University of Bristol

The University of Bristol has a strong track record in teaching, research and the commercial exploitation of ideas. As with other universities, Bristol is increasingly focused on the commercial utilisation of academic research, particularly in areas such as identification of funding sources, contract negotiations, protecting and exploiting intellectual property, and the creation of “spin out” companies. 

Life Sciences Research

Medical and Veterinary Sciences brings together a number of world class departments, including Pathology and Microbiology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Pharmacology.  These departments all work in leading areas of drug and major disease state research and have been a major source of new bioscience IP and spin-out companies.

Research and Clinical Medicine: the co-location of clinical and Research medicine in Bristol results in there being key areas of Tertiary care in Bristol, heart surgery and oncology being excellent examples.  These bring in their trained specialist facilities, increased research activity and a developing infrastructure to meet the growing needs of these specialist areas.

Nanotechnology Research: includes work in nanoparticles, materials (including biomaterials) and nanotechnology tools such as atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy.  The University capital investment plans include the development of extensive new nanotechnology research facilities.  This is an emerging new sector internationally and Bristol as a city and the south west as a region has the potential to become a major player, with a strong research base and good industrial involvement from both new companies and established corporates. 

Centre for Synaptic Plasticity is part of a US$27.3 million investment within the School of Medical Sciences. The centre will advance the understanding of synaptic plasticity by establishing how, where and why the brain modifies synaptic strength during normal function (in particular during learning and memory), and in certain pathological states (such as in Alzheimer’s disease). 

Centre for Neuroendocrinology is a multi-disciplinary research centre with interests from the most basic molecular biology to clinical endocrinology. 

Organic and Biological Chemistry is another area of expertise, with research focusing on synthetic chemistry:

• relating directly to pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and toxins

• heterocyclic chemistry, catalytic asymmetric synthesis;
• preparation of isotopically labelled compounds for biosynthetic, metabolic and protein structural studies. 

University of Bristol Spin-out companies

Ascend Biotechnology

Ascend Biotechnology is developing a novel method for expression cloning of signalling enzymes, such as protein kinases, which regulate known important proteins

Bioresults

Bio-Results provides pre-clinical bio-medical research services to customers from the pharmaceutical, academic and other medical research sectors.  The company’s current focus is research into bone diseases, particularly osteoporosis and arthritis

Apitope Technology Ltd

Apitope Technology Ltd aims to revolutionise treatment of chronic autoimmune and allergic disorders using apitopes (peptide therapeutics) to treat multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and other common chronic diseases.

ProXara Biotechnology Ltd

Proxara Biotechnology Ltd is involved in the development of novel therapeutically-relevant cell-based high throughput screens for drug discovery using fluorescent protein methodologies combined with imaging technologies.  

Neurotargets Ltd

Neurotargets Ltd is an innovative biopharmaceutical company focused upon the use of novel genes for the development of drug targets in the fields of diabetic neuropathy, pain resulting from nerve damage, spinal cord injuries and other trauma, and brain diseases associated with cognitive impairment such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease

IHG Diagnostics Ltd

IHG Diagnostics Ltd is developing kits to detect human genetic mutations for diagnosing genetically inherited disease and for matching tissue types in organ transplantation

Hunter-Fleming Ltd (Aegis)

Develop novel pharmaceutical products for the treatment of immunological and infectious diseases. 

Surface Active

Surface Active Ltd owns an enabling technology for using monoclonal antibodies outside the laboratory environment in novel theranostic applications.

Nanomagnetics

Magnetic particles grown inside uniform hollow protein spheres that are 12 nm in diameter to provide materials solutions driving new developments in water purification, data storage, medical imaging and diagnostics. Nanomagnetics was hosted by the University of Bristol’s Physics Department

Infinitesima

Specialises in developing innovative accessories and advanced products based on scanning probe microscopy methods and techniques. These tools enable the visualisation and characterisation surfaces at a nanometre level.

Contact Bristol University