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Life Sciences
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L3T is addressing the $10bn global market for cholesterol testing, using technology from a leading team of scientists based at STFC's Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire to develop a diagnostic tool for full spectrum cholesterol testing at the point of care.
A 2004 RSF pathfinder funded some confirmatory research to back up claims in a patent, with further investment since taking the total to £242,000. The company has recently raised a further £1.7m from angels and venture funds and expects to have a fully functioning device within the next six to twelve months.
www.l3technology.co.uk
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Microvisk has a unique approach to the measurment of the viscosity of blood and other fluid, based on CCLRC's considerable expertise in its Central Microfabrication Facility. The patented technology involves the spatial movement of microfabricated thermal bimorohs - bimetallic strips - which is converted into an electric signal using the piezo electric effect.
Microvisk's technology can revolutionise the diagnostic market by simplifying the most common coagulation tests (those that are critical to the monitoring of any patient at risk from blood clotting and heart problems) and by providing instant POC and NP testing and analysis.
RSF has invested £225,000 with the first investment made in 2004
| www.microvisk.com
Chameleon is dedicated to the improvement of medical devices by addition of surface polymers, which provide beneficial features that enhance the performance of such implants. Beneficial features can include minimising adverse events that can occur in patients after devices have been implanted, and features that help clinicians in the successful deployment of implants during operations.
RSF has invested £250,000 with the first investment made in 2005.
ProKyma Ltd
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ProKyma is based on Dstl's proprietary ultrasound technology for manipulating particles.
Sensitive detection methods are limited by the purity of the starting material. Techniques are available to purify and concentrate biological specimens but these methods are often labour intensive or only partly effective. Major improvements in analysing biological samples such as bacteria, cells and DNA require improved sample preparation. ProKyma’s Sonic Separation technology provides a means for concentrating and purifying cells or micro-organisms. Sonic Separation can also be used to isolate or analyse cell aggregates, for example in blood grouping and serology.
RSF has invested £100,000 with the first investment made in 2006.
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PETRRA Limited
PETRRA has proprietary technology in the PET sector, based on an existing, fully installed, pre-prototype, working machine at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, S. London. Its business vision is two-fold:
- Lower-cost, higher-speed, higher-throughput, larger field-of-view, PET scanner for cardiology
- Large area oncology PET scanner
RSF has invested £220,000 with the first investment made in 2005. |
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Epigenetics is the study of the control mechanisms that sit on top of genes and guide the function and fate of individual cells. The field is expected to radically change traditional approaches to many healthcare areas, including cancer therapeutics and tissue regeneration. Rainbow has invested £250,000 with the first investment made in 2005. |
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Novacta is a drug discovery and development company using pathway engineering and chemistry to optimise the activity of natural products for the treatment of infectious diseases. The company combines proprietary technologies from the world-renowned Actinomycete group of the John Innes Centre, Norwich with the know-how of a highly experienced team drawn from major pharmaceutical companies and the biotechnology industry. RSF invested £250,000 in 2005. |
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www.novactabiosystems.com
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Aitua provides critical support to new bioventures during the first stages of the technology-to-business translation process. It works closely with entrepreneurs and scientists to create and nurture emerging companies from world-class science and technology deriving from the Babraham Research Campus and other life science clusters in the UK. It provides seed and early stage funding, injects specific expertise and provides access to services and facilities. This reduces cash-burn during the formative years and so enables companies to get off the ground. Aitua has a unique offering designed to accelerate the formation of quality, venture-ready early-stage companies.
Rainbow invested £250,000 in 2006. |
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 Microbial Solutions’ innovative on-site bacterial process can treat metal working fluids in a much more environmentally friendly manner, producing grey water that is safe to dispose of in the sewerage system, and with no methane production in the process - so lower greenhouse gas impact. Water re-use is also possible, and the Company can offer treatment price certainty and stability to manufacturers, on a non-capital investment ‘pay-as-you-treat’ per litre basis.
The technology has been successfully trialed with a leading car manufacturer. Microbial Solutions has now moved to new office and laboratory facilities in Oxfordshire, and following an introduction by Houghton Europe, is also close to completing the first commercial pilot of its patent protected bacterial treatment, known as ‘Microcycle™ Technology’ at the site of a major aerospace manufacturer. RSF made a pathfinder investment in 2004 and the Company raised £1.2m towards the end of 2007 from a syndicate including RSF and Oxford Capital Partners.
www.microbialsolutions.com
Procarta Biosystems is a spin-out from one of Europe's leading microbiology departments at the John Innes Centre. The company, formed in early 2008, is investigating a novel approach to counter antibiotic resistance and defeat infectious diseases using a DNA decoy technique, which aims to restore antibiotic efficacy against resistant superdrugs, such as methicillin-resistent Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Entercoccus (VRE).
Accessing the skills in the John Innes Centre, Procarta is also able to offer a contract research service creating and improving Streptomyces strains for heterologous production. Rainbow has invested £175,000 with the first investment made in 2008.
www.procartabio.com
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The Rainbow Seed Fund provides seed capital to commercialise scientific research at our partner organisations:
BBSRC, CSL, Dstl, NERC, VLA, HPA, SCRI, STFC, Macaulay, NPL and UKAEA
The Rainbow Seed Fund is managed by Midven Ltd, which is regulated by the FSA.
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