Posts By: Angharad Watson

4th Annual Drug Discovery Congress 2017

Life Sciences Research Network Congress brings together Wales’ finest Drug Discovery Researchers

The Life Sciences Research Network Wales is part of the Welsh Government’s £50 million Sêr Cymru programme aimed at building research capacity within Wales.

As part of this initiative, the Welsh Government established three research Networks addressing the Grand Challenges of:

  • Life sciences and health
  • Advanced engineering and materials
  • Low carbon, energy and environment

The Life Science Research Network Wales is based in Cardiff University and led by Professor Andrea Brancale. This initiative was supported by a grant of £7.3m from the Sêr Cymru programme and HEFCW and aims to discover and develop new drugs in areas of unmet medical need.

The Network brings together leading academics from Aberystwyth, Bangor Cardiff, and Swansea Universities and has supported over 131 new research projects.  The Network works closely with a number of industry partners, the NHS and other major funding bodies and has a strong focus on its links to other funders, such as the Life Sciences Bridging Fund who support a pathway to potential commercialisation of the outputs of academic research for ultimate patient benefit. In its fourth year, the Network has supported a range of activities including PhD students, individual research projects and platform technologies at universities across Wales.  These researchers are developing the next generation of drugs to tackle major societal health issues such as:

  • Cancer
  • Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Neurodegenerative diseases

The Scientific Drug Discovery Congress takes place on 29th to 30th November 2017 at the Mercure Holland House Hotel in Cardiff. Congress is an opportunity for students and leading academics from across Wales to highlight their research and discuss the challenges faced in developing the next generation of therapeutics. The event will be attended by a number of leading researchers whose work has successfully led to commercialisation, as well industry representatives with substantial experience in the journey through the drug development pathway.

This year, the Network is delighted to welcome the following key-note speakers to Congress: Professor Simon Ward, Co-Director of the newly established Medicines Discovery Institute at Cardiff University – the goal of the Institute is to translate the University’s world-leading scientific understanding of disease mechanisms into novel therapeutic approaches to address disease where there remains a significant unmet medical need; Dr Edgar Hartsuiker, Senior Lecturer in Cancer Biology and Chair of the North-West Cancer Research Institute at Bangor University, who will be addressing the exploitation of DNA repair defects for personalised cancer treatment; Hugh Young Rienhoff, Chief Executive Officer of Imago BioSciences, Clinical Scientist and entrepreneur, who will be providing an insight into an entrepreneur’s journey; Professor B. Paul Morgan, Director of the Systems Immunity Research at Cardiff University, who will address therapeutic targeting of the complement system.

Professor Brancale, the Scientific Director of the Network said: “the level of engagement with the Network, from academics has been immense so far. We have seen over 419 new drug discovery projects submitted for review – and we have supported over 131 projects. The Network is making a real difference by focusing funding on potentially high impact research and supporting the discovery of novel potential therapeutics.

Group photo and winners of the PhD poster competition from the 3rd Annual Drug Discovery Congress 2016 (C) Huw John, Cardiff


Huge potential of nanotechnology closer to being unlocked through multi-million pound international project led by the Medical School

Scientists at Swansea University Medical School have just received approval from the European Commission for an international collaborative grant expected to be in excess of €12 million to develop novel cutting-edge tests to prevent the use of animals when assessing safety concerns surrounding nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology is a field which could greatly enhance crucial aspects of our lives pending proper investigation into associated risks.

The grant has been awarded as part of the Horizon2020 scheme, the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever, with nearly €80 billion of funding available over seven years (2014 to 2020).

Swansea University will lead an international team of scientists including academic, industrial, government and risk assessment partners to work on this major project entitled Physiologically Anchored Tools for Realistic nanOmateriaL hazard aSsessment (PATROLS).  The project involves a total of 26 partners spread across 14 countries through Europe and across the globe including Canada, Japan, Korea and the US.

The project faced competition from scientific groups all over Europe to become the only one selected for funding through a dedicated Horizon2020 challenge under the Industrial Leadership pillar.

Shareen Doak (pictured here) is a Professor of Genotoxicology & Cancer at Swansea University Medical School and is leading the project.  She explained: “Nanotechnology promises significant scientific, economic and societal benefits, but commercialisation and growth are threatened by safety uncertainties.

“Several problems currently exist in the field of nanosafety testing: standard non-animal tests are unreliable for nanomaterials, so there is a greater emphasis on evaluating their safety in animals. However animal tests are also unsuitable as they are expensive, time-consuming, and are associated with substantial moral concerns. Additionally, these tests do not predict the consequences of long term exposure on both human health and the environment.

“PATROLS will address these limitations by providing state-of-the-art 3D culture models of the human lung, gastrointestinal tract and liver.  The project will also deliver advanced testing methods for environmental safety testing and robust computational models that will allow us to more accurately predict human health and environmental safety based on data generated in cell culture, removing the need to test on animals.”

