Microdroplet technology - the next stage

本申请是在当前的基础技术资助结束后，为新建立的微滴技术提供资金。在这项资助下，剑桥和帝国理工这两个研究中心的研究被安排为互补，以应对生物、化学和物理方面的挑战。在帝国理工学院，重点是创建和定义用于液滴询问的复杂光学技术（包括荧光，红外，拉曼，RI），创建用于液滴操作的功能组件，并将这些活动与剑桥大学的生物项目相结合。剑桥大学的重点是开发生物应用，包括DNA扩增、体外转录和翻译、酶和基于细胞的分析。将微流体与质谱相结合也是一项重要的工作。在第三年结束时的评审会议上，我们提前完成了拨款的目标，一如既往。这项研究使我们成为新兴微滴领域的领先团队之一。迄今为止，我们的成果包括30篇出版物和两项专利。在这份申请中，我们提出了6项原理验证研究，这些研究将成为未来拨款申请的基础，如果成功，将成为衍生公司的基础（我们已经为其进行了专利景观和市场分析）和/或重要的许可交易。所有提议的项目都是新颖的，超出了原BT拨款的范围。一些与基于细胞的系统的高含量筛选有关，本质上是筛选，我们在很长一段时间内从系统中获得多参数信息。其他人则探索了划分的力量，以及由此带来的做新实验的机会。拟议的研究包括：藻类生物燃料；分泌蛋白分析；钙通量测定；被动的、一次性的DNA扩增装置；单细胞测序；以及复杂蛋白质混合物的分离。我们认为，使用微液滴将使这些领域的研究发生革命性的变化，其中一些领域具有潜在的巨大商业价值。在每个案例中，我们都确定了学术合作者和潜在的商业伙伴。转化奖助金提供了一种资助机制来保持这种势头并发展这种潜力。它使我们能够留住关键人员，并支持由英国电信拨款资助的研究基础设施。它提供了我们在谈判工业合作时所需的灵活支持，也为我们积极与国际团体合作提供了旅行资金，并为我们提供了与感兴趣的各方的互动，例如通过鼓励渴望了解技术的研究人员的长期访问。计划了一项积极的传播方案。我们已经进行了84次讲座，会见了11家公司，并组织了一次大型研讨会来传播这项研究。计划再举行两次专题讨论会，并与工业界进行非常积极的互动。所要求的资源主要用于六个方案编制机构，每个机构的经费为其50%的时间、有限的消耗品和一大笔旅费和传播费用。这笔赠款的管理将大致遵循英国电信赠款的管理，该赠款已被公认为非常成功。

This application is for funding a newly established microdroplets technology after the current Basic Technology grant ends. In this grant research at the two centers, at Cambridge and Imperial, was arranged to be complementary to tackle biological, chemical and physical challenges. At Imperial the focus is to create and define sophisticated optical techniques for droplet interrogation (including fluorescence, IR, Raman, RI), create functional components for droplet manipulation and to integrate these activities with the biological programmes at Cambridge. At Cambridge the focus is on developing biological applications, including DNA amplification, in vitro transcription and translation, enzymatic and cell based assays. There has also been a major effort to integrate microfluidics with mass spectrometry. At the review meeting at the end of year three, we were ahead of schedule in meeting the objectives of the grant, as we have been throughout. The research enabled us to become one of the leading groups in the emerging microdroplets area. Our output to date includes 30 publications and two patents. In this application we propose 6 proof-of-principle studies that will underpin future grant applications, and if successful, will form the foundation for a spin-out company (for which we have carried out patent landscaping and market analysis) and/or significant licensing deals. All the proposed projects are novel and outside the scope of the original BT grant. Several relate to high content screening of cell based systems, essentially screens where we get multi-parameter information out of a system over an extended period of time. Others explore the power of compartmentalisation, and the opportunities this brings to do novel experiments. The proposed studies are in: algal biofuels; analysis of secreted proteins; calcium flux assays; passive, disposable devices for DNA amplification; single cell sequencing; and separation of complex mixtures of proteins. We consider that using microdroplets will enable a transformational change in research in each of these areas, some of which are of potentially huge commercial value. In each case we have identified academic collaborators and potential commercial partners. The Translational Grant provides a funding mechanism to maintain momentum and develop this potential. It enables us to retain key personnel and support the research infrastructure funded on the BT grant. It provides the kind of flexible support we need while negotiating industrial collaborations, and also provides travel funding for us to actively collaborate with groups internationally, and for us to stimulate interaction with interested parties e.g. by encouraging extended visits by researchers keen to learn about the technology.An active programme of dissemination is planned. We have already given 84 talks, met with 11 companies and organized a major symposium to disseminate the research. Two further symposia are planned as well as a very active interaction with industry. The resources requested are primarily for six PDRAs each funded for 50% of their time, limited consumables, and a significant sum for travel and dissemination. The management of this grant will broadly follow that for the BT grant, which has been acknowledged to be very successful.