The University of Liverpool’s Institute of Infection and Global Health is working with Avacta Life Sciences, to demonstrate that a protein-based alternative to antibodies, called Affimers, could be used in novel diagnostic tests.
In the first Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) for the Institute, the team will focus on developing a diagnostic test for the detection of bacterial meningitis.
Professor Ko Ferrigno, Chief Scientific Officer at Avacta Life Sciences, said: “The award of a KTP will allow us to refine our proposed workflows and further validate our technology in this important area for UK and global health.”
Powerful tools
Avacta Life Sciences’ mission is to create a high quality, powerful set of tools to help accelerate the understanding of biology and disease and to help apply these advances to diagnosis and treatment.
Professor Enitan Carrol, who will lead the partnership from Liverpool, said: “Better use of current diagnostic approaches and developing new ways of diagnosing infections are key to treating and controlling infections.
“One of the strategic aims of our Institute is to improve diagnostics for human and animal disease in the UK and globally.
“This KTP will bring us one step closer to achieving our objective of developing new diagnostics through to commercialisation, with an industrial partner.”
KTP schemes allow UK Universities to help industry by utilising knowledge which exists within higher education institutes. It is partly funded by the company and a government grant from Innovate UK.