Licensing opportunities
Research Tools
Our licensing opportunities tagged with Research Tools are shown below.
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Software for calculating the minimum lap or manoeuvre time of a road vehicle
Calculating the minimum lap or manoeuvre time of a road vehicle has received much attention in the past. Existing solutions to the calculation problem include the quasi-steady-state method (QSS), which is computationally fast but ignores the transient dynamics of the vehicle and does not allow the optimum vehicle path to be determined. At the other end of the spectrum, nonlinear optimisation has been used, but there are associated difficulties with numerical robustness and computational load.
Researchers in the Department of Engineering have developed an algorithm which overcomes these limitations and provides a computationally efficient and numerically robust solution by formulating the problem as a convex optimisation. Given a set of vehicle parameters and road boundary geometry, the algorithm calculates the optimum path, speed, steering and drive/brake controls to minimise the lap or manoeuvre time of the vehicle. The results from the software have been validated against results from a nonlinear optimisation algorithm. Use of the software requires the industry-standard MATLAB® program and access to a Quadratic Programme Solver.
The software has application in the automotive and racing car industries.
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Novel Affinity Ligands for Process Scale Antibody Purification
High specificity, low cost synthetic ligands which are useful to manufacture therapeutic antibodies and other biopharmaceuticals. This technology, developed by Professor Chris Lowe and colleagues in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, offers the potential to replace Protein A or Protein G in commercial bioprocessing.
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Empathy/Systemizing Quotient (EQ-SQ)
Empathy Quotient (EQ), Systemizing Quotient (SQ) and Empathy/Systemizing Quotient (EQ-SQ) are questionnaires developed by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues at the Autism Research Centre and available for licensing. They aim to test if adults, adolescents or children of average intelligence have Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism. A suite of tests developed by the team for diagnosing autism found at the following link are also available for licensing: http://www.autismresearchcentre.com/arc_tests
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Quantitative Checklist for Autism Toddlers
The Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) is a questionnaire developed by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues at the Autism Research Centre and available for licensing. Consisting of twenty-five questions, it aims to identify children aged 18-24 months who are at risk of having social-communication disorders. A version with 10 questions is also available. A suite of tests developed by the team for diagnosing autism found at the following link are also available for licensing: http://www.autismresearchcentre.com/arc_tests
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Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)
The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is a questionnaire developed by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues at the Autism Research Centre and available for licensing. Consisting of fifty questions, it aims to test if adults, children or adolescents of average intelligence have symptoms of autism or one of the other autism spectrum conditions. A suite of tests developed by the team for diagnosing autism found at the following link are also available for licensing: http://www.autismresearchcentre.com/arc_tests
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Embryo Culture Method
A novel method that enables embryos to be cultured in vitro past the implantation stage, which has been previously unachievable. Culturing embryos past this point allows development to be closely monitored, but also will enable generation of a much larger number of pluripotent stem cells than can be isolated from embryos using current methods. This method will therefore be of great use to both developmental and stem cell research communities. In addition it will aid understanding embryo development at a critical stage of pregnancy thereby facilitating the optimisation of in vitro fertilisation techniques.
For more information see the publication Morris, S et al, Nature Communications 2012 Feb 14;3:673:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22334076
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Novel Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator (FBAR) device
Bulk acoustic wave (BAW) sensors based on micromechanical systems (MEMS) offer significant advantages over quartz crystal microbalance (QCM); such as compact size, compatibility with electronics, lower power consumption, lower cost and higher reliability. However, their wide application to real-world detection remains limited by the temperature-dependence of their performance. Recently researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a novel Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator (FBAR) device which has the potential to overcome this limitation by enabling the simultaneous measurement of temperature and mass loading in a single device without increasing their size or adding complexity to the electronics. Through the use of a novel multi-layer device structure and electrode materials, temperature self-referenced FBAR resonators with high operating frequencies (~1-2 GHz) and world-leading Q-factors (>1500) have been produced paving the way for real-world monitoring using FBAR sensors.
Key potential benefits:
Parallel sensing of several physical variables within the same unit sensor
Small size (around 150μm × 150μm)
Ultrahigh sensitivity ( in range of 10-14 to 10-15g)
Tuneable frequency of actuation (suitable for >1 GHz applications)
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Stable human cell line for ubiquitin research
A stable human cell line expressing multiple copies of biotinylated ubiquitin under tight control by tetracycline. This cell line enables clean and easy identification and quantification of ubiquitin substrates, studies of ubiquitination mechanisms and ubiquitination inhibitor screens. Ubiquitination is thought to be a key signaling mechanism in diseases such as cancer and these cells will be a powerful tool for the ubiquitin research community.
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Database of contemporary spoken English
Recordings of speakers with ‘Standard Southern British English’ pronunciation have been collected and transcribed orthographically by researchers in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics at the University of Cambridge.
The database was recorded with forensic phonetic research in mind, but serves very generally as an extensive source of contemporary spoken English. It comprises studio quality recordings of 100 male speakers aged 18-25 performing four tasks involving different speaking styles: taking part in a simulated police interview, making a telephone call with an “accomplice” (recorded simultaneously and over the public telephone network), reading a passage, and reading a set of sentences.
Compared to alternative databases of comparable size, this database provides, for a tightly homogeneous population of speakers, a spectrum of speaking styles with a substantial number of words and phrases (elicited by design) in common. It is expected to be of interest to companies involved in a variety of speech technologies, and is available to license from the Economic and Social Data Service.
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Supramolecular Microcapsules
The next generation of "smart" materials will require molecular self-assembly to achieve the high degrees of functionality and complexity that are required for a wide range of applications such as heat absorbers, self-healing paints, optical sensors and drug delivery mechanisms.
