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THE-BOX_can instantly detect avian flu or be used as a medical diagnostic too

tropical

Well-known member
From http://www.birdflubreakingnews.com/
Science firms light the way-instantly detect avian flu - The Press
8:08am Tuesday 11th September 2007

http://www.birdflubreakingnews.com/...var.1678797.0.science_firms_light_the_way.php

Yorkshire And Humber Bioscience Awards:

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</CENTER><CENTER>Science firms light the way

</CENTER>FOUR York companies swept the board at a prestigious bioscience award ceremony.
They won four out of five categories at the annual Yorkshire And Humber Bioscience Awards - prompting "absolute delight" from Professor Tony Robards, chairman of the Science City York bioscience cluster.
He said: "It's a further demonstration of the rapid and solid progress York is making in staking its claim to be one of the leading cities in the bioscience and pharmaceutical industries."
At the Bioscience Awards, at Thorpe Park Hotel, Leeds, Dr Mark Godber, of Imagel, a University of York spin-out company, was awarded the Entrepreneur Of The Year Award.
Dr Godber and Dr Andrew Wilson, both post-doctoral research fellows of the university, developed a radiation-sensitive gel which could be used to help target cancer tumours more efficiently.
The gel could be used to model a patient's head so that dry runs of radiation bombardment could pinpoint the target brain tumour through perfect calibration and reduce the danger of irradiating unaffected areas.
Dr Godber said: "We have worked very hard over the past 12 months and are very proud to receive the entrepreneur award at such an early stage in our careers."
Bioniqs Ltd, another University of York spin-out was handed the Young Company Of The Year award.
The seven-person company, based in state-of-the-art laboratories at York Science Park, has designed and manufactured novel ionic liquids that are effectively a new class of solvent.
The liquids can be used to replace or add to existing, often toxic, inflammable and environmentally damaging solvents in industrial processes The liquids are manufactured under licence by pharmaceutical group Merck and the firm recently received ?200,000 of investment from the regional Viking Fund to employ more staff.
A further ?140,000 was also raised from the IPGroup and other investors in the UK.
Dr Adam Walker, chief executive, said: "We are cock-a-hoop, especially considering the quality of rival entrants."
Avacta, the AIMS listed detection and analysis company based at York Science Park - and last year's New Business Of The Year in The Press Business Awards - scooped the Recognition Of Advancement Award.
The firm has developed "the box" - amazing technology which can rapidly identify the nature of viruses used in, for instance, germ warfare.
It can instantly detect avian flu or be used as a medical diagnostic tool.
The award for International Achievement was presented to Paraytec Ltd, the celebrated York-based company which has developed tiny tools to examine the nature of matter.
Its highly accurate miniature ultraviolet light absorbance detectors examine fluids vital in the discovery of new drugs.
Mark Vaux, Paraytec's chief executive, thanked everyone who has helped his company.
Final award of the night went to Professor Peter Dettmar, a key member of the Humber Healthcare Strategies Group and former global research and development director at Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd. He was honoured for his contribution to bioscience in Yorkshire.
The awards were the fourth to be sponsored by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency.
8:08am Tuesday 11th September 2007

By Ron Godfrey
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Re: THE-BOX_can instantly detect avian flu or be used as a medical diagnostic too


Description of the technology at the stage of proof-of-concept testing

Avacta Group plc
Office of Science and Innovation funded agreement with government
research organisations​

