Our research and enterprise impact

Commercial and clinical impact

Members of the centre develop medicines and devices for commercial use. Together with university colleagues in business and marketing, they conduct negotiations for end users and industrial partners to use the innovations and developments from their research, including intellectual property rights related to biomaterials.

Soybean-based Biomaterials Exploitation Process

In July 2015, University of Brighton agreed the exclusive licensing of two patents protecting IP on soybean-based biomaterials to Brighton Wound Care Ltd (BWC). The IP originates from a ground-breaking innovation by members of the CRMD. Since then BWC has made significant progresses in exploiting the technology for the commercialisation of soybean-based wound dressings. The exploitation was supported by venture capital and led to the establishment of a new R&D and manufacturing company, Meilian Medical Technology, Suzhou, China.

Meilian Medical Technology has optimised the manufacturing of the soybean-based biomaterial formulations most suitable as wound dressings. This includes a scale-up pilot plant for the extraction of relevant compounds from soya

The results from pre-clinical studies so far collected on a number of models show excellent healing of wounds and burns. A report of the data collected so far has been issued by an independent clinical expert and it has been made available to BWC.

During the reporting period, Meilian Medical Technology has employed 7 members of the personnel. Professor Santin regularly visits the company’s premises to discuss technical and exploitation plans with the company that aims to launch their products on the market in 2019.

Tissue Click

Technology and expertise from the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices has led to the establishment of Tissue Click Ltd, a company with a mission in producing biomimetic biomaterials substrates for the controlled culture of different types of cells. The product, PhenoDrive is now available on the market and attracting the interest of researchers worldwide. The company employs personnel previously at the University of Brighton as either researchers or as PhD students.

Educational impact

Members of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices have promoted and participated in national and international workshops relevant to regenerative medicine.

Sportomics

Dr Peter Watt has engaged in the preparation of research workshops to develop a science base in Brazil which will review and judge research presentations and research grant applications. He will also carry out research into the individual responses of elite athletes to training stimuli relevant to their sport (Sportomics) with particular focus on cell signalling processes.

Societal impact

Members of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices bring a wealth of expertise to research translation into the public domain. Their work includes representation on international panels and committees as well as being part of events that promote the understanding of science to the general public.

European Society for Biomaterials 

During his mandate as the President of the European Society for Biomaterials (September 2013-September 2017) Professor Matteo Santin commissioned and led a study on the state of the art of research translation in the biomaterial field.

The study was conducted by the INGENIO group, University Polytechnic of Valencia, Spain and circulated to relevant stakeholders including the EC, industry and interest groups. It was published in September 2017 and is available at www.esbiomaterials.eu.

Professor Santin also contributed to the preparation of a Position Paper on the state-of-the-art in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, endorsed by the Biomaterials Committee – Biomedical Device Division – Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), of which he is a Fellow. IOM3 is a major UK engineering institution promoting and developing all aspects of materials science and engineering.

Professor Santin was also invited as an expert and speaker at the Foresight Project roundtable on the future of Theranostics held in Bologna, Italy on 20^th May 2014, as an initiative of the Italian National Council for Research.

Knowledge exchange events

In 2016 the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices organised a knowledge exchange conference to encourage interactions with the public.

The CORE members have engaged with events focusing on public engagement:

• The New Immortals
• Salters Festival panel judges
• A* Scientist Outreach
• Biocare