Babraham’s KEC Programme aims to maximise the social and economic benefits of its biological research by building links with other researchers, research charities, clinicians, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, policy makers and the public. Many of the academics at the Babraham Institute, which receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), collaborate with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through shared research projects, consultancy or providing access to scientific facilities and services.
The Babraham Institute’s research has resulted in the development of several innovative new technologies, such as those that were spun out of the Institute to form Crescendo Biologics Ltd. BCS will now be responsible for managing and commercialising the intellectual property portfolio of the Institute, as well as facilitating its interactions with industry, and will be led in these activities by Dr Katy Evans-Roberts, Commercialisation Manager.
This reorganisation will also allow Babraham Bioscience Technologies Ltd (BBT) to focus on the development of the Babraham Research Campus, a thriving community at the heart of the Cambridge cluster which is now home to around 45 biomedical companies. The campus is currently expanding as a result of the £44 million BBSRC project announced by Government in 2011 - an investment in capital infrastructure to support bioscience innovation. The campus’ new chemistry-focused building, which opened last month and is now 80% occupied, provides 16,000 sq ft of lettable space to companies including Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT), the cancer-focused technology development and commercialisation arm of Cancer Research UK.
The Babraham Institute, which receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), undertakes international quality life sciences research to generate new knowledge of biological mechanisms underpinning ageing, development and the maintenance of health. The Institute’s research provides greater understanding of the biological events that underlie the normal functions of cells and the implication of failure or abnormalities in these processes. Research focuses on signalling and genome regulation, particularly the interplay between the two and how epigenetic signals can influence important physiological adaptations during the lifespan of an organism. By determining how the body reacts to dietary and environmental stimuli and manages microbial and viral interactions, we aim to improve wellbeing and healthier ageing. (www.babraham.ac.uk)
About BBSRC
BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond. Funded by the UK Government, and with an annual budget of around £445M, we support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
For more information about BBSRC, our science and our impact see: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk
For more information about BBSRC strategically funded institutes see: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/institutes
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CONTACT
Dr Claire Cockcroft
Head of External Relations, The Babraham Institute
Email: claire.cockcroft@babraham.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1223 496260
Mobile: +44 (0)7786 335978
Dr Katy Evans-Roberts
Commercialisation Manager,
katy.evans-roberts@babraham.co.uk
+44 (0)1223 496208
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