The Company
Biotech Innovations is a spinoff company of the University of Malta, set up in 2016, and based at the Biomedical Sciences Building.
The company’s mission is to develop new testing protocols that address current gaps in oncology testing, subsequently offering these new tests as a service to public and private health centres, wellness clinics, academic institutions and the public at large.
The company is a research and development company in the field of medical diagnostics, with the capacity of providing diagnostic services. The main operation of the company includes: providing molecular diagnostic services; promoting research to develop new technologies supporting innovation in the oncology and Inflammatory field; partnering with other companies to adapt and co-brand existing molecular kits; and licensing out developed intellectual property, where suitable.
Company Registration Number: C 76539
Technology
The lack of fresh frozen tissue specimens and nucleic acid degradation in archival tissue, as well as different tumour sites in one subject (heterogeneity), negatively impact cancer diagnostic services in the pathology laboratories worldwide. Gene amplification and expression diagnostic testing using archival material or material that requires transportation to servicing laboratories, need a more robust and accurate test adapted to current clinical workflow. Biotech’s research team optimised the use of an Invitrogen™ QuantiGene™ Plex Assay (Thermo Fisher Scientific) to quantify RNA in archival material using branched-DNA (bDNA) technology on Luminex-based magnetic beads.
This means that the gene expression assay (which is in the commercialisation phase) includes a novel, quick and multiplex assay that can accurately classify breast cancer into the different molecular subtypes, omitting the existent subjectivity of interpretation inherent in imaging techniques such as IHC and FISH, and radically minimising technical variation between diagnostic laboratories. In addition, due to the low input of material required, tumours can be laser micro-dissected using stained sections.
This method has a wide range of possible applications including tumour classification with diagnostic potential and measurement of biomarkers in liquid biopsies (blood samples), allowing better patient-management and disease-monitoring. In addition, quantitative measurement of biomarkers in archival material is useful in oncology research with access to libraries of clinically-annotated material allowing for the validation of potential newly-developed biomarkers and their correlation with clinical outcome using retrospective studies.
The selection of research and development projects depends on the provision of clinical solutions to existing problems associated with current diagnostic tests. A project is selected if the capability of the technology and expertise of the research group can provide solutions. The researched HPV test demonstrates the strength of adopting the above-mentioned technology using the readily available clinical samples.
Infrastructure
Biotech Innovations is a spin out company of the University of Malta and is based in the . An agreement is in place between BI and UoM, whereby the University provides lab space and equipment to allow BI to carry out test services, to produce quality control material, to provide validation and quality control services, and to perform research to develop new tests. The facilty provided includes a Luminex LX-200, various plate incubators, Agilent bioanalyser, laser microdissector, cell culturing lab, digital pathology scanner, infrared scanner, real time PCR, PCR machines, ultracentrifuge and other general laboratory items. The research infrastructure at the University of Malta is a start of the art facility with the main investment done in 2010 followed by continuous investments to upgrade the facility.
Press
- Today is World Cancer Day: Fresh findings set new hope to predict and fight cancer.
- WEBINAR: The power of multiplexing and applications of the QuantiGene Plex Assay in oncology research and diagnostics. Nov 07, 2017. Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Grech G. Application of molecular medicine towards personalized treatment in oncology. Proceedings EPMA Congress 2017, Sep 14-17, Malta.
- Grech G. Novel predictive biomarker panel, using a Luminex-based RNA assay. xMAP Connect 2017, Nov 8-7, Amsterdam
- Grech G. Novel Breast Cancer subtypes identified using multiplex biomarker panel assays. Cancer Diagnostics Conference 2017, Nov 27-28, Dubai.
- Grant Award from Luminex Corporation to publish a video method article entitled « Optimisation of a multiplex RNA-based Expression Assay using Breast Cancer archival material » in the Journal of Visualised Experiments (JoVE). Appendix B4.1
Projects in 2017/2018
- Development of an algorithm for the selection of normalising-genes to measure gene expression in samples from various origin (including formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) material, circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and exosomes.
- Characterisation of HPV subtypes in archival material of cervical cancer and the developing of a probe set to measure HPV transformation event in liquid based cervical smears.