Research collaboration and private sector contribution

Research collaboration between academic and  industrial partners will give the ESRs/ERs intersectoral training and access to complementary sets of research methodologies and biological expertise. 

The private sector

British-Swedish AstraZeneca is the world’s seventh largest pharmaceutical company. AstraZeneca plans to use CRISPR technology across its entire drug discovery platform in the company’s key therapeutic areas and the company foresees that participation at
IMGENE will support this goal. While also other pharmaceutical companies are adopting CRISPR technology, AstraZeneca is most probably leading in the field of CRISPR genome editing and therefore is an excellent participant for the IMGENE network.

Taconic is a global provider of genetically engineered mouse and rat models and services and has licensed the CRISPR technology for the generation of genetically modified mice.
Taconic. Participation at IMGENE will help Taconic to improve the generation of CRISPR modified mice and Taconic will provide access to proprietary bioinformatic tools to the IMGENE participants.

MilliporeSigma (in Europe Merck) is the industry leader in genome editing tool development and is offering a large number of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools to the research community. Through IMGENE it will take part in a number of novel initiatives for novel CRISPR tools.

Academic partners

The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) team has strong experience in CRISPR mediated genome editing in cells and mice and runs the Copenhagen Consortium of
Designer Organisms applying CRISPR/Cas9 to different organisms.

The Max Delbrück Center in Berlin (MDC) is a leader in optimization of transgenic technologies and most recently turned towards CRISPR. Ralf Kühn furthermore generated the traffic reporter cells which are used throughout the IMGENE project.

The Center of Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI) at the Medical Center University of Freiburg (UKLFR) is committed to improve gene therapy in patients and currently explores the potential of CRISPR.

The Czech Centre for Phenogenomics in Prague of the Institute of Molecular Genetics (IMG) is the only national provider of transgenic services and dedicated to offer latest technologies to their users.

The University of Leiden Medical College (LUMC) team has an established experience in the construction and validation of viral vector transduction technologies and is currently applying this knowledge to introduce CRISPR components to cells.

The Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Porto (IBMC) has an excellent reputation in the field of bioethics in animal research.

Direct contact to patients with genetic conditions that might profit from improved genome editing tools for gene therapy is provided by the associated participant Genetic Alliance UK (http://www.geneticalliance.org.uk/), which aims to provide information, support families and influence the services needed by these patients. Genetic Alliance UK also brings the patient voice into debates that matter to our community.