University of Birmingham - Proximity to Discovery 2017
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
The MRC Proximity to Discovery scheme awards universities funds to help develop new collaborations, and ways of exchanging knowledge and skills. The awards can be used to support activities that promote the value of academic-industry partnership, and enhance academic and industry researchers’ understanding of each other’s needs and capabilities. This may be through people exchanges, creation of technology demonstrators, showcase events, commercialisation workshops and ‘entrepreneurs in residence’ schemes. Such exchanges of knowledge and skills will boost the most fruitful collaborations between UK universities and life science companies.
Publications
Cao X
(2022)
Optimisation of single contour strategy in selective laser melting of Ti-6Al-4V lattices
in Rapid Prototyping Journal
Panetti S
(2023)
Engineering amino acid uptake or catabolism promotes CAR T-cell adaption to the tumor environment.
in Blood advances
McMullan C
(2023)
Development and usability testing of an electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) solution for patients with inflammatory diseases in an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) basket trial.
in Journal of patient-reported outcomes
| Description | Barts Charity |
| Amount | £87,040 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Barts Charity |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2020 |
| End | 10/2025 |
| Description | Birmingham CRUK Centre local support |
| Amount | £18,050 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | C17422/A25154 |
| Organisation | Cancer Research UK |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2018 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | CRUK Cancer Immunology Project Award |
| Amount | £286,421 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | C54019/A27535 |
| Organisation | Cancer Research UK |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2019 |
| End | 01/2022 |
| Description | Characterization of NKG2A+ T cells in photoconvertible Kaede mice |
| Amount | $100,000 (USD) |
| Organisation | AstraZeneca |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| End | 01/2023 |
| Description | Department of Health and Social Care / University of Oxford |
| Amount | £269,735 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department of Health (DH) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2020 |
| End | 10/2021 |
| Description | Determining the source and nature of checkpoint blockade sensitive anti-tumour T cells |
| Amount | £168,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 21-0073 |
| Organisation | Worldwide Cancer Research |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2021 |
| End | 07/2023 |
| Description | Developing mouse models that enable tracking of cellular entry and retention in tumours |
| Amount | £2,650 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2018 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | Development of Anti-viral Air Filters to Protect Passengers on Trains |
| Amount | £17,908 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Royal Academy of Engineering |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2020 |
| End | 06/2021 |
| Description | Dissecting the dynamic changes in the innate immune cells of tumours to enhance immune checkpoint blockade therapies |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | AstraZeneca |
| Department | MedImmune |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2018 |
| End | 09/2022 |
| Description | Industry funding |
| Amount | £207,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Principia Biopharma |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 03/2020 |
| End | 11/2021 |
| Description | Investigating the dynamics of anti-tumour immune responses to optimise immune checkpoint blockade |
| Amount | $200,000 (USD) |
| Funding ID | CRI3128 |
| Organisation | Cancer Research Institute (CRI) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 08/2020 |
| End | 08/2022 |
| Description | LifeArc |
| Amount | £420,746 (GBP) |
| Organisation | LifeArc |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2019 |
| End | 12/2022 |
| Description | Measurement of extracellular vesicles in cardiovascular disease by a novel interferometric imaging method- (Mr Joshua Price) |
| Amount | £107,927 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | FS/19/68/34583 |
| Organisation | British Heart Foundation (BHF) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 12/2022 |
| Description | Ministry of Defence |
| Amount | £134,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Ministry of Defence (MOD) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2020 |
| End | 11/2021 |
| Description | Patient-reported outcomes assessment to support accelerated access to advanced cell and gene therapies: PROmics |
| Amount | £1,185,446 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 104777 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2018 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Description | Rapid Design of Bioinspired Alloys - From Modelling to Manufacture |
| Amount | £1,185,027 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2021 |
| End | 10/2025 |
| Description | Research Development Fund |
| Amount | £4,500 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Harrison |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Revealing antitumor T cell recruitment and recirculation in vivo to optimise therapeutic intervention |
| Amount | £286,421 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Cancer Research UK |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2019 |
| End | 01/2022 |
| Description | Summer Studentship |
| Amount | £1,800 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biochemical Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2021 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | The role of S100A8/A9 in thrombo-inflammation associated with chronic inflammatory disease |
| Amount | £226,852 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BHF_Rayes |
| Organisation | British Heart Foundation (BHF) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2022 |
| End | 04/2025 |
| Description | Topical delivery of Mitia drug using Cell Penetrating Peptide |
