News from the John Innes Centre

Three research students from the University of Pretoria are currently undertaking five-month internships at the John Innes Centre, studying biotechnology and learning the skills needed to work in this field. These visits are sponsored by an award from the British Council through its Education Partnerships in Africa (EPA) programme. The objective has been to develop [...]

The Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (YES) has proved to be a successful model for introducing young researchers at JIC to the world of business and entrepreneurship. Recently, a team of scientists from JIC has helped to establish something similar in Southern Africa. Biotechnology YES is organised by the Business and Innovation Unit of the Biotechnology [...]

Procarta press release Procarta, a spin-out company from John Innes Centre science, has secured up to £1.25million funding to continue the development of its novel DNA-based antibiotic technology to help combat drug-resistant infections. Procarta Biosystems Ltd., which is developing a novel class of DNA-based antibiotics capable of tackling drug-resistant infections, announced today a round of [...]

Dr Michael McArthur has been named the winner of ‘Most Promising Innovator of the Year’ award at BBSRC’s Innovator of the Year event for his work using novel antibacterials to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections. The award carries with it a prize of £5000. Dr McArthur has developed novel technologies to combat drug resistant bacterial infections, [...]

 Two research groups from the John Innes Centre have been shortlisted for the finals of a £20,000 national bioscience innovation prize.  The finals of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s (BBSRC) Innovator of the Year Award are on 18 March.   Professor Ian Bancroft’s group have developed a set of genetic tools designed to [...]

Procarta Biosystems, the company spun-out of the John Innes Centre in 2007 to develop a technology designed to defeat antibiotic-resistant superbugs, has received significant seed funding.  The Rainbow Seed Fund and the Iceni Seedcorn Fund have provided £320,000 to allow Procarta to further develop its DNA decoy technique, which aims to restore antibiotic efficacy against [...]

A DNA-based therapy could slash the development time of new drugs to combat antibiotic resistant superbugs. Scientists from the John Innes Centre have proven that by taking a short stretch of DNA from a bacterium and delivering it with an existing antibiotic they can switch off antibiotic resistance. Together with technology transfer company PBL, the [...]