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Pathfinder Investments are small investments made before a spin out company is created, often to establish whether a market exists for a technology or service. They are high risk investments but the best often go on to become a spinout company in which the Fund makes a further investment.
| Cadherin Reagent Technology (Babraham Institute, BBSRC) |
Cadherins
function as adhesion molecules which ensure cell to cell cohesion, and
they have been implicated in disease states such as cancer. Modulating
cadherin adhesion opens new therapeutic opportunities in cancer
treatment, but also skin diseases and drug delivery. | |
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Off-line tumour diagnosis (Dstl)
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Research
using the Daresbury synchrotron has demonstrated that cancerous tissue
can be distinguished from normal tissue by a unique x-ray diffraction
technique. Small angle X-ray diffraction can be used to study the
collagen bundles which form a matrix around all the cells in the body.
When a malignant tumour is present in breast tissue, the matrix of
collagen around the tumour becomes distorted and so the X-ray
diffraction image produced is different from the one produced if no
malignant tumour is present. | |
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Histones (STFC)
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| In the process of purifying
proteins for X-ray crystallography, the Daresbury / John Moores group
have developed a new method which produces cheaply, at very high yield
and in one integrated procedure pure histone proteins (hundreds of
milligrams) and a very large number (about 40) of chromatin-associated
proteins (in several milligram quantities). |
Wound treatment using actives isolated from maggots (Dstl)
| | | Professor David Pritchard of the
University of Nottingham has researched the biological mechanism of
maggot therapy for wounds over a number of years. He has found that the
active enzymes are secreted and act extra corporally, and that
identical enzymes, artificially purified or manufactured, will retain
biological activity without the presence of the maggot. Professor
Pritchard's research should lead to identification and manufacture of
the agents responsible for incorporation into dressings or creams. | |
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| Biotelemetry (Dstl)
Dstl have developed a family of
bioltelemetry devices together with Retech Electronics. Application
ranges from the animal monitoring to human brainwave monitoring.
Through an exploitation agreement with Dstl, Rainbow paid for a study
to see if these devices can be marketed more widely to other
researchers. The study has been completed, and a spinout company has
been formed to commercialise the products. |
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Luteovirus diagnostic (NERC)
| | | NERC researchers have developed a
diagnostic for the family of luteoviruses, which affect crops such as
potatoes and barley. Luteoviruses are also commonly used as a vector
for genetic modification, and so their presence can be used as a marker
for identifying genetically modified organisms. | |
Off-line tumour diagnosis (STFC)
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Research
using the Daresbury synchrotron has demonstrated that cancerous tissue
can be distinguished from normal tissue by a unique x-ray diffraction
technique. Small angle X-ray diffraction can be used to study the
collagen bundles which form a matrix around all the cells in the body.
When a malignant tumour is present in breast tissue, the matrix of
collagen around the tumour becomes distorted and so the X-ray
diffraction image produced is different from the one produced if no
malignant tumour is present.
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Oestrogen removal from sewage (NERC)
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| Researchers
at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology have developed a technique to
increase the level of bacterial activity in sewage treatment works by
an order of magnitude, so as to substantially reduce the amount of
oestrogens in both sewage sludge and effluent.
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In-line cell disruption and related technologies (Dstl)
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This project is focused on improved
methods of biological sample collection and processing. Use of the
system with biosensors has shown several orders of magnitude
improvement in sensitivity for bacterial detection with vegetative
organisms and bacterial spores. |
| Xay screening (Dstl) |
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DSTL have developed a unique
technology for identifying threatening materials in aircraft hold
baggage using X-ray diffraction techniques.
Possible markets include:
- Baggage, mail and parcel screening
- Cancer screening
- Food processing
- Customs and Excise
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| Millitron (STFC) | A compact, lower cost photomultiplier array for imaging applications. Anticipated applications include:
- Analytical instrumentation,
- Scintillation and particle counting,
- Medical imaging
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| | Electrical Resistivity Tomography (NERC)
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| Electrical
Resistivity Tomography (ERT) is a relatively new and rapidly evolving
geophysical technique for the non-invasive mapping of subsurface
geology and anomalous ground conditions. ERT has potential applications
for a wide-range of geoscientific problems, particularly in the shallow
environmental, engineering and construction sectors. |
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Deep Etch Microfabrication (PPARC)
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With the advent of micromachines
and other micro-engineered devices and products using silicon
processing in a non-microelectronic context, there is an increasing
need to machine into the surface of silicon to far greater depths than
are necessary for the production of electronic chips.
