New collaboration with the Milner Therapeutics Institute

The partnership represents an expansion of our Technologies to Tools (T2T) programme established originally with the Medicines Discovery Catapult. The collaboration provides an opportunity for researchers to work with the MTI to develop NC3Rs-funded cell-based models of disease for functional genomic screens. This will include a T2T funding competition to provide the researchers with access to the MTI’s expertise and industry insight, as well as functional genomic research capabilities. T2T is an important mechanism to support models and tools we have funded to cross the ‘3Rs valley of death’ that often exists between model development and the wider uptake needed to achieve the greatest 3Rs impacts.

Dr Anthony Holmes, NC3Rs Director of Science and Technology, said: ‘We’re excited to be working with the Milner Therapeutics Institute on this next iteration of our Technologies to Tools programme. Providing our funded researchers with access to Milner’s functional genomics capabilities and expertise has the potential to drive their cell-based models into application and support ongoing efforts within the pharmaceutical industry to adopt human-relevant systems and not animal models.’

Dr Nicola McCarthy, MTI Interim Director, said: “Working with the NC3Rs to bring in novel disease models into the Milner through this T2T competition gives us an exciting opportunity to partner with leading academics across the UK. Building on their knowledge and expertise, we will assess whether these disease models can be extended for use in high throughput genetic screens and work with our Consortium pharma partners to understand the assay conditions and outcomes that could lead to their adoption into industry R&D workflows.”

About the Milner Therapeutics Institute

The Milner Therapeutics Institute is a The Milner Therapeutics Institute encompasses both a research institute and global outreach programme. Its guiding principle is that lives can be transformed when the strength of academia and business combine through dynamic partnerships to translate science into effective therapies. Based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus with strong links to surrounding Institutes, University Departments and Hospitals, the Institute brings together a unique combination of cross-sector capabilities.

To learn more about the T2T scheme, visit the funding page.