1. Amy Hardy: Scale up HbA1c Column Purification and Validate Lysate stored at -80⁰C (supervisors Prof Conan Fee of UoC, Drs Maurice Owen, Peter Elliott and Richard Hutton)

Amy worked on scaling up an Hba1c purification method developed last year by David Carter, with the aim of enabling larger batch sizes. The purified HbA1c is used to make some Canterbury Scientific control products and the blood fraction which has been depleted of HbA1c is also used to make low level controls and linearity sets. Amy’s project was partially successful – enough to determine that considerable extra expenditure would be required to overcome the limitations of the trial system.

2. Oliver Laufkotter: Modeling Interaction of Hemoglobin Allosteric Effectors (supervisors Dr Wanting Jiao, Prof Emily Parker of UoC, Drs Maurice Owen and Richard Hutton.

Oliver modelled the structure of hemoglobin in the R (Oxy) form and the T (Deoxy) form and investigated the interaction of a range of small molecules to assess their potential effects on the stability of the T-form. This identified candidate molecules that would be predicted to bind in the 2,3-DPG site.

3. Charunya Nanayakkara: In Vitro Glycation Patterns of  T- and R- forms of Hemoglobin (supervisors A/Prof Richard Hartshorn of UoC and Dr Maurice Owen)

Charunya and Oliver Laufkotter used the results from the computer modeling of the structure of hemoglobin to test if the molecules that were identified as potential binders in the 2,3-DPG site  could stabilize or hold the hemoglobin in the deoxy form during glycation. This project aims to develop a method to give a native glycation pattern which would be especially useful for the boronate affinity methods to ensure the same numerical result across all the known analytical platforms. Further work is needed to optimize conditions and convert it into a robust procedure.

4. Dijon Hoogenveen: Heat Stability of HbA1c Controls on Various Instruments: Calculation of Activation Energy (supervisors Dr Andrew Muscroft-Taylor of UoC, Drs Maurice Owen and Peter Elliott)

Dijon investigated the stability of a selection of Canterbury Scientific HbA1c controls using a range of diagnostic instruments. This involved determining the activation energy (a measure of the control’s stability) and can enable prediction of the expiry date of the hemoglobin control. The results correlated well with the excellent observed stability of the controls on a Roche c111 laboratory analyser.

5. Max Wilkinson: Measuring Plasma Cytochrome C to Assess Mitochondrial Damage (supervisors from Canterbury Health Labs: Dr Michael Lever, Prof Stephen Brennan, Christopher McEntire, Dr Sandy Slow and Prof Peter George)

Max developed a method to measure low concentrations of bovine cytochrome c in serum using mass spectrometry. The amount of cytochrome c in the blood has been found to be associated with various diseases and organ injury due to either irregular apoptosis or mitochondrial damage. The method was developed by optimizing HPLC with detection by mass spectrometry that enabled measurement of bovine cytochrome c down to levels of 10 picomolar, some 100,000 – fold improvement over older methods.

Canterbury Scientific has established a strong relationship with the Crown Corporation and Richard has been a champion of the company since the first introduction through the University of Canterbury’s Biomolecular Interaction Centre in early 2011. At that time IRL saw an opportunity to expand their presence in the South Island and assist in the Christchurch rebuild, and went looking for industry partners and projects (read more in The Press story).  CSL’s pancreatic marker project was the first on IRL’s list to receive funding and support, and our two organisations are now exploring a new joint partnership with a therapeutic company in the US.

“IRL’s expansion in Christchurch is a welcome catalyst for biotech companies to expand and excel,” said Neil Pattinson, CEO of CSL. “They have identified partners and projects where new research could impact big global problems – potentially turning them into solutions and opportunities for local businesses.”

“Richard is of course a brilliant scientific leader with much-respected knowledge and expertise in the world of carbohydrate chemistry,” continued Neil.  “But he also has considerable commercial experience and acumen which is highly relevant to our export business, and he’s quickly become a great ally. The Royal Society medal – which recognises research excellence in science, technology and the humanities – is a very well deserved honour.”

For more information, read the IRL announcement and the Royal Society story.

