Science Park 26.02.2013 Tetricus Science Park Seminar : On Tuesday 5th March, Sally Hampton (Head of Biology) and Robert Haigh (Founder and Chief Operating Officer) of Kalvista Pharmaceuticals will give a presentation on " Discovery and Development of New Treatments for Diabetic Retinopathy" from 12:30-14:00 pm in the Dstl Conservation Museum. A light lunch will be provided, so RSVP to linda@tetricus.co.uk or 01980 556514, by close on Friday 1st March 2013 so we have numbers for catering.
The next Cafe Scientifique will also be on the same day in the evening, when Dr Gianluca Memoli will give a presentation on "Bubbles Everywhere". Gianluca is a bubble scientist, working at the National Physical Laboratory where he studies the close relationship between bubbles and sound and how to exploit it to produce greener fuels, tastier food, and less invasive ways to deliver drugs. Through demonstrations and curiosities, there will be an exploration of the "bubble world"... finding that bubbles affect our lives in ways we often don't realise. As usual, Cafe Scientifique will be held at Salisbury Rugby Club, 7:00 (for 7:30) - 9:00 pm (see http://cafescientifiquesalisbury.org.uk )

Science Park 07.02.2013 Diasolve Diagnostic Solutions Tetricus Science Park is delighted to welcome Diasolve Diagnostic Solutions as a new tenant. Diasolve's activity cover in vitro diagnostics and in vivo imaging and physiological measurements, as well as pharmaceutical compounds used for diagnostic purposes and currently have two internal development projects in the field of Stratified Medicine supported by the Technology Strategy Board. Their external clients cover a range of organisations such as:

  • early-stage UK companies developing novel in vitro diagnostic products;
  • venture capital backed US companies looking to gain market access in Europe;
  • established Japanese technology firms wishing to commercialise innovations developed in the UK.

Diasolve has developed a very flexible approach to business which allows them to provide support along every stage of the journey to healthy sales, and even to assume full responsibility for the product development and launch process. Through their internal team and network of specialist associates they can provide expert services to underpin product design through to market access, including:

  • Strategy Formulation and Business Planning
  • Financing through Grants and Venture Capital
  • Outsourced Product Design & Development
  • Voice-of-Customer and other Market Research
  • Trial Planning, Health Economics and Reimbursement

MD, Paul Weinberger, said "I am delighted to be back amongst friends in the thriving science and technology community at Porton Down, having left Enigma in 2010 and founded Diasolve Diagnostic Solutions later that year. After twenty years working in industry I had grown frustrated with the lack of dedicated, expert services provided in the field of diagnostics so I decided to do something about it. I founded Diasolve to support inventors with novel technologies, and executives with challenging targets to achieve, struggling to find providers they could trust to deliver. The announcement last year of the funding to develop the new Porton Science Park and build the innovation centre came at the ideal time for Diasolve. I was looking to establish a head-office in a credible incubator site, and had been exploring facilities in London and the South of England. This much needed boost to the science base in Wiltshire, offering a long-term solution for the future, made it the obvious choice for me."

Science Park 16.01.2013 New Innovation Centre for Tetricus. The full Planning Application for the Innovation Centre was submitted to Wiltshire Council under Reserved Matters on 11 December when public consultation started and will end on 31 January. The planning application  describes it as "Porton Science Park, Land Off Manor Farm Road, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG. Reserved matters application for construction of a junction to manor farm road, site spine road and related distribution roads and the erection of a two-storey office/laboratory incubator building with roof top screened plant area, external enclosures, car parking, and associated external works and landscaping." A decision is expected before 5 February 2013. Details of the application can be found at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planninganddevelopment/2012/1756/applicationdetails.htm

Science Park 17.12.2012 Fluorogenics. Tetricus Science Park new start-up company, Fluorogenics Ltd, exhibited at Medica Dusseldorf (Hall 1 Stand D04) from the 14-17th of November, where they presented their "Cyxi" range of lyophilised polymerase chain re-action reagents to potential partners and distributors. "Cyxi" reagents free the PCR process from the burden of the cold supply chain reducing both the logistics of distribution and the environmental impact of refrigerated transport and storage. "Cyxi" may be combined with assay specific primers and probes from Fluorogenics or other providers for a simple robust PCR suitable for both laboratory and non-laboratory testing.

Science Park 26.11.2012 New Arrivals Tetricus Business Services Coordinator, Fiona Larkin, gave birth to baby Margaret on 15th November, five weeks early, at Salisbury Hospital. Margaret weighed in at just over 5lb 15oz. Congratulations to both Fiona and Margaret! Whilst Fiona is on maternity leave, Linda Chorlton will be providing Maternity Cover, starting today. Linda has four years' property experience as Branch Administrator at Connells Estate Agent and before that worked for the Cain Bio- Engineering Consultancy in the Woodford Valley. She lives close to Salisbury town centre with her husband, two daughters and assorted pets.

Science Park 05.11.2012 KalVista Pharmaceuticals awarded £2.4M Biomedical Catalyst funding. KalVista Pharmaceuticals, a key tenant of the Tetricus Science Park, have announced that it has won a £2.4 million grant from the Technology Strategy Board under the UK Government's £180 million Biomedical Catalyst funding initiative for research and development in the life sciences. KalVista will use the new funding to accelerate the development of an oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), the leading cause of working-age adult blindness. The Biomedical Catalyst grant will allow KalVista to complete pre-clinical development of oral plasma kallikrein inhibitors identified by the Company and prepare a drug candidate ready for Phase I clinical development.
"We are very pleased to have secured Biomedical Catalyst funding for the development of an oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor for DME," said Andrew Crockett, KalVista's CEO. "It is a recognition of the potential of our approach and the expertise of our team and will allow us to bring to the clinic more rapidly a new treatment that we hope will ultimately improve outcomes for patients with what is a very serious complication in diabetes. The oral programme will run alongside our $2.2 million collaboration with the JDRF, the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, for the development of an intravitreal (IVT) injectable form of plasma kallikrein inhibitor. That collaboration is progressing well with first in human trials planned for next year. We look forward to similarly rapid progress under the Biomedical Catalyst grant."
KalVista's oral and intravitreal injection plasma kallikrein inhibitor programmes both draw on the Company's established leadership position and expertise with this target class. While both routes of administration offer potential benefits to patients, a successful oral drug would offer a novel delivery approach for better patient acceptability and the possibility of earlier treatment of the disease.

Science Park 24.10.2012 New School for South Wiltshire - Specialising in Science and Engineering for the Defence Industries. Do you recruit scientists or engineers or do you have children interested in a future career in science or engineering? If so, we have news of an exciting new development for South Wiltshire. A local consortium is bidding to open a University Technical College (UTC) in Salisbury from 2014. This would be a specialist 14-19 state school training young scientists and engineers on an intensive 9-5 day with support from the Army, the University of Southampton, Wiltshire College and local defence companies. You can find out more and, importantly, give your views as an employer and/or a parent on the idea at www.wiltshire-utc.co.uk. There's a link to a survey of potential students too.

