Latest Lab Talk News in Brief: partnership, acquisition, collaboration, top appointments and awards
16 Aug 2026
University Hospital Cologne has selected Celonic Group as its CDMO partner for process development and GMP manufacturing of a monoclonal antibody targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The programme is being developed with the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and aims to advance a potential treatment for severe hospital-acquired infections associated with the pathogen. The project is supported through Germany's GO-Bio next funding programme, alongside support from ForTra and DZIF's Product Development Unit.
Astorg has completed its acquisition of Thermo Fisher Scientific's microbiology business, which will now operate as an independent company.
The business supplies diagnostic consumables and equipment for microbiological testing across clinical, food safety and pharmaceutical applications. It serves more than 15,000 customers in over 100 countries and employs around 2,400 people across 13 manufacturing and R&D sites. A new corporate brand is expected to launch later in 2026.
Calla Lily Clinical Care has joined Wellcome Leap's $50m Focused Antibiotics programme, which aims to develop new approaches to antibiotic delivery and help address antimicrobial resistance.
The programme is exploring ways to reformulate existing antibiotics so they reach the site of infection while reducing their impact on the gut microbiome. Calla Lily's involvement builds on its work in women's health, including urinary tract infections, one of the most common bacterial infections affecting women.
PacBio has appointed Mark Van Oene as its new president and chief executive officer, effective 5 August 2026.
Van Oene, previously chief operating officer, succeeds Christian Henry, who has stepped down after six years as CEO but will remain on PacBio's board and act as a business adviser through at least the end of 2026. Van Oene joined the long-read sequencing company in 2021 and has worked across its commercial strategy, product development and clinical applications.
Alice & Bob is contributing its expertise in quantum error correction to QuBriC, Europe's first Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network dedicated to the field.
The €4.6m programme brings together 16 universities and seven quantum companies, including UCL, to train 15 doctoral researchers over four years. The network will focus on one of quantum computing's major technical challenges, developing methods to detect and correct errors in quantum systems.
The National Centre for Universities and Business has welcomed the extension of the UK's Global Talent visa to 100 selected businesses.
Dr Joe Marshall, chief executive of NCUB, said the move would help businesses attract international researchers and innovators, strengthening the UK's research and innovation capacity amid growing global competition for R&D investment.
Professor Kypros Nicolaides has received the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology's Stuart Campbell Award.
The King's College Hospital professor and founder of the Fetal Medicine Foundation was recognised for his contribution to fetal medicine and ultrasound education. His work has included developing training and auditing processes for the 11 to 13-week scan, while educational materials have been translated into more than 30 languages.
FairJourney Bio has announced the programme for The Antibody Series 2026, taking place in Évora, Portugal, from 16 to 18 September.
The three-day event will examine advances in antibody discovery and development, including natural antibody repertoires, computational design and engineering strategies. The programme will be chaired by Dr Laura Walker of Moderna and co-chaired by Dr John Desjarlais of Xencor, with speakers from academia and industry.
Pic: Chokniti Khongchum
