Scientific Innovation
Aptamer Group create new products with help from PAPI
Aptamer Group (AG) is a Yorkshire-based biotechnology company, which develops an exciting market for the supply of custom nucleic acid 'aptamers' for use in the life sciences sector.
Based at York Science Park, AG custom selects aptamers, a relatively new class of synthetic compounds that can be evolved to have strong affinity and specificity to proteins, peptides, cells, viruses and small molecules. Aptamers are used in a number of diverse and innovative ways, ranging from research and development and diagnostics, to therapeutic applications.
Innovation
AG is capable of developing aptamers against a wide range of targets. However, their standard selection process when working with viral targets had limitations due to safety and scientific requirements which significantly limited their capacity for new innovative projects.
AG needed to improve their processes to work safely with more 'BSL2' virus types and to meet industry safety requirements. As timelines for delivery were a barrier for their customers, they needed to improve their manual processes to deliver higher volumes in a shorter time frame.
AG applied for PAPI funding to help to fund the equipment they needed to turn their manual process into the high-volume and high-speed process needed to meet demand in a cost-effective manner.
Business growth
AG were awarded a £20,000 grant which facilitated the purchase of a BSL2 microbiological safety cabinet; along with a cell counter and a fluorescent microscope.
The cell counter allows AG to keep track of cells, count them and check that they’re viable. This process would take minutes before the new equipment, but it now takes seconds. The new microscope provides better images of the cells, and the safety cabinet allows AG to work with more virus types.
These new processes led to increased capacity within the business. This meant that they could create new products and work with new customers in new markets. Their increased capacity also led to the creation of two new jobs within the business.
The PAPI grant allowed us to enter new avenues, which was more tricky in the past, which really helped us to grow.