Science Park 19.10.2012 New Innovation Centre for Tetricus. Tetricus wholeheartedly welcomes today's announcement that the application from Wiltshire Council and a joint venture between Wrenbridge and Trebor Developments Ltd has secured £10m funding from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Regional Growth Fund to develop the Porton Science Park. The successful bid for £10m will help kick-start the first phase of the total science park project creating the infrastructure for the planned 355,000 sq ft science park and a new 23,000 sq ft innovation centre.
For the past eleven years Tetricus has successfully operated the business incubator for bioscience-related companies at Porton Down, providing office and laboratory space combined with specialist business support and mentoring for its tenant companies and for over five years has been working to develop a new innovation centre and the science park as a whole. The funding will secure the future provision of these market leading specialist resources, and will play an integral role in the success of the science park and its stakeholders. This will provide certainty for our existing client companies and their staff and enable us to further develop this centre of excellence in the heart of South Wiltshire. The new Science Park will create or safeguard around 2,000 jobs over a 10-year-period and bring national and international investment into the area meaning that Wiltshire will be firmly at the forefront of the science and technology industries.
The Porton Science Park will be based near leading scientific institutions, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) at the Porton Down site near Salisbury and provide facilities for science and research based industries and could attract £70m of private sector investment in the next 10 years. The development is expected to attract high levels of investment from both the UK and foreign bioscience and healthcare.
Wiltshire Council leader Jane Scott said: "This is another example of how Wiltshire is open for business and how vital it is to take every opportunity to boost our economy. Our workforce, travel links and public and private sector partnerships make this county a great place in which to invest and we are seeing this time and time again.
This is really good news for the whole of Wiltshire as the Porton Science Park will lead the way in the science and technology industry. It will mean more jobs for local people and more investment into this county and its communities. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in this successful multi-million pound bid."

Science Park 02.08.2012 Wessex Life Sciences Alliance Conference. The Wessex Life Sciences Alliance embodies the cross-sector collaborations between the University of Southampton, University Hospital Southampton, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Tetricus Science Park and the research establishments, HPA and Dstl, at Porton Down. On Monday 17th September, Southampton University Institute for Life Sciences will host the first Wessex Life Sciences Alliance Conference. The conference will focus on areas of Genetics, Immunology, Cancer, Vaccines and Microbiology and the objectives are to bring together key specialists from across these organisations and to strengthen the partnership through collaboration. Presentations will relate topics to translational research and enabling technologies and include speakers from the regional Life Sciences research community. In addition there will be a poster session, which will provide an excellent opportunity to network. The keynote speaker will be Prof Carl Borrebaeck, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor at the Department of Immunotechnology and Centre Director for the translational cancer centre - CREATE Health, Lund University. Programme participants include: Dr Tim Atkins (Dstl), Prof Miles Carroll (HPA) and the following speakers from the University of Southampton: Dr Sarah Ennis, Prof Christian Ottensmeier, Dr Peter Roach and Dr Tony Williams. Further details at www.southampton.ac.uk/ifls/news/events/2012/09/17_ifls_conference.page

Science Park 29.06.2012 Science Seminars Yesterday's seminar by Nigel Silman on "Biosafety in Resource-Poor Countries" was very well attended. Many thanks to Nigel for such an extremely well presented and interesting seminar.
The next Cafe Scientifique talk, on Tuesday, 3rd July, will be a double bill by two consultants from The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust. Dr Ajay Kumar Sharma, Consultant Surgeon in Transplantation and Surgery and Clinical Sub-Dean, will give a presentation on "Organ Transplantation & Organ Donation" and Dr Vinita Mishra, Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Clinical Biochemistry & Metabolic Medicine, will give a talk on "Sunlight and Vitamin D". As usual, Cafe Scientifique will be held at Salisbury Rugby Club, 7:00 (for 7:30) - 9:00 pm (see http://cafescientifiquesalisbury.org.uk )

Science Park 14.06.2012 Tetricus Science Park Seminar : On Thursday 28th June, Dr Nigel Silman of the Microbiology Service at HPA, Porton Down, will give a presentation on "Biosafety in Resource-Poor Countries" from 12:30-14:00 pm in the Dstl Conservation Museum. A light lunch will be provided, so RSVP to fiona@tetricus.co.uk or 01980 556514, by close on Tuesday 26th June 2012 so we have numbers for catering. Early bookings are recommenced since this is likely to be a very popular talk and many reservations have already been made.

Science Park 01.06.2012 Fluorogenics Ltd launches "Cyxi" Tetricus Science Park-based company, Fluorogenics, is a Director funded start-up venture developing methods for the stabilisation of molecular biology reagents based on lyophilisation technologies (freeze-drying). The first product, Cyxi, comprises a family of ready-to-go core reagents for polymerase chain reaction. Cyxi eliminates the requirement for laboratory cold storage and provides a convenient format for a number of end-user applications and automated platforms. The first Cyxi products are focused on the life science research market, and in particular business-to-business opportunities that eliminate the cold supply chain to the developing markets. Director, Dr Martin Lee, said "The launch of Cyxi represents the first in a pipeline of products designed specifically to make PCR laboratory testing more automated. We hope that we continue to develop a portfolio of products that will progress as we attain ISO 13485 certification. This will allow Fluorogenics to exploit market opportunities into the regulated diagnostics sector".

Science Park 10.05.2012 Science-related events happening during May:
May 15th at 7.30 pm; St John Suite at White Hart Hotel , Salisbury - SW Branch of Institute of Physics: Dr Doug Imeson will discuss Nanotechnology. Refreshments from 7pm. Attendance is free and non-members welcome.
17 May The BioMedical Catalyst - Competition Briefing Workshop, London: The BioMedical Catalyst competition is now open, designed to directly address this funding gap and provide grants to more effectively translate basic research into products with market potential. This joint ÂŁ180m Technology Strategy Board and Medical Research Council programme offers funding to innovative small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and academics looking to work either individually or in collaboration to develop innovative products, technology and solutions to health-care challenges. For further information see https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/biomedical-catalyst-competition-briefing-and-networking-event-london
18th May: Diagnostics Technology Showcase A diagnostics technology showcase is being held at the Health Protection Agency, Porton Down providing an opportunity to visit Porton Down and meet with researchers as to discover the breadth of exciting research underway within the South West region of England, focussing on biomedical diagnostics technologies. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss their work with the speakers and other attendees during round table discussions. This will give researchers not only the opportunity to present their research to the attendees but to receive feedback and make valuable contacts during the networking sessions. Attendance is free and includes a buffet lunch. Invited Speakers: - University of Southampton: University of the West of England; IBST, Campden BRI; Health Protection Agency; Enterprise Europe South West ; Technology Strategy Board. Further details at http://www.inets-sw.co.uk/biomedical/
18th May, 1.00pm; Cravenplan, Swallowcliffe - "What makes a website Successful?" Free 3-hour workshop - see http://www.cravenplan.co.uk/semlist.htm#successful
29th May; Salisbury Cafe Scientifique; 7.00 for 7.30pm, Dr Nick Lodge "Immersive Entertainment" In his entertaining presentation Dr Nick Lodge will look at the history of immersive media since 1903, describing the eccentric cinema paraphernalia of the 1950s (Cinerama, stereoscopy, Smell-o-Vision, Aromarama, Percepto, Sensurround and others). He will then come right up to-date with a look at the latest in ultra high definition and holographic TV systems currently under development. During the Olympics three UK city centres will see live events in (Japanese) ultra high definition television for the first time in Britain - with twice the resolution of I-MAX. Without leaving the comfort of your armchair you may soon feel like you have a front row seat at Wimbledon or watching your favourite rock band performing live! Further details at http://cafescientifiquesalisbury.org.uk/2012/04/being-there-immersive-entertainment/

