The following examples illustrate some of the range of ways in which N8 is collaborating with businesses in its areas of expertise.
Case study 1 - Molecular Engineering
Phase Focus is a small company that has spun out a revolutionary technology from the University of Sheffield called the Phase Focus Virtual Lens® (VL). The VL transfers the task of microscope image formation from lenses to a computer algorithm. This has enormous potential in the $288m Life Science R&D optical microscopy market and $700m Pharmaceutical Cellular Assay market, but first the company needed to prove the concept.
"N8 via its METRC virtual lab has been instrumental in helping us do just that. Their support has enabled us to form a partnership with an academic at the University of York who will conduct the scientific work needed to help confirm that the VL will address the needs of the Life Science and Pharmaceutical industries. This would have been very difficult without the support of METRC and we wholeheartedly support the N8 concept."
Ian L. Pykett, Chief Executive Officer, Phase Focus Ltd
Case study 2 - Regenerative Medicine
A sustainable quality-assured system for assessment of pancreatic islets for patients with type 1 diabetes.
Partners: regeNer8, Newcastle Business School, Labman Automation Ltd, Complement Genomics Ltd,LGC Ltd, NESCI (North East Stem Cell Institute), University of Edinburgh School of Surgery
This project is a collaboration between N8 University Medical and Business Schools, the NHS and the private sector that will improve quality assurance for the donation of pancreatic organs to treat patients with type 1 diabetes using islet transplantation.
These innovations are needed to improve the clinical success of the procedure and number of patients that can be treated. The impact of the research from this N8, NHS and private sector collaboration will be improved outcomes for patients, and supply chain and innovation opportunities for the NHS and private sector.
Existing quality assurance testing for this procedure is ad hoc and carried out in academic laboratories that are not suitable for the highly controlled testing required for these organs. New quality assurance tests developed in this project will allow more marginal donor pancreases to be used and will bedone in an accredited external laboratory through commercial partners.
Case study 3 - Molecular Engineering
Production of Natural Flavour and Fragrance Molecules using Benign Technologies
Partners: METRC (the N8 Molecular Engineeering Translational Research Centre), Critical Processes Ltd, Frutarom (UK) Ltd.
Production and use of flavour and fragrance molecules is becoming increasingly regulated; in particular the processes that can be used in the production of "natural" aroma molecules and the solvents that are acceptable in their production. The production of natural aroma molecules has been addressed to a degree but the range of molecules that have been successfully produced is limited and the unit costs are very high.
The use of supercritical CO2 as a clean solvent for organic synthesis is already established, and the use of this solvent in combination with biocatalysts offers a wide range of reactions that are directly applicable to aroma molecules which will be classified as "natural" and will have no solvent residues.
The aim of this work is to demonstrate the use of supercritical CO2 as a platform for the production of a wide range of aroma molecules.
Case study 4 - Regenerative Medicine
High-performance cell-based wound healing products
Partners: regeNer8 (the N8 Research Centre for Translational Regenerative Medicine), Avecia Biologics, University of Brighton, Cels (Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences), Smith & Nephew
Existing cell-based wound healing products have several problems, including: scarring and lack of functionality in healed skin, limited economies of scale, no suitable products for acute care, and quality control/reproducibility issues.
Novel stem cells have been identified within the skin that are capable of providing optimal wound healing. The advantages of these stem cells include their ability to enhance healing, prevent scar formation and promote the formation of skin appendages, which are vital to the functions of skin. These features make them ideal components of tissue-engineered products.
The consortium is a multidisciplinary team in which each member possesses complementary expertise applicable to the bioprocessing of tissue-engineered products. The complexity of the science, issues in bioprocessing, unclear regulatory pathway to market and reimbursement issues, all mean that without the consortium the project would not be undertaken entirely in the private sector. Without this consortium it is unlikely that the discovery would be taken through to commercial application.
Case study 5 - Energy
Carbon Abatement Technology (CAT) - helping Northern businesses adapt their expertise to address new market opportunities
Carbon Abatement Technologies are among the most attractive emerging markets for the North of England with its large process and power generating industries, depleting oil reservoirs for storage, and engineering and research capabilities to resolve the challenges.
N8 has over 200 academics working in fields related to Carbon Abatement Technologies. The N8 Energy Group worked in conjunction with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Northern Way to stimulate business interest in the market opportunities arising from these new technologies.
This business engagement activity led to a 50% increase in applications submitted to the Technology Strategy Board, with over 50% of the short term feasibility studies based in the North. Of the larger collaborative R&D projects, N8 universities were awarded income of over £2.5m.