Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Cambridge University spin-out Lumora Ltd has been awarded an European patent for its proprietary ‘BART’ technology (Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time).

The BART technology is a novel reporter system that permits the quantitative detection of nucleic acids, proteins and small molecules in real-time. The technology has been designed to be used with isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies, which enables quantitative molecular diagnostics to be performed rapidly with very simple, robust, low-cost hardware.

Lumora said it is poised to introduce the benefits of molecular diagnostics to niches where the cost and complexity of present products prevents their practical application.

Molecular Diagnostics is where organisms/diseases are detected and identified from miniscule amounts of DNA.

It is an extremely powerful approach and one that is revolutionising the diagnosis of disease in clinical settings.

However, molecular diagnostics requires costly reagents, expensive hardware and highly trained staff to operate: it’s simply too costly for many potential users to afford.

Lumora’s technology greatly simplifies molecular diagnostics by coupling the detection of specific DNA molecules to a simple light output.

Dr Laurence Tisi, Acting CEO & Co-Founder of Lumora, said “The granting of the patent associated with our BART technology in the EU is an important value-building milestone for Lumora. Having a unique & secure IP position in the area of molecular diagnostics offers substantial and exciting opportunities for the company’s commercial development.”

Lumora's current focus is to bring affordable molecular-based diagnostic products to the food sector. Such products will be applied to pathogen detection but also other emerging needs in the food sector such as GM crop detection. In 2006 Lumora became the first company to receive investment from the newly established Tate & Lyle Ventures.

Lumora was established in 2002 by Dr. Laurence Tisi and Professor Jim Murray of the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Biotechnology. The company received seed investment in 2004 from the Cambridge Enterprise Seed Funds and a consortium of private investors lead by Peter Kohl and were joined by entrepreneur, Chris Keigthley, who continues to act as chairman.