Science Park 20.04.2012 Tetricus Seminar 19th April 2012 on Conservation. Stuart Corbett and Sarah Atkinson who form the core of the conservation team on the site at Dstl gave us a fantastic talk on the challenges currently faced by the invertebrate population of Porton Down. Sarah's explanation of how hairy legs were really presenting her with a problem these days was more thought provoking than alarming once she explained that it was the presence of a smooth legged invertebrate as opposed to its very close (indistinguishable apart from the hirsute legs) hairy-legged cousin that was causing concern as one has almost completely taken over from the other as the site has dried out. Also fascinating was the potential impact of the decline in woodlouse numbers on the stone curlew population, with the knock-on consequences on their ability to breed successfully (woodlice are a key dietary component of both the adult and young stone curlews). Stuart also outlined the importance of the TICLIST project and the work being done with the Natural History Museum. The talk was very well received with a number of thought provoking questions asked by the audience. Above all, this seminary demonstrated how otherwise unnoticed invertebrate population changes can act as sensitive and early indicators of climate change.

Science Park 12.04.2012 KalVista Pharmaceuticals Ltd We would like to extend a warm welcome to the latest tenants of the Tetricus Science Park - KalVista Pharmaceuticals Ltd. This is an ophthalmology company with a focus on diabetic macular edema (DME). The team here are busy synthesising and developing novel plasma kallikrein inhibitors, which represents a new approach to the treatment of DME, a leading cause of adult visual loss in developed countries. KalVista has an advanced pre-clinical product pipeline resulting from over 20 years of leading pharmaceutical discovery in the field of serine protease inhibitors and is targeting both intravitreal injection and oral administration for its plasma kallikrein inhibitors. Although VEGF inhibitors clearly can benefit DME, a significant number of patients do not respond fully to these agents and have limited treatment options. Plasma kallikrein inhibitors target a distinct molecular pathway and as such have the potential to offer those patients an effective treatment option.
KalVista's founders include world-leading experts in diabetic retinopathy, Dr Lloyd Paul Aiello, Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Joslin's Beetham Eye Institute, and Dr Edward Feener, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Joslin Diabetes Center.

Science Park 19.03.2012 Cellseco Stem Cell Culture Seminar There was an first-rate turnout for the CellSeco South West Stem Cell Seminar last week at The Pembroke Arms Hotel, Wilton (near Salisbury). The meeting started with an Introduction/Welcome from Dr Clive Duggleby, General Manager of the nearby Tetricus Science Park when he referred to the passion for science that Sir Paul Nurse had described in his recent 2012 Dimbleby Lecture (look it up on Google!). This was followed by excellent scientific presentations on stem cell research from Dr. Emmajayne Kingham (Southampton University); Dr. Michal Amit, (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel); Dr. Vasanta Subramanian (Bath University); Dr Glyn Stacey (UK Stem Cell Bank); Dr. Nadire N Ali (Imperial College, London); Dr. David Fiorentini (Biological Industries, Israel); and finally, Dr. Franchesca Houghton (Southampton University). The lunch and refreshments, provided courtesy of Cellseco Ltd, were also up to the same very high standard.

Science Park 07.02.2012 Cellseco Stem Cell Culture Seminar The postponed symposium on stem cell culture has been rescheduled for 14th March at the same location as before, The Pembroke Arms Hotel, Wilton (near Salisbury). The following seminar are planned:
"Nanotopographical cues for stem cell research and regenerative medicine" : Dr. Emmajayne Kingham, Bone & Joint Research Group, University of Southampton
"Culture methods for pluripotent hESC.":Dr. Michal Amit, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
"Human Induced Pluripotent stem cells - towards more realistic disease models, models for differentiation and regenerative medicine.": Dr. Vasanta Subramanian, Reader in Vertebrate Developmental Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, University of Bath.
"The challenges for using human pluripotent stem cell lines for research and clinical applications.": Dr .Glyn Stacey, Director, UK Stem Cell Bank.
"Cardiomyocytes from pluripotent stem cells: What are the challenges for research and clinical applications?": Dr. Nadire N Ali, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London.
"Xeno-free Culture System For Mesenchymal Stem Cells": Dr. David Fiorentini, Biological Industries, Israel.
"Hypoxic regulation of human embryonic stem cells.": Dr. Franchesca Houghton, Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, University of Southampton.
A range of free samples of cell culture media will be available from Biological Industries and Cellseco. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, courtesy of Cellseco Ltd. If you wish to attend, please contact Dr. Will Anderson (w.anderson@cellseco.com) for further details.

Science Park 16.01.2012 Tetricus Science Park is delighted to announce the arrival of two new start-up tenant companies who have taken space in Building 227. We welcome them to the Science Park and wish them every success.
Fluorogenics will be researching, producing and distributing fluorescent PCR reagents for DNA analytical systems.
SecureBio will be supplying services and training in chemical, biological and radiological detection.
The next Cafe Scientifique talk on 7th February will be by Dr Mitch Lomax, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology and BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise scientist at the University of Portsmouth. Entitled "Breathing - The Secret Weapon in Sporting Performance", Dr Lomax will describe how the breathing muscles, which are generally overlooked by sports performers and coaches alike, can limit exercise performance. She will also explain how these muscles can be targeted to improve sporting performance. While she will mostly cover these topics in relation to fit and healthy individuals, she will briefly touch on some relevant breathing diseases/disorders. As usual, Cafe Scientifique will be held at SalisburyRugby Club, 7:00 (for 7:30) - 9:00 pm (see www.cafescientifiquesalisbury.org).

Science Park 12.12.2011 Cellseco Stem Cell Culture Seminar Please note that the Cellseco free seminar on stem cell culture has been postponed to 14th March, at the same location, The Pembroke Arms Hotel, Wilton. Further details on speakers etc. will be published nearer the time. Please also note that on Tuesday 3rd January, Salisbury Cafe Scientifique will have Jolyon Medlock FRES, Scientific Programme Leader of the Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Microbial Risk Assessment at the Health Protection Agency, Porton Down, to give a presentation entitled "Ticks". This should prove a fascinating talk and not to be missed, especially if you were unable to attend the seminar entitled "Ticks in 21st century Britain" that Jolyon gave to the Science Park just over a year ago. As usual, Cafe Scientifique will be held at Salisbury Rugby Club, 7:00 (for 7:30) - 9:00 pm (see www.cafescientifiquesalisbury.org).

