University of Birmingham Enterprise

Professor Yongliang LI, who invented a novel energy storage system that couples a chemical heat pump with microwave energy, will be speaking at an upcoming Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) conference in London on November 6.  Professor Li’s presentation covers a separate, but related, innovation called e-Thermal Bank, which could revolutionise the electrification of heat. His presentation, called "e-Thermal Bank: An Innovation to Revolutionize the Electrification of Heat" is from 1:50 PM to 2:05 PM.    In the UK, domestic heating accounts for 20% of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions. This event, which is supported by the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) and the University of Nottingham Energy Institute, explores ideas for decarbonising homes. It is free of charge, and intended for academics, industrial stakeholders, and policy makers. You can register at https://lnkd.in/eDVdHgDd If you are attending the conference and would like to connect with Professor Li, he would love to hear from you. He can be contacted on the email address below or via LinkedIn.  

Congratulations to Dr Joanna Bucknall and the Immersive Experience Network (IEN) for the fantastic success of Summit 24, held in London this week. After attending the University of Birmingham’s Medici Enterprise Training programme, Jo, an expert in immersive performance practices and augmented reality, co-founded the IEN in 2023 to empower creators in the immersive entertainment sector. The IEN supports creators in expanding audiences and growing financially viable companies, while also generating market research and holding networking events.    The Summit featured over 30 speakers and 700 attendees, fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge on the creative, operational, and commercial aspects of immersive work. We look forward to seeing what’s next. For more on the Medici programme, visit: https://lnkd.in/evAJC42D Eleanor Burdis Andrew Cruxton Rizwan M, BA (Hons), MSc, PRINCE2® #immersiveperformance #artinnovation #immersiveexperience #iensummit24

University of Birmingham Enterprise announces the launch of Biocell Energetics, to provide profiling and testing services that assess, in real-time, how living cells produce energy. Biocell Energetics is founded by Dr Jonathan Barlow, Scientific Research Director at Birmingham’s Cellular Health and Metabolism Facility, who has high-level expertise in cellular bioenergetics, the branch of biochemistry that focuses on how cells generate, store or transform energy. There are two processes by which cells make energy. While one takes place inside mitochondria, the other takes place in the cytosol (the liquid portion of the cell). The balance between these two pathways varies by cell type, and cells can switch from one to another. The type of analysis done by Dr Barlow benchmarks this balance and shows, in real-time, when and how this balance changes. This is especially relevant for the pharmaceutical industry, which needs to test the safety and efficacy of new drug candidates on cell models mitochondria before they are evaluated in clinical trials.    The interest in cellular metabolism is also high in the cultivated meat industry. Currently, most cultivated meats are grown in media based on animal protein, but the demand for completely meat-free products means that producers are looking for alternatives to grow cells in. Measuring energy metabolism of cells grown in meat-free media will enable players in this competitive industry to select the best medium, that will support the highest growth rate for their cultivars.   There is also demand from the environmental testing sector, which examines effects of pollutants such as shampoos, soaps, or waterproofing materials that are toxic to aquatic life, and may enter the food chain. The services provided by Biocell Energetics include real-time metabolic profiling of cells from healthy and disease populations or models, metabolic phenotyping and quality control testing for cryopreserved and isolated cells, real-time mitochondrial toxicity screening, and professional consultancy, including study design, data analysis and interpretation, so companies and researchers can get the most out of their study. Biocell Energetics is as an Operating Division of University of Birmingham Enterprise. It will operate from the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, which is ranked one of the top-rated sport science departments in the UK, and is one of the longest established in Europe for scientific research into sport, exercise, health and rehabilitation. #bioenergetics #cellularmetabolism #environmentaltesting School of Health Sciences, University of Birmingham School of Medical Sciences, University of Birmingham School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, University of Birmingham Biochemical Society Environmental Industries Association