New Zealand has a serious shortage of technologists, engineers and scientists – and the Futureintech programme has been established to tackle the problem.  Government, industry and educational groups have come together to create a pool of resources that will help to promote these careers in schools.

The Futureintech website features profiles of graduates working in the field, information on what and where to study, and details of companies that employ technologists, engineers and scientists.  As a partner, Canterbury Scientific will be profiled, and will contribute two staff members (Richard Hutton and Nicola Johnson) who will act as Ambassadors, visiting Christchurch schools and sharing their stories with students.

“Right now many of these young people are making important decisions about their future academic and career path,” said Richard. “My teachers inspired me to not just understand science but to also question it.  I hope that in telling my story, I can inspire some students to find their passion and to see that boundless opportunities lie ahead for highly skilled scientists.  I’ve enjoyed a very rewarding career combining education and research skills with new learning in production and quality areas – and knowing that the products we develop here in Canterbury are positively impacting the lives and health of thousands.”

“We’re thrilled to have Canterbury Scientific join the programme, they are a terrific home-grown bioscience success story,” said Catherine Smith, Futureintech’s Christchurch facilitator. “I am looking forward to getting Richard and Nicola into the science classrooms around the city – especially in biology, but also statistics and other special topics. I know their stories will enrich the learning and broaden the minds of our students.”

Canterbury Scientific has also committed $5000 per annum over the next three years to the Canterbury Scientific Emerging Leader Scholarship at the University of Canterbury.  These scholarships were established to recognise not only academic achievement, but also leadership potential and sporting, cultural and community involvement among top students.

Just about everyone on the board or in leadership positions at CSL went through the University of Canterbury, and CSL continues to enjoy strong research ties with the institution.  Former director and past University Foundation chairman Colin Averill initiated the discussion and thought it would be an appropriate way to give back to the university and further efforts to encourage the emerging leaders tomorrow.  The Canterbury Scientific scholarship will be reserved for a student in the Faculty of Science.

Approximately 100 recipients from the pool of first-year students are selected for their leadership potential and they spend three days at an intensive retreat learning about leadership styles and skills.

These new programmes are in addition to CSL’s two Masters projects: in August the company announced applications were being accepted for the University of Otago (Christchurch) Masters programme to study the markers for cardiovascular disease, and Letitia Gilmour’s Masters project researching angiotensinogen and pre-eclampsia is currently underway at the University of Canterbury.

In a recent press release “NZ tech sector boosts R&D spend and shines bright” Industrial Research Ltd highlighted the prominence of R&D-focused firms in the 2012 survey: “In addition to solid overall growth of 2.2%, this year’s TIN100 Report features a wide range of R&D focused companies, from high-tech manufacturing to ICT and biotech, who achieved phenomenal revenue growth,” says Shaun Coffey, Chief Executive of Industrial Research Ltd, the TIN100 Report’s major sponsor.

Industrial Research Ltd goes on to highlight research partners that are included in the list, including CSL: “The multi-award-winning Canterbury Scientific Ltd, an innovative Christchurch-based biotech company leveraging IRL’s newly developed industry focused protein science team to diversify its diagnostic product range, grew its revenues by more than 21%, from $4.2m to $5.1m.”

Canterbury Scientific was honoured with the New Zealand Innovators Award for Health & Science in front of a sold out crowd on Friday, 12 October in Auckland.

Dr Neil Pattinson and Dr Maurice Owen were delighted to accept the award on behalf of the company. Canterbury Scientific submitted the entry for Haemoglobin A1c, which is relied on by thousands of diabetes patients around the world to manage the disease. The awards submission documented HbA1c’s ethical development, stability and shelf life, as well as the market opportunity and high customer value. On the strength of this innovative product, Canterbury Scientific has established a model and channels for the commercialisation of diagnostic research, become an employer and research partner of choice in the scientific community, and created a mechanism for funding future innovation.

Neil said, “It was fantastic to be in the company of such a great New Zealand entrepreneurial braintrust, let alone to be singled out with a win. Our hats are off to all of the other great innovators who were named as finalists, I’m glad that I’m not the one tasked with the difficult job of judging!”

