Latest Lab Talk News in Brief: Collaboration, grants, new builds, appointments and more...

Toxys and Charles River Laboratories have expanded their collaboration to increase access to two in vitro toxicity testing methods. Under the agreements, Charles River will offer ToxTracker testing from its Den Bosch facility, while ReproTracker testing will be carried out by Toxys on a subcontracting basis. ToxTracker assesses genotoxicity and was the subject of an OECD test guideline published in July 2026. ReproTracker is used to assess developmental toxicity. The partnership aims to provide pharmaceutical, chemical and other industries with additional non-animal testing options.

PhaSER Biomedical has received a two-year, $2.7m (£2m) grant renewal from the Gates Foundation to support the discovery of treatments for neglected diseases. The Scottish company provides access to its 8HUM humanised mouse model, designed to replicate key human drug metabolism and elimination pathways. The platform is intended to help researchers assess how drug candidates may behave in people and address limitations associated with conventional mouse models. The renewal follows an earlier $2.3m award in 2024, which supported research into diseases including tuberculosis, malaria, schistosomiasis and Chagas disease.

Curiox Biosystems has filed a lawsuit against Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) and Waters Corporation in a US federal court, alleging trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract and related claims. The action centres partly on a non-disclosure agreement between Curiox and BD's Biosciences division, subsequently acquired by Waters. Curiox alleges that confidential information was used to develop a competing product, in breach of the agreement. The claims have yet to be determined by the court.

Cytek Biosciences' Aurora Evo system has been named Drug Discovery Innovation of the Year in the 2026 BioTech Breakthrough Awards. The system is designed to support higher-throughput spectral flow cytometry workflows, combining automation and data quality for laboratories handling increasingly complex research. The award recognises developments in technology and innovation across the biotechnology sector.

Eppendorf has begun construction of a €40m manufacturing facility at Bandar Cassia Technology Park in Penang, Malaysia. The site will be the company's first manufacturing operation in Southeast Asia and will produce selected products from its Centrifuges & Instruments portfolio. Covering approximately 48,500m², the site will bring production, warehousing, quality functions and logistics together. Production is expected to begin gradually in 2028, with around 130 employees anticipated by the end of 2029.

Trescal has introduced a mobile liquid flow calibration laboratory that enables flow meters to be calibrated at customer sites without removing them from production. The service is designed to avoid downtime associated with off-site calibration or scheduled shutdowns. It is currently available in Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, the Benelux region, Italy, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. The company says the mobile facility can carry out accredited calibration under real operating conditions.

Total Clean Air (TCA) expects its turnover to more than double in 2026, from £3.5m to over £7m, with a further increase to more than £8m forecast for 2027. The Somerset-based cleanroom manufacturer attributes the growth to investment in its premises, workforce and capabilities, allowing it to undertake larger and more complex projects. Established in 2018, the company has installed more than 200 cleanrooms in the UK and internationally, serving sectors including pharmaceuticals, life sciences, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

The Chemical Business Association (CBA) reports that rising employment costs, subdued sales expectations, logistics disruption and regulatory uncertainty are continuing to put pressure on the UK chemical supply chain. Its Q3 2026 survey suggests businesses are increasingly focused on maintaining existing operations and employment levels rather than investing in growth or recruitment. The association also highlights the particular difficulties facing smaller businesses, where the financial and administrative costs of recruitment can make taking on additional staff and apprentices challenging.

BioUK has acquired selected assets of the Science and Engineering Health Technologies Alliance (SEHTA), expanding its support for UK life sciences and healthcare technology businesses. The acquisition brings opportunities to broaden BioUK's services in market access and non-dilutive investment support. SEHTA has a network of more than 1,200 members and experience supporting MedTech and HealthTech companies, including through NHS relationships and advice on health economics. SEHTA's brand will be absorbed into BioUK, with members of its management team supporting the transition.

Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult chief executive Matthew Durdy has announced his intention to retire in June 2027, following nearly 15 years in the organisation's leadership team, including seven as CEO. Since its establishment in 2012, the Catapult has worked to develop the UK's advanced therapies sector, supporting infrastructure, manufacturing capabilities and partnerships between industry, academia and the NHS. The board will begin the search for a successor, with Durdy remaining in post until June to support the transition.

Europa Biosite has agreed to acquire MEDISTA, a Czech distributor of diagnostics and laboratory technology. The acquisition, subject to regulatory approval, marks the group's entry into the Czech Republic and strengthens its diagnostics business. MEDISTA's directors, Jan Kadlec and Alexandra Kadlecová, will remain in their roles, with Jan Kadlec also joining Europa Biosite's group leadership team.

AOP Health and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Network Medicine at the University of Vienna have formed a scientific partnership focused on drug development. The collaboration will combine AOP Health's pharmaceutical development and rare disease expertise with the institute's computational biology and network medicine capabilities. Its work will use biological network analysis, particularly protein interactions, to improve understanding of disease mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic opportunities. A joint pilot project is already under way.

Urenco is investing £240,000 in a three-year programme with Chester Zoo to introduce young people to science, technology and conservation careers. The Green Horizons Programme, launching in 2027, will work with 60 schools across the North West, offering practical science activities to 11-13-year-olds. It aims to reach 9,000 young people over three years, with at least a quarter of participants eligible for free school meals.

Coriolis Pharma has appointed Dr Teun van der Heide as chief executive, effective 2 November 2026. He joins from ten23 health, where he was chief business officer, and previously held senior positions at Lonza, leading its Bioscience Solutions and Capsule Delivery Solutions businesses. His remit includes developing customer relationships, maintaining service quality and supporting the company's international growth, particularly in the US.

EnteroBiotix has appointed Dr Murray Stewart to its board of directors. Stewart has held senior drug development and regulatory roles at GSK, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals and Novelion Therapeutics, including serving as chief medical officer at GSK and Rhythm. His experience includes patient safety, clinical development and securing regulatory approvals for treatments for rare genetic diseases. The appointment comes as EnteroBiotix progresses its EBX-102-02 Phase 2b RISE study in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation.

EngineeringUK has published an analysis of changes in STEM education and engineering participation to mark its 25th anniversary. STEM subjects now account for 45% of A-level entries, compared with 33% in 2001, while engineering and technology undergraduate entries have risen from 108,455 to 172,375. Engineering and technology apprenticeship starts have doubled since 2002. However, the organisation highlights continuing gender disparities: women account for 24% of physics A-level entries and 17% of the engineering and technology workforce. Its 40 by 40 initiative aims to increase the proportion of girls and young women on educational pathways into engineering and technology to 40% by 2040.

Laboratory News former owner Sean Marshall has won this year’s Outstanding Achievement award at this year’s Lab Awards ceremony, staged on the opening day of the recent Lab Innovations show at the NEC in Birmingham.  

Bruntwood SciTech has completed a £3m refurbishment of the Mereside Atrium at Alderley Park, including four new office suites, upgraded communal areas and additional collaboration spaces. The work forms part of wider investment in the Cheshire science and technology campus, which also includes improvements to food and beverage facilities and spaces for events and networking. The new office suites include private terraces overlooking Radnor Mere.