Lab roundup: collaborations, international partnerships, therapy testing, appointments, certification, sustainability
19 Mar 2023
Global biopharmaceutical UCB has launched an early drug discovery collaboration with causal AI and digital twin specialist Aitia to tackle Huntingdon’s disease. They are seeking to validate novel drug targets that are causally linked to clinical endpoints in Huntington's disease.
The genetic disorder leads to gradual degeneration of nerve cells in specific areas of the brain and affects approximately 1 in 10,000 people worldwide. At present, there is no cure for the disease and limited treatment options. Collaboration will combine the novel Huntington’s disease drug targets from Aitia’s Gemini Digital Twins with UCB’s expertise in drug research and preclinical model systems in neurodegeneration.
Scientific research and career education publisher Wiley, has announced a new software integration between its KnowItAll software for spectral analysis and data management and Digital Surf’s Mountains software for spectroscopic imaging and surface. Mountains users will be able to send extracted spectra from spectroscopic images (Raman and IR: FTIR, ATR, NIR) direct to Wiley’s KnowItAll software to analyse components.
Particle Works, a leading provider of game-changing microfluidic nanoparticle synthesis platforms, is collaborating with NanoVation Therapeutics UK to reduce the time and costs associated with the screening of new lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations for use in drug delivery applications. Through this partnership, Oxfordshire-based NanoVation will benefit from Particle Works' Automated Library Synthesis (ALiS) System, which accelerates LNP formulation development while increasing throughput and precision.
RTsafe has announced that Spain’s Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología (IVO) has conducted its first simulated therapy for brain metastases using RTsafe’s patient-specific quality assurance process, PseudoPatient. The technology enables medical physicists and clinicians to verify the entire treatment process before the actual patient is subjected to radiotherapy
Thermo Fisher Scientific Microbiology has achieved International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 17034 certification, making it an accredited reference material manufacturer of certified reference material (CRM) quality control products. Accreditation certificate number 6559.01 was granted by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation. More than 400 Thermo Scientific Culti-Loops qualitative QC organisms have CRM status, and 25 Thermo Scientific Quanti-Cult Plus quantitative QC organisms have accredited RM status.
CN Bio has appointed Deepak Singh as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. With more than 30 years of commercial experience within life science, Singh was previously PerkinElmer Horizon Discovery Head of Global Commercial and before that Pacific Biosciences Vice President of EMEA Operations. His appointment follows that of Dr Paul Brooks as CEO in December 20221, to drive CN Bio’s international scale-up operations for both the product and service sides of the business.
Imperial College London spin-out DnaNudge, pioneer of lab-free consumer genetics testing and medical diagnostics solutions, has signed a strategic partnership with leading Indian biotech Mylab Discovery Solutions to develop next-generation molecular diagnostics for diabetic foot infections and other conditions.
The agreement will see DnaNudge’s diabetic foot ulcer detection kit available in the second quarter of 2023 to help clinicians rapidly identify bacteria involved in infections and optimally treat patients at the point of decision – reducing the risks of acute complications, limb amputation and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). India has a diabetic population of 80 million, and almost 25 per cent of these patients are at risk of developing an infected foot ulcer –leading to frequent hospitalisation and in some cases, lower limb amputation. Studies have shown that many of the bacteria in foot ulcers are resistant to commonly used antibiotics.
Analytical test kit manufacturer and distributor, Glasgow-based R-Biopharm Rhone claims it is the first company in its sector certified carbon neutral. It achieved carbon neutrality over 2021 for all Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and Scope 3 emissions for business travel. It now aims to repeat its success for 2022 based on its emissions for that year.
