| Dstl is charged by
Government with ensuring that its world-leading innovative ideas and
technologies are translated into wealth-creating enterprises that benefit
the economy and wider society and bring useful income to MOD/Dstl.
To take care of our commercialisation interests and to ensure that
Dstl can remain focused on serving its MOD customer, Dstl launched Ploughshare
Innovations Ltd. as its technology management company.
Ploughshare Innovations - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dstl - operates
out of Porton Science Park. The company’s task is to exploit selected
Dstl Intellectual Property in non-MOD markets. Ploughshare will therefore
aim to spin out those technologies that have commercial potential, applying
professional expertise to find the best investment partners and license
deals. Although wholly owned by Dstl, Ploughshare will operate are arms-length
from its parent.
For the latest exciting developments please contact:
Dr. Taj S Mattu - Marketing Manager
T: +44 (0) 1980 590062
E: tajmattu@ploughshareinnovations.com
Ploughshare will continue the good work of Dstl’s original technology
transfer group. These foundations include over eight new ventures and
a number of licence agreements. Some examples of joint ventures are
featured here.
PLASMA COATED CLOTHING PROTECTS AGAINST CHEMICALS AND THE DAILY MESS
OF LIFE
Porton Plasma Innovations Ltd.
P2i Ltd’s plasma surface enhancement process gives everyday products
extraordinary levels of oil and water repellency. It stems from Dstl’s
research into finding ways to protect soldiers from chemical exposure
without the need for cumbersome protective gear. As a result, an ultra-thin
P2i plasma surface enhancement can be applied to fully assembled products,
from a suit to complex 3-D structures made of different materials. The
P2i followed on from targeted government research in using pulsed radio
frequency energy to activate chemicals for them to deposit on articles.
The surface of the object gains the properties of the plasma (e.g. water-repellence)
leaving the other, desirable properties of the object unchanged.
DNA ANALYSIS AT THE SCENE OF CRIME OR DISEASE
Enigma Diagnostics Ltd.
Enigma provides a rapid diagnostic platform based around Dstl’s
ultra-rapid real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology for
the detection of DNA and RNA. These cost-effective diagnostic systems
provide genetic data to anyone at any location. Potential applications
include rapid, field-testing for animal diseases (e.g. foot-and-mouth
in cattle); detecting genetic modifications and bacterial contaminations
at the point of sampling; and crime scene analysis of forensic DNA samples.
ATTACKING FOOD POISONING
Alaska Food Diagnostics Ltd.
Alaska is developing an ultra-rapid diagnostic technology to protect
food retailers, distributors and manufacturers and, most importantly,
the general public against bacterial contamination of food and drink.
By using Dstl’s adenylate kinase bioluminescence AK technology
the presence of pathogenic bacteria can be tested throughout the food
distribution chain in a quick and easy fashion.
DEFENCE BATTLES MRSA
Acolyte Biomedica Ltd.
Acolyte Biomedica develops proprietary diagnostic systems for, primarily,
clinical microbiology using the Dstl’s adenylate kinase bioluminescence
AK technology. Its first product, the BacLite MRSA test, is now in use
at a number of hospitals where MRSA can be identified in an individual
within 30 minutes. This is a huge improvement to the old way of sending
it back to the lab for analysis over a couple of days. This means that
patients can be tested before they enter the hospital and bearing in
mind that one in four people have MRSA (lying dormant in the body) they
can quickly be identified and quarantined before exposing other patients
and thus avoiding the risk of spreading.
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