From 3D bioprinters to liquid biopsies, the five newest residents of the University City Science Center’s Port business incubator are reimagining healthcare.
Biobots is the future of regenerative medicine that is personalized - a high-resolution desktop 3D bioprinter that builds functional three-dimensional living tissue. This low-cost, desktop bioprinter gives big and small companies or institutions such as university research labs, a chance to develop 3D organ models with human cells in their own lab.
Headquartered in London with an office in Boston, Freenome is establishing a satellite office in Philadelphia. The early-stage company is developing an efficient, accurate and cost-effective “liquid biopsy” method of the future. The Freenome diagnosis platform utilizes the power of next-generation sequencing to provide non-invasive, accurate and early detection of cancer – from 1 milliliter of blood.
LignaMed is developing a small molecule therapy to reduce side effects and increase effectiveness of radiation treatment for cancer. Originally developed at the University of Pennsylvania, the molecule is synthesized from natural flaxseed and has been shown to amplify effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment on cancer cells while protecting normal tissue from damage. In June 2015 the company was awarded a $5.2 million contract by the NIH/NIAID to develop the technology as a medical countermeasure to treat radiation-induced lung injury.
OriMAbs enables human therapeutic antibody discovery by providing custom antibody development and processing methods. The OriMAbs system increases the efficiency of sorting antibodies with high affinities desired for therapeutic applications, allowing for construction of a sufficiently large library to develop candidates with strong therapeutic potential.
Telesis accelerates breakthrough discoveries from research institutions into therapies for patients. The company’s first patented product is a small molecule, developed at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR), that inhibits the metabolic process in cancer cells causing cell death and shows no impact on normal cells. This technology has applications to treat patients with solid tumors such as pancreatic cancer.
BioBots, Freenome, LignaMed and Telesis have taken space at the Port business incubator at 3711 Market Street in Philadelphia. OriMAbs is located at the Hubert J. P. Schoemaker Center for Technology Advancement at 3624 Market Street.
The Science Center’s Port business incubator helps emerging life sciences, physical sciences, and digital technology companies operate and grow through a suite of related programs and facilities. The Port provides co‐working spaces, cubicles, fully furnished offices, and/or wet and dry labs directly in the heart of the Science Center’s vibrant urban campus. Beyond the physical infrastructure, Port residents are immediately plugged in to a rich network of resources where they can access the programs, the people and the support that can help grow their businesses. Port resident companies raised more than $272 million in private capital since 2006.
About the Science Center
The University City Science Center is a dynamic hub for innovation, and entrepreneurship and technology development in the Greater Philadelphia region. It provides business incubation, programming, lab and office facilities, and support services for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and growing and established companies. The Science Center was the first, and remains the largest, urban research park in the United States. Since it was founded in 1963, graduate organizations and current residents of the University City Science Center’s Port business incubators have created more than 15,000 jobs that remain in the Greater Philadelphia region today and contribute more than $9 billion to the regional economy annually. For more information about the Science Center, go to ucscreview.org.
