland) raised US$30m in a series D round to foster global expansion of its cancer diagnostics annotation platform SOPHiA AI.

Studies on twins reveal: the natural intestinal flora can trigger Multiples Sclerosis (left). T-cells (blue) play a central role. © MPI of Biochemistry/ Menzfeld

Two research team independently report they have identified specific microbes in the gut of mice and of treatment-naive patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) regulating immune responses. Phase I trails with fecal microbial transplants (FMT) are scheduled to begin early next year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has extended its Next Generation Sequencing Companion Dx Center of Excellence Programme (COEP) in Europe. The next-generation sequencing (NGS) provider added a second agreement with the Institute of Pathology Heidelberg (IPH) to its growing COEP portfolio. On the same day, Merck KGaA announced it will partner with Project Data Sphere LLC to jointly lead the Global Oncology Big Data Alliance (GOBDA). 

Oberview over study results. green: high performance/low risk, yellow: medium performance/ risk, red: green: low performance/high risk, @ nova-Institute, Cologne

A comprehensive sustainability assessment carried out by nova-Institute shows that first and second generation bioethanol is feasible for the EU’s climate strategy. The study challenges the politically hyped "tank or table" paradigm that valued biofuels unsustainable due to competition to food production.

Test that detect cell-free tumour DNA in the blood are expected to allow stratification of patients not eglible to have a tumour biopsy. @ NCI

Roche is trying to offer a solution for patient selection in immunooncology. At the ESMO congress in Madrid, the theranostics company presented a liquid biopsy test that measures the tumour mutational burden in order to predict the probability  for response to immunotherapy.

Innate lymphocytes (in green) surround the gut (in red). © Henrique Veiga-Fernandes

Portuguese and Swiss scientists have discovered that neurons located at mucosal tissues can immediately detect an infection in the organism, promptly producing a substance that acts as an "adrenaline rush" for immune cells. 

Induction of an immune response: dendritic cells process an antigen into peptides dubbed epitopes, that are presented on MHC class I or II molecules to cytotoxic and helper T cells, respectively. © Amal Therapeutics

Swiss cancer vaccine developer AMAL Therapeutics has raised €8m in a Series B round led by existing investor Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, and new investors BioMedPartners and Helsinn Investment Fund.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has become a world-wide threat due to antimicrobial resistance, © 123rf/ Tatiana Shepeleva

Six European states, together with the Wellcome Trust, and South Africa have pledged €56.5m to help develop new antibiotics that break resistance.

A new algorithm invented at the University of Sussex enables smartwatches to learn your everyday activities. © Dr Hristijan Gjoreski / University of Sussex

Researchers at the University of Sussex have invented a new algorithm that could revolutionise patient monitoring and activity tracking.

French Ajinomoto Eurolysine SAS, part of the world leading producer of amino acids by fermentation, has received a positive safety assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for use of freeze-dried genetically modified E. coli bacteria as a feedstuff supplement.