Babraham Institute Enterprise

Commercialising the Science of the Institute

Introduction

Aerial view of the Babraham Research Campus

The Babraham Institute undertakes innovative, life sciences research to understand the biological processes underpinning lifelong health and wellbeing. Our work is recognised as world leading and is supported by strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Knowledge Exchange and and reagents. Much of the funding for develops and commercialises the Commercialisation this translational research comes from Babraham Institute’s intellectual the MRC, , charities and property portfolio. BIE also facilitates Our Knowledge Exchange and industry. collaborations between the Institute Commercialisation Programme seeks and industry, and arranges access to to maximise the impact of our research the Institute’s expertise and scientific through collaboration and interactions Babraham Institute Enterprise facilities and services. The Institute is with key stakeholders. As well as their Babraham Institute Enterprise Limited co-located on the Babraham Research basic biological research, many of our (BIE) is the wholly-owned trading arm Campus with over 50 biomedical scientists are involved in translational of the Babraham Institute. BIE supports companies, and benefits from a research such as identifying new the delivery of the commercialisation number of on-site collaborations. diseases drivers, validating new drug of the Babraham Institute’s science. targets or developing new methods As part of this role, it manages,

Life Sciences Research for Lifelong Health | 1 Our Science

The Institute’s research Epigenetics epigenetic research centres focuses on signal transduction Developmental decisions in all (www.sciencewatch.com). and genome regulation organisms are accompanied by Immunology (particularly the interplay epigenetic modifications of DNA or chromatin, and by genome regulation The Immunology Programme between the two), how through non-coding RNAs and performs world-leading studies into they regulate important higher order chromatin structures. how cells of the immune system physiological adaptations The Babraham Institute’s Epigenetics develop and function to provide to maintain health and how, Programme seeks to understand life-long protection against a vast over lifetime, their failure or how epigenetic changes regulate number of lethal or debilitating genome function, especially during infectious diseases. Maintaining abnormality may contribute development and in response to immune cell homeostasis – the balance to ageing and age-related external signals. The programme between the different types of white pathological conditions. is amongst the world’s ten leading blood cells – is a major challenge.

2 | Life Sciences Research for Lifelong Health It often breaks down with age and can cells and organs develop and respond pathologies and we also have result in increased susceptibility to to changes in their environment. We expertise in disease models and infections and various immune-related are interested in defining how the drug discovery. disorders. Understanding how immune PI3 Kinase, mTOR, MAPK and NAD cells communicate with each other and signalling pathways are controlled with their respective environments is and how they contribute to cellular therefore of considerable importance. homeostasis throughout life. There is good evidence that these pathways Signalling control key molecular aspects of the The Signalling Programme focuses ageing process and are de-regulated on the signal transduction pathways during ageing. These signalling and networks that coordinate how systems also coordinate age-related

Life Sciences Research for Lifelong Health | 3 Scientific Facilities

The Babraham Institute The Institute’s scientific facilities and provides its scientists with services include: an extensive infrastructure • Bioinformatics of central, state-of-the-art, • Biological Chemistry scientific support services. • Biological Support Unit Many of these services are (small-animal facility) available for use by external • Flow cytometry organisations. • Gene Targeting • Imaging • Lipidomics • Mass Spectrometry • Next-Generation Sequencing

The heads of the scientific services also provide training, and several run training courses – please see our website for upcoming courses.

Please contact us if you would be interested in accessing the Babraham Institute’s scientific facilities.

4 | Life Sciences Research for Lifelong Health Contact us

Babraham Institute Enterprise Ltd Babraham Research Campus CB22 3AT UK www.babraham.ac.uk/industry

Tel: +44 (0)1223 496208 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @BabrahamIE The Babraham Institute Registered Office: Babraham Hall, Babraham, Cambridge, , CB22 3AT Registered in and Wales No. 3011737 as a company limited by guarantee Registered Charity No. 1053902

Babraham Institute Enterprise Limited Registered Office: Babraham Hall, Babraham, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3AT Registered in England and Wales No. 06331858 as a company limited by guarantee