Proximity to Discovery 2014 – University of Nottingham

Lead Research Organisation: University of Nottingham
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.

People

ORCID iD

Publications

10 25 50

 
Description David Scurr - Innovate UK KTP with Alliance Boots
Amount £150,000 (GBP)
Organisation Innovate UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start  
 
Description Dr David Scurr - University of Nottingham Hermes
Amount £5,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start  
 
Description Dr Kevin Webb - EPSRC/UoN IAA
Amount £19,236 (GBP)
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2016 
End 03/2017
 
Description Dr Kevin Webb - University of Nottingham Hermes
Amount £27,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start  
 
Description Improving neonatal outcomes with an evidence-based, multi-disciplinary developed transport system
Amount £876,562 (GBP)
Funding ID II-LA-0715-20003 
Organisation National Institute for Health Research 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2017 
End 11/2019
 
Description Jade Kettlewell SPCR Post Doc Fellowship 2022
Amount £145,000 (GBP)
Organisation National Institute for Health Research 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2022 
End 03/2024
 
Description UoN Hermes award to PI McInally: In Vivo testing of avb1 Integrin Inhibitors for Fibrotic Diseases
Amount £5,600 (GBP)
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2016 
End 10/2016
 
Description UoN MRC CiC Round 9: Needle free delivery of macromolecular therapeutics
Amount £156,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2019 
End 12/2020
 
Description Dr David Scurr: Active Compound Delivery into the Skin - Industrial Partners Engagement 
Organisation Alliance Boots
Country Switzerland 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Research activities within the School of Pharmacy have led to the development of spectrometry based methodologies which can be used to probe the extent of active pharmaceutical and / or cosmetic agents into skin tissue.
Collaborator Contribution Alliance Boots PLC have provided knowledge and skills in topical delivery.
Impact 27010630
Start Year 2015
 
Description Dr Don Sharkey: Neonatal Inter-Hospital Transport System 
Organisation Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC
Department Jaguar Land Rover
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Design of a novel neonatal transport system, to reduce noise and vibration in addition to more secure transport.
Collaborator Contribution Computer design, further developmental design input and regulatory affairs.
Impact No outcomes yet; anticipated registering of design rights, plus patent filings and publications.
Start Year 2015
 
Description Dr Don Sharkey: Neonatal Inter-Hospital Transport System 
Organisation ParAid Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Design of a novel neonatal transport system, to reduce noise and vibration in addition to more secure transport.
Collaborator Contribution Computer design, further developmental design input and regulatory affairs.
Impact No outcomes yet; anticipated registering of design rights, plus patent filings and publications.
Start Year 2015
 
Description Dr Ian Todd: Reuse and refinement of anti-microbials as anti-inflammatories for therapy of orphan autoinflammatory diseases. 
Organisation Sygnature Discovery Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Performance of a multiplexed signalling molecule detection methodology as a platform for drug repurposing and refinement, which has led to identification of a number of lead compounds.
Collaborator Contribution Identification of additional chemical structures of interest for screening by University of Nottingham, built models of potency for each compound cluster, Bayesian modelling and 3-D predictions
Impact No outputs to date.
Start Year 2015
 
Description Dr Kate Radford: Evaluation of the Brain in Hand software for use with people with acquired brain injuries (ABI) 
Organisation Brain in Hand Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution • Undertake some early stakeholder engagement activity in partnership with Brain in Hand to inform the necessary technological developments for bid development and evaluation as part of the existing project. • Explore the potential for widening the market for Brain in Hand's application in other conditions such as children with ABI and adults with MS and dementia; • Identify and engage with relevant networks and showcase our research at UoN, thereby acting as a catalyst for further networking and collaboration. • Provide an opportunity for an experienced post-doctoral researcher to assist in bid writing, while developing their potential to become an independent researcher.
Collaborator Contribution • Facilitation of User and Professional technical workshops (these will be held at least 3 times during the study programme to ensure that user and professional views about BiH software development are factored in to the overall design). Glenn Atter (Technical Director) and Heather Cook (Client Director) along with other members of the BiH team will facilitate these workshops • Development and implementation of marketing and PR campaign, promoting the collaboration between University of Nottingham and Brain in Hand to foster the development of BiH into the ABI rehabilitation pathway.
Impact None
Start Year 2015
 