Field Detection of Micro-organisms​

Avacta Group plc (?Avacta?), which develops detection and analysis technology aimed at the defence & security, pharmaceutical and clinical diagnostics markets, announces an agreement with the Health Protection Agency?s Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Porton Down (?HPA?) and Central Science Laboratory, York (?CSL?). The agreement is for the joint development of field devices for the rapid detection of micro-organisms and other agents of disease.
The goal is to provide a means to assist in the diagnosis and containment of human, animal and plant disease, either natural outbreaks or caused by terrorism. Avacta completed a phase of laboratory bench testing of the technology earlier this year and has been in discussions with HPA and CSL with a view to converting the prototype into a practical and reliable hand held field detector. The joint evaluation project will be funded for 12 months by the InterAct project Proof of Concept fund, a partnership of four of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region>?s leading government research institutions, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry?s Office of Science and Innovation (?OSI?), by which time the Directors of Avacta believe that the detector will be viable for commercial production and sale.
Immediate applications are expected to lie in the detection of infectious agents like anthrax, MRSA, clostridium difficile, H5N1 avian flu virus and SARS, and in screening for plant pathogens such as Phytopthora ramorum, a fungus-like pathogen causing a disease commonly known as ?sudden oak death?.
The technology will be able to identify pathogens by detecting both the proteins and the DNA of the micro-organisms, using a dual detection assay method that minimises false readings and maximises specificity, on a disposable ?chip? with the information displayed via a user-friendly opto-electronic readout. The partnership with HPA and CSL will provide Avacta with access to expertise in pathogen detection, bio-assay reagents and sophisticated containment testing facilities.
Professor Alastair Smith, Chief Executive, Avacta, commented: ?This is a significant step for Avacta and delivery of one of the objectives set out at the time of our admission to AIM. ?Access to the bio-assay expertise of HPA and CSL and their containment facilities that are needed to validate instrument performance on real systems, gives Avacta a huge advantage in the race to develop effective tools for defence against the invisible threat of large scale disease. ?The fact that funding has been secured from the OSI?s InterAct project is a strong validation of the need for rapid detection technologies and the ability of the four partners to deliver.?
Dr Neil Boonham, Team Leader, Central Science Laboratory, commented: ?There is still a critical lack of practical, portable detection equipment to address a number of challenges that we face in controlling diseases that affect agriculture, horticulture and the environment and we are very keen to work with Avacta to transpose well developed laboratory assays into a field detection technology?. Dr Phil Luton of the Health Protection Agency commented: ? The Agency looks forward to working with the partners to develop this technology for applications in health protection and diagnostic markets?.


5 July 2007
Enquiries:
Avacta Group plc
Alastair Smith, Chief Executive
Tel: 0870 835 4367
Nexus Financial Ltd
Nicholas Nelson/Kathy Boate
Tel: 020 7451 7050
nicholas.nelson@nexusgroup.co.uk
WH Ireland Limited (Nominated Adviser)
David Youngman
Tel: 0161 832 2174
Notes to Editors:
About Avacta
Avacta was spun-out from the University of Leeds in 2004 by its current management team as a
biophysics company, with the aim of combining the disciplines of physics and biology to develop
innovative technologies and expert technical services to address needs in the pharmaceutical, defence
and clinical diagnostics markets. Avacta has a core bio-analytical technology development programme
addressing the needs of the biopharmaceutical sector to fully characterise their new products at the
earliest stage in their development to reduce the risk of late stage failure. High value solutions in
defence and clinical diagnostics are also being provided by Avacta?s development programmes. A
successful and growing part of the Avacta business model is its technical services arm, Avacta
Analytical Ltd, which is focused on providing contract research to the biopharmaceutical and
healthcare/personal-care materials sectors. Avacta was admitted to trading on AIM in August 2006
through the reverse takeover of Readybuy plc which changed its name to Avacta Group plc.
About HPA
The Health Protection Agency is an independent body that protects the health and well-being of the
population. The Agency plays a critical role in protecting people from infectious diseases and in
preventing harm when hazards involving chemicals, poisons or radiation occur. They also prepare
for new and emerging threats, such as a bio-terrorist attack or virulent new strain of disease.
About CSL
The Central Science Laboratory is dedicated to applying science in protection of food chain safety and
environmental health. Through developing and applying knowledge CSL supports customers in
assessing risks, delivering sustainable environmental solutions and responding to emergencies.
About InterAct
InterAct is a unique partnership between four leading UK government research organisations: Central
Science Laboratory (CSL), Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), Health Protection Agency (HPA), and
the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). InterAct is funded by the Department of Trade
and Industry?s Office of Science and Innovation (OSI) and was established to capture the synergies
derived from combining intellectual property, know-how and R&D services of these world class​
institutes.

http://www.avacta.com/uploads/documents/Field-detec-micro-org.pdf


 
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