Ascenion GmbH Release: Peak Performance In Cell Analysis: 80 Biomarkers Per Cell
Ascenion takes equity in the MHH start-up Zellkraftwerk
20 October 2015, Munich – Ascenion GmbH, technology transfer partner of the Hannover Medical School (MHH), has negotiated a licensing agreement between Zellkraftwerk GmbH and the MHH. This gives the start-up worldwide, exclusive rights to ‘Switch-Antibodies’, a technology developed at the MHH. Ascenion has acquired equity in Zellkraftwerk under the terms of the agreement.
Zellkraftwerk was spun off from the MHH in 2014 in order to commercialize an innovative procedure for characterizing cells. Its particular advantage: a maximal number of markers can be analysed, even with minimal numbers of cells and sample volumes. ‘At present we hold the world record regarding the number of markers,’ says Jan Detmers, CEO of Zellkraftwerk. ‘Other procedures allow the analysis of about 40 markers per cell maximum. We can analyse twice as many.’
This capacity is crucial, for example, in researching and diagnosing rare diseases. The set of markers to be investigated does not have to be fixed at the beginning, as with other procedures. Instead, the analysis runs on the ‘stain-think-stain’ principle, and is guided by results and hierarchically refined. Only then can rare cell types be identified.
A further clear advantage of the technology is the durability of the samples. The cells bind to an adhesive surface on a microchip and can be stored for two years with no significant loss of vitality, functionality or 3D structure. ‘This solves a few logistic and regulatory problems in clinical studies,’ comments Detmers. Samples can be collected over longer time periods and then centrally analysed. Furthermore, they can be used again later – for example to demonstrate reproducibility.
There is, not surprisingly, a high level of interest from the pharmaceutical industry. Eight of the global top 10 pharmaceutical concerns are already Zellkraftwerk customers. ‘This success shows that the team with its product portfolio has struck a chord with the pharma industry and has rapidly established itself as a drug-development partner. This was made possible to a large degree by the entrepreneur-friendly environment at the MHH,’ says Dr Christian Stein, CEO of Ascenion.
Ascenion worked from an early stage with the inventor at the MHH, Dr Christian Hennig, to secure patent protection for the technology as well as a GO-Bio grant that enabled the further development and validation of the approach. After successfully founding the company this year, approval was received for the second phase of support under the GO-Bio program, which is financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Now that the Switch-Antibodies have been licensed, it will be possible to further accelerate and automate cell analysis.
Ascenion now holds equity in 21 start-ups from its partner institutes. Any proceeds arising from Ascenion’s shares in the company will flow to the LifeScience Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research and be made available to support research projects at the partner institutes.
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Contacts
For Ascenion:
Dr Susanne Letzelter
T: +49 89 318814-16
E: letzelter@ascenion.de
For Zellkraftwerk:
Jan Detmers
T: 0151 5238 5628
E: detmers(at)zellkraftwerk(dot)com
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About Ascenion
Ascenion GmbH is an IP asset management company with particular expertise in the life sciences. Ascenion advises and supports public research institutions with regard to the protection and exploitation of their intellectual property (patents, know-how, materials), and initiates and mediates license agreements between research institutions and industry. The company places particular emphasis on coaching company founders and on active equity management. Ascenion was founded in 2001 as a 100% subsidiary of the LifeScience Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research and is exclusive technology transfer partner of 20 research institutes in the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations, as well as of the Charité, the Hannover Medical School and the research institute TWINCORE. Ascenion currently markets around 750 technologies on behalf of these institutes, and closes an average of about 80 revenue-generating agreements between research and industry per year. The team has also coached numerous spin-offs through their foundation and early growth and Ascenion holds equity in 21 of these companies. Ascenion’s headquarters are in Munich, with further offices in Berlin, Braunschweig, Hamburg, Hanover and Neuherberg.
Further information at www.ascenion.de
About Zellkraftwerk
Zellkraftwerk GmbH, with its headquarters in Leipzig, manufactures ZellScanner™ ONE, the first FACS device able to analyse 80 or more markers per cell based on the Chipcytometry technology. The device allows for the first time deep insights into formerly unknown cell subpopulations and their state of activation. Furthermore, Chipcytometry makes it possible to store cells while maintaining complete biomarker integrity. Chipcytometry uses microfluidic chips for sample storage and guarantees biomarker stability for at least 24 months. Cells can be analysed an unlimited number of times over a period of 2 years, independently of where the samples were taken. Chipcytometry is therefore particularly suited for use in multinational research consortia and clinical studies.