Science Park 07.11.2011 Tetricus Science Park Seminar : On Thursday 17th November, Professor Bryn James of Dstl will give a presentation entitled "Armour" from 12:30-14:00 pm in the Dstl Conservation Museum. The seminar will describe what armour needs to do and the special material properties that are required. A light lunch will be provided, so RSVP to fiona@tetricus.co.uk or 01980 556514, by close on Tuesday 15th November 2011 so we can have numbers for catering.
Please also note that Tetricus tenant company, Cellseco, is hosting a free seminar on stem cell culture at the Pembroke Arms, Wilton (near Salisbury) on 1st and 2nd December. Presentations will include: "Importance of xeno-free culture system in stem cell research" by Dr Dr. David Fiorentini of Biological Industries; "Culture methods for pluripotent hESC" by Dr. Michal Amit, Israel Stem Cell Society; and "Nanotopography for stem cell research and regenerative medicine" by Dr. Emmajayne Kingham of the Bone & Joint Research Group,University of Southampton. A range of free samples of cell culture media will be available from Biological Industries and Cellseco. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, courtesy of Cellseco Ltd. If you wish to attend, please contact Dr. Will Anderson (w.anderson@cellseco.com) for further details.

Science Park 03.10.2011 Science Park Seminar. We had a fantastic turn-out to our last Seminar on Plague given by Petra Oyston - so much so that all seats were taken and the chairman was left standing (so could he really be termed a chairman?) many thanks to Petra for such an interesting presentation. Please also note that on Tuesday 11th October, Salisbury Cafe Scientifique have Prof Chris Rhodes, Director of Fresh-lands Environmental Action in Reading giving a presentation entitled "What Happens when we run out of Oil?" This will be at Salisbury Rugby Club, 7:30- 9:00 pm (see www.cafescientifiquesalisbury.org).

Science Park 09.09.2011 Tetricus Science Park Seminar : On Wednesday 28th September, Professor Petra Oyston of the Biomedical Department of Dstl will give a presentation entitled "Plague" from 12:30-14:00 pm in the Dstl Conservation Museum. The seminar will cover a brief history of plague, the pandemics and their impact, the lifestyle of the bug, its evolution from a stomach bug into the nasty we know today and also our current efforts to develop a vaccine. A light lunch will be provided, so RSVP to fiona@tetricus.co.uk or 01980 556514, by close on Friday 23rd September 2011 so we have numbers for catering. Early bookings are recommenced since this is likely to be a very popular talk and many reservations have already been made.

Science Park 10.08.2011 Enigma Diagnostics and GSK announce Collaboration on Assay Development and Commercialization of Enigma's ML Platform:
Enigma Diagnostics Limited, the molecular diagnostics company whose R&D operations are based at the Tetricus Science Park, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced that they have signed agreements for the supply and commercialization on an exclusive basis of the Enigma ML system in Europe and other designated key countries, including India, Brazil and Russia. The agreements include development by Enigma of an initial range of respiratory tests for use on its real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology platform, and provide GSK the opportunity to generate revenues from further test developments in infectious diseases and in other therapeutic areas relevant to its healthcare business.
The Enigma ML system has the potential to deliver a result from a raw sample in under 60 minutes in a point of need setting. The new collaboration significantly extends the scope of the Influenza partnership announced in July 2009 for the Enigma ML system and builds on GSK's extensive expertise and heritage within the respiratory therapeutic area and the extended capabilities offered by the Enigma ML system.
John McKinley, Chairman and CEO of Enigma, said: "This is a major collaboration and represents a significant milestone for Enigma. These agreements for assay development, commercialization and supply will leverage GSK's extensive sales and marketing force with Enigma's unique Point of Care system which has potential uses across a number of human diseases. This is a partnership which will deliver much needed 'test and treat' capability to infectious disease management." Further details on the Enigma web site, www.enigmadiagnostics.com

Science Park seminars 22.07.2011 GW Pharmaceuticals launches Sativex in Denmark and Germany: During July GW Pharmaceuticals, a key Tetricus Science Park tenant company, announced the launch in Germany and Denmark of Sativex oromucosal spray as a treatment for the relief of spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Germany has the highest prevalence of MS in Europe. Sativex is also approved and marketed in the UK and Spain and is expected to be launched in Sweden before the end of 2011 with additional launches in Italy, Czech Republic and Austria during 2012. Sativex contains active ingredients called 'cannabinoids', which are extracted from cannabis plants grown and processed under strictly controlled conditions. Cannabinoids react with receptors that occur naturally throughout our bodies, including in our brains and when this happens, it has an effect on the cell and the nerve impulses it produces, causing a 'dimming down' of the symptoms of spasticity. In patients who respond to Sativex, it is this effect which helps to improve their symptoms of spasticity and to help them cope better with their usual daily activities. Further details are on the company's website (http://www.gwpharm.com).

Science Park seminars 20.06.2011 Professor Tony Atkinson. It is with sadness that we have learned of the death of Tony Atkinson, a founding director of Tetricus Science Park, as well as being a brilliant scientist and gifted entrepreneur. Tony passed away in hospital after a short illness and our thoughts and expressions of sympathy go out to his family and close friends.

Science Park seminars 16.06.2011 Tetricus Celebrates its 10th Year of operating as a business incubator for bioscience: Today we celebrated 10 years of operations as a science park specialising in incubating bioscience businesses. As part of the celebratory party, to which past and present directors and science park tenants were invited, we presented our outgoing Chairman, Chris Thorne, with an engraved crystal decanter and tumblers to thank him for his services to the Board. Chris was one of the founder directors of Tetricus Science Park and the last remaining on the board until he retired this March. In addition to the engraved crystal, Chris was also given a copy of the book "In Defence of Landscape: An Archeology of Porton Down" by David Ride. A fascinating book which, after an introduction to the geology of the area and the excavations of J.F.S. Stone from1931 to 1957, describes the different sites and monuments in chronological order, including Neolithic flint mines, Bronze Age round barrows, Iron Age features and settlements, a Georgian folly, and the remains of a Victorian mansion, up to the World War One experimental gas trenches.

Science Park seminars 13.5.2011 Tetricus Seminar and Ranges Walk: Next Wednesday, 19th May, Stuart Corbett, Conservation Manager at DSTL Porton Down will give a talk entitled "The Impact of Rabbits and Drought on the Wildlife of Porton Down - A Climate Change Event?" This will be followed by a guided walk on the Porton Down ranges in the evening at 6:00pm.
This talk follows Stuart's highly acclaimed presentation to us two years ago and he is returning to speak about the challenges the ecosystems at Porton are facing at present and look set to face in the future. Stuart's work involves closely monitoring plant, bird, insect and wildlife species that live on the 2750 hectares of downlands that make up the Porton Down ranges. These ranges are one of the few downland spaces we have in the UK which are relatively untouched by human activities and his talk promises to be a fascinating insight into the natural history and present day of our environment.
There will be a buffet lunch after the speaker has given his presentation and there has been an opportunity for questions.
If you would like to attend please email fiona@tetricus.co.uk or call the office on 01980 556 514 before 10.00 am on Monday 16th May 2011.
Places are limited and first refusal will be given to those attending the seminar, therefore if you wish to attend please specifically state in your booking for the seminar that you wish to join the evening walk.

