The agreement will allow early-stage biotech companies and entrepreneurs to gain access to both the laboratory facilities at The Babraham Research Campus, and the co-working community at the ideaSpace. This will therefore add an exciting new component to the start up ecosystem in Cambridge.
Babraham traditionally helps early stage biotech companies and entrepreneurs through programmes like the Biotechnology Investment Forum and the Cambridge Bio-Academic Showcase. However, this new collaboration would allow the Institute to reach a new audience – entrepreneurs from ideaSpace.
Entrepreneurs at ideaSpace will now be able to essentially partake in a spot of ‘hot-labbing’ – whereby they get part-time access to the laboratory facilities at the Babraham Institute. ideaSpace has been mainly high tech and software focused, but the new ‘hot-labbing’ agreement will allow them to attract members from other sectors. This is explained by Dr Belinda Clarke, director of External Relations at ideaSpace, “The superb facilities at Babraham can help ideaSpace support a wider range of members from different sectors who require such specialist facilities.”
As reported by Cambune, companies from the Cambridge Biotech cluster will play a key role in an innovative epigenetics collaboration called Blueprint.
This €40m project which will aim to discover how the epigenome influences health and disease. It is hoped that this will help lead to great advances in the treatment of a variety of human diseases.
Cambridge-based contributors that will be involved with Blueprint, include:
The study of epigenetics can help explain how human genes are influenced by external forces. The genome is essentially the body’s building blocks, so it is the epigenome that determines how these building blocks construct living things.
When the regulation of this is faulty, it can result in diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Professor Wolf Reik, associate director at the Babraham Institute and Professor of Epigenetics at the University of Cambridge, explains:
“It is clear that our susceptibility to disease can only be partially explained by genes alone and epigenetics is emerging as an important research area that is bringing insight to many adult conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and autoimmune disorders.
“The purpose of project Blueprint is to determine the properties and functions of epigenomes in development and disease.”
The leading biotechnology company, Genzyme have declined an $18.5bn takeover bid by French drug makers, Sanofi Aventis yesterday.
Genzyme’s chief executive, Henri A.Termeer wrote this statement in a letter to Sanofi’s cheif executive Christopher A. Viehbacher, “The Genzyme board is not prepared to engage in merger negotiations with Sanofi based upon an opportunistic proposal with an unrealistic starting price that dramatically undervalues our company.”
Shares of Genzyme, which is one of the world’s leading makers of drugs for rare genetic disorders, rose nearly 4 percent to $70.13 in afternoon trading.
As reported by the Financial Times, the French pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Aventis, has made a preliminary takeover approach to the US biotech group, Genzyme.
It has been reported however that the approach does not constitute a formal proposal and the two companies are not currently in talks. However, Sanofi’s CEO Chris Viehbacher is reportedly considering using the company’s cash to partake in acquisitions in a bid to secure revenues as the patents on their existing drugs are set to expire.
The majority of Genzyme’s focus lies with orphan drugs – those which are used to treat rare conditions which affect a very small percentage of the population. These drugs there for come with high price tags – an attractive prospect for Sanofi.
The biopharmaceutical services provider, Quintiles have announced that it will be investing up to $2m in the Australia-based Prana Biotechnology.
Quintiles has been involved with Prana’s work since the company was established in 1997. However, recently Quintiles has subscribed to Prana’s newly subscribed shares in a bid to help support a planned definitive Phase II study with PBT2 (Prana’s lead compound for Alzheimer’s disease).
Speaking of the investment, a spokesperson from Prana stated the company was “delighted to have secured an organisation of the calibre and influence of Quintiles as a significant shareholder and supporter of Prada’s therapeutic goals”.
A biotechnology company is currently looking for an Automation Scientist to join their team based in Cambridgeshire, UK.
As an Automation Scientist, you will be working with scientists in Research and Development where you will help evaluate current laboratory practices and help devise methods of automating practical work so that they can be performed in a more streamlined and efficient.
Working as an Automation Scientist, you will help install, test and validate new laboratory automation to ensure that it is fit for purpose and will help support and modify existing laboratory automation to ensure that it operates to a high standard and evolves to meet the changing needs of scientists.
This Automation Scientist role will also require you to help train and advise users on the optimal use of laboratory automation. Communication and collaboration with others forms a major part of this role. As part of the Automation team you will work at the bench to test laboratory automation and validate that the automation performs to the required standard and delivers benefits to the scientists.
The ideal candidate for this Automation Scientist job will have a degree or HNC/D in Life Sciences, Computing or near equivalent. You will also need laboratory skills in microbiology, molecular biology or assay work to work with scientists performing diverse laboratory processes before and after automation.
This Automation Scientist also demands a candidate with experience in inautomated liquid handlers, plate readers, automation software and equipment (Tecan, PerkinElmer, Biotek, Genetix and Velocity 11). Familiarity with additional automation platforms is also a plus.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a leading biotech company in the beautiful surroundings of Cambridgeshire, UK.
Apply now
For more information, or to apply for this Automation Scientist job now, please contact Julie Marshall at CK Science on 01438 723500 or email jmarshall@ckscience.co.uk.
Our client, a major biotechnology company is currently looking for a Senior Process Technologist to join their Manufacturing department based in the North East of England.
As Senior Process Technologist your role will involve:
The introduction of new products
Prioritising plant preparation and start up activities
The allocation of tasks to members of the production team
Accountability for the introduction of new and existing products
Acting as a focal point for process performance issues
This Senior Process Technologist role also involves managing a small team of document technicians and manufacturing scientists ensuring all documents are compliant with company standards and laboratory scale process development and scale up activities during early stages of technical transfer.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join an exceptional company which offers innovative solutions at the cutting edge of research.