Professor Chris Abell and Dr. Oren Scherman have developed a new technique for manufacturing such functional materials in large volumes, using supramolecular, stimuli-responsive polymers.
Aqueous microfluidic droplets dispersed in oil are used as templates for building discrete supramolecular assemblies. These assemblies form highly uniform microcapsule structures, the shells of which can be tailored to enable and monitor, passive or active release of encapsulated contents to meet a range of market needs.
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Reproducible, reusable, self-calibrating SERS substrate for single-molecule recognition
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is an ultra-sensitive, non-destructive spectroscopic technique that enables characterisation and identification of molecules for a wide variety of potential applications including environmental sensing, forensic analysis and medical diagnosis. It potentially replaces fluorescence techniques due to its photon yield, lack of bleaching and label-free molecular signatures.
Wide adoption of SERS-based techniques remains, however, limited by lack of reproducibility and reusability of the SERS substrates. Recently, scientists at Cambridge University developed a novel approach, based on cucurbiturils, that has the potential to dramatically improve the usability of SERS-based techniques.
By accurately controlling the gaps between aggregates of metal nanoparticles using cucurbilturils as rigid sub-nanometre ‘cages’, analyte molecules can be held in the intense electric field regions between the nanoparticles providing the possibility of reliable, highly sensitive, molecular recognition based on SERS. Not only does this technique open up the possibility of using SERS to identify single molecules that have no affinity for metal surfaces, it is also potentially self-calibrating due to the Raman-activity of the cucurbituril spacer molecules themselves and reusable due to the triggered release of analyte molecules from the cucurbilturil ‘cages’ by chemical, photo-initiation or thermal means.
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Transgenic mice with fluorescently labelled intestinal K-cells
Enables exploration of mechanisms involved in glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide secretion with the potential to identify targets in these cells that could be exploited therapeutically for treatment of obesity.
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Haploid mouse embryonic stem cells
Novel method to derive haploid mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) for forward genetic screening. Several different lines are currently maintained, including from different mouse strains and transgenic lines. Main use to facilitate forward genetic screening; homozygous mutation libraries could be easily generated.
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Gel beads in microfluidic droplets
An innovative system for selectively entrapping proteins and nucleic acids within microfluidic gel beads, enabling high-throughput screening in directed evolution experiments and the isolation of positive clones via FACS.
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Gaussian Approximational Potential
Gaussian Approximation Potential (GAP) is a novel atomistic modelling technique that combines accuracy with speed. By inferring the energy of an atom from the position and identity of its neighbours using a precomputed database of exact quantum mechanical solutions, the potential energy surface of a system of atoms and molecules is approximated.
This methodology allows a controllable compromise to be made between the accuracy of Quantum Chemistry models and the speed of Interatomic Potential methods, with applications in a diverse range of fields including pharmaceuticals, aerospace, electronics and biotechnology.
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Endometriosis Mouse Model
Unlike currently existing endometriosis mouse models, this novel allograft model is an immuno-competant mouse that produces viable endometriosis-like lesions. This model will be useful in screening and identifying compounds for use in the treatment of endometriosis. Other applications include investigating the pathogenesis of endometriosis, identifying target genes or others factors associated with endometriosis.
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Recombinant Human Activin A
High purity Activin A available in large quantities from E Coli, useful as an additive in stem cell culture and as a mesoderm inducer in developmental biology.
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W-12 Cell Line
Human keratinocyte cell line useful in research related to human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) and cervical carcinoma.
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Transgenic mice with fluorescently labelled proglucagon-expressing cells
Enables exploration of mechanisms underlying GLP-1, PYY and glucagon release, with the potential to identify targets in proglucagon-expressing cells that could be exploited therapeutically for the treatment of diabetes and obesity.
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Recombinant Human RAD51
Large quantities of recombinant full-length human RAD51 useful for biochemical and biological assays including for DNA strand exchange, protein-protein/protein-DNA interaction studies in vitro and in vivo and Western blots.
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Novel Apoptosis Imaging Agents
A novel agent for use in molecular imaging of apoptotic cells that can be cross-linked to a variety of contrast agents and is highly suitable for use with imaging technologies such as MRI, PET and SPECT. This imaging agent may be useful as a prognostic indicator of treatment outcome for cancer or cardiac plaque formation.
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Novel Biomarker for Assessing DNA Damage
Our researchers have identified the earliest known marker for DNA damage. Phosphorylation of residue Thr51 of protein HP1β occurs within minutes of the onset of DNA damage. A robust, specific polyclonal antibody to the phosphorylated form of this protein has been developed which is an effective biomarker for DNA damage. This has excellent potential for use as a biomarker in clinical applications such as the diagnosis, prognosis and predictive response of individuals to cancer therapy.
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Cell Culture Model for Huntington's Disease
Two stable inducible rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cell lines expressing GFP-tagged exon 1 of the Huntington gene with either 23 or 74 glutamine repeats (PC12 HD-Q23 or PC HD-Q74), driven by a doxycycline-dependent Tet-On promoter. These cell lines can be used for in vitro studies to evaluate compounds to treat Huntington's disease.
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Novel Murine Model of Advanced Vulnerable Atherosclerosis
Transgenic mice are engineered so that on induction they rapidly and predictably develop a disease state that shares major features of advanced vulnerable atherosclerosis in humans. This valuable model is highly suited to studies of cardiovascular drugs which stabilise atherosclerotic plaques and the long term study of arterial diseases such as aneurysm formation, angioplasty restenosis and atherosclerosis.