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Collaborative research:

'Stand-alone' LINK

BBSRC will support 'stand-alone' projects across our portfolio, which do not fit into an existing LINK programmes but which otherwise meet the criteria for LINK.

Essential criteria

• The project involves collaborative research with at least one company and one research-base partner
• Overall Government support for a project is no more than 50%
• The application is for research that is pre-competitive in nature
• Arrangements for ownership and exploitation of intellectual property arising from the project have been agreed by the partners
• The project has an appropriate management framework and both the scientific and commercial deliverables are clearly defined

How to apply

If you are interested in submitting an application for a ‘stand-alone’ LINK project please contact a Programme Manager (contact details below) to discuss your application.

Case study 1

Mouse oocyte (egg) and surrounding cumulus cells stained for both DNA and chromatin epigenetic marks
© Santos, Dean and Reik

The biology of the reprogramming process to improve the generation of iPS cells

A 3-year stand-alone LINK project launched in March 2010, in full collaboration with the company CellCentric, focuses on new epigenetic reprogramming factors involving functional testing of embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in mice using staining techniques to provide fluorescent markers to show the development of DNA modulators.

This integrated programme of work is headed by Professor Wolf Reik at the Babraham Institute. With a grant from the BBSRC, this project will contribute to our understanding of the healthy ageing process and provide new avenues for regenerative medicine and the pharmaceutical industry.

For more information about this research visit: www.babraham.ac.uk/devgen/devgen_RIA.html

Case study 2

The potential role of soluble plantain fibre and its components in preventing colonisation and invasion of the intestinal mucosa by Salmonella typhimurium bacteria

A 2-year project launched in October 2009 and funded by a stand-alone LINK grant from the BBSRC is being conducted by Professor Jonathan Rhodes from the University of Liverpool and in collaboration with industry biotech partner, Provexis plc.

Professor Rhodes is extending the research carried out so far by Provexis and others, that has proven, after testing a range of soluble plant fibres in vitro, that soluble plantain (green banana) fibre is particularly effective at inhibiting pathogen-epithelial interaction in the intestine.

The aim now is to assess, not only whether the addition of soluble plantain fibre to poultry feed reduces salmonella colonisation and invasion, and which fibre fractions are most inhibitory but also, to then to obtain preliminary characterisation of the composition and structure of these fibres.

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