Towards electrospray-assisted production of lipid-based synthetic cell assemblies.

peer reviewedLipid-based vesicles are widely used, minimalistic model containers for in vitro reconstitution of biological systems and engineering synthetic cells. These containers provide a micro-chassis to encapsulate biomolecules and study biochemical interactions. Liposomes are often the most sought-after vesicles owing to their cell-mimicking nature, and numerous bulk and on-chip methods exist for their production. However, exploring the scope of synthetic containers, both in terms of the alternative lipid assemblies as well as newer production methods is useful for expanding the toolbox for synthetic biology. In this paper, we report the development of an electrospray-based technique, which we term "ATPS-templated lipid assemblies via electrofusion of SUVs" (ATLAES), to form lipid-based vesicles. Using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS), free of organic solvents, we demonstrate efficient formation of microscopic vesicles stabilized via interfacial lipid assembly. Interestingly, the formed vesicles exhibit a nebulous and disordered, but highly stable coating of lipids, and tend to form interconnected vesicle populations. Remarkably, the lipid assemblies can continue to rearrange and reconfigure over time, leading to spherical vesicles with ultra-thin and smooth lipid coating, suggestive of liposomes. Our work provides a new avenue, in the form of electrospray, to form various lipid-based assemblies using all-aqueous systems and we believe this platform can be further exploited for high-throughput vesicle production and higher-order assemblies

Addressing the Gene Therapy Bottleneck in the EU: Patent vs. Regulatory Incentives

peer reviewedToday, the US leads the field of personalised medicine gene therapies, while the EU lags behind. The implementation phase of gene therapy technologies remains a significant bottleneck in Europe, with limited data on their availability, quality, safety, and efficacy. The legal framework for gene therapies differs significantly between the US and the EU as methods for the treatment of the human body by therapy are excluded from patent protection in Europe. Taking into account the creation of R&D incentives and information disclosure as core objectives of modern patent systems, this article analyses the potential to repeal the existing patentability exception to allow for patent protection for gene therapies as such. We demonstrate the contentious rationale of the exception and its inhomogeneous application and provide doubt over patent protection as a solution to the existing problems. We explore a realm that has become a neighbouring field of intellectual property law in the domain of healthcare innovation: the regulatory framework of medicinal products and regulatory exclusivities. We propose a second-tier regulatory protection mechanism, which we argue offers greater potential to address the challenges of gene therapy development in the EU healthcare market than amendments to European patent law. Specifically, we argue that granting remuneration rights for extended reporting on the administration of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) prepared under the hospital exemption might establish steering effects in the right direction

Projet de loi relative à la rétention des données à caractère personnel – Première partie : La réforme de la loi sur les communications électroniques

peer reviewedCet article analyse un projet de loi luxembourgeois visant à réformer la loi sur les communications électroniques en matière de conservation des données. L’article examine l’historique législatif et jurisprudentiel, notamment l’impact de la jurisprudence de la Cour de Justice de l’Union européenne (CJUE), qui exige une stricte proportionnalité des mesures de conservation. L’analyse porte sur les dispositions concernant la conservation des données de trafic, de localisation et d’identification, en évaluant leur conformité avec les critères de la CJUE, afin d’assurer la proportionnalité de l’ingérence aux droits fondamentaux. L’article souligne aussi les défis techniques et juridiques de la mise en œuvre du projet de loi, notamment en ce qui concerne la définition des zones géographiques de conservation et la protection des données

The BENELUX, Regional Groupings and the Dynamics of European Integration: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives

Regional (sub-)groupings have played a significant, but comparatively neglected role in the processes of European integration. The BENELUX and the Nordic Council both offer longstanding models of regional cooperation which have, in various ways, often been cited as examples for the wider European integration project. More recently, both the Visegrád and Baltic states have seen the (re-) emergence of forms of regional cooperation in connection with their accession to and later membership of the European Union. Yet, though often cited, these experiences of (sub-)regional cooperation within the wider European project have been the object of relatively little systematic or comparative study. The aim of the edited volume is to address this gap by bringing together specialists on these regional groupings with a view to providing a fuller understanding of both their historical significance and their possible future role relative to a potentially fragmenting European political landscape

Museen und Digital. Fallstudie zur Mediatisierung von Kollektivität

editorial reviewe

Local asymptotics for Hitchin's equations and high energy harmonic maps

We find new estimates and a new asymptotic decoupling phenomenon for solutions to Hitchin's self-duality equations at high energy. These generalize previous results for generically regular semisimple Higgs bundles to arbitrary Higgs bundles. We apply our estimates to the Hitchin WKB problem and to high energy harmonic maps to symmetric spaces and buildings

CD-ROMs as a Missing Link for the Understanding of Digital Cultures and History

peer reviewedThe history of CD-ROMs has been largely unexplored and underestimated, nevertheless a few exceptions, notably within the realm of video games (Therrien, 2019). However, delving into this history allows to uncover the intricacy of technological and digital advancements, economic issues and new markets, or the evolving landscape of media convergence in the 90s. CD-ROMs also represent a pivotal moment in technological and digital history as a storage media, a gateway to immersive virtual worlds, or to the first Internet connections. Moreover, entire industries developed or diversified around their production, distribution, and consumption. New professions emerged, from CD-ROM mastering technicians to multimedia content creators. Traditional industries, such as the publishing and audiovisual sector, ventured into the CD-ROM domain, blurring the lines between print and digital media. Educational, gaming, or erotic content found new avenues of dissemination, reflecting broader shifts towards technology and media consumption. CD-ROMs also played a crucial role in understanding technological paradigms, from interface design to data storage mechanisms. Yet, alongside the popularity of CD-ROMs were the trials of users. Installation processes tested their patience. Interactivity, a hallmark of CD-ROMs, sometimes fell short of expectations, highlighting the gap between technological promise and user experience, while affordability also posed challenges. After a short overview of its potential to bring a new understanding within digital history, this presentation will focus on the sources available for historians to understand the lifecycle of CD-ROMs and their journey—from acquisition to interaction and finally «technostalgia» (Van der Heidjen, 2015) and preservation.U-AGR-7339 - C23/SC/18097856/CD-Hist - SCHAFER Valéri

ww2.lu - Le Luxemb(o)urg pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Présentation de l'exposition en ligne

peer reviewe

The ECB’s Evolving Mandate and High Independence: An Undemocratic Mix

peer reviewedAfter over a decade of crisis, the ECB’s functions have expanded considerably. The ECB’s activities during the eurozone crisis, new debates on the ECB’s role in supporting political goals like the fight against climate change, and its participation in geopolitical stand-offs have overcome the fiction of a technocratic role that can be allocated to an independent institution with few constraints to democracy. We highlight how the ECB’s mandate has been (re)interpreted while eschewing the impact of this change on its independence. Drawing on the contributions to this thematic issue, we also argue that the limited legal and political accountability does not match the evolving mandate. In particular, we contrast the voluntary mechanisms of accountability created in the past years and the judicial endorsement of the expansion of the ECB’s mandate.U-AGR-6006 - IAS EMULEG - MENDES Joan