External Collaboration, Innovation and Entrepreneurism: Translational Medicine in Exeter 2 (EXCITEME2)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Exeter
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.
Organisations
- University of Exeter (Lead Research Organisation)
- Randox Laboratories (Collaboration)
- University of Portsmouth (Collaboration)
- University of Surrey (Collaboration)
- Applied Photophysics Ltd (Collaboration)
- First Databank Europe Ltd (Collaboration)
- Qatar Biobank (Collaboration)
- AstraZeneca (United Kingdom) (Collaboration)
- Blacktrace Holdings Ltd (Collaboration)
- NPL Ltd (Collaboration)
- Hummingbird Bioscience Pte. Ltd (Collaboration)
- Camurus AB (Collaboration)
- Monsenso ApS. (Collaboration)
- KING'S COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
Publications
Smith A
(2019)
MMHelper: An automated framework for the analysis of microscopy images acquired with the mother machine.
in Scientific reports
Lapinska U
(2019)
Bacterial ageing in the absence of external stressors.
in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
Gironi B
(2020)
Effect of DMSO on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of Model and Biological Membranes.
in Biophysical journal
Cama J
(2020)
Single-cell microfluidics facilitates the rapid quantification of antibiotic accumulation in Gram-negative bacteria.
in Lab on a chip
Gutiérrez HC
(2020)
Screening for drugs to reduce zebrafish aggression identifies caffeine and sildenafil.
in European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Reichmann F
(2020)
The zebrafish histamine H3 receptor modulates aggression, neural activity and forebrain functional connectivity.
in Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)
Kepiro IE
(2020)
Engineering Chirally Blind Protein Pseudocapsids into Antibacterial Persisters.
in ACS nano
Stone MRL
(2020)
Fluorescent macrolide probes - synthesis and use in evaluation of bacterial resistance.
in RSC chemical biology
Binsley JL
(2020)
Microfluidic devices powered by integrated elasto-magnetic pumps.
in Lab on a chip
| Description | Is it feasible to use mHealth solutions alongside CAM2038 opioid substitution therapy for the treatment of opioid dependence? |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
| Impact | Monsenso now being used around the UK to help the treatment of opioid dependence. |
| Description | 4D imaging of the dynamic molecular, cellular and tissue organization in living systems |
| Amount | £974,653 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/W020335/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2022 |
| End | 07/2023 |
| Description | A Label-free, Ultra-High-Throughput Bacteriolysis Droplet Screening Platform (KillerDrop) |
| Amount | £149,837 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/T011777/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2020 |
| End | 01/2022 |
| Description | BB/V008021/1 - "Understanding molecular accumulation in single cells via microfluidics and omics |
| Amount | £540,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2020 |
| End | 06/2021 |
| Description | Characterising the homology of pharmacological targets in aquatic life |
| Amount | £102,026 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/V509346/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Description | EPSRC Hub for Quantitative Modelling in Healthcare |
| Amount | £1,231,618 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/T017856/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2021 |
| End | 01/2025 |
| Description | EU/IMI (PREMIER- €1M, 2020-2025 part of €8M project on pharmaceuticals in the environment with pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca (Tyler) |
| Amount | € 8,000,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Union |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 01/2025 |
| Description | Environmental toxins in ALS: Validation and repurposing therapeutics |
| Amount | £322,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 1020673 |
| Organisation | The ALS Association |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United States |
| Start | |
| Description | Establishing the roles of oestrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) in olfactory development and function using novel CRISPR/Cas9-based knockouts in the zebrafish. |
| Amount | £650,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Is it feasible to use mHealth solutions alongside CAM2038 opioid substitution therapy for the treatment of opioid dependence? |
| Amount | £246,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Awakn Life Science |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Canada |
| Start | |
| Description | Lattice Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (L-SPIM) for the analysis of subcellular dynamics in living specimens. |
| Amount | £653,837 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/T017899/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2020 |
| End | 06/2021 |
| Description | Mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of host immunosuppression by anti-CRISPR phages |
| Amount | £512,438 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/S017674/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2021 |
| End | 12/2022 |
| Description | Mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of host immunosuppression by anti-CRISPR phages |
| Amount | £512,438 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/S017674/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 07/2023 |
| Description | NC3Rs A non-protected larval zebrafish model for the investigation of novel strategies to protect against nerve agent-induced toxicity and seizures. |
| Amount | £79,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Portsmouth |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | NIHR i4i funded clinical validation and commercialisation of the ReaCTIVE app |
| Amount | £1,948,424 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | UKRI FLF £1.5M Oct2020-Sep2024 |