Launched in 2007, the New Zealand Innovators Awards is a national awards programme celebrating great Kiwi innovations, inventors and organisations that have invested in developing new products, services and ventures. The organisers believe there are many innovations in our world that go unrecognised, yet have become a regular and essential part of our daily lives, and the awards are a great way to unearth and celebrate these. The Ambassador of the 2012 NZ Innovators Awards was renowned inventor Sir Ray Avery, who was honoured as New Zealander of the Year in 2010. The awards are sponsored by Bayer New Zealand, Idealog and Ideas Accelerator.

The Health & Science category is open to businesses whose products and services are directed toward developing new technologies in the area of human health, animal health, bioscience, medical research, general science and molecular research.

View the Idealog clipping or the online version.

-Neil Pattinson, CEO

Press release, 1 October 2012, Canterbury Scientific, Christchurch, New Zealand:

Champion Canterbury is the pre-eminent business awards programme in the region, celebrating enterprise, resiliency and success in the region.  The Global Operator category recognises innovative importers and exporters who contribute to Canterbury’s international reputation and the Supreme Award winner is selected from among the eight category winners.

“We were honoured and humbled when the Global Operator Award was announced, then to win the Supreme Award as well is truly incredible,” said Dr Neil Pattinson, CEO.  “There are some outstanding business success stories in Christchurch and coming out on top was most unexpected.  I was delighted to share the news with Dr Maurice Owen who was in Melbourne and Professor Robin Carrell in Cambridge, England, upon whose scientific research our primary product is based – they are ecstatic and very proud.

“These awards have put a spotlight on the whole bioscience sector in Canterbury, there’s a very strong research community here and we are on our way to building a centre of excellence.  This distinction will further add to our reputation as a producer of high quality products that make a real difference in people’s lives, and also as a great place to build a career in science.”

“Canterbury Scientific was a stand-out entry this year. The judges were impressed with and inspired by their innovative, ethical product and solid business strategy,” said Peter Townsend, Chief Executive of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, organiser of the awards programme.  “It’s fantastic to see such an international success story that started right here in Christchurch and remains committed to the region.”

Canterbury Scientific’s submission was based largely on their innovative and ethical blood test control product, HbA1c, which has seen significant growth and is relied on by thousands of diabetes patients around the world to manage the disease.  The product is distributed through relationships with global healthcare giants like Roche, Siemens and Beckman Coulter, and the company estimates it has captured 40% of US market share and 10% of European market share.

The company also makes significant ongoing investment in research and development of new diagnostic products.  They cultivate strong partnerships with local and international scientific research communities, including the Canterbury District Health Board, Canterbury Health Laboratories, and the Universities of Canterbury, Otago, Cambridge and Shanghai to develop tests for problems such as pre-eclampsia, pancreatitis and cardiovascular disease.  Their joint research project with the University of Canterbury’s Biomolecular Interaction Centre into tests for the secondary complications of diabetes was recently awarded almost $1 million from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment as part of the 2012 High-Value Manufacturing and Services Research Fund.

The Champion Canterbury Awards, now in their tenth year, received over 350 nominations which were independently judged by 36 business and community leaders.

About Canterbury Scientific

Canterbury Scientific Ltd is a privately owned New Zealand medical device company founded out of the Canterbury District Health Board in 1985 by directors Prof Robin Carrell, Bryce Hawkins and Dr Maurice Owen. The company specialises in the development, production and export of quality HbA1c controls for haematology and clinical biochemistry tests which are prized for being highly reliable and ethical with enhanced stability and shelf life.

In February 2011, Canterbury Scientific opened a new $1.2m facility in Christchurch which has been specially furbished with modern sophisticated systems, including temperature and humidity control, to provide an advanced and sustainable environment comparable to world class manufacturing practices. The company was named as one of the Technology Investment Network’s Top 10 Hot Emerging Companies of 2011 and is a finalist in the Health and Science category of the 2012 New Zealand Innovators Awards. For more information visit www.canterburyscientific.com.

View the CTV coverage of the Champion Canterbury awards.

The biotech company won the annual business awards’ supreme prize for best small enterprise as well as best small exporter at the Christchurch ceremony on Thursday.

