Innovations Into Success Summer 2016 | Page 79

Laboratories : Case Study

Axol Bioscience achieves its pluri-potential

Michelle Ricketts
AXOL BIOSCIENCE
Building on 60 years of continuous R & D at Chesterford Research Park , this leading life science location is now home to innovative biotech and pharmaceutical companies that have amassed an impressive record for producing cutting-edge technology and ground-breaking scientific discoveries . One of the Park ’ s most recent arrivals is Axol Bioscience , specialists in the supply of human cell culture products and services

Axol Bioscience was founded in 2012 by Jonathan Milner , PhD and Yichen Shi , PhD . Dr Shi was motivated to carry out stem cell research after having read the Nobel Prize-winning publication by Yamanaka et al . ( 2007 ) describing how somatic cells could be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells ( iPSCs ). Dr Shi completed his PhD in neuroscience and stem cell biology at the Gurdon Institute , University of Cambridge where he successfully identified an alternate means of differentiating these stem cells into functional neurons .

During this time he met Dr Milner , an alumni of the institute and experienced biotech entrepreneur with a background in genetic research who also co-founded Abcam , a global leader in the supply of protein research tools . Together their passion for cell biology , quality services and entrepreneurial spirit lead to the creation of Axol . They identified the need for innovative human cell culture products that benefit disease modelling and drug discovery . Initially , they created a platform offering customers a reliable resource of commercially available iPSCderived neural cells , with the aim of gradually expanding this range to include all 200 cell types of the human body .
George Gibbons , Production Manager , generates iPSCs
The Axol Bioscience Team at Science Village , Chesterford Research Park
Axol began making cells in a communal lab and relied heavily on customers and collaborators to characterise these . These early adopters of products enabled Axol to grow . Soon after they were approached by a large pharmaceutical company to generate a number of iPSC-derived neural cell lines and having successfully completed the project they gained a good reputation amongst industry members . Since then the company has grown significantly due to its reputation as a high-quality supplier of cell culture products gaining traction amongst the scientific community . This has meant an increase in the manufacture of existing products as well as the acquisition and commercialisation of novel technologies .
Today , Axol Bioscience is a biotechnology company that specialises in the supply of human cell culture products and services . This includes a growing range of primary and iPSCderived cells complete with complementary culture media and supplements . Axol ’ s current iPSC-derived neural cell
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