| Amount | £509,997 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Macregen |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 03/2018 |
| End | 09/2019 |
| Description | UKRI COVID-19 Rapid Response Rolling Call |
| Amount | £708,036 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | MR/W002663/1 |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2021 |
| End | 07/2022 |
| Description | Wellcome ISSF |
| Amount | £170,486 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ISSF3 HC3 |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2018 |
| End | 09/2022 |
| Description | Wellcome ISSF Continuity Award |
| Amount | £28,373 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | Wellcome Translational Development Fund (UoB internal) |
| Amount | £33,592 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | TDF 1.1 |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Description | Wellcome Translational Development Fund (UoB internal) |
| Amount | £18,332 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | TDF 1.2 |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2020 |
| End | 06/2021 |
| Description | Worldwide Cancer Research |
| Amount | £170,685 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Worldwide Cancer Research |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2021 |
| End | 04/2023 |
| Description | Collaboration with Philips: Refining performance of biomarkers for early detection of periodontal disease |
| Organisation | Philips Research Laboratories |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The funding from the MRC allocation was used in the purchase of antibodies and reagents for the development of the LFDs. In kind contributions in the form of advice (time given) was used with conversation with Global Access Diagnostics/Mologic and Philips. |
| Collaborator Contribution | £10,000 solely funded by Philips; The use of the funding from Philips was used to purchase the lateral flow reagent dispenser. |
| Impact | £10,000 solely funded by Philips to purchase a piece of equipment (Lateral Flow Reagent Dispenser) to enable printing of lateral flow membranes in Birmingham. Together we developed a method for striping lateral flow devices at UoB. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Title | PROTEIN INTERACTION INHIBITORS |
| Description | The invention relates to agents for use in preventing or reducing the interaction between S100 A8/A9 and GPIba. Such agents are particularly for use in treating or preventing one or more inflammatory and/or thrombotic disease, such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases. An agent of the invention may be an antibody, a small molecule inhibitor, a peptide, a polypeptide, a recombinant protein, a nucleic acid, a T-cell receptor (TCR), an affibody, an aptamer, or a glycosaminoglycan. |
| IP Reference | WO2023007182 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2023 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | No impacts / licensing yet. |
| Description | 8th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Mercia Stem Cell Alliance (MSCA) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Mercia Stem Cell Alliance (MSCA) is a forum for research presentation and networking amongst 14 universities from Oxford to Lancaster, covering the fields of embryonic and adult stem cells, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Founded in 2010 by Profs JF (Birmingham) and SK (Manchester), the MSCA held its first Annual Scientific Meeting that year in Birmingham. With the support of this MRC funding, The MSCA returned to Birmingham for its 8th meeting. The event included speakers from institutions throughout the region and one plenary speaker from outside the North West and Midlands areas, to provide a 'national' perspective. The meeting was in two parts, a Young Investigators gathering on the 6th December followed by a plenary meeting the next day. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Behind the mask: Study shows COVID-19 exposure and viral carriage in health care workers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The study demonstrated asymptomatic carriage of SARS-CoV-2 in 2.4% of health care workers highlighting the importance of transmission within hospitals. 2.4% of asymptomatic health care workers at work in Birmingham were carriers of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and over a third of those individuals subsequently became unwell with symptoms of COVID-19, a new cross-sectional study by researchers at the University of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) has found. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2020/behind-the-mask-study-shows-covid-19-exposure-and-vir... |
| Description | Birmingham Rare Disease Symposium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The University of Birmingham together with University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham Women's and Children's Foundation Trust have outstanding expertise and capabilities in rare diseases with over 500 scientists and clinicians working on over 1,000 different rare diseases. The Birmingham Rare Disease Symposium brought together this expertise and assisted in establishing collaborations between Birmingham rare disease researchers, industry, patient organisations and funders to improve care for patients. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/rare-diseases/news/2018/03/national-rare-disease-symposium-17t... |
| Description | Birmingham designed test confirms COVID-19 as trigger for rare Kawasaki-like syndrome in children |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A test developed by experts in Birmingham has offered evidence confirming COVID-19 to be the cause of a newly emerged multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, who have tested negative for the virus by the PCR test. This raises the possibility that children who may have had the virus in their system, even if they haven't been unwell, could be at risk of developing this new condition. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2020/birmingham-designed-test-confirms-covid-19-as-trigger... |