“We’re absolutely blown away by this,” Pattinson told the crowd at the awards. “We’ve had the most amazing year – not just around exports – but an amazing year around collaboration.”

The almost-30-year-old company, which has been making and exporting haemoglobin controls for diabetic testing since the mid- 1990s, has been working with several Christchurch organisations on potential business opportunities.

Christchurch Hospital, Canterbury Health Laboratories and the universities of Canterbury, Otago and Lincoln and Crown-owned Industrial Research represent a massive bloc of intellectual assets for a city the size of Christchurch, he says.

“There’s an amazing amount of academic horsepower here, flying under the radar.”

Read the article.

The Diagnostic Markers for Diabetic Complications research project is expected to lead to the development of new commercial tests to identify patients at high risk of diabetic complications such as heart disease, visual impairment, diabetic neuropathy and kidney disease. The researchers estimate revenue potential from such products at $5-10 million per year in export sales by 2020. In his announcement Mr Joyce highlighted export potential as a key priority in the funding selection process.

Canterbury Scientific will manufacture and market any resulting products, which would be complementary to their already successful HbA1c blood glucose test controls. The company will also provide an accelerated route-to-market by leveraging existing business models, high quality manufacturing processes and strong distribution relationships with global healthcare giants like Roche, Siemens and Beckman Coulter.

“The benefits of this diabetes research are wide-reaching. Not only will it further global scientific understanding around the triggers of diabetic complications, but it will also meet urgent needs to improve diabetic patient outcomes by ensuring at-risk patients receive close monitoring and early treatment, and reduce the impact on the health system,” said Canterbury Scientific CEO Dr Neil Pattinson.

Diabetes now affects 10% of the adult population according to the 2012 World Health Statistics Report. It is a rapidly escalating global health threat that is having a major effect on health care systems around the world; Diabetes New Zealand says that treatments for diabetes and its complications could consume up to 15% of the health budget by 2021.  Early identification and intervention is key to reducing the economic burden of this disease.

“We have carved out a niche as a specialist provider of diagnostic test controls based on our commercial success with HbA1c. This injection of funding will be the catalyst for growing Canterbury Scientific to the next level through broader product offerings,” continued Pattinson.  “With support from Industrial Research Ltd’s (IRL) new Christchurch-based protein science team and now funding from MBIE, we have enjoyed tremendous public sector validation and encouragement. There could be no stronger endorsement of our business strategy.”

The research project concept stemmed from recent international studies that found two biomarkers for diabetic retinopathy (vision impairment), and seeks to assess their potential as predictors of kidney and heart problems as well. The concept was further refined at Canterbury Scientific’s inaugural science symposium in March this year, which brought together more than 30 scientists and clinicians from the Universities of Canterbury (Biomolecular Interaction Centre), Otago (Christchurch School of Medicine), Cambridge and Shanghai as well as IRL and Canterbury Health Labs to promote innovation and collaboration, and consider new biomarker product opportunities.  Other outcomes from the event include research on tests for heart failure, pre-eclampsia and pancreatitis.

Scientific Director and co-founder Dr Maurice Owen will lead the project on behalf of Canterbury Scientific, and work closely with University of Canterbury researchers Dr Renwick Dobson, Prof Juliet Gerrard and Prof Antony Fairbanks.

About Canterbury Scientific

Canterbury Scientific Ltd is a privately owned New Zealand medical device company founded out of the Canterbury District Health Board in 1985 by directors Prof Robin Carrell, Bryce Hawkins and Dr Maurice Owen. The company specialises in the development and production of quality HbA1c controls for haematology and clinical biochemistry tests which are prized for being highly reliable and ethical with enhanced stability and shelf life.

In February 2011, Canterbury Scientific opened a new $1.2m facility in Christchurch which has been specially furbished with modern sophisticated systems, including temperature and humidity control, to provide an advanced and sustainable environment comparable to world class manufacturing practices. The company was named as one of the Technology Investment Network’s Top 10 Hot Emerging Companies of 2011, a finalist in the Global Operator category of the 2012 Champion Canterbury Awards and a finalist in the Health and Science category of the New Zealand Innovators Awards. For more information visit www.canterburyscientific.com.