Fingerprint Tests Assess Disease Impact

Researchers in Aberystwyth’s University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) are working with industry partners on new diagnostic technologies capable of pinpointing the presence or absence of a disease.

 The research has focused on developing clinically useful biomarker identification, or fingerprinting, for major chronic diseases that impact on an aging human population. A parallel strand of work has targeted important animal diseases.

With Aberystwyth University as a shareholder, a spinout company called i-Omics Limited has been set up to take the research to the wider public by creating diagnostic testing systems and technologies.

The work will include developing a novel point-of-care diagnostic system, which will enable patient-clinician interaction and diagnosis without the need for clinical face-to-face consultations.

Professor Luis Mur, who leads the research within IBERS said: “This enterprise helps move science out of the lab and into the hands of clinical practitioners. We will be developing diagnostic kits to enable the rapid and accurate diagnosis of chronic respiratory disease as well as informing personalised treatment plans for patients." 

The development is an example of the commercialisation opportunities of research arising from KESS II scholarships at Aberystwyth University, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF).

Dr David Rooke, founder and executive officer of i-Omics Limited said: “This exciting opportunity has been made possible by the world class and state-of-the-art omics research carried out by Professor Mur’s team at IBERS as well as very high quality research and innovation enabled through collaborative research projects sponsored by the commercial partners and supported by European Social Funds (ESF) through the Welsh Government’s scholarship scheme. It also brings together a founder team of successful small companies in the field of diagnostic technologies and systems.”

i-Omics founding team members include Professor Luis Mur Director of Research, Biology and Health at IBERS, David Rooke, Ian Bond CEO of Bond Digital Health, Professor Keir Lewis (a respiratory consultant at Hywel Dda University Health Board); Darren Rowles, and Clarity BioSolutions (based at Porton Down).