Staffordshire company Lucideon’s new in vitro cell lab accelerates next-generation capability

International technology company Lucideon is advancing its global position in pharmaceutical and biotech product development with investment in a new in vitro cell biology lab.

The pioneering facility enables Lucideon to accelerate product development in areas including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, consumer healthcare products, and novel materials.

Based at the company’s UK headquarters, the laboratory has been developed through collaboration with the School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) and the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London, under a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between Lucideon and the university, partially funded by Innovate UK.

Lucidion hosted Queen Mary post-doctoral researcher Dr David Shepherd for 30 months at its Staffordshire base. Dr Shepherd successfully transferred and embedded advanced cell biology expertise to the on-site team as a KTP Associate.

Tom Archer, Product Marketing Manager (Healthcare), said: “This is an exciting collaboration for Lucideon as we pioneer advanced methods for pharmaceutical and biotech product development.

“Cell biology involves the study of cells, their structure, behaviour, and function in response to stimuli.

“Understanding these processes is crucial for the R&D of materials and chemicals intended for contact with humans such as medical devices or pharmaceuticals.

“The new lab brings opportunities to offer a range of investigative and analytical solutions that support our customers’ projects, including the R&D process of material and drug development, as well as the ongoing validation of products in the manufacturing stage.”

“The collaboration builds on Lucideon’s long-standing relationship with SEMS at Queen Mary University of London, which has previously supported projects the company is developing in healthcare and implant materials.

“The integrated cell testing facility expands on Lucideon’s established strengths in chemical and physical materials testing and complements Lucideon’s current suite of medical device services, allowing it to expand its client-based testing and consultancy business.

“It will also result in an increase in critical data on material biocompatibility and performance for the business.

Tom Archer added: “The KTP provided Lucideon with the opportunity to work with the Queen Mary University of London to combine biomaterials innovation with translation of cutting-edge in vitro cell testing practices to set up and validate a new commercial in vitro test facility within Lucideon.

“The new in vitro test facility at Lucideon will enable faster and safer innovation of pharmaceuticals and biomedical devices, to accelerate the translation of future healthcare developments from R&D to market more efficiently.

“This could not have been achieved at the same pace, without either the expertise of the academic team or the company’s commercial perspective and it highlights the value of universities and industry working together to achieve impact.”