Public Funding for Genome Research Limited

The Cambridge Autonomous Bus System Feasibility Study will examine the opportunity to use new, electric, autonomous mini-buses to provide much needed transport links between Cambridge's science campuses, park & ride locations and rail stations. These vehicles and special paths could provide a significant improvement in traffic congestion, improve air quality, and solve serious work commute difficulties for residents in the Cambridge region. The vehicles could use the Cambridge Guided Busway after hours when the buses are not running to provide transport to the thousands of people working night shifts at the Addenbrooke's and Cambridge Biomedical Campuses. Another possible multiuse pathway would allow pedestrians, bicycles and the automated mini-buses to safely share a new connection between the Wellcome Genome Campus and the Whittlesford Parkway rail station. The partners in the study are the RDM Group, Cubic Corporation, The Welcome Genome Campus and Cambridgeshire County Council. The study also has the support of the Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Astra Zeneca and Stagecoach.

We plan to develop a novel, automated cell culture system specifically designed for iPSC and autologous cell culture. Early stage iPS cell culture is very labour intensive since cells must be monitored and fed daily for many weeks. For clinical applications cells must be cultured in a GMP clean room environment, with high staff and infrastructure costs. Our system will automate routine feeding, monitoring and incubation of cells in a 'closed', low cost unit, with remote monitoring and operation. It will maintain multiple plates of cells from one patient, to ensure segregation, within a small footprint, and be GMP compliant. We aim to deliver more consistent, higher quality cells, to minimise the cost, resource and 'hands on' time needed for iPSC and autologous cell culture, and to address a major barrier to wider adoption of iPSC for pre-clinical and clinical studies. The partners, TAP Biosystems, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge together have outstanding track records in developing innovative automation for cell culture and world class stem cell research, with a broad focus on developing and translating iPSC-based research into novel therapies.

Based in Cambridge, Base4 is developing a single-molecule detector with the capacity for detection of up to 1 billion single molecules per second, thousands of times faster than is otherwise possible. Entirely solid-state, there is a well-worn path towards large scale production and the cost of consumables will be very low. Not reliant on enzymes or pathogen binding sites, there is significant capacity to rapidly increase the number of target pathogens which can be tested simultaneously. The aim of this project is to produce a rapid, highly sensitive, low-cost multiple analyte diagnostic for use in point-of-care specifically targeting the pathogens C. difficile, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and MRSA. The project will last 3 years and will result in pilot trials beginning in month 24. The consortium will be led by Base4, with partners including the Pathogen Sequencing Unit at the Sanger Wellcome Trust, the University of Cambridge Veterinary School, and the Pathology Dept at Addenbrookes Hospital.