| Amount | £1,500,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2020 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Description | Understanding molecular accumulation in single cells via microfluidics and omics |
| Amount | £512,141 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/V008021/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2021 |
| End | 04/2024 |
| Description | Understanding phenotypic plasticity and relevance of behaviour responses to chronic toxicity in aquatic life |
| Amount | £102,026 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BB/V509358/1 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Title | Functional live brain imaging in zebrafish for mechanism-specific detection of drug-induced seizures |
| Description | Functional imagining methodology for analysing the impact of chemicals and other factors on brain activity in non-protected zebrafish larvae. This has fed into several projects including assessment of the impact of endocrine disruptors on olfaction in fish, and for use in assessing the efficacy of protective strategies against nerve agent poisoning. Understanding of the impact of seizuregenic drugs on brain activity and behaviour and the development of methodology for detecting this as a side effect in new drugs. This work has also aided the development of approaches for assessing the effectiveness of anaesthetics and analgesics in embryo-larval fish enabling a project that was funded in 2021. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Functional imagining methodology for analysing the impact of chemicals and other factors on brain activity in non-protected zebrafish larvae. This has fed into several projects including assessment of the impact of endocrine disruptors on olfaction in fish, and for use in assessing the efficacy of protective strategies against nerve agent poisoning. Understanding of the impact of seizuregenic drugs on brain activity and behaviour and the development of methodology for detecting this as a side effect in new drugs. This work has also aided the development of approaches for assessing the effectiveness of anaesthetics and analgesics in embryo-larval fish enabling a project that was funded in 2021. |
| Title | Data supporting Morrish et al. (2021) Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
| Description | Data supporting "Single cell label-free probing of chromatin dynamics during B lymphocyte maturation", submitted to Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Data_supporting_Morrish_et_al_2021_Frontiers_in_Cell_and_Devel... |
| Title | Data supporting Morrish et al. (2021) Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
| Description | Data supporting "Single cell label-free probing of chromatin dynamics during B lymphocyte maturation", submitted to Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Data_supporting_Morrish_et_al_2021_Frontiers_in_Cell_and_Devel... |
| Title | Genome-wide genotyping of 10,142 PROTECT study samples has been completed in kind. |
| Description | Genome-wide genotyping of 10,142 PROTECT study samples has been completed in kind. We have collaborations agreements in place to share this data with sixother research groups at UK academic institutions and one in Norway. We are also sharing the data with the leading international Psychiatric Genomics Consortium who will be included the data in their next GWAS of major depression |
| Type Of Material | Data handling & control |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Genome-wide genotyping of 10,142 PROTECT study samples has been completed in kind. We have collaborations agreements in place to share this data with sixother research groups at UK academic institutions and one in Norway. We are also sharing the data with the leading international Psychiatric Genomics Consortium who will be included the data in their next GWAS of major depression |
| Title | Genome-wide genotyping of PROTECT study samples |
| Description | Genome-wide genotyping of 10,142 PROTECT study samples has been completed in kind which will form part of the data made available by PROTECT to third party researchers |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | TBC |
| Title | Identifying genetic and clinical markers of cognitive decline in healthy adults |
| Description | Since Jan 2022 the PROTECT study has approved a further four data access requests from other academic institutions that will use the genetic data. A data access request has also been approved with a commercial company, Cytox, who will use the genetic data to validate their dementia risk prediction algorithms. The agreement is currently with contracts and legal and will be worth £9k+VAT to the university in access fees. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Since Jan 2022 the PROTECT study has approved a further four data access requests from other academic institutions that will use the genetic data. A data access request has also been approved with a commercial company, Cytox, who will use the genetic data to validate their dementia risk prediction algorithms. The agreement is currently with contracts and legal and will be worth £9k+VAT to the university in access fees. |
| Title | Identifying genetic and clinical markers of cognitive decline in healthy adults |
| Description | The 2021 activity remains in place. The collaboration with University of Oslo (Prof Ole Andreassen) has progressed and we have now shared the necessary data with them. The PROTECT study has accepted 29 applications for data use from UK and international academic institutions which plan to use the genetic data in secondary analyses |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The 2021 activity remains in place. The collaboration with University of Oslo (Prof Ole Andreassen) has progressed and we have now shared the necessary data with them. The PROTECT study has accepted 29 applications for data use from UK and international academic institutions which plan to use the genetic data in secondary analyses |
| Description | An adaptive sampling tool for antibody candidate drug lead optimisation and developability assessment |