Science Park seminars 26.04.2011 More news from GW Pharmaceuticals: At the beginning of April GW Pharmaceuticals, a key Tetricus Science Park tenant company, announced that it had entered into an exclusive licence agreement for Novartis Pharma AG to commercialise their cannabis-derived drug, Sativex, in Australia and New Zealand, Asia (excluding Japan, China and Hong Kong), Middle East (excluding Israel/Palestine) and Africa. Under the terms of the agreement, Novartis will have exclusive commercialisation rights to Sativex and will also be responsible for regulatory filings and act as Marketing Authorisation holder for the drug. GW will be responsible for the the manufacture and supply of Sativex to Novartis. Sativex has been developed as a treatment for spasticity due to Multiple Sclerosis and it is also in Phase III clinical development for the treatment of cancer pain. More recently GW Pharmaceuticals announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office had issued a Notice of Allowance for a patent which protects the use of Sativex as a treatment for cancer pain, providing an exclusivity period until April 2025. For further details see http://www.gwpharm.com/news.aspx.

Science Park seminars 29.03.2011 Tetricus Science Park Seminar : On Thursday 7th April, Dr Brian McCloskey, a Director of The Health Protection Agency, will give a presentation entitled "Flu Response" from 12:30-14:00 pm in the Dstl Conservation Museum. Recent Flu outbreaks have involved new strains of the virus which have presented challenges to our health service, at point of care, in our public health laboratories and in the ongoing health planning and preparation which is required. Dr McCloskey will be speaking about these challenges and the ongoing flu response. A light lunch will be provided, so RSVP to fiona@tetricus.co.uk or 01980 556514, by close on Tuesday 5th April 2011 so we have numbers for catering.
Also in the same week, on Tuesday 5th April, Salisbury Café Scientifique have Prof Malcolm Coulthard of Aston University giving a seminar on "The Work of the Forensic Linguist" at Salisbury Rugby Club, 7:30- 9:00 pm (see www.cafescientifiquesalisbury.org).

Science Park seminars 07.03.2011 Successful clinical trial results for Sativex
GW Pharmaceuticals, a key tenant on the Tetricus Science Park, have announced that details of the positive results from a Phase III clinical study of their cannabis-derived oromucosal spray, Sativex, have been published online in the European Journal of Neurology [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-1331.2010.03328.x/abstract]. The print copy of the Journal will appear in the coming months. The results from the clinical study showed that about half of all people with moderate to severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (MS) who had not responded adequately to standard anti-spasticity therapy, find that adding Sativex oromucosal spray to their existing medication can improve the debilitating symptoms of spasticity associated with MS.
Spasticity (otherwise known as muscle stiffness) has a negative impact on patients' daily lives as it reduces their capacity to carry out everyday activities such as walking, keeping upright, as well as having an impact on their general mobility, bladder function, and quality of sleep. This means patients have to modify or give up certain activities and often require help from a family member or carer. About half of people with MS do not manage to find relief from these symptoms with currently available treatments.
Further details of this study can be found under the "Latest News" section of GW Pharmaceutical's website (http://www.gwpharm.com/).

Science Park seminars 01.02.2011 Science Park seminars
Tetricus Science Park has two seminars planned for the near future which should prove to be popular.
The first will be on 7th April when Dr Brian McCloskey, Regional Director of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), London Region, will give a talk on the pandemic flu response by the HPA.
The one after that, in May, will be by Stuart Corbett, Conservation Manager at Dstl Porton Down, who will give a talk entitled "The Effects of Climate Change and Drought on the Ecosystems of Porton Down".
As usual, the talks will be from 12:30 until around 13:15, followed by light refreshments during which there will be the opportunity to network. Held in the Dstl Conservation Museum (in the northwest corner of the Dstl car park - to the left when facing the Dstl Reception), they are intended to bring together scientists from Dstl, HPA, NHS Trusts and companies both from the Science Park and the local area.
Further details nearer the time.

11.01.2011 Enigma Diagnostics
Enigma Diagnostics Ltd has announced the signing of a licence and collaboration agreement with the Tecan Group, a leading global provider of laboratory instruments and solutions. The licence provides Tecan with access to specific Enigma intellectual property that is used in Enigma's fully automated, molecular diagnostic system, the Enigma ML. Enigma Diagnostics, a key tenant of the Tetricus Science Park, specialises in developing next generation rapid molecular diagnostic instrument platforms for decentralised and point-of-care settings. The licence enables Tecan to further expand its growing OEM partnering business and develop a next generation molecular diagnostics platform for a potential OEM partner. The envisaged integrated solution includes enabling consumables and is targeted at central laboratories with the goal to provide a unique combination of features such as, random sample access, complete automation from raw sample to result, a small footprint and a rapid time to result.

10.12.2010 Sativex Enters Phase III Clinical Programme In Cancer Pain
GW Pharmaceuticals recently announced the initiation of the Phase III clinical trials programme of Sativex in the treatment of pain in patients with advanced cancer, who experience inadequate analgesia during optimized chronic opioid therapy. This indication represents the initial target indication for Sativex in the United States. The Phase III programme is being performed in conjunction with GW's licensing partner for Sativex in the US, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The Phase III programme follows the announcement earlier this year of positive data from a Phase IIb trial.
Sativex is approved in the UK, Spain, Canada and New Zealand as a treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) spasticity and GW aims to seek approval for Sativex in this MS indication across Europe and other selected markets. Cancer pain represents the initial target indication for Sativex in the US. It is intended that the Phase III cancer pain data will also be used by GW for future regulatory applications in this indication in Europe and around the world.
Further details about this trial can be found at the web site: http://www.gwpharm.com/Sativex%20Enters%20Phase%20III%20Clinical%20Programme%20In%20Cancer%20Pain.aspx.

03.11.2010 Science Park Seminar
The next in the Tetricus Science Park programme of seminars will be on Thursday 13th January 2011 (please note this change to date i.e. postponement from 2nd December) when Jolyon Medlock FRES, Scientific Programme Leader of the Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology Microbial Risk Assessment at the Health Protection Agency, Porton Down, will give a presentation entitled "Ticks in 21st century Britain". The talk will be from 12:30 until around 13:15 followed by light refreshments during which there will be the opportunity to network. These seminars, held in the Dstl Conservation Museum (in the northwest corner of the Dstl car park - to the left when facing the Dstl Reception), are intended to bring together scientists from Dstl, HPA, NHS Trusts and companies both from the Science Park and the local area. If you wish to attend, please let us know before Tuesday 11th January so we can plan the catering (email: fiona@tetricus.co.uk or phone: 01980 556514).

