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A new family of antiviral agents, bicyclic nucleoside analogues (BCNAs), discovered in Cardiff University has led to a highly potent anti-VZV (shingles) molecule, FV-100. On a worldwide basis more than two million patients are affected by shingles annually. FV-100 has successfully completed Phase II clinical trials, showing it is safe, potent and effective and with clinical advantages over the current standard of care. FV-100 has received more than $30 million in R&D investment, generating patents and creating highly skilled jobs in the UK and the USA, with the parent company currently valued at $397 million. It will enter registration trials in late 2013.
Research and knowledge dissemination led by Greenwich on biological pesticides has made a major contribution to the introduction of novel safe commercial pesticides based on insect viruses to help farmers overcome the problems of chemical resistance in major crop pests in Asia and Africa. Research at Greenwich identified effective virus strains, methods of production and formulation which were then developed and evaluated with in country research collaborators before being transferred to local SMEs to start up production in India, Thailand, Kenya and Tanzania. Greenwich advised governments on adopting suitable regulation to support the registration and sale of these novel pesticides.
Economic gains by oil and gas companies, improvements in professional practice in hydrocarbon exploration, and environmental benefits from identifying CO2 disposal sites have been achieved through a Cardiff-led consortium with industry. Building on research carried out since 2004, ten of the largest oil companies in the World have contributed to and benefited from understanding how faulted caprocks behave under specific geological conditions. Research at Cardiff has shown which families of faults and fractures make caprocks highly permeable, thus improving Industry's ability to predict if caprocks are able to prevent oil and gas reaching the surface.
Economic impact is claimed through the growth of the biopharmaceutical spin-out company Q Chip Ltd. During the REF period, this has created 19 new jobs, £7.5M investment, a new Dutch subsidiary (Q Chip BV), and staged-payment, six figure contract sales to four major international pharmaceutical companies.
Q Chip has generated over £928K in contract sales from the pharmaceutical industry from 2008-2012, with further sales of over £1M projected in 2013-14.
Originally established by Professor David Barrow in 2003 from his micro technology research, Q Chip has developed new processes and miniaturised equipment to encapsulate materials, including drugs, within uniform polymeric microspheres as injectable therapeutics.
Cardiff University's research has provided quantitative characterisation of transient fuel sprays under engine condition for the first time. This has enabled integrated design optimisation of Gasoline Direct injection (GDi) engines, through computer simulation validated by Cardiff's experimental measurements. The method has been developed and used in collaboration with Ricardo, a world-leading engine design consultancy, and has resulted in:
Economic impact
Environmental impact There have been substantial reductions in global CO2 emissions. Prior to 2012, GDi engine production had resulted in over 20M tonnes CO2 reduction globally, including 10M tonnes across Europe. A global reduction of 10M tonnes/year is predicted by 2020. Gasoline engines designed or developed by Ricardo in collaboration with Cardiff have provided a considerable contribution to this reduction. Cardiff's measurement techniques provided an essential step in designing these engines. For example, the PETRONAS engine uses 20% less fuel and produces 80% less NOx.
Improved Professional Engineering Practice Cardiff's experimental validation methodology has enabled Ricardo to design engines through simulation rather than step-wise empirical development, significantly reducing lead time.
We have formulated and executed an extensive public engagement and outreach programme based on our leading technical and scientific involvement in the Herschel Space Observatory, a €1 billion astronomical satellite which was launched in 2009 and operated until April 2013. Herschel observed the Universe at far-infrared and submillimetre wavelengths with three scientific instruments, one of which (SPIRE) was built by an international team led by the Cardiff Astronomy Instrumentation Group, and Cardiff astronomers have been at the forefront in scientific use of Herschel and SPIRE. The beneficiaries of our PR and outreach programme include schoolchildren teachers, the media and the general public. The programme has achieved high exposure and impact locally, nationally and internationally. It provides inspirational personal contact and up-to- date material and information which has stimulated widespread and continuing interest in Herschel and also helped to raise the profile of STEM subjects, ultimately benefiting the economy.
Newcastle University research on biodegraded petroleum systems has had a number of broad reaching impacts on the oil industry (ExxonMobil, Statoil, Woodside, and Shell), related companies (Permedia) and regulators (Alberta Energy Regulator). A new approach to oil viscosity determination was developed, which directs well-placement in biodegraded oilfields to lower viscosity areas, resulting in improved production of heavy oil. Software tools developed to model oil composition have been incorporated into proprietary in-house, oil company reservoir simulations. A spin-out company was founded, Gushor Inc., which provides services to the heavy oil sector and was recently acquired by Schlumberger. Collectively the research from Newcastle University has saved oil companies hundreds of millions of pounds by avoiding poorly producing viscous zones in biodegraded reservoirs.