| Organisation | Applied Photophysics Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) - one FTE for 12 months at Graduate Research Assistant level (Grade E27) to perform hydrogen/deuterium-exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) experiments. Consumables - The operation of the liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system to do HDX-MS on immunoglobulin samples requires high purity He/Ar gases, LC-MS grade solvents and acids, isotopically labelled chemicals and molecular standards, dedicated digestion and trapping columns per project, high concentrations of an expensive reducing agent (tris-carboxyethylphosphine - TCEP) and denaturants and low-bind borosilicate glass vials for benchmarking experiments. Travel - This partnership will require two-way communication of key challenges (in terms of fundamental science and drug development), cross-training between partner laboratories and collection of critical data on instrumentation uniquely available in the partner laboratory (MedImmune, Cambridge). Regular project meetings will be held monthly by Skype to minimise costs. Technology transfer of the know-how in cutting-edge instrumentation and methods, developed at Univ. Exeter, will also be supported during these visits by the GRA to MedImmune. It is anticipated that supporting biophysical experiments will be undertaken at this time, using instrumentation available at MedImmune, but absent at Univ. Exeter (i.e. SEC-MAL(L)S; HDX-MS with Orbitrap Fusion; high-throughput DSC). Senior Engineer - We require the support of 5% FTE to implement software integration between the adaptive sampling tool and the instrumentation. This will allow for near- or full-automation. Partner (APL) has agreed to provide this essential support. PI 5% FTE - JJP will supervise the research project. GRA can independently acquire data. JJP will spend time in project strategy, experiment design and data analysis. Estates, infrastructure and indirect costs to be provided by College (CLES). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Material supply of biopharmaceutically-relevant compounds (in-kind). High purity immunoglobulin-derived and antigen (e.g. PD-L1) molecules. Materials will be supplied at the start of the project, where possible. Cash value of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies is estimated at >£2.5k/mg; peptide hormones is >£1k/mg; peptide-Fc fusion proteins is >5k/mg; protein antigen is >£2.5k/mg. Use of instrumentation - Orbitrap Fusion, differential scanning calorimeter valued at £12,500 (5 x £2500 per week). Senior engineer - 5% FTE (in-kind) to implement software integration. £6,700 + overheads. Match funding £67,715 (£28,215 cash; £39,500 in-kind) |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | An adaptive sampling tool for antibody candidate drug lead optimisation and developability assessment |
| Organisation | Applied Photophysics Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | APL funded research is ongoing and deepening as we target a KPA Associate application and connected IAA fund application. We have a UKRI FLF extension grant proposal deadline Oct 2023 (circa £575k) and potentially a separate grant proposal on this work. |
| Collaborator Contribution | APL funded research is ongoing and deepening as we target a KPA Associate application and connected IAA fund application. We have a UKRI FLF extension grant proposal deadline Oct 2023 (circa £575k) and potentially a separate grant proposal on this work. |
| Impact | APL funded research is ongoing and deepening as we target a KPA Associate application and connected IAA fund application. We have a UKRI FLF extension grant proposal deadline Oct 2023 (circa £575k) and potentially a separate grant proposal on this work. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | An adaptive sampling tool for antibody candidate drug lead optimisation and developability assessment |
| Organisation | AstraZeneca |
| Department | MedImmune |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) - one FTE for 12 months at Graduate Research Assistant level (Grade E27) to perform hydrogen/deuterium-exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) experiments. Consumables - The operation of the liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system to do HDX-MS on immunoglobulin samples requires high purity He/Ar gases, LC-MS grade solvents and acids, isotopically labelled chemicals and molecular standards, dedicated digestion and trapping columns per project, high concentrations of an expensive reducing agent (tris-carboxyethylphosphine - TCEP) and denaturants and low-bind borosilicate glass vials for benchmarking experiments. Travel - This partnership will require two-way communication of key challenges (in terms of fundamental science and drug development), cross-training between partner laboratories and collection of critical data on instrumentation uniquely available in the partner laboratory (MedImmune, Cambridge). Regular project meetings will be held monthly by Skype to minimise costs. Technology transfer of the know-how in cutting-edge instrumentation and methods, developed at Univ. Exeter, will also be supported during these visits by the GRA to MedImmune. It is anticipated that supporting biophysical experiments will be undertaken at this time, using instrumentation available at MedImmune, but absent at Univ. Exeter (i.e. SEC-MAL(L)S; HDX-MS with Orbitrap Fusion; high-throughput DSC). Senior Engineer - We require the support of 5% FTE to implement software integration between the adaptive sampling tool and the instrumentation. This will allow for near- or full-automation. Partner (APL) has agreed to provide this essential support. PI 5% FTE - JJP will supervise the research project. GRA can independently acquire data. JJP will spend time in project strategy, experiment design and data analysis. Estates, infrastructure and indirect costs to be provided by College (CLES). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Material supply of biopharmaceutically-relevant compounds (in-kind). High purity immunoglobulin-derived and antigen (e.g. PD-L1) molecules. Materials will be supplied at the start of the project, where possible. Cash value of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies is estimated at >£2.5k/mg; peptide hormones is >£1k/mg; peptide-Fc fusion proteins is >5k/mg; protein antigen is >£2.5k/mg. Use of instrumentation - Orbitrap Fusion, differential scanning calorimeter valued at £12,500 (5 x £2500 per week). Senior engineer - 5% FTE (in-kind) to implement software integration. £6,700 + overheads. Match funding £67,715 (£28,215 cash; £39,500 in-kind) |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Developing a prototype microfluidic platform for gene expression profiling of single mammalian cells and bacteria |