04.10.2010 Freeze drying by Lyosolutions
On Wednesday 6th October, Peter Riggs, managing director of Lyosolutions Ltd, a key Tetricus Science Park tenant company, will be giving a seminar on the process and principles of freeze drying to an audience of Dstl scientist in the Pasquill Lecture Theatre on the Porton Down site. In this talk he will trace the history of freeze-drying from the technologies understood and used by the Incas in the 15th century, when they stored their crops high in the Andes, where the low temperatures froze the food and the water inside slowly vaporised under the low air pressure of the high altitudes, through the first commercial uses during WWII when freeze-dried blood plasma was transported to front line medical centres, to modern applications in food science and pharmaceutical downstream processing. Freeze dried instant coffee was introduced to the market in 1963 by Maxwell House, followed shortly by most other instant coffee manufacturers, who up to then had generally used a spray drying technique. Freeze drying retained more flavour and grew quickly in popularity as a result. This innovative use of the technology lead to a whole plethora of freeze dried foodstuffs, because they lose little of their flavour or their appearance when water is added prior to eating, but have the major advantage of being incredibly lightweight. With pharmaceutical applications it means that the product can be stored for long periods at ambient temperatures whilst retaining biological activity.

22.09.2010 Claim that cannabis drug could be worth hundreds of millions of pounds
GW Pharmaceuticals' promising results from tests of its drug for MS patients, Sativex, could help the Tetricus Science Park-based company break into a market worth more than $500m, according to analysts. The pharmaceutical company has revealed promising phase II clinical study results of Sativex - a "ground-breaking" cannabis-based drug that helps multiple sclerosis sufferers with bladder dysfunction. "Based on this positive data, the prevalence of the problem, and lack of effective therapies, we see potential for off-label prescribing in MS patients with refractory bladder dysfunction," said an analysts' report from investment bank Piper Jaffray. The analysts said that Sativex's expansion to include cancer pain could open up a market potentially worth more than US$500m.
GW Pharmaceuticals said its study provided clinical evidence that Sativex has some beneficial effect when used for treatment of the bladder symptoms in patients with MS. Their research director, Stephen Wright, said: "This study demonstrates that in people with MS who have exhausted other treatments, Sativex improved some of their most troublesome symptoms of bladder dysfunction. We believe that Sativex has broad therapeutic potential and this area represents one of a number of options for future development of this important medicine."

9.08.2010 Science Park seminars on business incubation
The next in the Tetricus Science Park programme of seminars will be on Wednesday 22nd September when there will be three speakers giving short presentations on topics relevant to science business incubation. Laura Trapnell from local solictors, Bonallack & Bishop, will give a presentation on IP protection; Rebecca Combes from accountants, Smith & Williamson, will give a talk entiltled "How to Maximise your R&D Tax Relief Claims" and Steven Browning, from the SBRI unit of the Technology Strategy Board, will talk about the Small Business Research Intitiative (SBRI): a procurement progaramme whereby government departments buy R&D services, helping to bring new technologies to market. Each talk should last around twenty minutes (i.e. an hour in total), after which a light lunch will be served and attendees can discuss specific issues with the speakers, or arrange follow-up meetings. The seminars will be held in the Dstl Conservation Musuem from 12:30 to 13:30 and are intended to bring together scientists from Dstl, HPA, NHS Trusts and companies both from the Science Park and the local area.
If you wish to attend, please let us know so we can plan the catering (email: fiona@tetricus.co.uk or phone: 01980 556514).

21.06.2010 GW Pharmaceuticals plc announces UK launch of world's first prescription cannabis medicine.
GW Pharmaceuticals, one of the foundation tenants of the Tetricus Science Park, has announced the UK launch of Sativex, its Oromucosal Spray for the treatment of spasticity due to Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Sativex is the world's first prescription cannabis medicine and the UK is the first country in the world to grant a full regulatory authorization for the product. Sativex contains two cannabinoids or active ingredients - THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). The first cannabinoid medicine derived from whole plant extracts from the cannabis sativa plant, Sativex is available as a prescription only medicine and was developed by GW in specific response to calls from people with MS for a prescription cannabis-based medicine. Today's launch means that MS patients suffering the spasms and cramping associated with spasticity have access to a new treatment option which has been shown to improve their symptoms where current treatments have failed. Sativex is manufactured by GW under Home Office licence at an undisclosed location in the UK. The medicine is being marketed in the UK by GW's UK licensee, Bayer Schering Pharma. Dr Geoffrey Guy, GW's Chairman, said: "The approval and launch of Sativex in the UK is the world's first full approval of a cannabis-derived prescription medicine and the product of eleven year's research by GW into the cannabinoid system. GW was founded with the primary goal of developing a medicine to address the unmet needs of people with MS and today's launch of Sativex represents a welcome advance in MS symptom treatment. This is also an historic moment for GW and marks the beginning of the company's transition from late stage development company to a commercial pharmaceutical business. Today's news validates our cannabinoid technology platform and enables us to progress the development of our pipeline across a range of therapeutic areas with increased confidence."

29.04.2010 Science Park Seminar on business incubation
The next in the Tetricus Science Park seminar programme will be held on Wednesday 5th May. Entitled "Government Funding for Bioscience and Healthcare Companies", it will be given by Dr Mark Bustard (of the HealthTec and Medicines Knowledge Transfer Network) in the Dstl Conservation Musuem from 12:30 to 13:30. These seminars are intended to bring together scientists from Dstl, HPA, NHS Trusts and companies both from the Science Park and the local area.
If you wish to attend, please let us know so we can plan the catering (email: fiona@tetricus.co.uk or phone: 01980 556514).

03.04.2010 Clarity Biosolutions agrees exclusive UK distribution agreement with BioLumix Inc
Clarity Biosolutions Ltd., one of the newest tenants on the Tetricus Science Park, has recently announced an exclusive distribution agreement for the BioLumix microbiological testing system. The BioLumix system, designed to accelerate product release with a simplified and automated approach to microbiological testing, yielding fast, accurate results while reducing costs, targets the needs of the nutraceutical, food, meat, dairy, beverage, cosmetics, toiletry, and pharmaceutical industries. The technology is based on detecting microbial metabolism using dye technologies developed by BioLumix. By combining the dye, a novel light source, and an optical sensor, this system allows simultaneous detection of colour and fluorescence with a single detector thus enabling complete microbial testing on a single platform. The unit has been designed for ease of use and allows users to conduct microbiological testing after only a short training period and the time to result is sooner than with traditional microbiological methodology, allowing contaminated sample detection within a few hours in some cases. Mould detection is reduced from five days to 48 hours. The ability to perform testing in-house and the reduced time to result enables faster release of raw material and finished product. Dr. David West, Chief Technical Officer for Clarity commented "The advantages of the BioLumix technology over other competitors in the market are compelling. The novel single vial construct and flexibility of the detection system allow for a wider range of organisms to be identified and discriminated than other systems. The early warning the system offers enables contamination issues to be flagged far sooner than with other techniques, allowing remedial time and cost-saving measures to be taken immediately."

