deep-tech<\/a> life sciences start-up that focuses primarily on improving the efficiency of next generation sequencing. By developing an innovative nucleic acid extraction technology, Nax aims to ensure higher input quality that delivers more reliable, cost-effective sequencing results.<\/p>\nLeading the Nax Bioscience team are Dr Jaythoon Hassan, of the National Virus Reference Laboratory at UCD; Prof Michael Gilchrist, from the UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering; and Edward Simons, Nax\u2019s commercial lead. The multidisciplinary project is supported by the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund and is preparing for spin-out in early 2027 with the support of NovaUCD.<\/p>\n
Imragen, which is a new commercial venture being spun out of the Campbell Lab at TCD\u2019s Smurfit Institute of Genetics, is developing a range of methodologies to restore the integrity of the blood-brain and blood-retina barriers. The technology will seek to treat a range of neurological and ophthalmological conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Following a competitive review process of submitted entries from across Ireland, Nax Bioscience and Imragen were selected as the two winners in recognition of their innovative genomics-driven technologies and strong commercial potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The competition was launched by Illumina Ventures in collaboration with Illumina, Research Ireland Centre for Research Training in Genomics Data Science, PurdyLucey Intellectual Property, and Pinsent Masons Ireland. Illumina Ventures is an independently managed venture capital firm \u2013 which is in a strategic partnership with biotech Illumina \u2013 that is focused on genomics and precision health investing.<\/p>\n
For winning, both start-ups will receive a comprehensive support package that includes access to Illumina sequencing consumables and technical expertise, strategic mentorship from Illumina Ventures, intellectual property guidance, legal support and access to Ireland\u2019s genomics data science ecosystem.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the win, Nick Naclerio, a founding partner at Illumina Ventures, said: \u201cIreland has become an increasingly important centre for genomics innovation, supported by exceptional scientific talent, a strong entrepreneurial culture, and a collaborative ecosystem.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were highly impressed by the quality of applications received and we are excited to support Nax Bioscience and Imragen as they advance technologies with the potential to make a meaningful impact on healthcare and the life sciences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Robinson, vice-president and general manager for the UK, Ireland and Northern Europe at Illumina, added: \u201cThrough this competition, we wanted to help accelerate the next generation of genomics-enabled companies in Ireland. The winning teams demonstrated compelling scientific innovation alongside a clear vision for translation and commercialisation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief<\/a>, Silicon Republic\u2019s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Illumina Ventures announced the two winners of the inaugural competition designed to recognise high-potential genomics start-ups. University College…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":503102,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[61,60,80],"class_list":["post-503101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=503101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/503102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=503101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=503101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=503101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}