“Exposure under realistic conditions (low concentrations over extended periods of time) will be applied to human cell culture to understand the true risk associated with nanomaterials in consumer products.

PATROLS comprises many of Europe’s leading experts in nanosafety, ecotoxicology, cell biology, systems biology, computational modelling, tissue engineering and material science. This range of expertise will allow PATROLS to develop the next-generation of non-animal nanosafety testing solutions, to protect consumers, workers, patients and our environment, allowing us to enjoying the benefits that nanotechnological developments promise to have on our daily lives.

Commenting on the award, Chief Scientific Officer for Wales, Julie Williams said: “I am delighted that Swansea-based scientists will lead this worldwide initiative to translate nanotechnology into safe applications affecting human health, economic development and public policy. It is vital we exploit cutting-edge science for the good of mankind.”

Dr Kalyan Sarma, from Innovate UK said: “This award is a fantastic win for the PATROLS consortium. It is testament to the quality of the team and the value that they will bring to the nanotechnology industry. Nanosafety is of paramount importance in assuring sustainable development opportunities within the nanotechnology industry so the developments promised through PATROLS are both exciting and will support industrial growth across a broad range of sectors.”

The PATROLS project is scheduled to commence in autumn 2017 and will run for 3.5 years.

The future of Nanotechnology

Investigating the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials is vital as nanotechnology may be able to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications such as in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics, biomaterials energy production, and wide-ranging consumer products, for example:

  • Medicine: Researchers are developing customised nanoparticles the size of molecules that can deliver drugs directly to diseased cells in the body.  When it’s perfected, this method should greatly reduce the damage treatment such as chemotherapy does to a patient’s healthy cells.  The Centre for NanoHealthat Swansea University is currently conducting research in areas including Microbiology and Infection, Neuroscience and Molecular Psychiatry, Immunity and Allergy, Diabetes, and Cell Biology of Cancer and Reproduction.
  • Food: Nanotechnology is having an impact on several aspects of food science, from how food is grown to how it is packaged. Companies are developing nanomaterials that will make a difference not only to how food tastes, but also in food safety, and the health benefits that food delivers.
  • Fuel Cells: Nanotechnology is being used to reduce the cost of catalysts used in fuel cells to produce hydrogen ions from fuel such as methanol and to improve the efficiency of membranes used in fuel cells to separate hydrogen ions from other gases such as oxygen.
  • Solar Cells: Companies have developed nanotech solar cells that can be manufactured at significantly lower cost than conventional solar cells.
  • Fuels: Nanotechnology can address the shortage of fossil fuels such as diesel and gasoline by making the production of fuels from low grade raw materials economical, increasing the mileage of engines, and making the production of fuels from normal raw materials more efficient.

A review of the Sêr Cymru Postgraduate Conference 2017: Conference draws together Sêr Cymru PhD Students to present their research.

The Life Sciences Research Network, on behalf of the 3 National Research Networks, EngineeringLife Sciences and Low Carbon and Environment, hosted the second Sêr Cymru Postgraduate Conference at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff on 11th September 2017.

The conference provided PhD students from the 3 Networks an opportunity to showcase their research across the breadth of EngineeringLife Sciences and Low Carbon and Environment. This was achieved via PhD poster and oral presentations and the inclusion of a peer-judged competition leading to shotgun presentations for the winners at the end of the day.

The conference included key presentations by external speakers from industry and academia, who spoke about their careers and development opportunities within different sectors.

Vaughan Gething AM delivered an inspirational closing speech, highlighting the value of the Sêr Cymru Programme and the contribution made by the NRN PhD students to the scientific research community in Wales.

The conference provided participants the opportunity to explore cross-theme opportunities as part of the wider NRN community and to build new collaborations for the future. The social aspect of the day was consolidated with a cheese and wine reception marking the end of the event.

The third PhD Conference will be hosted by the Low Carbon Energy & Environment NRN in North Wales in 2018.

Due to funding provided by Sêr Cymru programme through the Welsh Government and HEFCW, there was no fee for attending the conference.

Testimonials from PhD students:

“It was very good to have the chance to introduce my work to others. And also I can get some good information from other students”.

“Being able to communicate with students from other universities on similar projects”.

“Just nice to be with other scientists outside of my field”.

“Research updates from other students, chance to network”.

“Meeting again members of NRN was a pleasure and gave us the chance to update each other on a more personal level”

Vaughan Gething AM, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport, commented:

“It is the collaborative and inspirational approach that Sêr Cymru provides that will help drive forward the next generation of talented researchers”.


2nd Annual Sêr Cymru Postgraduate Conference 2017

Monday 11th September 2017, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff

The second Sêr Cymru Postgraduate Conference brings together and presents the research of the PhD students within the 3 Sêr Cymru National Research Networks (NRNs). The NRN PhD students are vital to the future of Science and Engineering in Wales –  among them will be future leaders who drive Welsh research forward with major impacts for society and business.

Supported by Welsh Government and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and currently in the penultimate year of funding, the Networks are generating significant outputs across the breadth of their programmes, building on pockets of World class expertise in Wales and providing a sound base for future, successful endeavours.

The organisers are delighted to welcome 4 external speakers to the conference this year -Vaughan Gething AM, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, Welsh Government; David Veryard, Microsoft’s lead in Wales; Dr Helen Swygart, Capability Employment Manager at Qioptiq Ltd and Professor Tiina Roose, Professor of Biological and Environmental Modelling at the University of Southampton.

Vaughan Gething AM, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport, commented:

“It is the collaborative and inspirational approach that Sêr Cymru provides that will help drive forward the next generation of talented researchers”.

The Life Sciences Research Network Wales

 

 


Celtic Connection – A snapshot of Irish and Welsh Life Sciences, 20th June

Celtic Connection brings together life sciences experience from Wales and Ireland, as well as leading experts, academics, investors and advisors. It will enable businesses from across Wales and Ireland to learn more about trading in these two regions and explore potential for increasing trade, growth and routes to market.

For more information about the event on 20th June at the Life Sciences Hub, please visit:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celtic-connection-a-snapshot-of-irish-and-welsh-life-sciences-tickets-34723235131


Urdd National Eisteddfod

The Life Sciences Research Network coordinated an active science exhibition at this year’s Urdd National Eisteddfod in Bridgend, from 29th May to 3rd June.

Researchers, PhD and undergraduate students from Cardiff, Aberystwyth and Swansea Universities shared their science with the public of all ages, at the GwyddonLe Science Pavilion on the Eisteddfod field.

Professor Arywn Jones, Cardiff University said,

“The Urdd has announced that close to 90,000 people attended this year, highlighting this event as a major opportunity to showcase science performed at Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea Universities and funded by the Life Science Research Network Wales.”

Highlighted was the super complex human brain, healing damaged kidneys, computer modelling for drug discovery and interactive parasite displays.

Picture10Picture3A Giant Brain Dome proved a popular draw for younger children who bounced inside the giant brain.

Professor Arwyn Jones, Cardiff University said,

This was a great opportunity to raise public awareness of the support the Life Science Research Network Wales is giving to Science in Wales in attempting to improve treatments for conditions such as cancer, dementia, microbial infections and kidney disease”.

Dr Andrea Brancale, Scientific Director, Life Sciences Research Network Wales said,

We were delighted to be attending this year’s Urdd Eisteddfod to showcase a cross-section of some of the excellent research being undertaken in drug discovery across Wales”.


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LSRNW at the Urdd 2017

The Life Science Research Network Wales supports science across Wales and is coordinating an active science exhibition at this year’s Urdd National Eisteddfod in Bridgend, from 29th May to 3rd June (www.urdd.cymru/en/eisteddfod/eisteddfod-2017/)

Researchers from Cardiff, Aberystwyth and Swansea Universities will be sharing their science with the public of all ages, at the GwyddonLe Science Pavilion on the Eisteddfod field.

Highlighted will be the super complex human brain, healing damaged kidneys, computer modelling for drug discovery and interactive parasite displays.

The Giant Brain Dome that was such a hit at the 2016 National Eisteddfod of Wales in Abergavenny, will feature again… where else on earth can you bounce inside a giant brain?!

Cardiff University stand at Eisteddfod festival 2016 © WALES NEWS SERVICE

Cardiff University stand at Eisteddfod festival 2016
© WALES NEWS SERVICE


Public Appointments – Life Sciences Hub Wales Ltd – Chair and Board Members

The Welsh Government on behalf of Life Sciences Hub Wales Ltd (the Hub) is seeking applicants with an interest and knowledge of the life science sector, in particular in industrial and clinical/NHS management roles, with a commitment to generating and developing opportunities for achieving economic growth and developing the Industry-NHS interface.  Consideration will also be given to candidates from outside the life sciences sector who can demonstrate similar skills and experience.
 
The Hub has been established by Welsh Government to connect, inspire and accelerate growth of companies in this sector, placing Wales on the international map as a preferred location to establish and grow successful life science companies.
 
Over the next 12 months a new vision and mission for the Hub will be established to ensure the ongoing development of the life sciences sector in Wales, to deliver significant economic impact and develop opportunities for creating value from NHS-industry engagement.
 
Closing date: 24 May 2017
 
Further details and application information can be found at:

BioWales 2017

BioWales 2017

The Life Sciences Research Network Wales and the Life Sciences Bridging Fund have team up to sponsor the Innovation Zone at this years BioWales Conference on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th March.

Come and visit the Innovation Zone in Bar Fresh at BioWales and see our platform technology showcase, book a one 2 one session with our platform holders and check out some research presentations from Principal Investigators funded by the Life Sciences Bridging Fund and the Life Sciences Research Network.  Please view the flyer below to see the full schedule of events in the Innovation Zone.

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