04.03.2010 Enigma Diagnostics open Californian regional HQ office.
Enigma Diagnostics Limited, the molecular diagnostics company whose R&D operations are based at the Tetricus Science Park, has announced the opening of a new regional HQ office in San Diego, California. The new 17,000sq ft premises on Nancy Ridge Drive in Sorrento Valley will provide Enigma with access to the deep resource pool of San Diego-based in vitro diagnostics (IVD) professionals. John McKinley, Chairman and CEO of Enigma commented "The new US Regional HQ at San Diego will support market penetration across the USA and globally with our rapidly growing and diverse diagnostic systems and future products"

03.02.2010 Sarum Biosciences sign licence agreement with PBL
Excellent news from our tenant company, Sarum Biosciences, which has recently announced the signing of an exclusive worldwide licence agreement with PBL, the UK technology management company. This will enable Sarum to develop and exploit therapeutic and diagnostic applications of a bacteriophage endolysin protein for the treatment and detection of Clostridium difficile, a serious healthcare concern both within the UK and the rest of the world. The bacteriophage endolysin technology was developed by scientists at the Institute for Food Research in Norwich (IFR), with support from the BBSRC's Follow on Fund, and exploits naturally occurring proteins expressed by bacterial viruses (bacteriophage) that have very specific antibacterial activity. A targeted antibacterial approach to the treatment of C. difficile, such as that promised by the endolysin technology, is ideal for the treatment and prevention of this particular infection as it does no damage to the normal bacterial populations in the gut - the broad nature of existing antibiotics, and the loss of normal bacteria during antibiotic use is very often the cause of C. difficile-associated disease. Treatment with the endolysin has the potential to destroy or suppress the C. difficile infection, while allowing the reestablishment of normal levels of "good" bacteria in patients. Dr. David West, CEO of Sarum commented: "This C. difficile endolysin technology has the potential to become an important weapon in our fight against this important healthcare problem. Sarum is pleased to have secured this exclusive licence which adds another dimension to the company's existing bacteriophage-based product pipeline." Sarum Bioscience's website is at www.sarumbiosciences.co.uk.

04.01.2010 Q3 Analytical Ltd Celebrates a Successful First Year.
The company, based on the Tetricus Science Park was founded in November 2008, primarily to offer bioanalytical support to research groups in the pharmaceutical industry. Co-founder, Neil Burton, said 'It has been an exciting and busy time. We look forward to building on our success in future years. We aim to provide the same level of support that research groups would expect from an in-house bioanalytical team. Having worked in pharmaceutical R&D we understand that research studies are often of pivotal importance to a project team operating to tight deadlines and in order to help meet the client's goals we specialize in tailoring our service to their specific needs.' For more information see Q3 Analytical's website at www.q3ms.co.uk

09.12.2009
Changes to contacts at the Tetricus Science Park: Emma, our Business Services Coordinator, has left to take up a full-time position at Dstl. We have been very fortunate to replace her with Fiona Larkin who will take up the role at the beginning of January. Fiona comes from a construction and surveying background, and spent much of 2009 in a temporary role with the HPA Centre for Emergency Preparedness & Response at Porton Down. A keen fundraiser for the Royal British Legion, Fiona ran the Salisbury half marathon in 2009, pedalled to Paris in 2008 and introduced many unsuspecting friends to the delights of Scottish dancing via a fundraising ceilidh. When not exhausting herself on foot or on a bicycle she likes walking the dog Harris and riding her horse Piper. Fiona's contact details are email: fiona@tetricus.co.uk and telephone: 01980 556 514, bearing in mind that her role is part-time, usually from 9:00 - 14:00.

06.11.2009
Phil Carr of Chemical and Technical Developments, one of the founding tenants of the Tetricus Science Park, has announced that they are assisting a major pharmaceutical company with the relocation of a transgenics facility between sites in the UK. The company will provide consultancy services for the liquid nitrogen supplies to cryogenic storage units for sperm and embryos. This facility is one of the largest of its type in the UK and supplies products to other sites worldwide. CTD's website is at www.chemicalandtechnical.com.

09 .10.2009
During the summer GW Pharmaceuticals, one of the earliest tenants of the Tetricus Science Park, announced that it had received a Commercial Manufacturing Licence for Sativex., having passed a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) inspection by the UK regulatory authority of its new in-house commercial manufacturing facility. This will enable the facility to act as the primary manufacturing site for the anticipated European commercial launch of Sativex. Previously GW had sub-contracted the final step in the bulk GMP manufacture of Sativex to a contract manufacturing partner. This news means that GW now controls each step in the manufacturing supply chain for Sativex.
The new GW facility is initially able to produce quantities of Sativex sufficient to treat 25,000 patients per year. In addition, GW has put in place arrangements at its manufacturing site to expand this capacity in order to respond to increased demand in the coming years. When finally approved for the treatment of spasticity due to Multiple, Sativex will be marketed in the UK by Bayer HealthCare, and in the rest of the EU by Laboratorios Almirall S.A.
More news about GW Pharmaceuticals at www.GWPharma.com.

07.09.2009
The next Science Park seminar will be on 21st September when Dr Bob Carr, Technical Director of Nanosight Ltd, will give a presentation on the company and its products. Entitled 'Detection, Analysis and Counting of Nanoparticles', Bob will explain the work that Nanosight does and how their products could be used in disciplines ranging through virology, vaccine production, drug delivery, ecotoxicology, inks and pigments: in fact Bob has been surprised by the opportunities that have arisen from the applications of this technology. The talk will be from 12:30 until around 13:15 followed by light refreshments when the instruments will be demonstrated. All scientists from Dstl, the Science Park, HPA, the Salisbury NHS Trust and local bioscience companies are welcome. We will need to confirm numbers for catering so please book attendance by e-mailing info@tetricus.co.uk or calling 01980 556514 by Wednesday 16th September. Find out more about Nanosight at www.nanosight.com.

12.08.2009
Tetricus Science Park tenant, Lyosolutions (www.lyosolutions.co.uk), who carry out bespoke research and development into freeze drying biological materials, especially for pharmaceutical companies, have recently announced that their Managing Director, Dr Peter Riggs, has been appointed Visiting Lecturer at Kings College, London, where he will be attached to the School of Pharmaceutics.

21.07.2009
More excellent news from Tetricus Science Park tenant, Enigma Diagnostics, who today announced a commercial partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to develop point-of-care influenza diagnostics. Enigma will supply diagnostics tests to identify specific influenza strains using its real-time PCR technology platform, the Enigma ML (Mini Laboratory) to deliver fully automated results from swab samples in less than 60 minutes at the point of care and to the same accuracy as reference laboratories. Currently the existing network of government diagnostic laboratories, staffed by specialist operators, can often take several days before the results of tests are known. Operators of the Enigma ML system will not require specialist training. A trial involving working prototypes of the ML system with front line healthcare providers across Europe will commence in Q4 2009 and launch of the Enigma ML system is anticipated in early 2011, subject to successful clinical trials and regulatory approval. Further details on their web site, www.enigmadiagnostics.com

