Symposium 2025
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Research groups
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Research at the Hubrecht Institute has direct implications for translational and clinical applications. Technology is transferred to society as efficiently as possible. Currently, six private partners distribute technologies developed at the Hubrecht Institute.
Phlox Therapeutics is a pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to developing first-in-class RNA therapies for rare genetic heart diseases known as cardiomyopathies. Phlox’s lead program focusses on laminopathies, a severe inherited form of heart failure caused by mutations in the lamin gene. Phlox Therapeutics maintains a strong collaboration with the Van Rooij group at the Hubrecht Institute, led by co-founder Prof. Eva van Rooij. Through advanced RNA-based therapies, Phlox aims to transform treatment options and significantly improve outcomes for patients suffering from genetic heart diseases.
Myogene Therapeutics B.V., established in April 2024 as a spin-off from the Hubrecht Institute, focuses on developing gene therapies to prevent heart failure. These therapies are based on discoveries from the Bakkers group. After a myocardial infarction, the human heart faces severe challenges in regenerating damaged tissues, often leading to permanent loss of function and heart failure. Unlike the mammalian heart, zebrafish possess a remarkable ability to regenerate their heart tissue following injury. This regenerative capacity has led to the identification of key signaling pathways that, when activated, can stimulate regeneration in the mammalian heart. Myogene Therapeutics is leveraging this knowledge to develop gene therapies that reawaken the human heart’s dormant regenerative potential, promoting the repair of damaged muscle tissue and improving heart function and patient outcomes post myocardial infarction.
sCellgen was founded in 2024 and is based on the MAbID technology for mapping epigenetic states in single cells. This technology has been developed at the Hubrecht Institute by the Kind group. sCellgen will develop this technology further into a user-friendly protocol to profile epigenetic landscapes in single cells of complex tissues and low-input samples such as biopsies. Our goal is to develop research kits to make these technologies widely available to laboratories in academic research and in healthcare.
Single Cell Discoveries (SCD) was founded in May 2018 and is a spin-off of the Hubrecht Institute. SCD offers a complete single-cell sequencing service: from advice on experimental design to single-cell sequencing and data analysis. Using SORT-Seq, a technique developed at the Van Oudenaarden lab, SCD helps scientists from all over the globe to get the most out of their single-cell sequencing experiments. Single-cell sequencing and genomics data shed a new light on complex biological questions. With these techniques, researchers can discover rare cell types like stem cells and study the role of cellular heterogeneity in organ function and disease. SCD BV is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
NTrans Technologies BV was founded in 2015 and is based on a new technology for intracellular delivery of proteins and other bioactive molecules, developed at the Hubrecht Institute by the Geijsen group, a former research group of the Hubrecht Institute now located at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). This intracellular delivery technology, called iTOP, is based on a combination of small molecule compounds which forces the uptake of large gulps of extracellular fluid (containing the bioactive molecules) by the cell. Once inside, the vesicles release their content into the cytoplasm, where the bioactive molecules can exert their therapeutic action. NTrans Technologies is developing this technology for both research and clinical purposes as a method for the delivery of biologicals. Ntrans Technologies is based in Leiden, the Netherlands.
HUB Organoids BV (HUB) was established in 2013 as a spin-off from the Hubrecht Institute, the Royal Netherlands Institute for Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and University Medical Center Utrecht. HUB Organoids BV is founded on the original discovery of adult stem cells by the Clevers lab, now Organoid group, and successfully developed new know-how and patented protocols for the application of patient-derived organoids to drug discovery and development in the areas of oncology and immune-oncology, IBD, cystic fibrosis and more. HUB is dedicated to ensuring every patient receives the right treatment and to accomplish this mission they are developing the world leading organoid-based platform for drug development. Since its foundation HUB has developed large proprietary biobanks of healthy and diseased patient-derived organoids that are offered as part of their contract research services to the biopharma industry to advance safer and more effective drugs to patients. HUB Organoids BV is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Cergentis was established in 2012 as a spin-off from the Hubrecht Institute and was taken over by Solvias in 2023. The company’s products are based on the Targeted Locus Amplification (TLA) technology and 4C technology to identify long range DNA interactions, which were developed in the De Laat group. The TLA technology uses the physical proximity of nucleotides within a locus of interest as the basis of selection and enables targeted complete sequencing of any locus or (trans)gene of interest and allows for detection of all Single Nucleotide Variants (SNV’s) and structural variants. Cergentis’ mission is to contribute to the quality of genetic research and human healthcare by providing services and kits that enable the cost-effective complete sequencing of relevant genes and genomic loci. Cergentis – A Solvias company is based in Utrecht, the Netherlands; Solvias headquarters are located in Kaiseraugst, Switzerland.
