Industry Engagement Fund in Therapeutic Innovation
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
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 |
| Description | Biomechanical Personalisation of Medical Devices |
| Amount | £197,638 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 10008163/KTP12721 |
| Organisation | 3D Metal Printing |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2021 |
| End | 12/2023 |
| Description | Improving the X-ray visibility of ligament repair sutures |
| Amount | £2,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Arthrex |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 05/2019 |
| End | 10/2019 |
| Description | PASHiOn: Personalised Against Standard High tibial Osteotomy, a prospective multi-centre randomised controlled trial study |
| Amount | £780,210 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 22262 |
| Organisation | Versus Arthritis |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 06/2023 |
| Description | TOKA Digital Health (TOKA portal) |
| Amount | £213,979 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 78732 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 06/2021 |
| Title | QUBES |
| Description | spectroscopic approach to detect protein stability |
| Type Of Material | Antibody |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Licences sold to use IP |
| URL | https://www.molecular-biophysics.co.uk/qubes |
| Description | 3D Metal Printing Ltd |
| Organisation | 3D Metal Printing |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The project has allowed us to define the clinical requirements and determined the best combination of relatively low-cost OEM equipment is to use the AMTI Accugait-O and Kurokesu C1. The DynaVec application including calibration and tracking has been created as a testable beta. The system calibration accuracy is better than 2 mm, which is comfortably within the clinical requirements. The system has undergone limited clinical evaluation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Input in designing products associated with the research |
| Impact | The funding has created further opportunities for engagement with the SME, and deepened the relationship. The PI and secondee supported the SME in applying for SBRI Phase 2 funding for a related project (£500K, ToKa surgical planning tool) and the PI gave the presentation to the interview board, the application was successful, announced May 2019. The SME has supported the application for funding of a multicentre clinical trial for ToKa from Versus Arthritis, which included support for further development and use of the DynaVec system. The application was successful (£780K), announced August 2019. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Arthrex - FiberWire |
| Organisation | Arthrex |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Ligament tears are common, they cause severe pain and instability. Stability can be restored through surgical repair of the ligament, where the ends are stitched back together with a polyethylene suture (Arthrex Internal Brace). However, after the operation it is not possible to visualise the repaired ligament using X-ray imaging using techniques developed at Bath. |
| Collaborator Contribution | 3 week secondment at Arthrex in Munich, Germany, investigated ways to improve the visualisation of sutures on X-rays. |
| Impact | • Successfully demonstrated that the treatment with iodised oil could be used to increase the X ray visibility of Arthrex's medical suture products. • The optimal treatment temperature and time was identified to maximise the visibility of the sutures • The sutures were visible through soft tissue, but not through bone. • Unexpectedly, the study found that the treatment was also successful on the polyester sutures. This opens up a lot more possibility for this method and may enable much wider application of the process to more suture products. • The treatment had no influence on the tensile properties of the sutures, which is a very important result and means that the function of the sutures is not impaired by the treatment. It also will facilitate regulatory approval, reducing the costs of CE marking of the product. • Work presented at the 15th Annual Bath Biomechanics Symposium, Bath, 16th September 2019. Abstract entitled: "Improving the X-ray visibility of ligament repair sutures". • Research accepted for publication at the World Biomaterials Congress, Glasgow, 19-24 May 2020. Abstract title: "Radiopaque polyethylenes to aid surgical device positioning and patient follow up". Session: Clinical applications of biomaterials. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Berlin Heart |
| Organisation | Berlin Heart |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The aim of this project was to use Doppler ultrasound to obtain data on the turbulence characteristics of blood in VADs and to subsequently use this data in a collaborative funding application with Berlin Heart to create an ultrasound cross correlation based system for measuring blood velocity in medical devices. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Berlin Heart GmbH is a German company making Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs), they are the largest and most well-known company in this field in Europe. Berlin Heart sell two types of VAD: the INCOR, which is a fully implantable axial flow VAD, designed to provide adult left ventricular support; and the EXCOR, which is a paracorporeal, positive displacement VAD, designed for support of left or right, or both ventricles, and available in sizes suitable for infants to adults. |
| Impact | 1) Paper on numerical methods for simulating transition to turbulence in blood is in preparation. 2) EPSRC proposal is in preparation. "3DEVice: three dimensional (3D) correlation-based Echo Velocimetry for Cardiovascular Devices". The application will be submitted under Healthcare Technologies with an approximate value £250k. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | FASTBASE |
