Acquisition of experience in industrial project management and commercial product development supporting non-invasive stem cell separation technology

一项由英国广播公司科学委员会资助的赫瑞瓦特大学和爱丁堡大学的合作研究取得了新的工程技术的发展，该技术可以将人类干细胞从源自干细胞的特殊细胞中分离出来。与目前实践的方法不同，新技术不依赖于可能改变细胞行为的探针表面附着。无探针分离技术可应用于干细胞的分离和加工，用于工业药物发现和临床应用的细胞制造。为了进一步开发这些应用，有必要(1)从支持商业产品的非学术开发的来源获得资金，(2)确定并吸引工业和临床最终用户。学术机构在获得此类资金或与其他人进行商业合作方面通常没有有效的定位或最有经验。因此，该奖项的目的是交换Marieke Hoeve博士，一位具有免疫学、细胞生物学和干细胞研究背景和学术项目管理经验的高级学术研究员，从爱丁堡大学Paul De Sousa博士的实验室，首先到赫瑞瓦特大学学习工程科学家的基础工程技术，并获得学术技术转移办公室实践的经验。随后，他被安排到干细胞合同制造组织Roslin Cells Ltd .，该组织的职责是促进干细胞研究的工业和临床转化。最后，Hoeve博士将返回申请人的实验室，应用所获得的多学科经验。在这个实习中，Hoeve博士的目标是：获得为Roslin cells的非学术商业产品开发获得资金的经验。通过参与现有Roslin Cells项目的管理，获得工业项目管理经验。准备细胞分离技术的市场需求和竞争分析。在Roslin cells、爱丁堡大学和herot - watt之间的三方合作中，为应用无探针细胞分离技术从类似胚胎干细胞的成体细胞中诱导多能干细胞获得资金，以建立疾病模型。在上述与其他学术和商业最终用户之间的合作中，为无探针细胞分离技术在其他工业和临床应用中的应用提供资金。

A BBSRC funded collaborative research at Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh Universities has resulted in the development of novel engineering technology to separate human stem cells from specialised cells that originate from them. Unlike currently practiced approaches, the new technique does not rely on surface attachment of probes that may alter cell behaviour. The probe-free separation technology has applications in the isolation and processing of stem cells for industrial drug discovery and cell manufacturing for clinical application. To develop these applications further it is necessary to (1) secure funding from sources supporting non-academic development of a commercial product, and (2) identify and engage industrial and clinical end users. Academic institutions are not generally effectively positioned or best experienced in acquisition of this type of funding or to commercially engage with others.The purpose of this award therefore is to interchange Dr Marieke Hoeve, a senior academic researcher with a background in immunology, cell biology & stem cell research, and experience in academic project management, from the laboratory of Dr. Paul De Sousa at Edinburgh University, first to Heriot-Watt University to learn the underpinning engineering technology of the engineering scientists and acquire experience in academic technology transfer office practice. This is followed by a placement at a stem cell contract manufacturing organisation, Roslin Cells Ltd, whose remit is to facilitate industrial and clinical translation of stem cell research. Lastly Dr Hoeve will return to the applicant's lab to apply the multi-disciplinary experience gained. In this placement Dr Hoeve will aim to:1. Gain experience in the acquisition of funding for non-academic commercial product development for Roslin Cells.2. Acquire industrial project management experience by contributing to management of existing Roslin Cells projects.3. Prepare a market analysis of the demand and competition for the cell separation technology.4. Secure funding for the application of the probe-free cell separation technology for inducing pluripotent stem cells from adult cells that resemble embryonic stem cells, for purposes of modelling diseases in a 3-way collaboration between Roslin Cells, the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt.5. Secure funding for application of the probe-free cell separation technology in other industrial and clinical applications in a collaboration between the aforementioned and other academic and commercial end users.