The PPARC technology is based on a
method of ensuring that an etch into a silicon wafer starts from a
uniform point when a required pattern is buried between two layers (eg
SiO2 as in a Silicon-On-Insulator wafer).
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Aberrant Gene Silencing (SCRI)
SCRI have developed a novel method of inducing gene silencing, applicable to both animal and plant systems. The scientific breakthrough was the discovery of a combination of unique genetic sequences which trigger the inhibition of gene expression, coupled with extensive know-how related to the required location of these sequences with respect to the gene and its associated terminator sequences. This method is potentially simpler, cheaper and more amenable to high-throughput applications than other available methods. The technology is potentially of interest to all companies interested in identifying the function of unknown genes, developing therapeutics and as a research tool for medical and agricultural scientists.
Protecta (BBSRC)
Protecta was established to commercialise novel vaccine technologies invented by Dr Adrian Smith at the Institute for Animal Health, Berks, UK. The company’s two key patent filings cover identification of protective antigens (PAF) for the design of new subunit vaccines and an adjuvant system based on activation of essential TLR immune stimulation signals (ATRIIS). The key benefits of the technologies include:
- Accelerated identification of protective antigens
- Three dimensional in vivo limiting dilution antigen selection process
- Reduction of false leads
- Simultaneous identification of protective antigen combinations
- Potential applicability to allergy and cancer vaccines
- Adjuvant technology to enhance the antigenicity of subunit vaccines
Both PAF and ATRIIS have the potential to accelerate the discovery, preclinical development, and greatly increase the success rate, of highly desirable new subunit vaccines.
Underwater Sonar Reflectors (Dstl)
The Dstl “Acoustic Cat’s Eye” provides an innovative solution to
current underwater acoustic reflectors. The novelty of the design of
the “Cat’s Eye” lies within its materials and dimensions of
construction which geometrically focus an acoustic plane wave that is
reflected off an internal surface of the device. These reflected
acoustic signals are complemented with the propagation of the acoustic
waves through the outer shell of the device, which provides
constructive interference with the reflected waves, that boost the
returned signal, to the extent that the passive acoustic reflector can,
mathematically, almost match the performance of active transponders,
when ‘pinged’ by an active sonar. Working prototypes of the “Cat’s Eye” are currently being tested in collaboration with an industrial partner. Temporal Synergy (BBSRC)
The output of pesticides with new active ingredients is slowing; the considerations of time and expense mean that pursuing new target-sites of pests is very much on the decline. However, pesticide resistance to existing chemicals is on the increase and this has a significant economic and animal welfare impact. Research at Rothamsted has resulted in the novel concept of specifically targeting the resistance mechanism first, followed by application of the pesticide. This has two advantages: less resistant pests can be killed with lower doses of insecticide or with a less potent chemical and ov ercoming resistance mechanisms allows resistant pests that previously survived sprays to be killed. As well as the clear economic benefits, this "temporal synergy" approach could result could be a reduction in the amount of potentially harmful chemicals used in the environment.
Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (STFC)
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| SORS is a novel technique that
uses Raman spectroscopy to characterise materials, developed by Prof.
Tony Parker and Dr. Pavel Matousek of the laser department at CCLRC's
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. It can penetrate to several millimetres
depth - at least one order of magnitude more than any other
non-ionising technique - and characterise the chemical makeup of the
upper and lower layers simultaneously. |
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Norfolk Plant Sciences Potatoes are susceptible to
late blight, a virulent disease which occurs in all growing areas and can lead
to major crop losses. To counteract this, even partially resistant varieties
are usually sprayed with fungicides many times a season, which is costly in
terms of agrochemicals, tractor fuel, CO2 emissions and soil compaction.
Norfolk Plant Sciences (“NPS”) plans to build on the world-class expertise of
scientists in the John Innes Centre and Sainsbury Laboratory to develop
potatoes modified to be resistant to blight and to provide additional
nutritional benefits.
Rainbow has invested
£25,000 with the first investment made in 2008.
Cryox
The development of cryogen-free cryostats addresses
the need of various markets including healthcare equipment such as MRI systems
and electrical power equipment, with cryo-cooling being essential for important
new products such as fault current limiters, themselves essential for the
future implementation of highly efficient superconducting power cable networks. The aim of Cryox is to commercialise the world-leading
cryogenics expertise developed at STFC through its work on major projects such
as Beagle, the ill-fated Martian landing craft and world-leading facilities
such as ISIS, the world’s most powerful pulsed neutron source. The company is
engaged in developing its first major product line and has already been engaged
as consultants by a leading engineering company and is in discussions with
another regarding potential new products.
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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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