| Organisation | FASTBASE |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The main aim is to utilise A-FRET to assess SHP-1 phosphorylation state (a marker of phosphatase activation/localisation) in renal endothelial cells relative to PD-1/PD-L1 interaction state. We will use CRISPR/cas9 to optimise PD-L1 expression in primary (CAKI-2) and metastatic (CAKI-1) renal cancer cells in 2D and 3D models. |
| Collaborator Contribution | FASTBASE have developed a novel photophysics platform (two-site amplified time-resolved FRET; A-FRET) that precisely quantifies biomarker readouts that reflect two-site assays reporting on protein modifications |
| Impact | non as yet |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Living With Ltd |
| Organisation | Living With |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | This secondment was intended to allow us to influence the design and structure data collection of a new healthcare product. We want to demonstrate how undertaking collaborative research can help improve the efficacy and marketability of their product. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Development and design of app |
| Impact | 1. Jointly undertaking clinician and PPI work to highlight which motivational mechanisms are perceived to underpin medicine adherence. 2. Incorporation of self-report items within the app believed to be of clinical relevance alongside generic therapeutic intake reporting functionality. 3. Initial co-creation of a collaborative study between UoB, RNHRD and Living With to investigate efficacy of motivational interventions imbedded with the app. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Company Name | BLOC LABORATORIES LIMITED |
| Description | Company incorporated Sept'19. |
| Year Established | 2019 |
| Impact | spectroscopic approach to detect protein stability |
| Description | Innovation Day Workshop |
| 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 | This brought together academic and industry in a virtual workshop. It identified 6 key areas which academic leads were also identified to take forward: 1. Net Zero in EU and UK health services 2. Sustainable medicines life-cycle and digital analysis 3. Biosensors in precision medicine 4. Quantitative diagnostics and prognostics in precision medicine 5. Personalised management and treatment of pain, using AI 6. Big data analysis of established medical sources The innovation day had 46 attendees (24 academic (plus 6 professional services/centre managers etc) and 16 industry from 15 different companies/organisations). The number of attendees was capped and invite only. The innovation day was the starting point for the "Call to Arms 2" which is a programme of events and meetings to get groups working together to put together projects that involve industry (where appropriate) and tackle industry informed challenges. They are 84 academics registered for the "call to arms" programme. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/call-to-arms-2-industrial-challenges-the-nexus-of-healthcare-su... |
| Description | Pitch Summit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | We held a Pitch Summit (May 2018) to provide an opportunity for researchers developing new innovative projects with commercial potential to gain feedback and commercial awareness form entrepreneurs with industrial experience. We had an effective selection process to identify projects that would benefit from advice in this type of forum. The pitch summit was held to coincide with a visit from Prof. Raymond Schinazi (Emory University, US) to join the feedback team for advice. The short structured pitches worked well to stimulate discussion. The event identified an early stage innovative idea where the academic (Dr Chris Pudney) was encouraged to apply for MRC P2D funding to further develop the project and was awarded funding in the first round. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Showcase in Therapeutic Innovation |
| 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 | Showcase in Therapeutic Innovation This event worked exceptionally well to highlight our research at the University in therapeutic innovation to the Pharmaceutical Industry. The event was held on campus and this was particularly successful in terms of attracting Bath academics to attend (101 Bath delegates) and showcasing our facilities to 78 external delegates. The showcase worked well in terms of attracting a range of external delegates including pharmaceutical industry, biopharma sector, charities and clinical partners. Notable pharmaceutical companies attending including UCB, AstraZeneca, GSK and Novartis. The showcase was structured around 40 research presentations over two days in two parallel sessions. The event opened with an overview of therapeutic innovation at the University and our new strategic direction with the formation of a Centre for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI). Day 1 ended with a well-attended lively panel discussion on 'Innovation & Collaboration' with Dr Suzy Rigby (Innovate UK), Prof. Paul Stott (Vice-President, AstraZeneca), Prof. Roger McMilan (Versus Arthritis) and Prof. Veronica Hope-Hailey (University of Bath). Day 2 started with a plenary lecture on 'Living with Diabetes' delivered by an expert Patient Gary Mabbutt that was very well received by the delegates. In terms of the structure of the event, we felt that it might have been better over 1 day as some people only came for the second day so missed the introductory talks about Therapeutic Proximity to Discovery: Industry Engagement Fund Progress Report Form Innovation research at the University. However, it did work well to showcase many different areas over the 2 days and this engaged many researchers at the University in the event. Overall, the showcase on campus was a very successful approach to facilitate early interactions and knowledge exchange between academics and industry that has now translated into a number of individual academic discussions with the companies. This event led to an application to the P2D knowledge exchange fund that is currently under consideration for funding. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.bath.ac.uk/events/showcase-in-therapeutic-innovation-2018/ |