| Organisation | Blacktrace Holdings Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | P2D funding was requested for the full-time salary of a postdoctoral research associate for 6.5 months. After a three-month period of training with Senior UoE academic staff. The College will fund the salary of PI and CoI at 20% FTE for the first six months of the project. The College will fund the full-time salary of a PDRA for 4.5 months and travel to Penryn and Blacktrace via the LSI/Penryn Mash-up Initiative. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Microfluidic devices and accessories: Blacktrace, will provide a number of microfluidic devices which are necessary for the success of this project. These include devices for isolating single cells, specialised microfluidic tubing and fluidic connectors for the functioning of these devices Test cells and consulting input for data analysis: Hummingbird will provide frozen test tumour cells and up to 20 days of time to assist with the analysis, with the overall aim of dissecting intratumoral heterogeneity in gene expression and identifying potential immunotherapy targets. |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Developing a prototype microfluidic platform for gene expression profiling of single mammalian cells and bacteria |
| Organisation | Hummingbird Bioscience Pte. Ltd |
| Country | Singapore |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | P2D funding was requested for the full-time salary of a postdoctoral research associate for 6.5 months. After a three-month period of training with Senior UoE academic staff. The College will fund the salary of PI and CoI at 20% FTE for the first six months of the project. The College will fund the full-time salary of a PDRA for 4.5 months and travel to Penryn and Blacktrace via the LSI/Penryn Mash-up Initiative. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Microfluidic devices and accessories: Blacktrace, will provide a number of microfluidic devices which are necessary for the success of this project. These include devices for isolating single cells, specialised microfluidic tubing and fluidic connectors for the functioning of these devices Test cells and consulting input for data analysis: Hummingbird will provide frozen test tumour cells and up to 20 days of time to assist with the analysis, with the overall aim of dissecting intratumoral heterogeneity in gene expression and identifying potential immunotherapy targets. |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Functional live brain imaging in zebrafish for mechanism-specific detection of drug-induced seizures |
| Organisation | AstraZeneca |
| Department | Drug Safety and Metabolism Externalisation |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Most of the practical work, image analysis and data processing will be undertaken by a Senior Research Fellow (150 days) supported by a research technician (50 days), Data processing requires advanced systems learning and statistics developed by Marc Goodfellow (senior lecturer in mathematics) who will also provide advanced data processing support as needed. Time has been allocated for an element of protect monitoring to ensure outputs are delivered and documented, to facilitate regular project updates and the site exchange visits (10 days). £2000 has been allocated for travel/subsistence to facilitate project meetings with AZ. |
| Collaborator Contribution | AstraZeneca are providing a considerable financial contribution to the project. This funding has been generated through the AZ Science to go innovation platform which aims to fund short-term research projects which have a business benefit as a likely outcome. This funding is not standalone; it is allocated on the understanding that supporting funding will become available from the university. The lead CNS safety experts at AZ DSM will also each provide in-kind support including: compound selection for each of the five target MOA, data interpretation and mammalian toxicology expertise, and exchange visits between this team and UoE researchers to disseminate results and to explore further research opportunities. The value of this time is estimated as at least £7,500. |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Functional live brain imaging in zebrafish for mechanism-specific detection of drug-induced seizures |
| Organisation | University of Portsmouth |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration on co-author publications 178, 2671-2689 & doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04724 * doi: 10.1242/dev.199860 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration on co-author publications 178, 2671-2689 & doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04724 * doi: 10.1242/dev.199860 |
