A biotechnology startup EnsiliTech, the co-founder and CEO of which is a scientist and Professor of Chemistry from Kyrgyzstan Asel Sartbaeva, has raised £1.2 million in pre-seed funding. The company’s website says.
The company’s patented platform technology — ensilication — can be applied to both existing and new biopharmaceuticals to make them safe and stable at room temperatures.
Currently, most vaccines need to be stored at sub-zero temperatures, and some — such as the new mRNA Covid-19 vaccine — must be kept at ultra-low temperatures. Ensilication preserves the integrity of vaccines and other biological materials at temperatures that range from −20C to +80C.
«Our goal is to make the transportation of vaccines and other life-saving biological materials more efficient and cost-effective, while also reducing the carbon footprint of this critical supply chain. We are thrilled to have the support of our investors as we work towards this mission,» Asel Sartbaeva said.
As noted, the investment will be used to establish proof-of-concept and preclinical validation with selected animal vaccines and antibodies, as well as advancing commercial partnerships leading to future licensing opportunities of this platform technology.
EnsiliTech’s technology has the potential to greatly improve the distribution of vaccines and other biological materials in developing countries, where access to reliable refrigeration can be a major barrier to healthcare. It could also have a significant impact on the global effort to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, by enabling the rapid and safe distribution of vaccines to communities in need.
Asel Sartbaeva is a world-renowned scientist, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Bath and Royal Society Research Fellow in the UK.
