Life Science Research: Instruments, reagents, software and services for life science researchers, plus microbial biotechnology and biological production of materials
Insights from the users
Our client base includes some of the largest UK and Australian universities and research organisations, which gives us a direct insight into the needs and concerns of the users of these research tools. The breadth of life science industry sectors that we cover means we can understand the types of supporting products and materials that may be used in drug discovery, agri-tech, animal health, food and nutrition, personal care and cleantech, as well as wider academic research.
From antibodies to zeolites
We have delivered projects across the full range of life science tools, looking at instruments (e.g. microscopes), reagents (e.g. antibodies and enzymes), assays for drug and agrochemical discovery, software products (e.g. to predict material properties), and service offerings for the life science industry. We also have expertise in the tools for microbial biotechnology, and the components required to produce novel materials from bacteria and other biological sources, including novel biological extracts.
Networking with industry
The life science research sector includes a small number of very big multinationals alongside a large number of smaller niche players. We meet regularly with representatives from the major companies at conferences and exhibitions to keep abreast of the latest trends and identify their areas of active interest. Our local presence in four continents also allows us to target the specialist smaller SMEs. Team members have used and commercialised life science research tools for over 20 years, giving us a personal insight.
Industry Sector Lead:
Elaine Eggington
Executive Director
+44 (0)203 176 0585
elaine.eggington@ip-pragmatics.com
Recent Projects
- Investigating the market requirements for a prototype microscope which is able to image living tissues in super-resolution at high speed and at depths of up to 0.5mm, funded by a BBSRC Pathfinder grant.
- Market research and business development services to support a UK SME to adapt its existing stand-alone sensor into an integrated automatic feeding control system and associated services for biologics manufacturers.
- Ongoing due diligence support for an international reagents company to inform their product development and acquisition strategy, including business planning support for a proposed new line of GMP-compliant reagents for cell therapy products.
Recent Projects
- Investigating the potential usage level of cryo-electronmicroscopy facilities proposed for installation within the Eastern region of the UK.
- Assessing the commercial opportunity and suitable business models for a specialist service for pre-clinical testing for fibrosis therapeutics offered by a UK university.
- Performing a market and IP assessment for a cell-based assay technology for pharmaceutical screening.
- Undertaking a market assessment and commercialisation road map to refine the commercial opportunities for a novel SERS diagnostic platform with broad applications across industries.
- Investigation of the wider applications for a suite of software tools to perform Global Sensitivity Analysis, a set of statistical techniques that can be used to support the development and analysis of numerical models.
Recent Projects
- Identifying commercial opportunities for a novel monoclonal antibody raised against the Pichia pastoralis alpha signal peptide.
- Assessing the customer needs for Xenopus (frog) collection for research use.
- Assessing the market and IP implications for a software solution for rational enzyme design to produce high value compounds, and investigating the market opportunity for the software, either through direct sales or offered on a fee-for-service basis.
- Helping to successfully spin-out the cell culture inventory software system from a UK government research organisation to form an independent company.
Project Outcomes
- We have worked over a 3-year period with a research project at a Russell Group university which is developing a new device which enables minute-by-minute, 24-hour biological sampling from patients in their homes. Following an initial market assessment, patent landscape analysis and identification of potential application areas, we worked with the team to understand potential routes to market and commercial partners. We have recently completed an outline business case to showcase the potential opportunity in order to attract management support for the next phases of development.
- Through an IP audit, we identified a new opportunity for the commercialisation of content for a microarray platform from a UK government research organisation. Through undertaking a range of market, IP, competitor and customer assessments we built a business case for the development and commercialisation of the technology as a stand-alone business. We supported the marketing and sales of its products, generating sales of £250k and attracting the attention of many of the key LSR companies. Following an approach to an international reagents and diagnostics company, IP Pragmatics facilitated a trade sale of the business, which generated a significant return on our client’s investment.
- Helping a leading UK University to obtain market understanding and further funding to develop an in vitro screening system to identify novel herbicide candidates. We carried out a full market & IP analysis and commercial route map and helped to draft applications to secure internal and external translational funding for further development. The introductions we made during this market intelligence have led to discussions between the team and two leading AgTech companies.
