University of Bristol SHEAHAN UKRI Innovation Fellowships: BBSRC Flexible Talent Mobility Accounts
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Research and Enterprise Development
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| Collette Sheahan (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | Through the FTMA, the University of Bristol (UoB) has facilitated people exchange between academia and industry within the themes of 'Bioscience and Biotechnology' and 'Leading Edge Healthcare and Medicine'. Five Secondments were supported as well as a seminar series for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to support development of their career aspirations and academia-industry collaboration. Training for ECRs was funded to support their development in line with the ambition of the FTMA. ECRs have benefited from Secondments in industry to gain exposure to different cutting-edge research environments and technologies. These secondments have facilitated new interactions and supported established collaborations with businesses as well as supporting the career development of our ECRs. Businesses have benefited through hosting skilled ECRs, progressing the development of new or existing projects and the uptake of research to address company opportunity and need. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Innovate UK KTP- University of Bristol and Celltech R&D Ltd |
| Amount | £74,954 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2019 |
| End | 11/2021 |
| Description | People Exchange Project with Peptone Ltd |
| Organisation | Peptone |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | This project built on the secondee's expertise in computational modelling and experimental protein design with the Artificial Intelligence (AI)- driven tools developed by Peptone for the evaluation of protein dynamics based on nuclear magnetic resonance data. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contributions of computing time and expertise. |
| Impact | Training for the ECR, application of research. Further collaboration. Supporting the mobility of early career researchers. Supporting the mobility of industrialists. Supporting the retention of non-UK citizens . Developing skills that align to the Industrial Strategy. High Performance computing/Synthetic Biology. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | People Exchange project - Carbon Gold |
| Organisation | Carbon Gold |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Secondment to provide effective knowledge transfer between carbon Gold and UoB with the aim to develop future collaborations. Academic input and collaborative project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of expertise and training for the ECR. |
| Impact | Crop Science / Synthetic Biology Supporting the mobility of Early career researchers. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | People Exchange project - Cerebro Cerebeller circuits with Takeda Ltd |
| Organisation | Takeda Pharmaceutical Company |
| Department | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. (TPUSA) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | This secondment built on a BBSRC IPA grant between UoB and originally Takeda Cambridge (now Tekeda California). The secondment provided an invaluable training opportunity to learn new techniques through carrying out some of the experiments that have not been possible to do through this IPA, and also carry out additional studies, strengthening the outcomes of the IPA and give ECR first-hand experience of research in an industrial setting. The ECR joined the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Business Unit (a Takeda research group focused on neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism). The ECR's expertise in cerebro-cerebeller circuits increased the group's capacity to understand the impact that certain pharmacological agents have on brain circuits implicated in schizophrenia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The secondee benefitted from exposure to the partner's culture and ways of working as well as the opportunity to undertake new methods. As well as developing specific research skills, the ECR learnt about the research environment and working culture of a global pharmaceutical company, and how this contrasts with academia. She worked with a range of staff at Takeda, including developing research ideas with the Associate Director of the research group and learning from Research Associates in the lab. This has broadened her horizons, and expanded her network of contacts which will aid her in future career opportunities. Since the secondment, the Secondee has remained in contact with the group at Takeda, we anticipate that this will lead to collaboration on other projects in the future. |
| Impact | Training and skills development for the ECR. Supporting the mobility of early career researchers. Developing skills that align to the Industrial Strategy. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | People Exchange project - Establishment and validation of a diagnostic test in an industrial setting with Micro Genetics Ltd |
| Organisation | Microgenetics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The secondee undertook Technology/method transfer and validation of a rapid bacterial test which had been previously developed as part of an ongoing partnership between the university and Microgenetics Ltd. The secondee developed valuable skills in technology transfer, as well as an appreciation for the regulatory landscape. This supports the ECR's long-term career goals. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The company provided in-kind contributions to the project, including training for the ECR and materials for the Technology Transfer. 1) NCFE level training on the manufacture of aseptically compounded products 2) Training on cGMP guidelines and how these are applied for the validation of processes for use in the pharmaceutical setting 3) Training on product management and associated market research gathering techniques 4) Fitted out laboratory facility and all required consumables 5) Supervisory support working in a start-up environment 6) Access to company benefits such as free tea, coffee, breakfast and personal training facilities 7) Access to all necessary IT related equipment in order to be able to successfully carry out the role 8) The opportunity to observe and engage with the running of a start-up company 9) The opportunity to observe and engage with the running of an additional two separate companies housed on the same site; a. Pharmaxo - a homecare dispensing company b. Bath ASU - an aseptic compounding company 10) The payment of expenses, where appropriate, if work is to be performed off site at any time during the secondment |
| Impact | ISCF theme - Leading edge healthcare and medicine. Supporting the mobility of early career researchers. Training for the ECR, application of research. Further collaboration. Supporting the mobility of early career researchers. Developing skills that align to the Industrial Strategy. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | People Exchange project with Cambridge Cognition - DT |
| Organisation | Cambridge Cognition Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | To explore collaborative and secondment opportunities: to further mutual understanding of specific challenges; to identify what UoB can offer to address these. ECR (Australian National) is planning to continue working in the area of wound healing in the UK - this will expand the research portfolio into more translational research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Support for the secondee and training, including: (i) working closely with industry commercial teams to identify patient groups. (ii) working with regulatory teams and industry, academic, and clinical experts to understand specific requirements and issues around acceptability of N-of-1 study design and use of mobile and wearable technology in this particular context. |
| Impact | In this project, the secondee from UoB spent time with Cambridge Cognition, a UoB collaborator specialising in cognitive assessment and patient outcome assessment, designing a pilot N-of-1 study using the latest in digital mobile and wearable technologies to assess mental health patient outcomes. Directly after finishing work on this grant, the secondee was successful in securing his first postdoc position in a different faculty here in Bristol. 1. Supporting the mobility of early career researchers The collaboration with Cambridge Cognition continues through applications for new grants and collaborative research. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | People Exchange project with Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre AND Goldcrop (Ireland) - Pasture grass performance |
| Organisation | Teagasc |
| Department | Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Project to understand the basis of increased performance of varieties of pasture grass, based on previously identified genotypes and stomatal behaviour. There are two key outcomes. For UoB and the partners in Ireland the outcomes are the agreement to submit two grants to the EU to take this work forward. The second key outcome is that the secondee has secured a permanent job in the UK plant biotech industry. As a direct result of augmenting his CV with industry-relevant expertise gained in Ireland he is now working in for Algenuity a plant biotech company based near Bedford https://www.algenuity.com/ |
| Collaborator Contribution | Commercial mentoring for the secondee Materials and laboratory consumables for the project |
| Impact | Agri/Biotech. Upskilling of Early Career researcher. Supporting the mobility of early career researchers. Supporting the international mobility of non-UK citizens . Supporting the retention of non-UK citizens . |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | People Exchange project with UCB Celltech - Multicellular model of human Glomerulosclerosis |
| Organisation | UCB Pharma |
| Department | UCB Celltech |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Fibrosis is the largest clinical unmet need in the developed world. An effective anti-fibrotic drug would have enormous impact e.g. on chronic kidney disease. The secondment project took the next steps in the development of a multicellular model of human Glomerulosclerosis, established under a BBSRC studentship. The secondee worked closely with the in vitro cell biology and high content imaging teams at UCB, learning the capabilities and limits of the machinery involved. This award has led to a KTP with Celltech R&D, for which the secondee is now the KTP associate. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Training and laboratory consumables |
| Impact | KTP with the partner / 2019-2021. Supporting the mobility of early career researchers. |
| Start Year | 2018 |