International Life Sciences Awards 2017

GHP / International Life Sciences Awards 2017 29 Following on from the upcoming developments, it is important for the firm to adapt and introduce new types of technology into the business to ensure it does not get left behind. Margaret states that the firm is constantly exploring new and important applications using its platform technologies. This innovative firm is always looking to the future and is clearly well prepared for the new technology oriented era. “At the business, we constantly explore new and important applications using our platform technologies. For example, with the support of the Centers for Disease Control, the PINCER® platform has been harnessed to develop a novel immune- detection method for Hepatitis C – a disease infecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and the leading causes of end stage liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Our novel immuno- detection method is simple, rapid, and cost-effective, and includes a variety of medical capabilities such as detecting all infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and the antigenicity of protein drugs.” “Mediomics is also using PINCER®-based technologies to develop novel methods for screening new high-affinity reagents. Our high-affinity reagent screening technologies will allow us to develop novel engineered antibodies, scFvs, and aptamers for research, diagnosis, and therapeutic use.” Providing us with an overview of the diagnostic field for infectious diseases, Margaret believes Figure 2. This figure illustrates the principle behind Mediomics’ Pincer® technology. Two antibodies that bind different epitopes are conjugated to short DNA oligonucleotides that are tagged with fluorophores. In the presence of the antigen, the antibodies bind their specific epitopes and bring the oligonucleotides in close proximity, resulting in FRET. Contact: Margaret Meng Contact Email: [email protected] Address: 5445 Highland Park Dr, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA Phone: 001 314 971 3028 Website: www.mediomics.com that more work can be done in combatting the Zika virus. She explains how Mediomics can help with this issue and is always working hard to utilise the platform technologies at its disposal. “There are constantly new challenges in the diagnostic field for infectious diseases. For example, the current widely- used immunoassay available for detecting Zika infection lacks specificity. Mediomics received NIH funding to solve this problem by developing highly specific and cost-effective immunoassays for Zika infection using our platform technologies.” Discussing the benefits of being based in St Louis, Margaret gives us an insight into the companies involved within in the region and how they can affect the businesses based there. “On June 28, 2017, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) released a new report providing actionable insights for city leaders looking to leverage their area’s competitive industries to build stronger urban economies. The report, Building Strong Clusters for Strong Urban Economies, profiles cluster building efforts in four U.S. cities—San Diego, St. Louis, Chicago, and New Orleans— and offers six recommendations for designing high-impact clusters. “Thus, the benefit of locating in St. Louis is that Mediomics can get support from local leaders and gain access to different resources, including the major Universities. The challenges of locating in St. Louis is a lack of middle managers in the field of life science and diagnostics.” Margaret goes on to discuss the future of the firm and what direction she sees the company going in. Margaret provides us with some information on Mediomics’ upcoming projects and is clearly excited as to what the successful implementation of these products will mean for the firm. “Regarding the future, we received funding to develop unique methods for specific detection of Zika infection and autoantibodies. We also received NIH funding to develop engineered antibodies for the detection of specific modifications of macromolecules. When these projects are successfully implemented, Mediomics will play a leading role in these fields.” Ultimately, within the life sciences space, there will plenty of developments and Margaret predicts what these developments will be. The company will continue to be innovative with its products and work hard to serve its clients, providing only the best service. “Looking ahead, Mediomics will provide innovative tools for the detection of the modification of important macromolecules including proteins, protein complexes, DNA, and RNA.”