Fighting the COVID-19 fire with molecular diagnostics innovations
"You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. And we cannot stop this pandemic if we don't know who is infected. We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test. Test every suspected case" ----Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)
Aspiring innovators podcast: What does Covid-19 mean for the economy?
The latest CUTalks podcast features Ozan Özkural, the founder of Tanto Capital Partners, who discusses how companies can survive, macroeconomic trends and the economic consequences of Covid-19.
Study of more than 16,700 COVID-19 patients identifies characteristics of severe disease
To answer many urgent questions about the characteristics of people who are most severely affected by coronavirus and what happens to them in hospital, a study – called ‘ISARIC4C’ – has analysed data obtained from 16,749 COVID-19 hospital patients in the UK.
Innovation in scarcity: New tool from Plextek’s Innovation Unit
Supply chains are disrupted and finance is as uncertain as it has ever been. So, if you’re trying to innovate in the face of scarcity, what can you do? Ignite Exponential, Plextek’s Innovation Unit, has developed a new version of the innovation tool, the 4 As, which is free to download at the bottom of this article, to help in these unprecedented times.
Chiquitita tell me what’s wrong…
"The combination of fear of illness, sudden shift to working at home, overload of uncertainty and change, plus the limited social outlet is a deadly combination for overloading our mental hard drives."
AstraZeneca and Oxford University announce landmark agreement for COVID-19 vaccine
AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford today announced an agreement for the global development and distribution of the University’s potential recombinant adenovirus vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection from SARS-CoV-2.
Medovate develops new PPE face mask to help front line clinicians with coronavirus
Medovate, the dynamic Cambridge based medical device company, is developing an innovative face mask incorporating a specialised filter which has been proven to be an effective barrier against viruses.
AstraZeneca joins UK Government’s ACCORD trial platform
AstraZeneca is joining forces with public research bodies and academic institutions as part of a UK government-led initiative to speed up the development of medicines to treat patients hospitalised with COVID-19.
TTP plc collaborates with ODx to develop new technology to address antibiotic resistance
TTP plc, a leading independent technology and product development company, has announced today that it has partnered with ODx (ODx Innovations Ltd), a company committed to developing a system for assessing urinary tract infections (UTIs). The collaboration is focused on bringing ODx’ system to market through TTP’s Desktop Biology service.
Cambridge Design Partnership announces product development collaboration on pen-injector technology with the Stevanato Group
Cambridge Design Partnership (CDP), a UK and US based leading technology and product design partner, and the Stevanato Group, a leading producer of glass primary packaging and provider of integrated capabilities for combination products, today announced a collaboration agreement for the development of a new pen-injector based on the Axis-D technology and intellectual property (IP) licensed…
Chamber appoints award-winning entrepreneur Faye Holland as Chair of Cambridge & South Cambs Chamber Committee
The Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce (CCC) is delighted to announce that award-winning entrepreneur, Faye Holland has been appointed to chair the Cambridge & South Cambs Chamber Committee.
Preliminary results of Covid-19 drug treatment trial found to improve recovery
An international clinical trial, co-led by UKRI’s Medical Research Council and UCL, which is testing the effectiveness of the drug remdesivir on patients hospitalised with Covid-19, has shown “very promising” preliminary results.
Government continues support for Cambridge ventilator designs
Three Cambridge ventilator designs will continue to be supported as part of the government's Ventilator Challenge, set up to increase supply of devices to help the NHS in the fight against coronavirus.
Xampla, breakthrough plant protein solution for ‘hidden plastics’, receives funding boost
Xampla, a University of Cambridge spin-out seeking to reduce microplastic pollution, today announced £2 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by global technology investor Amadeus Capital Partners and Cambridge Enterprise, with participation from Sky media group’s impact investment fund Sky Ocean Ventures and the University of Cambridge Enterprise Fund VI, managed by Parkwalk.
Simple ‘sniff test’ reliably predicts recovery of severely brain injured patients
The ability to detect smells predicts recovery and long-term survival in patients who have suffered severe brain injury, a new study has found. A simple, inexpensive ‘sniff test’ could help doctors to accurately diagnose and determine treatment plans for patients with disorders of consciousness.
The Royal Society announces election of new Fellows 2020
Nine Cambridge scientists are among the new Fellows announced by the Royal Society.
Life Laundry - Reviewing your finances, pension provision and your Will
Chris Dunn writes: "Thank you for watching the 'life laundry' videos that I've been posting this week.
MRC scientists elected Fellows of the Royal Society
MRC-supported researchers are among the eminent scientists announced this week, elected as Fellows of the Royal Society.
Horizon Discovery extends coverage of OncoSpan reference standards to FFPE and Liquid Biopsy
Horizon Discovery Group plc (LSE: HZD), a global leader in the application of gene editing and gene modulation for cell line engineering, today announced it has added two new sample formats to its cell-based OncoSpan reference standards for use in the development and validation of workflows for cancer diagnostic assays.
Arm offers early-stage silicon startups zero-cost access to the world’s most widely used chip designs
Arm has announced the launch of Arm® Flexible Access for Startups, an extension of its already highly successful Flexible Access programme. This new initiative offers early-stage silicon startups zero-cost access to a huge range of Arm’s leading IP, along with global support and training resources, enabling them to start on their journey to commercial silicon and business scale.
Economic damage could be worse without lockdown and social distancing – study
The worst thing for the economy would be not acting at all to prevent disease spread, followed by too short a lockdown, according to research based on US data.
How vertical farming disrupts the food supply chain
The vertical farming market will exceed $1 billion by 2030, according to Vertical Farming: 2020-2030 - a new report by IDTechEx.
Absentee leadership
We are all familiar, as subordinates, with some excellent leaders during our career, but probably remember more vividly the disruptive and destructive kind of leadership, where one feels completely miserable at work. We have noticed, because remote working brings an exaggerated form of what already is, that one of the most disruptive kinds of leadership is what is sometimes called absentee…
Why I chose Strategy as a career
KISS's junior strategist Chloe writes: I chose a career in strategy because it’s the best job in the world...
Life Laundry - How to update your LinkedIn profile in 6 simple steps
LinkedIn is changing all the time. But when was the last time you updated your profile?