Ongoing collaboration will bring novel cell signaling tools and services to life science researchers worldwide
BILLERICA, Mass. and Dundee, Scotland - October 9, 2024 - Millipore Corporation (NYSE:MIL) and the University of Dundee today announced a five-year extension of a long-standing license agreement to commercialize innovative cell signaling materials for research applications. The ongoing collaboration, established in 1995 between the University of Dundee and Upstate Biotechnology (now part of Millipore), will enable Millipore to make such tools available to life science researchers worldwide.
The University of Dundee and the Medical Research Council (MRC) Protein Phosphorylation Unit have developed specific kinase and phosphatase methods and reagents for the study of cell signaling. As part of the extended license agreement, Millipore will have access to new research tools developed by Sir Philip Cohen, Director of the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit along with Vice Principal, Head of College Professor Peter Downes, and head of the university’s Inositol Signaling Laboratory.
“We are very pleased to extend our collaboration with the University of Dundee and look forward to commercializing innovative tools for this important field of research,” said Rick Ryan, Vice President of Millipore’s Bioscience Drug Discovery Business Unit. “Our relationship with the university is part of our long-term strategy to tap the expertise of leading academic institutions and bring innovative technologies and tools to our life science customers.”
“We are pleased to announce the continuation of our collaborative relationship with Millipore, a company with a well-respected reputation in cell signaling research,” said Sir Philip Cohen, who also serves as Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences. “We believe this agreement will place our proprietary technology in highly capable hands, enabling and ensuring the production, sale and distribution of important tools for researchers worldwide.”
Protein phosphoryation is one of the body’s principal control mechanisms. It regulates almost all aspects of cell life and is one of the largest areas of scientific research worldwide. This research centers on the study of a coordinated series of cascading biochemical reactions, which are generally protein-activated and in turn generate a complex network of signaling pathways. The ability of cells to correctly interpret and respond to these signals provides the cell with the ability to develop, repair itself and respond to disease. The importance of protein phosphorylation is underscored by the association of many kinases and phosphatases with disease areas such as cancer and diabetes, making them targets of drug discovery.
Millipore has applied the innovative research and reagents from the University of Dundee as part of the KinaseProfilerTM and PhosphataseProfilerTM selectivity screening services, which provide information to help advance successful drug discovery.
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