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University of Cambridge spin-out Sphere Fluidics was among the winners at the ACES awards – the only pan-European awards for academic spin-outs – held earlier this week in Brussels.
Based on the research of Professors Chris Abell and Wilhelm Huck of the Department of Chemistry, Sphere Fluidics was honoured for its ground-breaking biochip systems which automatically process millions to billions of miniaturised tests in tiny picodroplets. Among other things, the technology allows tests on individual cells as well as whole “libraries” of cells.
Sphere Fluidics’ technology enables the study of the mechanism of cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy, the generation of new enzymes and identification of novel microbial strains. The company has established multiple commercial partnerships, and is funded by Cambridge Enterprise seed funds and the Royal Society Enterprise Fund, amongst others.
The ACES awards programme was created in 2008 by Science|Business, a Brussels- and London-based media company and innovation network set up to recognise entrepreneurship at academic institutions.
The ACES 2013 winners conference was held at the European Parliament in Brussels. The winners were chosen by the Science|Business Innovation Board from a shortlist drawn up by a jury drawn from academia, industry and venture capital. The prizes were announced and awarded at a gala dinner at the Plaza Theatre, Brussels.