The University of Birmingham Enterprise Review of 2023-24 is now available!     Our mission is to catalyse the adoption of innovations developed by, with or at the University of Birmingham and so create social, financial and reputational impact for University Intellectual Property, facilities and expertise.   The Review demonstrates the diversity of our work and showcases the many ways in which we support Birmingham’s innovative academics, and our community of tenants at the Birmingham Research Park.     It also illustrates how we help find the market for new ideas, train academics in entrepreneurship, and create communities where early-stage innovation can flourish, and tech-based companies can incubate.     We’ve had such a great year that we couldn’t include all the cases we’ve worked on. However we’re giving a big shout out to researchers and companies whose work is featured: Dr Abena Dadze-Arthur, Nicole Metje, Yemisi Takwoingi, Francis Pope, Dr Jonathan Barlow, Dan Somers, Krish Nirantharakumar, Dominik Werner, Richard John Asa Moakes, Michael Hsu, Abdulbari Belouafi, Roger Dixon, Huayu Duan, Ruchi Gupta, Rosie Harding, Zubair Ahmed, Peter Susdak, Henry Nurser, Nonacus, MicrobesNG, Matoke Holdings Ltd, Orbsen Therapeutics Limited, Quest Meat, Fallouh Healthcare, NovNat Tech    And a big thanks to writer Adam Robert Green   You can see the Review online at: https://bit.ly/3BPEbyF   Want to talk to our team?   For Academic Consultancy and Operating Divisions contact Vincent Coole For Business Incubation, including space our Unit 9 MedTech incubator contact Angie Reynolds  For Communications contact Ruth Ashton  For Enterprise training contact Andrew Cruxton  For Intellectual Property, spinouts and funding contact Jerel Whittingham at j.h.whittingham@bham.ac.uk

Our Chief Operating Officer, Angie Reynolds, had the pleasure of attending the UKSPA - The United Kingdom Science Park Association 40th anniversary conference and awards at University of Warwick Science Park this week. The agenda was packed with some really thought-provoking and stimulating discussions with experts across industry, government and academia on the Life Sciences market, sustainability and growing innovation clusters. Ms Reynolds said, "It’s been great to network with colleagues from all around the UK, and attend the glittering gala dinner and awards ceremony." Angie Reynolds is pictured below with WMRIAN members University of Wolverhampton Science Park and their tenant company Wow! Stuff who won the UKSPA award for most innovative company. The Research Park has a range of spaces including short term incubation for medical technology companies, a fully serviced biomedical incubator, and high-quality office and laboratory space in a community of research-led companies. To find out more, visit: https://lnkd.in/eHGvaFN6 or reach out to Angie Reynolds.

Birmingham scientists are building evidence for a new treatment option in an area of medicine that currently has few, if any, treatment options – traumatic brain injury. Researchers Professor Zubair Ahmed, Professor Will Palin, Dr Mohammed Hadis and surgeons Mr Andrew Stevens and Mr @David Davies, have shown light therapy delivered transcranially (though the skull) can aid tissue repair after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Their study in preclinical models, published in Bioengineering & Translational Medicine, used daily two-minute bursts of infrared light, delivered by a laser, for three days post-injury. The findings showed significant reductions in the activation of astrocytes and microglial cells, which are heavily implicated in the inflammatory processes in the brain that follow head trauma, and significant reductions in biochemical markers of apoptosis (cell death). At four weeks, there were significant improvements in performance in functional tests involving balance and cognitive function. The red light therapy also accelerated recovery compared to controls, with superior outcomes for light with a wavelength of 810nm. The study builds on research published earlier this year which showed near infrared light delivered directly to the site of spinal cord injury both improves survival of nerve cells and stimulates new nerve cell growth. Its results indicate that this novel method invented by scientists at the University of Birmingham, and patented by University of Birmingham Enterprise, could result in a new treatment option to stimulate faster and better recovery for patients. Professor Ahmed, who led the study, said: “We want to develop this method into a medical device that can be used to enhance recovery for patients with traumatic brain or spinal cord injury, with the aim of improving outcomes for patients.” The researchers are seeking commercial partners to co-develop the device and take it to market. Interested parties should contact Dr Veemal Bhowruth at University of Birmingham Enterprise. Paper at https://lnkd.in/euj8Fr4r

The innovative Operating Division commercialisation model developed at the University of Birmingham could soon be helping develop more UK spin-outs from the arts, humanities and social sciences, thanks to a £400k grant from UK Research and Innovation’s Connecting Capability Fund (CCF).     The grant will fund a project called the Shared Technology Transfer Office to Accelerate the Growth of Self-Funded Spinouts (STAGE) which aims to create a framework for commercialisation from the SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities, the Arts, People and the Environment) disciplines.     Spin-outs from SHAPE disciplines typically don’t fit the established spin-out route, which was developed for life and physical sciences, and this pilot aims to create a new pathway for creative ideas and social ventures.     STAGE will create a virtual business unit to allow ventures to trade before formal incorporation.     Developed at Birmingham, this model allows academics to get trading quickly, and offers business mentoring and support, as well as providing a trading history that can help with future investment.     Vincent Coole is Head of the Academic Consultancy Services team at University of Birmingham Enterprise, which runs Birmingham’s Operating Divisions programme. He said: “The Operating Division model is ideal for the SHAPE ventures, which are often service-based, as they allow researchers to trial their service on the market in a risk-free way, and pivot quickly if needed.” University of Birmingham Enterprise assisted with the CCF bid, which was led by the University of the Arts London and Lancaster University, alongside the University of Warwick, University of the West of England, and Oxford Brookes University.     Vincent added: “We run a portfolio of Operating Divisions, and have found they’re increasingly attractive to academics from all disciplines.”   The STAGE project will also collect data on commercialisation costs to improve the funding landscape for spin-outs in the arts, humanities and social sciences.   The pilot scheme is expected to deliver insights by spring 2025.   For more information about Birmingham’s Operating Divisions, visit https://bit.ly/4dGXsj5