Description Dr Kevin Webb: Commercialisation of next-generation erasable flow-through biosensors 
Organisation SimPore Inc
Country United States 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Demonstration of utility of SERS for applications for intrinsic evaluation of Raman spectra of: o Proteins o Small molecules o Lipids o Nucleic Acids o Nano-particles o Exemplification in different bio-matrices (Blood, saliva, urine etc)
Collaborator Contribution Benchmark known SERS performance against leading prior art - cost and performance
Impact None
Start Year 2015
 
Description Dr Kevin Webb: Commercialisation of next-generation erasable flow-through biosensors 
Organisation University of Rochester
Department University of Rochester Medical Centre
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Demonstration of utility of SERS for applications for intrinsic evaluation of Raman spectra of: o Proteins o Small molecules o Lipids o Nucleic Acids o Nano-particles o Exemplification in different bio-matrices (Blood, saliva, urine etc)
Collaborator Contribution Benchmark known SERS performance against leading prior art - cost and performance
Impact None
Start Year 2015
 
Description Dr Marie-Christine Pardon: Thymosin beta 4: a potential candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia 
Organisation Astex Pharmaceuticals
Department Astex Therapeutics Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Identification of a novel potential disease mechanism for Alzheimer's disease - Improved understanding of the role of TB4 in immune cell function - Increased confidence in the suitability of TB4 as therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease
Collaborator Contribution Knowledge related to therapeutic peptide development
Impact None
Start Year 2016
 
Description Dr Marie-Christine Pardon: Thymosin beta 4: a potential candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia 
Organisation Eisai Ltd
Country Japan 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Identification of a novel potential disease mechanism for Alzheimer's disease - Improved understanding of the role of TB4 in immune cell function - Increased confidence in the suitability of TB4 as therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease
Collaborator Contribution Knowledge related to therapeutic peptide development
Impact None
Start Year 2016
 
Description Dr Tom McNally: Inhibitors for Fibrotic Diseases - People Exchange Programme to Progress Early Leads and Enable Applications for More Substantial Funding 
Organisation GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Country Global 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Identification of a small molecule inhibitor for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Collaborator Contribution Assays, computer modelling and medicinal chemistry.
Impact No outputs yet, a patent filing by the University of Nottingham is anticipated.
Start Year 2015
 
Description GSK - University of Nottingham 
Organisation GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Country Global 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Dr Tom McInally's collaboration with GSK to explore new inhalation therapeutics.
Collaborator Contribution Provision of pharmaceutical industry expertise.
Impact No outputs to date
Start Year 2017
 
Description Prof David Gardner: Minimally Invasive Cloacal Repair Operation (MICRO) 
Organisation Oxtex Ltd
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Investigation of a unique treatment options for cloaca; the defect is one of the most formidable technical challenges in pediatric surgery. A pilot study using available cadaveric material will establish the surgical techniques and efficacy of implantation of tissue expanders into the ano-genital sinus of a pig.
Collaborator Contribution The tissue engineering and development of anisotrophic tissue expanders was conducted by Oxtex Ltd, Witney, UK
Impact None
Start Year 2016
 
Description Prof Lindy Durrant: Crown Bioscience Exchange: pre-clinical models 
Organisation Crown Bioscience Inc.
Country United States 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Generation of a panel of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.
Collaborator Contribution Expertise with screening and testing of functionality and likely immunogenicity.
Impact None
Start Year 2016
 
Description Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Showcase 
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 In July 2016 we hosted a Transformative Technologies Research Showcase, attended by academic colleagues, industrial collaborators, prospective industrial partners, charities,
policy makers and funders and where we showcased the Clinical Translational Research undertaken at Nottingham. Intended to kick-start new industrial relationships and to provide a space for academic colleagues to come together and prompt new cross faculty, multi-disciplinary collaborations, the event was hosted by Professor Jonathan Ball, Director of Research, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences and was an opportunity for delegates to find out about some of the world leading technologies
developed out of Nottingham. They also had the opportunity to see some of them in our pop-up Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Technology Demonstrator. A programme of speakers covered a range of topics from both industry and academic perspective. The event was held in the University of
Nottingham Medical School, and was attended by around 100 delegates - 36 industry guests and 62 internal, cross-faculty guests.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016