Discovery Park community plays key role in helping company establish operations
LifeCells, a start-up focused on setting the standard for private stem cell banking, has launched its activities at Discovery Park, a thriving high-quality science park playing a key role in the South East of England’s life sciences community. Occupying 2,000sq ft of laboratory and office space, the company employs six people currently and expects to expand further in the future. Establishment of the company was facilitated by the high quality laboratory infrastructure available at Discovery Park, and the complementary activities of other tenants.
Private umbilical cord blood banking allows the blood from a baby’s umbilical cord to be collected immediately after birth, with the stem cells stored for potential future treatment for the donor (or a member of the donor’s family). Speaking at the launch event, LifeCells Managing Director Jeffrey Vernes described how the company will isolate and store stem cells from umbilical cord blood and tissue via its validated processes. He was joined by Dr Stephen Brown, Clinical Director, who oversees the company’s regulatory framework. The team is actively pursuing accreditation by the AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) and FACT (Foundation for the Advancement of Cellular Therapies).
Jeffrey Vernes, Managing Director of LifeCells said, ‘Launching our new facilties here at Discovery Park is a big milestone for us, as we work to establish a leading UK stem cell bank. Access to Discovery Park’s infrastructure and support from tenants in areas such as staffing and logistics has helped us establish LifeCells quickly and smoothly, so thank you to everyone for their help. We look forward to growing the business here.’
Mayer Schreiber, CEO of Discovery Park, said, ‘We are delighted to welcome LifeCells to the Park and congratulate it on its launch. It’s great to see that it has already benefited from the collaborative healthcare community here.
For further information please contact Emily Marmara at Pillory Barn on 01622 524 087, or email: emily@pillorybarn.co.uk