Beaker List – Cambridge Edition
Top Entrepreneurial Life Science Professors @ The University of Cambridge
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Alix Ventures: Supporting Early Stage Life Science Startups Engineering Biology to Drive Radical Advances in Human Health
Overview
Behind every transformative technology is a team of brilliant scientists and researchers. Academic research in particular is a driving force for technological innovation. Here, we have identified a ‘Midas List’ of researchers who have pioneered highly transformative technologies that have translated to the clinic. Using venture backed startups as a primary guide along with other impact metrics such as patents, citations, and thought leadership, the following professors have demonstrated patient impact, providing significant contributions to the startup ecosystem.
The University of Cambridge is the fourth oldest surviving university in the world. Founded in 1209, it has educated and graduated multiple scholars who changed our world: Charles Darwin, Francis Crick, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, Frederick Sanger, Aaron Klug, Dorothy Hodgkin, David Attenborough, and Jane Goodall among others are some of the excellent biologists affiliated with the institution. The University’s contribution to the development of modern life sciences has come from multiple research institutions, such as the world-renown Laboratory of Molecular Biology, theGurdon Institute (studying developmental biology and cancer), theCavendish Laboratory (the epicenter of Physics research in Cambridge with a sub-section in biological and soft systems) and many other departments. Just in the last 100 years, the Cantabrigians pioneered protein and DNA sequencing and structural studies, established main model systems in developmental biology, learned to engineer antibodies and manipulate cell fate. Many of these fundamental discoveries shaped modern life sciences and laid the foundations for translational work in biomedicine. The importance of such research has been recognized by multiple Nobel prizes:61 affiliates of the University received the award in chemistry, physiology, and medicine since 1904 making the highest cumulative number among any academic institutions.
Some of the University’s greatest biotech spinouts include Cambridge Antibody Technology who developed Humira® a key drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and the world’s top-selling pharmaceutical (annual sales over $18B in 2017), and the technology underpinning Illumina Sequencingby Solexa which was sold to Illumina for $600M in 2007. Kymab, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing fully human monoclonal antibodies was recently acquired for $1.45B by Sanofi, marking the 20th billion dollar valuation company in the Cambridge ecosystem. The high concentration of modern tech companies in the area from startups to pharma corporations such as AstraZeneca underpins the ‘Silicon Fen’ nickname recently given to the Cambridge Cluster.
We believe that the wealth of knowledge and the history of breakthroughs and innovation in Cambridge should encourage many more modern University scientists to take their ideas out of the labs and into the markets. Below, we provide examples of entrepreneurial academics, who manage to successfully combine research with biotech product development for the good of humanity…