GENTRONIX SECURES R&D AWARD

Gentronix (Manchester, UK), developer of screening assays to identify genetic toxins early in the drug discovery process, has been awarded a £287,000 Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) grant from the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The purpose of the two-year grant is to assist small businesses initiate or develop new research programmes, and will provide Gentronix with two scientists, cell culture facilities, and supporting laboratory instrumentation at its Manchester Incubator Core Technology Facility premises.

Greenscreen GC, the company’s commercially available yeast-based assay, is already proving a valuable early screening tool in the drug development process. In particular the assay’s high specificity is demonstrated by the extremely low incidence of false positives compared to other available tests.

The SBRI grant will enable Gentronix to build on this early success, and research and develop additional assays using alternative cell lines. The aim is to increase screening sensitivity so that no genetically toxic compounds are missed whilst retaining the high specificity required, ensuring potentially valuable lead compounds are not eliminated from further development.

For more information contact Peter McCulloch.