Initial €50,000 Phase 1 grant will fund full feasibility study

Symcel, the company behind the revolutionary cell-based assay tool for real-time cellular bioenergetic measurements, calScreener™, has secured  Horizon 2020 Phase I funding to prepare the company for the planned commercialisation of its groundbreaking technology. The €50,000 Phase 1 grant will fund a full feasibility study.

calScreener, the calorimetry based diagnostic tool, addresses the industry’s inability to carry out anti microbial susceptibility testing in key clinical fields, including biofilm infection, due to the non existence to date of effective assay and monitoring technologies available to the market. Symcel’s novel technology and approach meets these unmet diagnostic needs head on. It provides clinicians dealing with bacterial infections with accurate and fast tests that determine whether an antibiotic should be used in the patient, the type of antibiotic to utilize and the choice of therapy to apply.

Magnus Jannsson, Chief Scientific Officer at Symcel commented: “key industry benefits of CalScreener include the fact that it is a high sensitivity, easy to use calorimeter that ensures the fast delivery of reliable information on the type of bacteria involved in infections, enabling a quick choice of individualised patient therapy for hard to diagnose infections. Consequently, once fully commercialised, we believe that our technology is set to have a transformational impact within the healthcare sector.”

The feasibility study, which forms Phase I of the Bacterial Analysis and Diagnostics through Growth and Energy in Real-time (BADGER) project,   comprises a comprehensive strategic review of Symcel, business model visioning and the development of an effective business plan.     

Christer Wallin, CEO of Symcel commented: “We are delighted to have been awarded this Phase 1 Horizon 2020 grant and look forward to creating the business plan that will guide our upcoming validation and exploitation efforts. By validating and commercializing CalScreener as a diagnostics tool, the BADGER project will make an important contribution towards fighting antimicrobial resistance in Europe, whilst increasing the level of antibiotic stewardship.”     

Gregor Novak, Project Advisor at Horizon 2020 commented: “Let me first congratulate Symcel on being selected for the SME Instrument Phase 1. They are among the companies with the most innovative ideas in the world.”

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About SymCel

SymCel provides a novel cell-based assay tool for real time cellular bioenergetics measurements. SymCel is a privately held biotechnology company located in northern Stockholm Sweden, a region well known for high tech telecom and med-tech industry development.

SymCel was founded by Dr Dan Hallen and Prof. Ingemar Wadsö in 2004. The founders have an extensive background in the field of calorimetry measurement and technology development. The current research team at SymCel has extensive experience of multiple disciplines within the biotechnology industry as well as the pharmaceutical development industry.

SymCel develops and markets analytical instrumentations that fulfil an unmet need for cell biological research and development, within R&D departments of the Life Science industry, as well as academic research laboratories. Our solution is a fast label-free assay technology providing real-time continuous data monitoring of cell metabolism.