| Description | Birmingham experts join forces to improve COVID-19 antibody diagnosis |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Birmingham experts are working together on improving detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies - the best way of fighting the disease as the search for a vaccine continues. Working alongside University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and The Binding Site, experts at the University of Birmingham's Clinical Immunology Service aim to improve antibody diagnosis. This will help to identify patients where prompt medical intervention can prevent them having to go into intensive care, while guiding relaxation of the COVID-19 lockdown by identifying the proportion of communities at large that are now immune. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2020/birmingham-experts-join-forces-to-improve-covid-19-an... |
| Description | Breakthrough antibodies test to detect COVID-19 cases launches in Birmingham |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A new test to detect COVID-19 antibodies in people with mild symptoms has been launched by The Binding Site in collaboration with the University of Birmingham's Clinical Immunology Service. The unique SARS-CoV-2 Antibody ELISA has been developed to identify individuals who have had a mild, non-hospitalised disease course following SARS-CoV-2 exposure. This latest development has brought together the Binding Site's extensive experience in developing highly precise, accurate blood tests with the expertise of leading immunology and immunity experts at the University of Birmingham |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2020/breakthrough-antibodies-test-to-detect-covid-19-cases... |
| Description | Government COVID-19 testing lab to open at the University of Birmingham |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | As part of the drive to expand COVID-19 testing capacity across the UK, the University of Birmingham has been announced as one of the first academic sector lab partnerships to come online. The lab, based in the Universitys's Medical School, will form part of NHS Test and Trace, joining Britain's largest network of diagnostic testing facilities increasing coronavirus testing capacity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2020/government-covid-19-testing-lab-to-open-at-the-univer... |
| Description | High-quality antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2 are critical to understanding how the virus spreads through the population, also supporting the development of effective vaccines and therapies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Supported by the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, and the Institute of Global Innovation, experts at the Universities of Birmingham and Southampton have worked with leading in vitro diagnostic (IVD) company The Binding Site to create a COVID-19 test to detect the viral antibodies in people who have shown no symptoms. The Birmingham test has detected antibodies in people who only suffered a mild form of COVID-19 infection. These people may have displayed very few or no symptoms, but generated an immune response to the virus. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/quest/21st-century-healthcare/antibody-tests |
| Description | International Consensus Meeting held at the University of Birmingham |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | International Consensus meeting held at UoB attended by 22 delegates and discussed data from the I-Scan project, and finalisation of the PICaSSO score - 5 - 6th December 2019. Funded by Pentax (15,000 GBP), Olympus (6,000 GBP), Mauna Kea (6,000 GBP). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Minister visits University of Birmingham to mark Government's launch of R&D roadmap |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Amanda Solloway MP, the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation recently visited the University of Birmingham to mark the launch of the Government's R&D roadmap and find out more about Birmingham's COVID-19 research. The Minister met Professor Andrew Beggs, Dr Alex Richter, and Professor Nick Loman to learn about their work in COVID-19 testing, antibody testing, and genomic sequencing - the University of Birmingham being the only place in the country which is home to this powerful combination. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2020/minister-visits-university-of-birmingham-to-mark-gove... |
| Description | Obesity, age and BAME ethnicity associated with higher COVID-19 antibody levels |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Researchers studying a group of UK healthcare workers discovered that non-white individuals recovering from COVID-19 displayed higher antibody levels than white individuals, with significantly greater levels observed in Asian individuals. Led by experts at the University of Birmingham, the researchers studied a cohort of 956 UK healthcare workers who self-isolated between March and June 2020 because of COVID-19. Within this group, the researchers identified 442 (46.2%) individuals with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a sensitive combined IgG,A,M antibody test developed in collaboration with The Binding Site and also individual antibody tests. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news-archive/2020/obesity-age-and-bame-ethnicity-associated-with-higher... |
| Description | Perturbations in Epilepsy workshop 26-27 June 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Perturbations in Epilepsy workshop: 26-27 June 2023; The theme of this year's in person event is Quantifying the impact of seizure triggers. The workshop is organised by the Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine (SMQB). It brings together key stakeholders including patients with lived experience, clinicians and academics working at the forefront of epilepsy research, and partners from the wearables and neurotechnology industries to enable knowledge exchange and facilitate new collaborations on community-based epilepsy management. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.hdrmidlands.org.uk/hdrevents/perturbations-in-epilepsy-workshop-26-27-june-2023/ |
| Description | Presentation at World Biomaterial's Conference (WBC2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at World Biomaterial's Conference (WBC2020): Louth, S. Villapun, V.M., Eisenstein, N., Attalah, M., Nai, K. & Cox, S. Using Additively Manufactured Lattices to Control Antibiotic Release in a Temporary Hip Spacer. Impacts not known. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |