Project examples
SCS collaborates on research and development with the pharma industry and with leading consortia furthering the advancement of stem cell research.
Engaging SCS for collaborative, development projects is one of the most productive and efficient ways organisations can kick start their stem cell projects. Our extensive expertise and know-how, tried and tested protocols and methodologies are your fast route to success. Some of our commercial projects are described below. Information on our collaborations with research consortia can be found here.
Pfizer
Pfizer’s genetically modified organism department came to SCS in order to license our unique proprietary technologies for modifying mouse ES cells.
The Outcome
Collaborative R&D & licensing agreement. Pfizer sponsored collaborative research in SCS’s research centre of excellence in Australia where the focus was the use of our IRES & stem cell selection technology to generate a number of mouse ES cell reagents for the directed differentiation, lineage selection & scaled up production of purified neural cells for research and drug discovery assays.
Sanofi Aventis
Our close links with distinguished leaders in the field of stem cell-based technology research provided the opportunity for unique knowledge transfer in order to generate an Alzheimer’s disease assay.
The Outcome
Collaborative R&D and licensing agreement in the field of neurodegeneration. A number of genetically modified mouse ES were generated. Our IRES technology was used to purify neural lineage cells which constitutively express human Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP). Scale up of an assay to detect potential therapeutic molecules for Alzheimer’s disease.
Merck
Interested in SCS’ exclusive neural stem (NS) cells, Merck turned to SCS to evaluate the technology benefiting from SCS’s intellectual property and skilled people.
The Outcome
Merck licensed rodent NS cells for use in pharmaceutical research, drug discovery & development. Merck switched their mouse ES cells from serum culture conditions to serum free and demonstrated that their ES potential remained.
Large US pharma
This large US pharma came to us as they realised SCS is a leader in merging stem cell biology with pharmaceutical industry validated, state of the art automation.
The Outcome
A project resulted to focus on automated processes for human ES cell scale-up and conversion into pancreatic cells for prospective treatments for diabetes.
Small European biotechs
Recognising SCS’s ability to automate manual cell processing procedures, including software development, two European biotechs approached SCS to investigate if their pre-clinical manufacturing programme could be streamlined and automated.
The Outcome
Contract to automate the growth and differentiation of two cell lines intended for use in making cancer vaccines, involving quality control.
