Heather Hobbs NEWS&VIEWS Bringing you all the latest Business and Financial News and Views from the Science Industry


Global Clinical Testing Specialist to Build European laboratory Hub in UK


Clinical Reference Laboratory Inc, (Kansas, USA), one of the world’s largest independent clinical testing laboratory operations, has concluded a landmark deal with Quotient Bioresearch (Cambridgeshire, UK) that will see CRL Global Services establish its new European laboratory hub in the UK. CRL Global Services has a track record of more than 18 years in delivering testing services to support clinical development programmes in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and CRO industries. Entering in to this agreement marks a clear strategic shift – to move away from the company’s earlier partnership within Europe.


CRL Global Services has chosen to construct its own laboratory in Cambridgeshire, UK,


embedded within the existing world-class facilities of Quotient Bioresearch. It will provide a further full service laboratory arm to CRL Global Services’ existing global structure. The contract also provides for an immediate close collaboration between the companies on the development and delivery of new services, particularly in the areas of bioanalysis, biomarkers and microbiology.


Leader of the organisation for more than 10 years, Rajani Prasad, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Trials and Arnold Verbeek, PhD, General Manager of Clinical Reference Laboratory – Europe Ltd, commented: “Our agreement with Quotient Bioresearch signals a new chapter in CRL’s development. We are


confident that by using our own operations and applying our technology on a global scale CRL guarantees clients the most streamlined, highest quality and best value available in clinical trials support.”


David Griffiths, PhD MBA, Business Development Director, Quotient Bioresearch, added: “We are very pleased to be working together with CRL Global Services as they construct their new laboratory in the UK. The established capabilities of the two companies are entirely complementary. I anticipate synergies that will enable us to deliver a joint offering significantly broader than available from each party working alone.”


TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 567 University to Invest in Centralised Teaching Laboratories


The University of Liverpool has applied for planning permission to create a number of highly-serviced, state-of-the-art centralised teaching laboratories which will be used across a variety of science-based subjects. The £25 million project is expected to be completed in September 2011. The project is designed to


deliver sustainable scientific teaching facilities for the Physical Sciences and aims to enhance the overall student experience at Liverpool through the creation of a modern, high quality and vibrant laboratory environment.


The


proposed development, based on Chatham Street North at the rear of the University’s


lecture block, will include 15 state-of-the-art laboratories, several of which will be able to accommodate in excess of 200 students. The facility will be focused on undergraduate teaching and will facilitate the development of innovative new teaching modules that promote inter-disciplinary science.


TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 568


Agency Celebrates Spectrometer Design Award


Hans Petersen


UK design agency, Creactive Design added a top award to its portfolio when the iCAP 6000 Spectrometer, co-designed with ThermoFisher Scientific, was recently presented with a Queen’s Award for Innovation. Hans Petersen, Partner and Founder of Creactive Design, attended the award ceremony: “We


are thrilled with the success Thermo Fisher Scientific has had with the iCAP and this award reinforces the vital role good design and world class engineering has in achieving a competitive advantage in a tough global market. Our approach is based on the belief that product design should be an integral part of a cohesive marketing strategy. We work as a close member of the team with our clients, to produce solutions that meet specific commercial, strategic and manufacturing requirements. The results have been products that are not only stylish and innovative, but also practical to manufacture and profitable to sell.”


Descibed as the ‘iPod’ or ‘Ferrari’ of spectrometer models, Dr Mike Wassell, Product Director of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Instrument Division said: “We’ve presented the iCAP 6000 series at shows from the States to Japan, the Middle East to India, (and) the look on people’s faces when the covers come off just says it all!”


TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 570


NPL Wins RoSPA Research & Development Award 2009


(Left to right) Lord Jordan of Bournville, RoSPA President; Chris Williams, Head of NPL’s Corporate Assurance Team, receiving the RoSPA R&D Sector Award 2009; and Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA Chief Executive.


NPL has won the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Research & Development Award in 2009. This follows on from the 'Highly Commended' Sector Award in 2008, a Gold Medal in 2007 and a Gold Award every year from 2003 to 2006 inclusive.


These awards prove a consistent commitment, and improvement, to good Health and Safety management over a prolonged period. They are also in recognition of all members of staff who have worked so hard over the years to improve Health and Safety at NPL.


TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 569


Science Access Centres Open to Help Innovative Businesses with R&D


New centres that offer UK based businesses flexible and affordable access to cutting- edge scientific equipment and laboratory space for high-tech research and development work have opened at STFC Daresbury Laboratory, part of the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus in Cheshire.


Through these new Innovations Technology Access Centres, businesses can make use of the fully-equipped biological, imaging, materials and physical science laboratories, either for exclusive periods or on an hourly basis in a multi-share setting.


The Centres also complement the facilities that businesses can receive from the nearby Daresbury Innovation Centre, which offers high-quality offices and larger leasable space suitable for businesses wishing to set up their own laboratory. The Innovation Centre is already home to over 90 high-tech small businesses employing more than 300 people with specialist expertise in instrumentation, control engineering,


medical devices and diagnostics, mobile telecoms technologies and software development.


Professor Keith Mason, STFC’s Chief Executive, said: “These centres are great news for businesses and for Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus. In the current economic climate it can be difficult for innovative businesses to access affordable, ready to use, high specification laboratory space to carry out the much-needed research and development to make them competitive.


"The access centres have been made possible by re-using the high-end equipment that once formed part of Daresbury’s Synchrotron Radiation Source. I am delighted that that we are able to keep this equipment in the north- west and create a facility that will stimulate the local economy.


"This is another significant step forward in the further development of the Science and Innovation Campus as a place which encourages businesses, scientists and academics to work in collaboration with each other."


TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 571


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