The innovative CRISPR/Cas-based diagnostic platform LEOPARD was developed in a collaboration between the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Würzburg, and the Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg (JMU). It enables the detection of multiple RNA and DNA biomarkers in a simple point-of-care test, allowing better and faster treatment decisions. The ease of use of the tests holds great potential for application in settings without access to clinical laboratory infrastructure. The technology can be used in the field of infectious diseases and many other application areas, e.g. cancer or genetic diseases.
For the company foundation, the research department "Synthetic RNA Biology" at HIRI received funding totalling more than 1 million Euros from the spin-off program Helmholtz Enterprise and the Helmholtz Transfer Campaign. "The foundation enables us to seek additional investors in order to develop products on the LEOPARD platform and to advance their commercialization," said Chase Beisel, research department leader at HIRI as well as professor at JMU and now also Managing Director of the newly founded Leopard Biosciences GmbH. The team is completed by Dr Mikkel Noerholm, Managing Director, and Dr Constantinos Patinios, Senior Scientist.
As a technology transfer partner of the HZI and HIRI, Ascenion has been working closely with the scientists for many years, supporting the protection of intellectual property, the acquisition of funding and the establishment of cooperations for further development. Together with the technology transfer department of the HZI, Ascenion accompanied the entire start-up phase and acquired shares in LEOPARD Biosciences GmbH. Ascenion and HZI technology transfer will actively continue to accompany Leopard Biosciences GmbH.
Revenues Ascenion may receive from a potential future exit will be largely distributed to the LifeScience Foundation, which in turn provides them as research grants to the endowing institutions, including the HZI.
Further information:
Press release of HIRI
Ascenion supports HZI spin-off LEOPARD Biosciences
Leopard Biosciences GmbH, founded in July, is developing a new diagnostic platform that can detect multiple markers in a single test. The translation of the technology was made possible by funding from the Helmholtz Association.