16.06.2009
Tetricus Science Park tenant, Enigma Diagnostics, has announced that their European Patent EP1044283 on real time monitoring of PCR amplification reactions has been upheld at the European Patent Office. This patent covers the use of endonuclease-based reporting in PCR and other nucleic acid amplification technologies. Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) had filed a claim in opposition to this patent which was rejected by the European Patent Office at a proceeding in Munich on May 28. The patent is part of a substantial portfolio of intellectual property exclusively licensed to Enigma Diagnostics by the Secretary of State for Defence. The technology involves the use of a thermostable endonuclease to cut a probe that recognises a specific sequence in the target amplification product. The system may be applied to a wide variety of molecular diagnostic applications including the rapid detection of viral and bacterial pathogens. Enigma Diagnostics has developed products that completely automate the PCR process including sample extraction, amplification and analysis for application at the point-of-care by non-laboratory operators. Further details on Enigma's web site, www.enigmadiagnostics.com

20.05.2009
The next Science Park seminar entitled "The Futures Bright. The Futures a Range" will be on Thursday June 11th in the Conservation Museum, when Stuart Corbett, Dstl Conservation Officer will give a talk on the wildlife of the Dstl ranges and farmland together with a discussion on the science that must underpin conservation development. This will be from 12:30 until around 13:00 to 13:15 followed by light refreshments. All scientists from Dstl, the Science Park, HPA, the Salisbury NHS Trust and local bioscience companies are welcome. We will need to confirm numbers for catering so please book attendance by e-mailing info@tetricus.co.uk or calling 01980 556514 by Wednesday 3rd June.

20.03.2009
Science Park Seminar. We had a good turn-out to our March Seminar entitled 'The Importance of Congruence and the Potential for Novel BioTelemetry Approaches in Science and Beyond' given by Dr Paul Ashley, MD of Remo Technologies. The next in our programme of Seminars will be in June when Stuart Corbett, Dstl Conservation Officer will give a talk on the wildlife of the Dstl ranges and farmland. 

19.12.2008
We welcome two new tenant companies to the Tetricus Science Park : Detection Consumables Ltd who produce immunological reagents for detection systems and devices, and Q3 Analytical Ltd who provide sensitive and specific bespoke quantitative analytical support to research in the pharmaceutical, life science and environmental industries. Q3 is a new start up whereas DCL has relocated from Poole, Dorset. We wish both companies a commercial success in the Tetricus Science Park.

17.11.2008
Enigma Diagnostics, the decentralised and point-of-care molecular diagnostics company based on the Tetricus Science Park, has announced that it has signed a third licence agreement with Applied Biosystems. The licence provides Enigma with access to claims of US Patent No. 5,928,907 that describe methods for monitoring nucleic acid amplification in real-time. This is the first such licence Applied Biosystems has granted to the method claims of the '907 patent. This complements Enigma's existing licence under certain patents owned by Applied Biosystems for real-time PCR thermal cyclers. Financial terms were not disclosed.

13.10.2008
Lyosolutions (www.lyosolutions.co.uk), who carry out bespoke research and development into freeze drying biological materials, especially for pharmaceutical companies, have announced that they have secured a contract to carry out R&D on a 3rd generation vaccine product. Leading this project will by Dr Matthew Brown who has recently joined Lyosolutions from Harvard University where he undertook research on host cell invasion by microbial pathogens. Peter Riggs, Managing Director of Lyosolutions, commented 'I am very pleased to appoint Matthew to lead this project. He is an outstanding scientist with exceptional academic credentials. His in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of microbial pathogenicity, combined with hands-on experience of cell culture and molecular biology, will be invaluable assets to Lyosolutions in the delivery of this very important project.'

18.09.2008
Enigma Diagnostics the decentralised and point-of-care molecular diagnostics company based on the Tetricus Science Park, has announced that it has been awarded a grant of ÂŁ1.8M from the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board under the 'Technologies for Health' programme. The objective of the programme is to develop a 'gold-standard' portable, rapid, automated DNA analysis (PRADA) molecular test system for the diagnosis of infectious diseases in decentralised and point-of-care settings such as GP surgeries. The focus of the programme will be on sexually transmitted diseases including Chlamydia and healthcare associated infections including MRSA. Further details on the Enigma web site, www.enigmadiagnostics.com

11.06.2008
The Bioapproaches Porton Down and Salisbury Showcase will take place on 16 July in Salisbury. There the diverse and significant expertise and facilities at Porton Down will be showcased in a unique event aimed at bringing together research organisations and businesses. The event will be a valuable opportunity to find out more about:
• The work of the Health Protection Agency and its contract manufacturing facilities
• The Tetricus bioincubator
• The HPA cell culture collections
• NHS Innovations SW, who are based in Salisbury, on how they are helping to support innovation in the NHS
• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) on their innovations and commercial opportunities.
This unique event is an excellent opportunity to find out more about these important organisations and establish some valuable contacts. It will appeal to biotechnology and medical technology companies and researchers alike. Further details Here

04.03.2008
Enigma Diagnostics, one of the key life science companies in the Tetricus Science Park at Porton Down has recently announced that it has signed real-time PCR licences with Applera Corporation, the US diagnostics company comprising Applied Biosystems and Celera Genomics. Enigma Diagnostics is developing rapid molecular diagnostics systems and the licenses, signed 6 February 2008, include a Real-Time Instrument Patent License Agreement and an Application Kit License Agreement. These agreements provide Enigma with access under patents owned or controlled by Applera for real-time PCR thermal cyclers and real-time PCR methods and compositions in specific fields.
The Real-Time Instrument Patent License Agreement covers Enigma's current and pipeline instrument platforms of fully automated, real-time thermal cyclers across the commercial market sectors of research and applied markets. This agreement also provides Enigma with an option for a license in clinical diagnostics.
The Application Kit License Agreement covers a portfolio of important patents covering reverse transcription-based methods, real-time PCR detection process and 5' Nuclease assays and compositions, for use in fields excluding human diagnostics.
John McKinley, Chairman of Enigma Diagnostics, said: 'These licenses together with Enigma's extensive portfolio of molecular diagnostic patents and unique instrument platforms confirm Enigma's leading position within the global molecular diagnostics market and underpin the launch of its instruments in 2008.'


 
Welcome to Tetricus Science Park

Tetricus Science Park based at Porton Down in Wiltshire, South West England, offers state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and specialist support to new and growing science companies.

Exciting News:19th October 2012:
We have just been informed that £10M has been awarded by the Regional Growth Fund to Wiltshire Council and property developers to fund the infrastructure costs of the Porton Science Park and to build a new Innovation Centre for Tetricus to relocate to at the end of next year when the lease on the present accommodation ends. Further details in the "News and Events" side panel on this page.
Also see news of a proposed University Technical College for Salisbury.

Porton Down is often perceived as a "top secret" government site offering facilities, opportunities and knowledge only to civil service scientists. In reality, it is one of the best kept secrets in the South of England - a thriving commercial community, offering a wealth of opportunities to any science-related business or business activity.

As well as providing tenant companies with the professional support and infrastructure they need to realise their commercial ambitions, we offer access to a world-class knowledge network that includes some of the nation’s most talented scientists thanks to our strong links with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories and the Health Protection Agency.


                                            

Contact email: info@tetricus.co.uk; t: 01980 556514