A Glimpse Into the Technologies Behind Upcoming UK Biotech Start-Ups
We take a closer look at some of the innovative technologies of this year's “Discovery Spark” cohort.
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The journey from a research scientist to a successful start-up is nonlinear and often fraught with many barriers to overcome. Business support programs are designed to help early-stage, high-potential companies succeed by bridging the gap between innovation and the market.
One such program is Discovery Spark, which aims to help early-stage biotechnology and healthcare companies grow by providing them with the skills and tools to refine their business and commercial strategy. The program leverages the facilities on offer at Discovery Park, a leading science and innovation campus based in Sandwich, UK.
The six-week program culminates in a competitive pitch day, where the companies showcase the skills they’ve gained to investors with a prize package worth over £50,000 up for grabs. The prize also includes one year of free laboratory or office space at Discovery Park, alongside continuing business support and mentoring from a series of companies.
Previous winners of the prize include BugBiome, a biotech start-up on a mission to create safer pest control solutions by harnessing the microbiome, and Minter Hormone Health, a health clinic specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of menopause.
This year's cohort leverages innovative biotechnology and healthcare solutions
The ten companies taking part in the latest round of the Discovery Spark program are:
- AminoPlus
- Bioflares
- Gutsee
- Peachy Healthcare
- Phlow
- RS & RS Scientific
- Simplex Molecular
- SmileScaff
- UltraBiOmics
- We Are Eden
Here, we take a closer look at a selection of the companies that secured a spot on the latest cohort and the technology they are leveraging.
Bioflares
Bioflares offers in vivo preclinical dual-color near-infrared (NIR) bioluminescence imaging technology. The technology is based on a compound called infraluciferin - a color-shifting far-red to NIR analog of firefly luciferin (the natural light-emitting compound in fireflies) and infraluciferase enzymes.
Tracking and imaging biological events in vivo are crucial to fields such as drug discovery, stem cell research and vaccinology. As infraluciferin can emit light of different wavelengths, depending on the luciferase enzyme it reacts with, it enables the imaging of two things at the same time in whole living mammals.
Gutsee
GutSee’s vision is to eliminate gut disorders, starting with improving the diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). GutSee leverages its artificial intelligence (AI)-discovery platform that combines multiomics data and AI modeling to better understand the microbiome-host interactions behind IBS.
Beyond understanding the causes of the disease, GutSee utilizes precision microbiome modulation therapy to help restore the gut balance and provide relief to IBS sufferers.
“Imagine a world where IBS is a thing of the past. Today, hundreds of millions suffer in silence, with over 10 million in the UK alone. But GutSee Health is on a mission to change all that,” Dr. Joanna Wiecek, CEO of GutSee, told Technology Networks.
“At the forefront of gut health innovation, GutSee is revolutionizing treatment with the power of advanced AI and cutting-edge science. Our AI-discovery platform is unlike anything before it: harnessing vast amounts of genetic and microbiome data to uncover new therapy targets.”
“With this technology, we’re developing precision microbiome therapy for IBS that doesn’t just alleviate symptoms— it transforms people's lives.”
RS & RS Scientific
RS & RS Scientific are using gene editing technology and nanoparticles to target key genes within the tumor microenvironment, with the aim of enhancing the efficiency of cancer treatments, particularly for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Using these technologies, the company hopes to transform the immunosuppressive environment into one that supports immune system action against tumors.
"Our technology targets the critical challenge of drug resistance in SCLC, which limits the efficacy of treatments. By developing an inhalable gene-editing therapy, we aim to transform the tumor microenvironment, making it more receptive to immune cell infiltration and therapy. This therapy directly delivers treatments to the lungs, minimizing systemic side effects and enabling home-based administration,” Dr. Reza Salimi, CEO of RS & RS Scientific, told Technology Networks.
“We believe our solution will enhance treatment effectiveness, improve patient quality of life, reduce hospital visits and offer a transformative approach to SCLC treatment that could extend to other respiratory diseases and cancers."
Simplex Molecular
Simplex Molecular develops point-of-care systems for DNA testing, with the goal of making these tests universally accessible.
By removing the need for state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, Simplex Molecular hopes to contribute to global efforts against antimicrobial resistance by providing platforms that can rapidly detect resistant bacteria at the point of care.
