Bio-Innovation Centre of TusPark Cambridge Opened with the First Resident CompanyPrint

Post Time：2019-05-21来源：Tus-Holdings

TusPark Cambridge is jointly built by Trinity College, Cambridge and TusHoldings as one of the overseas parks invested in and constructed by TusHoldings. The park will take advantage of the innovations of Cambridge and even the UK in life science, digital economy, energy conservation and environmental protection and other fields and use the rich experience of TusHoldings in the industrialization of technological achievements and the incubation of start-ups to promote the global synergistic technological innovation development, and commit itself to providing innovative solutions to key unsolved problems. As a key project of cooperation between the two parties, Bio-Innovation Centre has been set up and put into use recently. Built according to the standards of life science laboratories, the center specializes in innovative R&D and start-ups incubation, provides a full range of services for life science R&D SMEs as the first life science industry cluster center in the history of Cambridge Science Park. Due to its professional architectural design that has been highly accepted by the local enterprises, Bio-Innovation Centre has attracted many potential resident enterprises. After strict screening and comprehensive evaluation, Mogrify, an innovative enterprise engaged in cell reprogramming research, became the first enterprise to settle in the center.

Bio-Innovation Centre of TusPark Cambridge

Morgrify is committed to using a specific algorithm to find the set of transcription factors that have the greatest impact on cell status changes. By reprogramming cells, any cell can be transformed into a target cell with specific drug properties. Its technology is rooted in the world-famous Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC) of University of Cambridge. Founded in 2016, the company has received US$ 3.7 million in its angel round of financing from Ahren Innovation Capital, one of Cambridge’s top investment institutions and other institutions, and was appraised by Business Weekly as a life science enterprise of “disruptive technology”.

Dr. Darrin Disley, CEO of Mogrify, is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the Cambridge region. Darrin previously founded Horizon Discovery Group, a life science enterprise that has taken only 11 years from its inception to successful listing, with a valuation of more than US$ 100 million, and has become a leader in gene editing technology in the global market through continuous acquisition. At the same time, Darrin is a scientist and angel investor. He has created, developed or invested in more than 40 start-ups with a cumulative financing amount of more than US$ 500 million and commercial transactions of nearly US$ 600 million. In 2018, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his commercial, corporate and medical achievements.

Core team of Mogrify

According to Darrin Disley, direct conversion between functional cells is an important milestone in regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical applications. We will commercialize Mogrify’s technology through patent licensing, product development, cooperative development and other models, the complete facilities at Bio-Innovation Centre of TusPark Cambridge will provide strong support for our R&D and innovation. In addition, TusHoldings’ global innovation network and ecology will facilitate the global promotion of Mogrify technology.

LIN Zhuocun, President of TusHoldings UK, believes that Mogrify’s cell transformation technology will change the game rules of cell therapy and bring light for the improvement of human health. And he said, “I’m very happy to see such a dynamic, innovative and experienced team settle in. And I hope that Mogrify will continue to incubate new technology companies and lead them to build a life science innovation ecosystem during its rapid development.”

Up to now, TusPark Cambridge has put four properties into use, and successfully invested in local innovative enterprises in Cambridge. Some of the enterprises that have settled in and received investment from TusPark Cambridge are as follows:

Extended Reading

Mogrify can provide the best combination of transcription factors for any functional cell-to-cell transformation, just like the “world atlas” of cells, allowing us to explore and design new realms for human cell transformation. More than a decade ago, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka successfully converted skin fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells using a specific combination of transcription factors, and won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, opening a new era in cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Mogrify’s technology can find a unique combination from thousands of transcription factors in human cells to perform a defined cell transformation, providing the best combination of transcription factors for any functional cell-to-cell transformation without the need to go through the pluripotent stem cell status, and breaking the expensive and lengthy traditional experimental process. It has great potential for clinical application, and can reprogram a patient’s defective cells into functional healthy cells, and re-implant them into the patient. This disruptive technology will make cell therapy more efficient, safer, and more versatile, with the market value expected to reach US$30 billion. At the same time, through the Company’s in-house development and collaborative development projects, Mogrify will reach out to the markets unresolved by existing cell therapies, such as heart repair and cartilage regeneration, which are expected to reach the value of US$ 120 billion and US$ 70 billion by 2022 and 2025 respectively.