Business engagement

The School of Biology supports commercial spin outs and has strong associations with businesses.  This page gives details of spin outs, patents, and funding expertise.

Spin outs

Details of some of our spin out companies are listed below.

Genuswave

Genuswave is a spin out company from the University of St Andrews. Genuswave offers species-specific acoustic deterrent devices for use on fish farms, industrial installations and fisheries operations. Genuswave devices can also be used to move marine mammals of any species out of areas where they may be at danger such as during pile driving or risk of stranding.

Middle-banners-new-3SA Instrumentation

Decimus revolutionises marine mammal research and monitoring by providing a high quality tool that sends acoustic data, in real time back to SMRU Ltd, 24/7.

Decimus is built on the widely used software PAMGUARD, the leading solution for passive acoustic monitoring for the oil and gas industry. Decimus was at first wholly owned and developed by SMRU Ltd. Ownership was transferred to SA Instrumentation Ltd (SAIL), a sister company of SMRU Ltd and a subsiduary of SOI Group.

logo-soiSOI Ltd

SOI Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of St Andrews and is closely associated with the Scottish Oceans Institute. In SOI Ltd’s first five years the company returned over half a million pounds of commercial research income to the University.

SOI Ltd aims to facilitate the interactions of commercial interests and the expertise and facilities of the The Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St Andrews. The Scottish Oceans Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute studying the marine environment which forms a key focus for research excellence in marine-related science.

 

SMRU-ConsultingSMRU Consulting

SMRU Consulting is a global leader in marine mammal consultancy and research, delivering innovative, robust and environmentally sound solutions to clients active in the marine environment. Staff have extensive experience in carrying out research into many facets of marine mammal biology.

 

customLogoXelect

Xelect Ltd is a spin out company from the University of St Andrews in Scotland providing genetic services for aquaculture, conservation and environmental monitoring.

 

Patents

Members of the School of Biology hold a wide portfolio of patents, in areas ranging from marine biology expertise, through novel biophotonics applications to new potential therapeutic treatments. Examples of these areas are listed below.

If you are interested in any of these patents then please contact the director of research ([email protected]) and/or Dr Ewan Chirnside ([email protected]). Also please see the University’s Knowledge Transfer website.

  • Acoustic deterrence, CA2684573A1\, EP2144498A1\, US8665670\, US20100110838\, US20130021877\, WO2008129313A1\, US 8289812 B2
  • Cell poration, US 20130113140 A1; CA2795498A1\, EP2556149A1\, WO2011124899A1
  • Microfluidic photoporation, EP2723859A1\, US20140073027\, WO2012175918A1; CA 2839988 A1
  • Optical transfection, CA2801671A1\, EP2580337A2\, WO2011154710A2\, WO2011154710A3\, US 20130164828 A1
  • Three dimensional structure of paramyxovirus hemagglutinin-neuraminidases and use thereof, WO 2002010459 A3\, US20020081572\, WO2002010459A2 G
  • Carbohydrate binding molecules, CN102215871A\, US20110269670\, EP2344196A1\, WO2010029312A1 G.
  • Methods and compounds for inhibiting glycosyltransferases, WO 2011137528 A1\, EP2566876A1\, EP2566876A4
  • Natural composition for combatting fungi, CA2236223A1\, CA2236223C\, DE69613485D1\, DE69613485T2\, WO1997016973A2\, WO1997016973A3\, US 5888504 A
  • Anti-microbial compositions comprising a cationic peptide and a glycylglycine endopeptidase, DE602007007069D1\, EP2004215A1\, EP2004215B1\, US20090130185\, WO2007113499A1\, US 7943128 B2
  • Anti-fungal therapy, EP2337574A2\, WO2010032011A2\, WO2010032011A3\, WO2010032011A8\, US 20110281788 A1

Funding expertise

As can be seen from theSchool’s research portfolio, within the School of Biology, we have wide ranging expertise and experience in obtaining funding from many different sources.  This includes national and international academic and industrial funding streams. We have many staff who have recent or current experience sitting on funding panels of various research councils and charities including:

For more information please contact the director of research ([email protected])

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