Oxford Nanopore to commercialise tech in 2012

RNS Number : 5862W

IP Group PLC

01 February 2012

 



 

FOR RELEASE ON

01 FEBRUARY 2012

IP Group plc  - Portfolio company Oxford Nanopore to present DNA 'strand sequencing' technology at AGBT conference. Oxford Nanopore intends to commercialise independently in 2012

IP Group plc (LSE: IPO) ("IP Group" or "the Company" or "the Group"), the developer of intellectual property based businesses, is pleased to note that Oxford Nanopore TechnologiesLtd ("Oxford Nanopore"), a spin-out company from the University of Oxford, has today announced it intends to commercialise DNA strand sequencing products directly to customers within 2012.

IP Group has a 21.5% beneficial stake in Oxford Nanopore, which is developing a novel technology for direct, electronic detection and analysis of single molecules using nanopores.

The full text of the Oxford Nanopore announcement follows:

"Oxford Nanopore to present DNA 'strand sequencing' technology at AGBT conference

-Company intends to commercialise independently in 2012-

1 February 2012, Oxford, UK.  Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd. announces that Clive G Brown, Chief Technology Officer, will present at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) conference in Marco Island, Florida, on 17^th February 2012 at 11.40am (EST) / 4.40pm (GMT).  The talk is titled: "Single Molecule 'Strand' Sequencing Using Protein Nanopores and Scalable Electronic Devices".

Oxford Nanopore intends to commercialise DNA strand sequencing products, directly to customers within 2012.  At the AGBT presentation, Oxford Nanopore will show DNA strand sequencing data and other disruptive features of the Company's proprietary electronics-based sensing devices.

Further information will be provided at the time of the Company's presentation at the AGBT conference."

For more information, please contact:

IP Group plc	www.ipgroupplc.com
Alan Aubrey, Chief Executive Officer	[phone]
Liz Vaughan-Adams, Communications	[phone] / [phone] [e-mail]
FTI Consulting
Ben Atwell, John Dineen	[phone]
Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd	www.nanoporetech.com
Zoe McDougall, Communications	[phone] x2013
	[e-mail]

Notes for editors

About IP Group

IP Group is a leading UK intellectual property ("IP") commercialisation company, developing technology innovations primarily from its research intensive partner universities. The Group offers more than traditional venture capital, providing its companies with access to business building expertise, networks, recruitment and business support.

The Company's portfolio comprises holdings in over 60 companies including Oxford Nanopore Technologies, the DNA sequencing development company, Revolymer, best known for its removable chewing gum and Xeros, which has received many accolades for its revolutionary clothes washing techniques with a much reduced requirement for water.

The portfolio includes early stage to mature businesses and has exposure to five main sectors - Energy & Renewables, Medical Equipment & Supplies, Pharma & Biotech, IT & Communications and Chemicals & Materials. To date, thirteen of the portfolio companies IP Group has backed have listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and one on PLUS Markets.

Founded in 2001, IP Group listed on AIM in October 2003 and moved to the Official List in June 2006. The Group now has long-term partnerships with twelve core universities including those under its commercialisation agreement with Fusion IP plc.

For more information, please visit our website at www.ipgroupplc.com.

About Oxford Nanopore

Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd is developing a novel technology for direct, electronic detection and analysis of single molecules using nanopores. The modular, scalable GridION technology platform is designed to offer substantial benefits in a variety of applications.

The Company is developing two techniques for DNA sequencing:  Strand Sequencing, and Exonuclease sequencing, both of which combine a protein nanopore with a processive enzyme for the analysis of DNA.  The system is also compatible with the direct analysis of RNA.  The Company has signed a commercialisation agreement for its exonuclease sequencing technology but not its strand sequencing technology which it intends to commercialise independently. Oxford Nanopore is also developing a Protein Analysis technology that combines target proteins with ligands for direct, electronic analysis using protein nanopores. These nanopore sensing techniques are combined with the Company's proprietary array chip within the GridION system.

The Company is also developing the subsequent generation of nanopore sensing devices based on solid-state nanopores.

Oxford Nanopore has licensed or owns more than 300 patents and patent applications that relate to many aspects of nanopore sensing including fundamental nanopore sensing patents, analysis using protein nanopores or solid state nanopores and for the analysis of DNA, proteins and other molecules.  The Company has collaborations and exclusive licensing deals with leading institutions including the University of Oxford, Harvard and UCSC. Oxford Nanopore has funding programmes in these laboratories to support the science of nanopore sensing. This includes the use of functionalised solid-state nanopores for molecular characterisation, methods of fabricating solid-state nanopores and modifications of solid-state nanopores to adjust sensitivity or other parameters.

For more information, please visit our website at www.nanoporetech.com.

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