| Impact | Publications - Winter M.J., Pinion J., Tochwin A., Takesono A., Ball J.S., Grabowski P., Metz J., Trznadel M., Tse K., Redfern W.S., Hetheridge M.J., Goodfellow M., Randall A.D., Tyler C.R. (2021) Neuropharmacological profiling using functional brain imaging in larval zebrafish. British Journal of Pharmacology. 178, 2671-2689 The potential for adverse effects in fish exposed to antidepressants in the aquatic environment. Gould SL, Winter MJ, Norton WHJ, Tyler CR. Environ Sci Technol. 2021 Dec 21;55(24):16299-16312. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04724. Epub 2021 Dec 2. PMID: 34856105 Estrogens regulate early embryonic development of the olfactory sensory system via estrogen-responsive glia. Takesono A, Schirrmacher P, Scott A, Green JM, Lee O, Winter MJ, Kudoh T, Tyler CR. Development. 2022 Jan 1;149(1):dev199860. doi: 10.1242/dev.199860. Epub 2022 Jan 13. PMID: 35023540 Pinion J., Walsh C., Goodfellow M., Randall A.C., Tyler C.R. and Winter M.J. (2022) Illustration of differential electrographic signatures for mechanistically diverse seizurogenic compounds in the larval zebrafish brain. eNuero. In press. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Functional live brain imaging in zebrafish for mechanism-specific detection of drug-induced seizures |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | None provided |
| Collaborator Contribution | None provided |
| Impact | None provided |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Identifying characteristics and behaviours associated with alert fatigue in a clinical decision support system to develop strategies to optimise the user interaction |
| Organisation | First Databank Europe Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The P2D allocation includes funds to cover 60% of a PDRA for 11 months (the duration of the project) as well as travel and subsistence money for the industrial secondment. The EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling have indicated they will fund the remaining 40% of the PDRA salary for the duration of the project. The college will provide in-kind contributions toward PI and CoI over the length of the 11 month project. The College will also cover indirect costs, estates and infrastructure for the duration of the project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Over the project period, the project partner will contribute as follows: For the data analysis (month 1 - 9) • 5 days of Clinical and Product specialist time to on-board over first month (5d) • A further 2 days per month of clinical and product input for 7 months (14d) • A further 5 days of clinical and product input for project closure (5d) • 0.5d/month of senior management input (4d) For Study Development (month 10-11) • 5 days Clinical team support over 2 months For hardware and IT support for the full 11 month (month 1-11) • Access to appropriate hardware and IT support In- Kind contribution equates to 33 days over 11 months. |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Identifying genetic and clinical markers of cognitive decline in healthy adults |
| Organisation | King's College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London. Partnered with Prof Cathryn Lewis's team who generated several hundred Polygenic risk scores in the data which we now have as a library to share with other researchers. deCODE genetics - collaboration agreement extended and signed off in Feb 2022 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London. Partnered with Prof Cathryn Lewis's team who generated several hundred Polygenic risk scores in the data which we now have as a library to share with other researchers. deCODE genetics - collaboration agreement extended and signed off in Feb 2022 |
| Impact | Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London. Partnered with Prof Cathryn Lewis's team who generated several hundred Polygenic risk scores in the data which we now have as a library to share with other researchers. deCODE genetics - collaboration agreement extended and signed off in Feb 2022 |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Is it feasible to use mHealth solutions alongside CAM2038 opioid substitution therapy for the treatment of opioid dependence? |
| Organisation | Camurus AB |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Funds from P2D: Time is requested for 3 days per week of an RA for 825 hours to conduct the day-to-day running of the project. A suitable individual has been identified who is currently working in the drug service but has conducted an MSc in psychological research methods having an individual embedded in the service would facilitate the engagement of staff and service users with the project. Funds are requested for the member of staff and PI to visit Monsenso in Copenhagen, where the RA will be seconded for one month adapting the solution for substance use. Permissions have been given for this from the drug service. We also request costs for a laptop for the researcher who will need to travel to various sites of the drug service across Devon, along with costs for participants to attend research visits, backfill for keyworkers The College will provide a match for overheads for the directly allocated staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Monsenso will provide access to the relevant software and solution for customising which has had considerable resource for development from numerous EU and Danish grants thus far and the development time to tailor this solution. Camurus will provide match funding towards research costs. Together Drug Services - will provide clinician time in kind and will host the researcher during the data collection phase. |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Is it feasible to use mHealth solutions alongside CAM2038 opioid substitution therapy for the treatment of opioid dependence? |