To be considered for this Senior Process Technologist role you must have a proven background in a similar role and be of graduate calibre.
How to Apply
For more information or to apply for this Senior Process Technologist role, please contact Heather Deagle at hdeagle@ckscience.co.uk. Please use reference number DH19448 in all correspondence.
CK Science is the largest independent scientific recruitment company in the UK. Our team of specialist recruiters are here to help you achieve your career ambitions within the scientific industry. We actively offer you careers advice, help with writing your CV, assistance with interview preparation and up-to-date information about the industry. We pride ourselves on providing an honest, straight-forward and trustworthy service to both our clients and candidates.
Our client is currently looking for a European Technical Sales Specialist to join their team. This European Technical Sales Specialist job is a technical sales role, in which you will be responsible for providing field technical and application sales support within sections of mainland Europe with higher than average market potential (Benelux / Switzerland / Austria / Southern Germany).
Working closely with the European Sales Director, as European Technical Sales Specialist, you will manage large client accounts and support local sales teams to develop a niche market with fewer but larger clients.
The ideal candidate for this European Technical Sales Specialist role will be degree qualified (or equivalent) and will have experience of working in a laboratory with technical instrumentation. Previous Key Account Management experience is also essential and experience of working in a similar role covering vaccine producers, small biotech, blood banks etc would be advantageous. You will also have research laboratory applications experience and previous successful experience in developing customer relations. It is essential that you have a willingness to travel extensively to accomplish assigned objectives (60% or greater) and the ability to speak French and or German and or Italian would be a distinct advantage.
We are looking for people either based in or willing to relocate to Benelux, Brussels or South Germany primarily or people based in or willing to relocate to Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria or Southern Europe generally.
How to Apply
To find out more about this European Technical Sales Specialist role, contact Jason Johal on 01438 723 500 or email jjohal@ckscience.co.uk. Please quote reference ST19401 in all correspondence.
If you do not hear back from us within 5 working days of your application for this role, it means that on this occasion you have not been shortlisted for the next stage of the recruitment campaign. Entitlement to work in the EEA is essential.
About CK Science
CK Science is the largest independent scientific recruitment company in the UK. Our team of specialist recruiters are here to help you achieve your career ambitions within the scientific industry. We actively offer you careers advice, help with writing your CV, assistance with interview preparation and up-to-date information about the industry. We pride ourselves on providing an honest, straight-forward and trustworthy service to both our clients and candidates.
Our client, a global organisation providing field-proven solutions to the oil and gas industry, are currently looking for a Development Manager to join their team based in the North of Scotland. The purpose of this Development Manager role is to develop the compounding and manufacturing process for elastomer based products on a global scale.
Further responsibilities of this Compounding and Manufacturing Manager role include:
Developing manufacturing strategies (both compound mixing and product manufacturing) on a global level to ensure that products are continually supplied to required quality, delivery and cost levels.
Direct liaison and negotiating with potential manufacturing vendors/partners to allow for controlled expansion of the global manufacturing footprint.
Providing technical expertise to the R&D / Engineering / Supply Chain teams and specialised third parties in relation to compound development and enhancement.
Providing professional documentation and training for the efficient knowledge transfer to the Supply Chain when appropriate.
To be able and willing to travel to any location if required to do so due to operational manufacturing needs.
Developing relationships with compounding and manufacturing facilities.
Assisting with continuous improvement plans relating to new compounding & manufacturing processes and techniques.
The successful candidate will be qualified to minimum HND in chemistry or equivalent industrial experience and have a proven track record of working in compounding and manufacture of elastomers. You must also possess some managerial or supervisory experience. Entitlement to work in the EEA is essential.
If you would like to hear more about this Development Manager job, please contact Barney Smith on 0191 384 8905, or email bsmith@ckscience.co.uk quoting reference DH19087 in all correspondence.
CK Science is the largest independent scientific recruitment company in the UK. Our team of specialist recruiters are here to help you achieve your career ambitions within the scientific industry. We actively offer you careers advice, help with writing your CV, assistance with interview preparation and up-to-date information about the industry. We pride ourselves on providing an honest, straight-forward and trustworthy service to both our clients and candidates.
Our client is looking for a Materials Engineer to join their Research and Development facility within East Anglia. Joining an innovative research and development team surrounding material and colour display device development you will be undertaking research projects to develop an understanding of semi conductor materials and device physics to develop their new colour display technology.
This is an exciting opportunity to join their technology organisation working with unique display devices and developing ‘new science’, which in return offers an attractive salary and benefits package. To be considered for this role, you will have a degree in Materials Engineer, Physics (or a related subject) or equivalent experience and demonstrated experience of semiconductor materials including film processing and colour display technology. Experience working with plastic materials within technology development would be advantageous but not essential.
To hear more about this Materials Engineer role, please contact Andrew Bolton on 01438 723500 or email abolton@ckscience.co.uk, quoting reference ST19071 in all correspondence.
If you are successful after the first round of screening, we will contact you within five working days. Entitlement to work in the EEA is essential.
About CK Science
CK Science is the largest independent scientific recruitment company in the UK. Our team of specialist recruiters are here to help you achieve your career ambitions within the scientific industry. We actively offer you careers advice, help with writing your CV, assistance with interview preparation and up-to-date information about the industry.
As reported by Business Weekly, a new partnership between The Babraham Research Campus and The University of Cambridge’s ideaSpace is set to create 410 new biotech jobs.
![iStock_000006963239Medium[1]](http://ckscience.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/iStock_000006963239Medium13-150x150.jpg "iStock_000006963239Medium[1]")
