You can explore some of the ways our research is shaping the world through our case studies.
Manchester BIOGEL (formerly PeptiGelDesign) was founded in 2013 by Drs Aline Miller and Alberto Saiani. Manchester BIOGEL provides performance hydrogels that have applications in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and cosmetic industries as well as in academia. The product, PeptiGel, is a synthetic biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogel with tailored mechanical properties and functionality for a range of biotechnological applications. These hydrogels are composed of an entangled network of elongated fibres that mimic the structure of extra cellular matrices. Manufactured in a dedicated facility with rigorous quality controls, PeptiGel is consistent across batches, is supplied ready-to-use, and is available in a range of mechanical strengths and viscosities to suit the needs and environments of cell cultures. PeptiGel allows for 3-D cell culture and has applications as a drug delivery vehicle, scaffolds for cell-based therapies and assays as well as tissue engineering, which enables the next generation of therapeutic treatments.
C3 Biotechnologies Ltd (C3 BIOTECH) is using emergent technologies such as synthetic biology to design new biofuels. The company works across biomanufacturing and distribution supply chains to deliver next-generation fuels that are sustainable, renewable, and cost effective. C3 BIOTECH has developed proprietary technologies for the producing bio-ethanol (from carbon dioxide), liquefied petroleum gas (from waste materials) and precursors of aviation fuel components. C3 BIOTECH is working with the Future BRH to develop economic scaled production platforms for these products. Future BRH is supporting C3 BIOTECH to commercialise its fuels portfolio by offering guidance in techno-economics analysis and assessments of environmental impacts. These analyses are then feed into industry sponsored programmes to scale up laboratory processes into pilot and demonstrator programmes.
C4X Discovery, founded by Dr Andrew Almond, uses the latest biotechnology research to develop drugs for the areas of immunology and inflammation, neurology and neurodegeneration, and cancer (including immuno-oncology). One of their key offerings is the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) based technology platform, Conformetrix. This platform, which is used in a proprietary partnership with AstraZeneca, allows chemists to easily measure the dynamic 3-D shapes of free drug molecules. This gives new and helpful insights into the behaviour and physical properties of drug molecules and permits faster and cheaper drug development.
Dekiln originated during the COVID-19 pandemic when founder Dr Aled Roberts established a basement laboratory to conduct materials research using commonly available ingredients. Resource constraints led to a significant breakthrough in sustainable ceramic alternatives inspired by natural materials like seashells, tooth enamel, and pearl.
Established in 2021, Imperagen is a pioneering Techbio company, focused on accelerating the process of enzyme engineering. Serving diverse markets, from pharmaceutical manufacturing and life sciences to sustainable fine chemical production and industrial applications, we work hand-in-hand with our customers to de-risk and streamline their product development and fast track their path to market. At the heart of our approach is our Digital Enzyme EvolutionTM technology – a fully integrated, digitialized platform that revolutionizes enzyme development. By unifying AI-led protein design with novel biotechnology and laboratory automation, it enables the creation of high-performance enzymes with unprecedented speed, accuracy and reliability.
Holiferm develops processes to manufacture sustainable biosurfactant products for use at commercial scale. Holiferm transforms conventional batch fermentation into efficient continuous processes and our patented integrated gravity separation technology enables cost competitive large scale production of biosurfactant products. Our technology can be applied to a wide range of different biosurfactants, and many other lipid molecules. We have the capability to scale up and commercialise biosurfactant molecules.