A new biotech company has been spun out of the University of Aberdeen in the UK to provide new tools to help researchers trying to understand the biology and process of diseases that affect humans and animals.
Vertebrate Antibodies Limited will produce and commercialize antibodies for life science researchers. The antibodies will allow scientists to undertake new research and could help with the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human and animal diseases.
To date, the focus when creating antibodies has been on human health and little has been done to develop antibody tools for use in other species of animals. Over the last two years, a trio of researchers at the University of Aberdeen has honed the technique of antibody production to make it cost effective, less complicated for researchers and applicable to a range of different animals as well as people. “We are already talking to colleagues working in veterinary, agriculture and aquaculture research and management about their priorities and how we can develop the species-specific antibody tools they desperately need for their valuable research,” said Dr. Steven Bird, one of the founders of VAb.