Biacore International reports that one of the patents for its underlying technology has been selected for the first ever European Inventor of the Year award
This new award is jointly organized by the European Commission and the European Patent Office (EPO) and the winners will be announced at a gala event on 3 May 2006 in Brussels.
Biacore is one of only eighteen nominees in six different categories.
Biacore, the protein interaction analysis company, is being recognised for the 1990 patent in the names of Magnus Malmqvist, Robert Karlsson and Inger Ronnberg that lead to a breakthrough in interaction analysis by enabling real-time, label-free measurements of interactions utilising the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance (SPR).
Biacore has used this breakthrough as the basis for a continually evolving range of protein interaction analysis systems that are used in primary biological research, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and in food manufacturing.
The core application enables anyone to look at a protein interacting with other molecules.
These molecules could be other proteins or even small molecules such as pharmaceutical drugs or veterinary drug residues in food products.
In the life sciences, for example, the information generated gives unique insights into protein functionality, disease and drug mechanisms and plays a key role in the critical decisions needed for efficient development and production of therapeutics.
The analysis takes place on the gold surface of a sensor chip and this particular patent covers several aspects of how the gold surface is modified in order to watch these interactions.
Erik Wallden, Biacore's president and CEO commented: "Life science patents account for thousands of granted patents in Europe so we are delighted that ours has been selected for this awards ceremony".
"Over the past 15 years we have continuously refined and improved the performance of our instruments, but the sensor surface and SPR detection still lie at the heart of all developments".
"What pleases us most is the extremely broad application for this technology".
"Its flexibility continues to lead us into new application areas even after 15 years." Biacore's patent is nominated with two others in the small and medium sized enterprises section of the awards.
An international jury, chaired by former Netherlands prime minister Wim Kok, will choose the prizewinners in each category, on the basis of outstanding technical inventions for which the EPO granted a patent between 1990 and 2000.
The award ceremony will take place on 3 May 2006 at the Autoworld Museum in Brussels where the achievements of inventors in six different categories will be honoured by Gunter Verheugen, vice-president of the European Commission and patron of the gala, and EPO president Alain Pompidou as host.