University of Birmingham Enterprise has partnered with the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and University of Birmingham Library Services to develop an Intellectual Property and Commercialisation Training Programme tailored specifically for researchers in medicine, health, life sciences, engineering and physical sciences. The programme was designed by Dr Sohini Chakrabortee, IP and Commercialisation Lead for NIHR Birmingham BRC. The training is open to Birmingham BRC members from any partner organisation, as well as all University of Birmingham staff and students. The free, comprehensive programme will equip researchers with the knowledge and skills to maximise the impact of their research through effective intellectual property management and commercialisation strategies. Participants can attend sessions on topics such as copyright and IP protection, commercial viability and spinning out. Sessions will be delivered by a range of experts, including Cath Whitaker (Entrepreneur in Residence) and Dr Veemal Bhowruth, Senior Business Development Manager (Life Sciences). The programme kicks off with an in-person launch event on 28 October followed by 11 further training sessions, which will be delivered online over the next six months. The in-person session is now fully booked, but details for the online sessions can be found online, along with registration instructions: https://lnkd.in/ei52J_38 Jerel W. | David Coleman | Liam Grover, FMedSci, FIMMM | Rob Neely | Peter Rainger

University of Birmingham spin-out Graide - AI Powered Knowledge Assessment Platform has teamed up with Aptem to launch first AI-driven integrated marking aid designed specifically for apprenticeships. Fully integrated within the Aptem platform, the tool is set to revolutionize the marking process for tutors. Aptem’s customer research has shown marking takes up a significant proportion of the workweek for tutors, with 70% of them spending 20-40% of their time marking assignments. The AI-driven marking aid addresses this challenge by accelerating the feedback process, improving consistency, and providing intelligent grading suggestions. Early feedback from training providers indicates that tutors can reduce the time they spend on marking by as much as 50%, giving them more time to focus on teaching and student support. This innovative partnership leverages Graide’s powerful AI marking solution, already a market-leader in Higher Education, and combines it with Aptem’s comprehensive apprenticeship management system. The result is a tailored marking aid that meets the specific needs of apprenticeship delivery. Training providers can get an exclusive first look at this feature by attending a free webinar at 11am on 24 October. Register at https://lnkd.in/egbsirvw Manjinder Kainth, PhD, Nicola Wilkin PFHEA FInstP, George Bartlett, Jon Allen, Helena Westerlund, Yasmin Ismail, Oluwatosin Omowaire, Austin Tomlinson, Jonathan Watkins, Richard Mason

University of Birmingham Enterprise is delighted to welcome our new Apprentice Lab Technician, Luke Harker.   Luke joins us following completion of a BSc (Hons) in Food Science and Nutrition, where he also undertook some lab work in a part-time capacity. He applied for a two-year apprenticeship through the University of Birmingham and was given a tour of the Biohub Birmingham® labs by current Apprentice Lab Technician, Jack Wheeley. As part of his apprenticeship, Luke will be learning how to look after the day-to-day running of the labs, including many practical tasks from washing glassware to calibrating equipment. He will learn how to manage stock, monitor and maintain laboratory health and safety, and support our many companies with the development of their exciting life science products and services. Luke is particularly looking forward to the customer service element of his role, interacting with tenants and making sure they have everything they need, and equipment is working properly. Luke will use his apprenticeship to explore different facets of laboratory work, increase the breadth and depth of his knowledge in this specialist area, and find a niche which he can develop in future. Senior Laboratory Manager, Dr Claire Litchfield said, “I’m delighted that Luke has joined us and I’m certain that he will swiftly become an integral part of the team. He is already showing great enthusiasm, a superb attitude and willingness to learn. The expansion of the team will allow us to continue to provide a high level of service to our fee-paying tenant companies and keep the laboratories running smoothly and safely.”   Biohub Birmingham® is a purpose-built biomedical incubator, with high calibre shared laboratory and single-occupancy office/laboratory suites, designed to grow biomedical companies from proof of concept through to expansion. To find out more, visit: https://lnkd.in/etUzdaVB Angie Reynolds | Caleb Wright #apprenticeship #researchfacilities #labtechnician