| Organisation | Monsenso ApS. |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Funds from P2D: Time is requested for 3 days per week of an RA for 825 hours to conduct the day-to-day running of the project. A suitable individual has been identified who is currently working in the drug service but has conducted an MSc in psychological research methods having an individual embedded in the service would facilitate the engagement of staff and service users with the project. Funds are requested for the member of staff and PI to visit Monsenso in Copenhagen, where the RA will be seconded for one month adapting the solution for substance use. Permissions have been given for this from the drug service. We also request costs for a laptop for the researcher who will need to travel to various sites of the drug service across Devon, along with costs for participants to attend research visits, backfill for keyworkers The College will provide a match for overheads for the directly allocated staff. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Monsenso will provide access to the relevant software and solution for customising which has had considerable resource for development from numerous EU and Danish grants thus far and the development time to tailor this solution. Camurus will provide match funding towards research costs. Together Drug Services - will provide clinician time in kind and will host the researcher during the data collection phase. |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Predicting reproductive lifespan |
| Organisation | Qatar Biobank |
| Country | Qatar |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration with Estonia Biobank for joint project on menopause prediction. Collaboration with Qatar Biobank initiated |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration with Estonia Biobank for joint project on menopause prediction. Collaboration with Qatar Biobank initiated |
| Impact | Genetic insights into biological mechanisms governing human ovarian ageing. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Predicting reproductive lifespan |
| Organisation | Randox Laboratories |
| Country | Global |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | P2D funding: The main cost is for an analyst's time to generate the statistical models. We requested funding for a postdoc in the Complex Traits group with 5 years' experience of working with genetic data and statistical modelling. The College will provide matched in-kind funds in salary costs for the PI, as well as the CoI who has considerable experience of working with Randox already to develop similar models. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Randox will match the funding for this project by evaluating the commercial viability of the predictive test, co-developing the technology necessary to deliver the test and providing consultancy on the project. Randox will arrange for the PDRA to work with their Randox Health partners to evaluate how they currently test for fertility and how a genetic test could be incorporated into their portfolio of tests. This would involve discussing how risk is communicated to customers. Randox would also arrange for the UoE staff member to gain an insight into their genotyping set-up to evaluate how best to develop the genetic aspect of the predictive test. Members of the Randox team will also visit Exeter to help with developing the questions for the qualitative interviews we plan to do. Randox estimate the value of the in-kind contribution to be £20,000. |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Quantifying the efficacy of novel polypeptide therapeutics for Gram-negative infections |
| Organisation | NPL Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Staffing: Funding is requested for the full-time salary of a postdoctoral research associate (grade E26) for 5 months. Consumables: Funding is requested for microfluidic and microfabrication consumables Travel: Funding is requested for two return trips to NPL to monitor progress on the project while the PDRA will be seconded at NPL Staffing: The College will fund the salary of the PI at 20% FTE for the duration of the project and the associated estate and infrastructure costs |
| Collaborator Contribution | Staffing: NPL will cover the salary of the PDRA for 2 months; NPL will also cover the salary of NPL stakeholders who will provide training and supervision during the PDRA secondment at NPL Consumables: NPL will cover the cost of the synthesis of novel antimicrobial peptides |
| Impact | Still active |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Title | Custom Python and Matlab scripts |
| Description | Custom Python and Matlab scripts. Scripts for assessing functional imaging data, including for functional connectivity assessment of resultant region-specific fluorescence intensity datasets. |
| Type Of Technology | New/Improved Technique/Technology |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | No information provided on this. |
| Description | 022 Exeter Aquatic Resources Centre Users forum (team research activity) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 022 Exeter Aquatic Resources Centre Users forum (team research activity) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | 2022 Exeter Biosciences Conference - Advancing understanding of anaesthesia and analgesia in the zebrafish |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 2022 Exeter Biosciences Conference - Advancing understanding of anaesthesia and analgesia in the zebrafish |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | 2022 Exeter Brain networking event: Brain imaging in vivo |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 2022 Exeter Brain networking event: Brain imaging in vivo |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Chemicals and Environmental Health. Waking up to Planetary Health 2020. Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and the University of Exeter Medical School. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Prof Tyler was invited to be a keynote speaker at the Chemicals and Environmental Health. Waking up to Planetary Health 2020. Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and the University of Exeter Medical School. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Delivered a series of talks about antimicrobial resistance both live and online, including some specific tailored for a lay audience |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Delivered a series of talks about antimicrobial resistance both live and online, including some specific tailored for a lay audience |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Development and Application of Transgenic Zebrafish for Understanding Chemical and Nanoparticle Exposure Effects. The 23rd UK-Japan Annual Scientific Workshop on Research into Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals & Chemicals of Emerging Concern |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Development and Application of Transgenic Zebrafish for Understanding Chemical and Nanoparticle Exposure Effects The 23rd UK-Japan Annual Scientific Workshop on Research into Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals & Chemicals of Emerging Concern - Virtual meeting 29-30th November 2021. