Attractive infrastructure for life science
Thanks to the infrastructure at SLS and SwissFEL, PSI is a European centre for structural biology, particularly for time-resolved analyses of dynamic processes. This makes the site very attractive for the structure-based development of active substances. Planned investments in electron microscopes and X-ray imaging offer unrivalled possibilities for imaging over several size scales. The leading Swiss centre for radiopharmacy at PSI is highly attractive for oncology companies. Several companies already based here are flagships of the park and form a cluster. PSI's expertise in accelerator technologies forms the basis for success in radiotherapy.
In the field of human health, research is being conducted into fundamental questions of structural biology, cancer therapy and integrated optical measurement systems for medical X-ray diagnostics and pharmaceutical analysis. The research results are used in various areas:
- Radioactive markers and radiopharmaceuticals
- Tumour research and proton therapy
- Radiodiagnostics
- Early-stage drug development
- Optical measurement systems for medical diagnostics and pharmaceutical analysis
Paul Scherrer Institute PSI
The technologies developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI also play a leading role in the fields of diagnosis and therapy. The focus here is on proton beam cancer therapy and the development of modern radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of tumours.
Centre for Proton Therapy ZPT
The Centre for Proton Therapy ZPT, which was set up at PSI in collaboration with industry, is unique in the world. Over 300 patients are treated here every year with specialised therapies. The phase contrast method is very promising for computer-aided diagnostics and will also enable a technological breakthrough in the field of mammography.
In the field of Health Innovation, several research groups at the PSI are working on fundamental questions relating to the biology and treatment of cancer. For example, the structure of proteins - highly complex biomolecules that are responsible for countless processes in the organism - is being investigated. The large-scale research facilities are also used to investigate the processes in biological tissues in order to gain a fundamental understanding of them and to recognise how certain diseases or signs of ageing develop. The long-term goal is to find active substances that enable people to live as healthy a life as possible.