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15th June 2011

Swansea University helping Welsh Bioscience Companies to Grow

Advanced Professional Training (APT) in Bioscience is a new range of Swansea University accredited training courses designed to meet the needs of individuals and businesses in the Welsh Bioscience sector. 

 

 

Part of the ESF funded Work-based Learning programme, the flexible courses aim to equip professional learners with practical skills and specialist knowledge to enhance their existing laboratory or pharmaceutical skills. Courses are also offered in a wide variety of allied or complementary areas, from ecology and fieldwork, to aquaculture and bioinformatics.

Since launching the project at BioWales in March 2011, the APT Bioscience team are delighted to welcome their newest tutor to the team. Dr Liz Bond has 5 years’ post doctorial experience as a biochemical mass spectrometrist and several years’ experience working in and with industry in South Wales. Liz has extensive knowledge of bioanalytical techniques as well as working within a clinical environment and GLP/GCP accredited laboratories. In her recent experience, Liz has seen at first hand, the value of good collaboration between industry and academia in collaboration between Swansea University and BioMonde (formally Zoobiotic Limited).

The collaboration originally started in 2001, when the then Biosurgical Unit in the Princess of Wales Hospital Bridgend funded a four year PhD to investigate the antibacterial effects of excretions/secretions from the medicinal maggot Lucilia sericata.

In 2005, the Biosurgical Unit became an SME called Zoobiotic and moved to state-of-the-art facilities within Bridgend. During this time, the research continued at Swansea University (funded by Action Medical Research) investigating the microbiology and the identification/purification of antimicrobials from maggot excretions/secretions resulting in the publication of several papers (Nigam, Y., et al (2010) Advances in Insect Physiology, 39, 39-81, Bexfield, A., et al (2009). Journal of Dermatology. 162, 554-562, Bexfield, A., et al (2008) Microbes and Infection.10, 325-333).

An Intellectual Property agreement and patent (UK Patent Application 0700946.7. Antimicrobial Composition and a Method of Controlling Contamination and Infection Using Said Composition) was established between the University (initially with Biological Sciences/ Health Sciences and recently the School of Medicine) and Zoobiotic (in 2006/7) for the characterisation of chemical structures of these agents and to determine a route for commercial protection and exploitation.
 
Synthesis of the chemical version of Seraticin™ is under investigation with the hope of establishing a potential new antibiotic family. These antimicrobials would best be exploited in conjunction with an established pharmaceutical company to include the development work needed for a medicines license.
 
More recently collaboration has been in terms of College of Medicine in Swansea University conducting independent research as consultants for BioMonde, investigating levels of chemicals found in wounds with and without the presence of maggots and literature reviews, due to the specialist knowledge, expertise and facilities within the university.

As a tutor in Advanced Professional Training (APT) in Bioscience at Swansea University, this experience of working with clinical/pharmaceutical SME’s has given Liz the unique position of understanding the requirements of various industry sectors in Wales, what services academia can offer to industry and being able to strengthen the links with industry in terms of training and expertise through work-based learning. 

To talk to us about your training requirements or to learn more about our work-based bioscience courses, please contact Dr Liz Bond or the APT Bioscience Project Manager, Kate Parkinson on 01792 295379. Email a.e.bond@swansea.ac.uk or c.j.parkinson@swansea.ac.uk