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Chemicals of Environmental Concern. The 22nd UK-Japan Annual Scientific Workshop on Research into Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Prof Tyler was invited to give the opening address at the Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Chemicals of Environmental Concern. The 22nd UK-Japan Annual Scientific Workshop on Research into Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Exeter Anti Microbial Resistance Workshop (PDRA oral presentation) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Exeter Anti Microbial Resistance Workshop (PDRA oral presentation) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Fish and amphibian embryos as alternative models in toxicology and teratology, L'Oréal, Aulnay-sous-Bois/Paris, France |
| 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 | Dr Winter was invited to talk and chair the session on Fish and amphibian embryos as alternative models in toxicology and teratology, L'Oréal, Aulnay-sous-Bois/Paris, France |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Fish and amphibian embryos as alternative models in toxicology and teratology, L'Oréal, Aulnay-sous-Bois/Paris, France (Tyler) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Fish and amphibian embryos as alternative models in toxicology and teratology, L'Oréal, Aulnay-sous-Bois/Paris, France - Detecting and defining drug-induced seizures: the power of functional imaging in the larval zebrafish brain (invited oral presentation and invited session chair) - Matt Winter, 29- 30. November 2019 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Herriot Watt University - Neuropharmacological profiling of chemicals in zebrafish (invited seminar) (Tyler) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Herriot Watt University - Neuropharmacological profiling of chemicals in zebrafish (invited seminar) - Matt Winter, 19th June 2019 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Invited to talk at Reading University in 2021 re "An adaptive sampling tool for antibody candidate drug lead optimisation and developability assessment" project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited to talk at Reading University in 2021 re "An adaptive sampling tool for antibody candidate drug lead optimisation and developability assessment" project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Keynote speaker at British Mass Spectrometry Society Special Interest Group Conference re "An adaptive sampling tool for antibody candidate drug lead optimisation and developability assessment" project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited to be the keynote speaker at the British Mass Spectrometry Society Special Interest Group Conference re "An adaptive sampling tool for antibody candidate drug lead optimisation and developability assessment" project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | NC3Rs GW4 Show case conference, University of Exeter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Dr Winter was invited to talk at NC3Rs GW4 Show case conference, University of Exeter |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | NC3Rs GW4 Show case conference, University of Exeter (Tyler) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | NC3Rs GW4 Show case conference, University of Exeter - Use of larval zebrafish to replace mammals for seizure liability assessment (invited oral presentation) - Matt Winter, 4th December, 2019 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | NIHR Dementia Researcher 'Midday Lectures': Mild behavioural impairment: an emerging concept in cognitive ageing and pre-clinical dementia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presented at NIHR Dementia Researcher 'Midday Lectures': Mild behavioural impairment: an emerging concept in cognitive ageing and pre-clinical dementia. 14th May 2020. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Online survey re reproductive lifespan project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Online survey re reproductive lifespan project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Oxford Native Mass Spectrometry Conference 2019 (PDRA poster presentation) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Oxford Native Mass Spectrometry Conference 2019 (PDRA poster presentation) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Scientists create artificial virus in the fight against superbugs. The Times and The Daily Mail articles, with interview. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Scientists at NPL, working with partners from the University of Cambridge, University of Exeter, King's College London and University College London have developed a mechanism of antibacterial persistence to combat persistent and resistant bacterial infections. The rise of superbugs is a serious concern in the medical community as bacteria evolve to evade existing treatments faster than new antibiotics can be developed. Rather than seeking out antibiotics that exist in nature, as has been the case with previous advances, the team of experts have designed one from the ground up, inspired by viruses. As featured in The Times and the Daily Mail today, Maxim Ryadnov, Area Science Leader at NPL said: "Viruses are geometric objects. They are like solid cages built from tiny blocks glued together with an atomistic precision. We take that shape, strip off their viral proteins, and are left with a template." To pursue such a feat, this interdisciplinary research team adopted the geometric principles of the virus architecture to engineer a synthetic biologic - protein ?