University of Reading
Press Release - 2nd September 2008
Cascade Fund invests in revolutionary peptide synthesis method developed at the University of Reading
Professor Laurence Harwood, Head of Organic Chemistry at the University of Reading, has received an investment from the Cascade Fund to commercialise his novel method of peptide synthesis, one of the University's most promising opportunities. This is the eighth investment made by the Cascade Fund in technology from Reading and will enable an intensive licensing exercise to be carried out. It represents a new step for the Fund, managed by Chord Capital Limited, which had previously focused primarily on the development of spin-out companies.
The novel technology, originally invented by Professor Harwood and his PhD student Ran Yan, allows peptide chains to be synthesised from the C-terminus, a process which until this point had been impractical due to loss of stereochemical integrity of the growing peptide chain. The new technology enables peptides to be synthesised in both directions in a process known as convergent synthesis, meaning that longer and more complex peptides can be produced much more efficiently and cheaply. This technology offers peptide manufacturers a unique competitive advantage at a time when peptides are becoming increasingly important in medical applications such as vaccines and therapeutic drugs.
Professor Harwood was supported in the initial exploration of his idea by a feasibility award from the University, followed by an investment for further commercial development from the CommercialiSE Proof of Concept Fund, managed by Finance South East Ltd,. This latest Cascade investment will support a programme of activities from market engagement through to negotiations with companies keen to utilise this exciting technology.
Professor Harwood, whose research focuses mainly on the development of new synthetic methods and their application to the synthesis of natural products, believes being new to the field of peptide synthesis gave him an advantage in tackling what is widely considered to be a common - yet insuperable - problem in the area. Professor Harwood explains: "Conventional peptide synthesis is always carried out in a very linear manner, building the peptide chain from the nitrogen terminus, as attempts to grow peptide chains from the acid terminus result in scrambling of the stereochemistry. This is such a profound problem that the impossibility of synthesising peptides from the acid terminus had become dogma in the field of peptide synthesis. We weren't steeped in this dogma, and didn't realise this reaction shouldn't be able to happen, so we just went away and did it."
The department of Chemistry at Reading is central to the University's Science Strategy and has benefited from investment of over £10 million by the University over the past ten years. In November 2007 the University agreed to invest a further £4.5 million to fund an internationally leading Chemical Analysis Facility that will be located within the Department. Researchers within Chemistry have established strong R&D links with many international companies representing all sectors of the chemical industry. The Department's research falls into four main areas: Nanoscience and Materials, Synthetic Methodology, Chemical Biology and Earth Systems Chemistry.
Note to Editors
The Cascade Fund
Cascade is an early stage or seed fund available to five partner universities in south east England: Brunel, Reading, Royal Holloway, Surrey and Sussex. It invests in activities that have moved beyond the scope of Research Council funding but which are still too early for conventional funding sources. The Cascade Fund has £4 million, 75% funded by the Office of Science & Technology (with contributions from the Wellcome Trust and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation) under the second round of the University Challenge Scheme, and 25% by the partner universities. The Cascade Fund is managed by an independent fund manager, Chord Capital Limited.
Web:www.cascadefund.co.uk
Chord Capital Ltd
Chord Capital Ltd is an independent fund manager that invests in technology-based opportunities to provide both early stage and development funding, with a particular emphasis on exploiting intellectual property and early commercialisation of new technologies. It invests across a range of technologies where it can bring commercial, technical and financial experience. Chord Capital is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Chord Capital helps with the commercialisation of technologies, both internally and through external collaborations with partners, to the stage where they can generate licence revenue or be transferred to a new business. In addition, the company has links to a wide range of independent collaborative partners to provide access to new funds, corporate finance skills, specialist technology development services and corporate development expertise.
CommercialiSE
CommercialiSE links university knowledge with business expertise in the South East to deliver an integrated framework of funding and support. Academics, university staff, students, alumni, SMEs and entrepreneurs can turn innovative ideas into commercial realities.
CommercialiSE is a joint initiative between the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Office of Science and Innovation. CommercialiSE is a collaborative partnership between eleven universities; Brighton, Buckinghamshire New, Chichester, Cranfield, Greenwich, Kent, Kingston, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth, Reading and Sussex.
CommercialiSE acknowledges the commitment and support of the South East of England Development Agency, Finance South East, the South East Sector Consortia and the SEEDA Enterprise Hub network.
The University of Reading
The University of Reading is rated as one of the UK's top research-intensive universities. The quality and diversity of the University's research and teaching is recognised globally and it is ranked among the top 200 universities in the world.
The University is home to more than 50 research centres, many of which are recognised as international centres of excellence. It takes a real-world perspective to its research and pursues an ambitious and innovative enterprise agenda. The University of Reading's work with both young and established businesses focuses on translating academic knowledge into real competitive advantage. Sharing the University's expertise and resources in this way contributes to the knowledge economy and brings benefits to the local community, employers, students and the University itself.
Web:www.reading.ac.uk
Professor Laurence Harwood
Professor Harwood is an internationally renowned researcher in the field of Organic Chemistry and Head of Organic Chemistry at the University of Reading, with a group consisting currently of 9 members. During his 10 years at Reading he has raised over £1.25 million of external funding. He has published over 120 papers and review articles and 4 textbooks in a professional career spanning 25 years at the Universities of Manchester and Oxford prior to Reading.
Professor Harwood collaborates widely with national and international researchers in academia and industry and has won several prestigious industrial awards including the Pfizer Prize and a Syngenta Research Award. A fluent French speaker, Professor Harwood also holds visiting Professorships at the École de Chimie, des Polyméres et des Matérieaux in Strasbourg and the Institut Universitaire Technologique in Castres.
For further information editors should contact:
Sue O'Hare, Head of Technology Transfer, University of Reading. Tel: +44 (0)118 935 7198, Fax +44 (0)118 378 4190, Email: s.c.ohare@reading.ac.uk
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