According to the multi-million pound research agreement, Oxford Genetics will employ its high throughput automated genomic engineering platform for CRISPR modification of mammalian cell lines.
“We have moved away from manual processing, which is the norm in this market, in favour of automated, scalable platforms,” said CEO Ryan Cawood.
“This approach means we are well positioned to deliver the large number of custom-engineered cell lines per year that the global market is forecast to need,” he added.
The bioprocessing support firm did not disclose its partner’s identity, but told us the company conducts the vast majority of its business through an online catalogue of products.
“For contractual reasons, we cannot say much beyond it is in the research field,” chief commercial officer Paul Brooks told us.
The UK-based firm expects the partnership to attract more CRISPR-related business, Brooks added: “It highlights our ability to cope with the capacity demanded by our partner for a provider of engineered cell lines.”
The mammalian CRISPR cell line engineering platform is Oxford Genetics’ most recent service offering. In 2016, the firm secured funding from Innovate UK to optimise its mammalian biomanufacturing processes and address viral vector scalability issues.
In August 2017, the firm announced the expansion of its bioproduction services in the UK, as well as plans to invest in a US office. Four months later, the company teamed with MeiraGTx to develop adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) at a manufacturing facility in Central London, UK.