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Molecular Light Technology
MLT Research Limited
5 Chiltern Close
Cardiff Industrial Park
CF14 5DL
www.mltresearch.com
Stuart Woodhead
The Invention
Why Sensitivity?
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Legal limit (UK)
Glucose
Alcohol
Lethal dose amatoxin
Tumour antigens
Hormones
Viruses
Milestones
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1977 Project started
1978 First patent application
1982 Synthesis of acridinium label
1984 Measurement of TSH
1986 First commercial immunoassay
1989 First commercial probe assay
1991 Launch of ACS-180
1997 Centaur
2001 Blood Bank tests
2003 TIGRIS
Company History
1988
MLT incorporated
1991
First premises - main activity contract R & D
1992
Started manufacturing
1996
Acquired funding
1997
Business strategy developed
TCS programme to monitor specific gene expression
1998
Licensing of genetic probe technology
The Move
1999
Implementation of new technology
2000
First gene expression test launched
2003
Acquisition by Gen-Probe
Molecular Light Technology
Year
1995
1998
2000
2002
No of Staff
7
12
15
25
Turnover
(thousands)
812
2,068
3,113
4,000
Purpose of the Business
•To become a major supplier of high technology tests
for industrial, pharmaceutical and toxicological
applications.
•To achieve recognition as a centre of excellence for
the development of intellectual property, novel
technologies and products.
•To maintain profitable growth and create long term
value for all stakeholders.
Growing the Business
• Protecting the technology
• Finding the right people to work with
• Understanding clearly roles and responsibilities
• Knowledge transfer
• Knowing when to stop
Intellectual Property
• High value
• Patent costs
• Patent prosecution
• Licensing
• Infringement
• Litigation
Product Development
• Scale up from prototype
• Documentation
• Raw materials
• Validation
• Quality control
The Products
• Immunoassays for diabetes research (proinsulin)
• Gene-based assays for toxicological investigation (CYP)
• Assays for enzymes involved in viral/bacterial replication
(ligase, helicase, primase etc)
Hybridisation Protection Assay (HPA)
Target Gene
mRNA
AE
AE-probe
Protection
AE
Hydrolysis
No Light
Cell Suspension Treated with Benzopyrene
0.12
fm ol CYP1A1/fm ol beta-actin
0.10
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0.00
0hrs untreated
0hrs - DMSO 6hrs - DMSO
6hrs - 30µM
BaP
12hrs DMSO
12hrs - 30µM
BaP
Treatm ent
24hrs DMSO
24hrs - 30µM 48hrs -DMSO 48hrs - 30µM
BaP
BaP
The Future
• Human toxicology
• Hepatotoxicity
• Neurotoxicity
• Chemical carcinogenesis
• Drug discovery
• Food and water microbiology
New Intellectual Property
• 8 patents filed since 1997
• Genetic Biosensors
• Drug discovery
• Fuel marking
• Chemiluminescent beacons
The Lessons
• Patent where possible
• Develop educated conviction
• Be persistent
• Have a strategy
• Continue to innovate
• Learn from mistakes