Synpromics expansion to support growing gene control business
The gene control and synthetic promoter development firm has moved into a new facility at the Roslin Innovation Centre, about 10km south of Edinburgh, UK adding over 5,000 sq ft of lab and office space.
The expansion fits with the firm’s growth strategy which saw revenues reach over £1.2m ($1.6m) in 2016, and according to Synpromics founder and CSO Michael Robert, further growth is expected this year.
“Synpromics is committed to be the global leader in gene control,” he told Biopharma-Reporter. “This move into a world-class facility enables us to realise that goal, giving us access to an excellent infrastructure and cutting-edge research being undertaken at the Roslin Institute.”
He added the firm is looking to grow in size by an extra 25% over the coming year, and the move will provide the room for new staff and equipment.
“It gives us the space that we need for the expanding team, in particular providing the creative environment that allows our scientists to flourish, meaning we can more effectively build on our PromPT platform and meet the growing demand for our technology.”
Synpromics’ PromPT platform is a bioinformatics database for the design, build and screening of synthetic promoters. These promoters allow for precise control of gene function, impacting gene therapy, cell therapy and gene editing.
In the past year, the firm has inked a number of agreements, including separate deals with GE Healthcare and Sartorius to increase stability and yield, and reduce the lead time, of CHO cell lines used in bioprocessing.
It also received a £5.2m boost in April in the form of funding from UK-based companies Calculus Capital, the Scottish Investment Bank, the investment branch of Scottish Enterprise, and private shareholders.
