̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - Babraham Research Campus

Cambridge joins forces with ARIA to fast-track radical new technologies to revolutionise brain health

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 12:57:22 +0000

̽��ֱ��collaboration, which includes researchers from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, aims to accelerate progress on new neuro-technologies, including miniaturised brain implants designed to treat depression, dementia, chronic pain, epilepsy and injuries to the nervous system.

Neurological and mental health disorders will affect four in every five people in their lifetimes, and present a greater overall health burden than cancer and cardiovascular disease combined. For example, 28 million people in the UK are living with chronic pain and 1.3 million people with traumatic brain injury.

Neuro-technology – where technology is used to control the nervous system - has the potential to deliver new treatments for these disorders, in much the same way that heart pacemakers, cochlear implants and spinal implants have transformed medicine in recent decades.

̽��ֱ��technology can be in the form of electronic brain implants that reset abnormal brain activity or help deliver targeted drugs more effectively, brain-computer interfaces that control prosthetic limbs, or technologies that train the patient’s own cells to fight disease. ARIA’s Scalable Neural Interfaces opportunity space is exploring ways to make the technology more precise, less invasive, and applicable to a broader range of diseases.

Currently, an implant can only interact with large groups of neurons, the cells that transmit information around the brain. Building devices that interact with single neurons will mean a more accurate treatment. Neuro-technologies also have the potential to treat autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and type-1 diabetes.

̽��ֱ��science of building technology small enough, precise enough and cheap enough to make a global impact requires an environment where the best minds from across the UK can collaborate, dream up radical, risky ideas and test them without fear of failure.

Professor George Malliaras from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering is one of the project leaders. “Miniaturised devices have the potential to change the lives of millions of people currently suffering from neurological conditions and diseases where drugs have no effect,” he said. “But we are working at the very edge of what is possible in medicine, and it is hard to find the support and funding to try radical, new things. That is why the partnership with ARIA is so exhilarating, because it is giving brilliant people the tools to turn their original ideas into commercially viable devices that are cheap enough to have a global impact.”

Cambridge’s partnership with ARIA will create a home for original thinkers who are struggling to find the funding, space and mentoring needed to stress-test their radical ideas. ̽��ֱ��three-year partnership is made up of two programmes:

̽��ֱ��Fellowship Programme (up to 18 fellowships)

Blue Sky Fellows – a UK-wide offer - we will search the UK for people from any background, with a radical idea in this field and the plan and personal skills to develop it. ̽��ֱ��best people will be offered a fellowship with the funding to test their ideas in Cambridge rapidly. These Blue Sky Fellows will receive mentorship from our best medical, scientific and business experts and potentially be offered accommodation at a Cambridge college. We will be looking for a specific type of person to be a Blue Sky Fellow. They must be the kind of character who thinks at the very edge of the possible, who doesn’t fear failure, and whose ideas have the potential to change billions of lives, yet would struggle to find funding from existing sources. Not people who think outside the box, more people who don’t see a box at all.

Activator Fellows - a UK-wide offer - those who have already proved that their idea can work, yet need support to turn it into a business, will be invited to become Activator Fellows. They will be offered training in entrepreneurial skills including grant writing, IP management and clinical validation, so their innovation can be ready for investment.

̽��ֱ��Ecosystem Programme

̽��ֱ��Ecosystem Programme is about creating a vibrant, UK-wide neurotechnology community where leaders from business, science, engineering, academia and the NHS can meet, spark ideas and form collaborations. This will involve quarterly events in Cambridge, road trip events across the UK and access to the thriving online Cambridge network, Connect: Health Tech.

“This unique partnership is all about turning radical ideas into practical, low-cost solutions that change lives,” said Kristin-Anne Rutter, Executive Director of Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Health Partners. “Cambridge is fielding its best team to make this work and using its networks to bring in the best people from all over the UK. From brilliant scientists to world-leading institutes, hospitals and business experts, everyone in this collaboration is committed to the ARIA partnership because, by working together, we all see an unprecedented opportunity to make a real difference in the world.”

“Physical and mental illnesses and diseases that affect the brain such as dementia are some of the biggest challenges we face both as individuals and as a society,” said Dr Ben Underwood, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. “This funding will bring together different experts doing things at the very limits of science and developing new technology to improve healthcare. We hope this new partnership with the NHS will lead to better care and treatment for people experiencing health conditions.”

Cambridge partners in the project include the Departments of Engineering and Psychiatry, Cambridge Neuroscience, the Milner Therapeutics Institute, the Maxwell Centre, Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Health Partners (CUHP), Cambridge Network, the Babraham Research Campus, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, and Vellos.

A team from across the Cambridge life sciences, technology and business worlds has announced a multi-million-pound, three-year collaboration with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), the UK government’s new research funding agency.

Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Illustration of human brain

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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New report confirms Babraham Research Campus at forefront in supporting UK’s early-stage bioscience enterprises

jg533 — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

The report, published today, quantifies the strong contribution the Babraham Research Campus makes to both the commercialisation of life science research and the life science knowledge base, enabling entrepreneur-driven businesses - including academic spin-outs - to form, and facilitating collaboration. It was commissioned by the Campus partners Babraham Bioscience Technologies (BBT) - the organisation which develops and manages the Babraham Research Campus, UKRI-BBSRC, and the Babraham Institute.

̽��ֱ��report’s key findings* include:

• Company fundraising for those based on Campus is accelerated by an average of 5.1 months.

• ̽��ֱ��market value of the top 14 companies on Campus is over £4 billion: an average 7.2 x return for investors.

• 47% of funds raised in the Cambridge region were to those ventures located at the Babraham Research Campus.

• ̽��ֱ��number of people employed on-site increased by over 90% from approximately 900 employees in 2011/12 to 1,700 employees in 2017/18.

• Campus based companies are 20% larger by headcount than they otherwise would be if the Campus did not exist.

• ̽��ֱ��total gross value added (GVA) impact of the Campus on the UK economy is £285 million.

In addition, over 75% of companies based on Campus who were surveyed as part of the research project considered their location on the Babraham Research Campus as either a very important or critically important factor in helping them access laboratory and office space on flexible and affordable terms. ̽��ֱ��ability to attract and retain talent was also highlighted as being greatly enhanced by being part of the Babraham Research Campus community.

“Investment in the Life Sciences Sector is clearly of fundamental importance to the growth of the UK economy and the well-being of its citizens," said Professor Pete Tyler at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge's Department of Land Economy, who led the report.

Derek Jones, CEO, BBT commented: “I am delighted to see that the findings from this report confirms our own internal data and anecdotal evidence of the impact of the Campus. We have tried to ensure that the support we offer to life science companies, whether it be the provision of flexible lease structures; access to science capabilities; or the nurturing and engaging community, is impactful in terms of jobs, scientific progress and increased economic activity, both locally and for the UK as a whole. It appears in many respects that we have succeeded. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the BBT staff on Campus for the part they have played in making the Campus the success which from this evidence it is.”

Andy Richards, CBE, life science entrepreneur, investor and Chair of BBT added: “This impact report is based on a thorough quantitative and qualitative study. It provides an analysis that validates many of the hypotheses postulated as to why life-science companies in a concentrated and supportive ecosystem, such as that forged at the Babraham Research Campus within a vibrant cluster, have a differential advantage. New ventures are able to start-up and develop rapidly with access to science, technology, talent and capital with fewer barriers allowing them to get into the all-important scale-up phase. It is good to see that those on the Campus value the initiatives that have been adopted and the special culture that has been created. As an investor it is a great place to nurture innovative start-ups and a fruitful place to have fast growing scale-ups. A truly low risk environment for ambitious impactful Bioscience.”

Dr Karen Lewis, Executive Director, UKRI- BBSRC said: “I am very pleased to see publication of this report, which highlights the significant contribution the Babraham Research Campus makes to the local and national research and innovation ecosystem. UKRI-BBSRC is delighted that the report recognises the Campus as a dynamic place where institute researchers are able to deliver world leading bioscience, and life science companies can develop their science, build and scale-up their business, in a highly connected and collaborative community. ̽��ֱ��findings from this study highlight the vital role that long-term public and private investment has played in developing the Campus. ̽��ֱ��insights will help to ensure continued success in delivering economic growth and societal benefits.”

Professor Wolf Reik FRS, Acting Director, Babraham Institute said: "We are excited to see publication of this informative report, which highlights key impacts created by collaborations across the Babraham Research Campus. ̽��ֱ��Babraham Research Campus is unique in bringing together the world-leading academic research of the Babraham Institute and the vibrant and growing ecosystem of the Campus, with meaningful links existing at many different levels. These links are seen in collaborations, spin-out companies, joint funding, access to world class scientific facilities, training, and generally a better understanding of how fundamental science feeds into commercial developments with huge potential societal benefit."

Download a copy of the Executive Summary: ‘ ̽��ֱ��Economic Impact of the Babraham Research Campus: An exploration of key findings’, access the full report and view the Babraham Research Campus Impact film.

*Report data collated in 2019 covering the period 2011-2018.

Research led by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has demonstrated the benefits and outputs from the significant taxpayer investment into the Babraham Research Campus; evidencing the overall economic, social and scientific contribution the Campus makes to the UK economy.

̽��ֱ��evidence from this study shows how well-targeted public sector support over a sustained period of time can add real value by enhancing the creation of knowledge, driving innovation and enabling entrepreneur driven life science businesses to flourish.

Pete Tyler

Aerial view of Babraham Research Campus

̽��ֱ��text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright © ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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