Further information at www.zellkraftwerk.com
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20 October 2015, Munich – Ascenion GmbH, technology transfer partner of the Hannover Medical School (MHH), has negotiated a licensing agreement between Zellkraftwerk GmbH and the MHH. This gives the start-up worldwide, exclusive rights to ‘Switch-Antibodies’, a technology developed at the MHH. Ascenion has acquired equity in Zellkraftwerk under the terms of the agreement.
Zellkraftwerk was spun off from the MHH in 2014 in order to commercialize an innovative procedure for characterizing cells. Its particular advantage: a maximal number of markers can be analysed, even with minimal numbers of cells and sample volumes. ‘At present we hold the world record regarding the number of markers,’ says Jan Detmers, CEO of Zellkraftwerk. ‘Other procedures allow the analysis of about 40 markers per cell maximum. We can analyse twice as many.’
This capacity is crucial, for example, in researching and diagnosing rare diseases. The set of markers to be investigated does not have to be fixed at the beginning, as with other procedures. Instead, the analysis runs on the ‘stain-think-stain’ principle, and is guided by results and hierarchically refined. Only then can rare cell types be identified.
A further clear advantage of the technology is the durability of the samples. The cells bind to an adhesive surface on a microchip and can be stored for two years with no significant loss of vitality, functionality or 3D structure. ‘This solves a few logistic and regulatory problems in clinical studies,’ comments Detmers. Samples can be collected over longer time periods and then centrally analysed. Furthermore, they can be used again later – for example to demonstrate reproducibility.
There is, not surprisingly, a high level of interest from the pharmaceutical industry. Eight of the global top 10 pharmaceutical concerns are already Zellkraftwerk customers. ‘This success shows that the team with its product portfolio has struck a chord with the pharma industry and has rapidly established itself as a drug-development partner. This was made possible to a large degree by the entrepreneur-friendly environment at the MHH,’ says Dr Christian Stein, CEO of Ascenion.
Ascenion worked from an early stage with the inventor at the MHH, Dr Christian Hennig, to secure patent protection for the technology as well as a GO-Bio grant that enabled the further development and validation of the approach. After successfully founding the company this year, approval was received for the second phase of support under the GO-Bio program, which is financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Now that the Switch-Antibodies have been licensed, it will be possible to further accelerate and automate cell analysis.
Ascenion now holds equity in 21 start-ups from its partner institutes. Any proceeds arising from Ascenion’s shares in the company will flow to the LifeScience Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research and be made available to support research projects at the partner institutes.
###
Contacts
For Ascenion:
Dr Susanne Letzelter
T: +49 89 318814-16
E: letzelter@ascenion.de
For Zellkraftwerk:
Jan Detmers
T: 0151 5238 5628
E: detmers(at)zellkraftwerk(dot)com
###
About Ascenion
Ascenion GmbH is an IP asset management company with particular expertise in the life sciences. Ascenion advises and supports public research institutions with regard to the protection and exploitation of their intellectual property (patents, know-how, materials), and initiates and mediates license agreements between research institutions and industry. The company places particular emphasis on coaching company founders and on active equity management. Ascenion was founded in 2001 as a 100% subsidiary of the LifeScience Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Research and is exclusive technology transfer partner of 20 research institutes in the Helmholtz and Leibniz Associations, as well as of the Charité, the Hannover Medical School and the research institute TWINCORE. Ascenion currently markets around 750 technologies on behalf of these institutes, and closes an average of about 80 revenue-generating agreements between research and industry per year. The team has also coached numerous spin-offs through their foundation and early growth and Ascenion holds equity in 21 of these companies. Ascenion’s headquarters are in Munich, with further offices in Berlin, Braunschweig, Hamburg, Hanover and Neuherberg.
Further information at www.ascenion.de
About Zellkraftwerk
Zellkraftwerk GmbH, with its headquarters in Leipzig, manufactures ZellScanner™ ONE, the first FACS device able to analyse 80 or more markers per cell based on the Chipcytometry technology. The device allows for the first time deep insights into formerly unknown cell subpopulations and their state of activation. Furthermore, Chipcytometry makes it possible to store cells while maintaining complete biomarker integrity. Chipcytometry uses microfluidic chips for sample storage and guarantees biomarker stability for at least 24 months. Cells can be analysed an unlimited number of times over a period of 2 years, independently of where the samples were taken. Chipcytometry is therefore particularly suited for use in multinational research consortia and clinical studies.
Further information at www.zellkraftwerk.com
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.