PDF file: EURASNET Annual Report 2008

20. SMEs and Technology TransferWorkpackage description (month 37-54)Workpackage number 20 Starting day or starting event 4 monthParticipant id 1a 2 10b 12a 12c 13 17 22 24Person months 1.5 1 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 4 0.5Objectives• To provide NOE members with advice, information and training that will alert them to commercial opportunities in theirresearch field and enhance their ability to interact successfully with the private sector.• To facilitate the commercial exploitation of reagents, technology and intellectual property in the field of RNA splicingand cognate areas; to forge commercial links between NOE members and existing European companies.• To enhance the commercial viability of a spin-out drug discovery company using RNA splicing factors as drug targets.Description of workResponsibility for coordinating and planning SME & Technology Transfer activities of the network will rest with the HTE-Fund Committee, to be chaired by RL. The committee will provide formal annual reports to the network members inaddition to regular email contact and informal bilateral and multilateral discussions. The committee will initially compriseAL, RL, JT, CB, GTV and JV, who all have prior experience as consultants and/or members of commercial scientificadvisory boards. When the NOE commences, membership of the committee will be expanded to incorporate otherEURASNET members with relevant expertise and to ensure broad representation from across the EU member states. Anindicative list showing prior commercial experience and experience of EURASNET members is provided elsewhere in thisapplication (Section 6.3 d).The committee will review the prior and current commercial experience and commercial activities of all NOE members andwill use this information to establish priorities and develop a commercialization strategy best suited to the NOE.Building on established links between EURASNET members and companies operating in Europe, the HTE-FundCommittee will coordinate negotiations to obtain preferential terms for commercialization of reagents, such as antibodies,expression vectors, probes, cell lines, proteins and cell extracts, that have been generated in the laboratories of EURASNETmembers. This activity will stimulate commercialization by improving access and communication between scientists andcompanies in different EU member states.The HTE-Fund Committee will monitor regularly the requirements of all research projects within the network and reviewthe opportunities for recruiting commercial expertise and technology provision to aid the advancement of research withinthe network. Thus we will establish which commercial sources can supply services needed by Network members, such asDNA sequencing, antibody production, protein expression, microarray analysis, generation of transgenic mice etc., andnegotiate favourable access terms. We will be proactive in seeking opportunities to offer European companies access toexpertise and IP generated within the Network. This will help provide a competitive advantage to European companies byallowing them to expand their range of commercial products, services and technologies.The HTE-Fund Committee will provide a bridge between members of the NOE and industry. The resulting interactions willenhance the transfer of technology, IP and “know-how” from the splicing field into the commercial sector. To ensure thatthe NOE resources are managed as efficiently and productively as possible, we will employ the following strategy. Aninitial two-year phase, corresponding to a ‘proof of concept’ stage, will be established by the NoE; this will be essential tomake the NoE a genuinely attractive partner for future links with the pharmaceutical industry. During the proof of conceptstage several independent projects will be carried out by NOE participants and the results evaluated by the HTE-FundCommittee, in concert with the appointed external consultants, to assess which assay formats and screening targets bestmeet the criteria required for conducting an industrial strength high throughput small molecule screening programme toidentify splicing inhibitors. This work will be coordinated with research activity in WP14 by the HTE-Fund Committee andwill offer all interested NOE members the opportunity to participate in and contribute to the commercial development ofsplicing factor research.277