The Crick announces six new partnerships with SMEs with MRC support

The Francis Crick Institute announces the inception of six partnerships with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), focused on the application of novel cutting edge technologies to innovative discovery projects led by Crick researchers. The collaborations are supported by a Business Engagement Fund award from the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UK Research and Innovation.

The new partnerships encompass a diverse spectrum of research, with a common goal of delivering impactful outcomes from fundamental discovery, with projects ranging from pioneering pharmacological treatments for congenital heart defects in Down syndrome to advancing research on human ovarian supporting cells and fertility.

Paul Mercer, Head of Collaboration at the Crick, says: We are really excited to be able to develop these research partnerships with SMEs, diversifying the opportunity for development of Crick discoveries through the application of disruptive innovations.

SMEs and their partner labs

• Perha Pharmaceuticals are collaborating with Victor Tybulewicz and the Immune Cell Biology Laboratory & Down Syndrome Laboratory, looking at DYRK1A inhibition as a pharmacological treatment for congenital heart defects in down syndrome.
• Scalable Minds are collaborating with Andreas Schaefer, Carles Bosh Pinol and the Sensory Circuits and Neurotechnology Laboratory, researching multiscale structure-function characterization of the neuronal circuits for olfaction in the mouse brain.
• Broken String Biosciences are collaborating with Simon Boulton, Nishita Parnandi and the DSB Repair Metabolism Laboratory on CoDAC-seq: A low input method for simultaneous profiling of chromatin states and double-strand breaks, to leverage the technology to investigate the impact of genomic instability in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• Hertility Health are collaborating with Robin Lovell-Badge, Roberta Migale and the Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics Laboratory, looking at human ovarian supporting cells and fertility.
• Automata Technologies are collaborating with Jerome Nicod and Ben Davies in two science technology platforms, Advanced Sequencing and Genetic Modification Services, working on automated high sensitivity genetic assay for the screening of CRISPR modifications in early mouse embryos.
• Mytos are collaborating with Sonia Gandhi, Lyn Healy, the Neurodegeneration Biology Laboratory, and the Crick’s Human Embryo and Stem Cell Unit, researching automated Generation of iPSC-derived human neurons to predict druggable pathways.

Laura Dickens, Associate Director – Industry Partnerships at MRC says: Enhancing and broadening engagement with industry, particularly with SMEs, is a strategic priority for the MRC. We are therefore delighted to be piloting a business engagement fund award with the Crick focused on academic-SME collaborations. We look forward to seeing the development of the funded partnerships and the impact of the exciting science they can accomplish together.