-capsid - which assembles from a small molecular motif found in human cells. This motif can recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns on bacterial surfaces but by itself is weakly antimicrobial. By contrast, each capsid, which comprises multiple copies of the motif, delivers an influx of high antimicrobial doses in its precise binding position on a bacterial cell. Using a combination of nanoscale and single-cell imaging the team demonstrated that the capsids inflict irreparable damage to bacteria, rapidly converting into nanopores in their membranes and reaching intracellular targets. The capsids were equally effective in either of their chiral forms, which can render them invisible to the immune system of the host, killing different bacteria phenotypes and superbugs without cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. At UCL, the scientists visualised how the capsids landed on their targets and next created nanometre-size holes, which ultimately are lethal to the bacteria. According to Katharine Hammond, research scientist at NPL and PhD student at UCL: "By scanning a sharp tip over the membrane surface, just like a miniature finger would read Braille, we could trace the contours of the capsids on the membranes and observe in real time how they punctured holes in their target membranes." Ibolya Kepiro, Higher Research Scientist, National Physical Laboratory (NPL) states: "This research culminates our joint efforts to identify an antibacterial mechanism that could be free from the frustration of bacterial persistence. We believe that these findings hold promise for the systemic assessment of antimicrobial efficacy". The findings are reported in ACS Nano and demonstrate how bioengineering and multi-modal measurements can offer and validate innovative solutions to healthcare, building on natural disease-fighting capabilities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
| URL | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/man-made-antibacterial-virus-offers-hope-in-superbug-fight-0pv25l... |
| Description | Seimnar at Herriot Watt University - Neuropharmacological profiling of chemicals in zebrafish |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Dr Winter was invited to a seminar- Neuropharmacological profiling of chemicals in zebrafish at Herriot Watt University |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Seminar Brunel University: Neuropharmacological profiling in the larval zebrafish brain |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Brunel University: Neuropharmacological profiling in the larval zebrafish brain |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | South West Zebrafish Meeting University of Bristol |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Prof Tyler and Dr Winter were invited to talk at the South West Zebrafish Meeting University of Bristol |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | South West Zebrafish Meeting University of Bristol (Tyler) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | South West Zebrafish Meeting University of Bristol - Detecting and defining drug-induced seizures: the power of functional imaging in the larval zebrafish brain (oral presentation) - Matt Winter, 9th September 2019 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | The Royal Society Industry Fellows networking event. Exploiting the power of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing for industry-standard drug target validation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Dr Winter was invited to talk at The Royal Society Industry Fellows networking event. Exploiting the power of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing for industry-standard drug target validation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | The Royal Society Single cell ecology - Discussion Meeting, 10-11 December 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interdisciplinary meeting to explore the use of single cell technologies to understand the function, diversity and interactions of microbes. By bringing together physicists who manipulate cells, microbiologists who seek to understand the nature of microbial communities and genomicists who are developing new approaches to study individual cells we will achieve a greater understanding of the potential of this new field. 15:30-16:00 Single-cell responses to environmental cues Dr Stefano Pagliara, University of Exeter, UK. Clonal microbial populations feature cell-to-cell differences in physiological parameters such as gene expression, growth rate, and resistance to stress. This phenotypic heterogeneity is at the basis of fundamental biological processes such as membrane transport, stem cell differentiation, and tolerance to antimicrobial compounds. Therefore, it is paramount understanding how changes in the environment affect the phenotypic heterogeneity within a clonal microbial population. Stefano will illustrate how embryonic stem cells respond to physical environmental cues such as transient confinement into narrow grooves. He will show that this mechanical response is heterogeneous. Remarkably, the nuclei of some embryonic stem cells display a unique material property that is they are auxetic; exhibiting a cross-sectional expansion when stretched and a cross-sectional contraction when compressed. He will then talk about the different strategies that individual bacteria can exploit to escape antibiotics and illustrate current efforts to understand how the environment predetermines the outcome of antibiotic treatment. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2018/12/single-cell/ |
| Description | UK-Japan Annual Scientific Workshop on Research into Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals & Chemicals of Emerging Concern |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Chair and Opening talk - Environmental Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals & Chemicals of Emerging Concern |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |