Development of a Flexible, Versatile and Fully Interchangeable Genetic Engineering Platform (SnapFast) by Oxford Genetics Ltd

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Modern biological and medical research is highly dependent on genetic engineering (i.e. themodification of Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid, DNA). DNA is the molecule that encodes all ofthe genes which make an individual organism. Its modification has revolutionised biomedicalresearch, particularly in the fields of vaccinology, oncology, immunology and microbiology.For most research purposes DNA needs to be engineered in order to be useful. The establishedmethod of genetic engineering involves obtaining a 'backbone' piece of DNA and thendesigning strategies to modify it with enzymes and join it to other pieces of DNA to suit theneeds of the particular research project. This is a complex and laborious task, and if thedirection of the research changes it is often difficult to change the DNA construct to have anew functionality, without purchasing a new 'backbone' and starting the process from scratch.Oxford Genetics intends to develop the world’s most flexible and innovative geneticengineering platform that allows scientists to sequentially modify their DNA constructs to suittheir emerging research needs. By using a 'cassette' system, pieces of DNA can be easilychanged, allowing simple production of desired constructs without having to start again. This‘genetic Lego’ will make a major saving to research budgets and accelerate the work ofscientists by giving them access to hundreds of ready-made DNA cassettes that can easily slotinto their constructs. As such, the company’s business strategy is based on a bait and hookmodel. Our system will have multiple advantages over our competitors and no otherbiotechnology company has yet taken this approach to genetic engineering. Oxford Geneticsbelieves it can introduce a step-change in genetic engineering technologies, providing moreefficient, cheaper and easier to use DNA, and can capture a substantial share of a very largeand expanding market.