Clickmer Systems Receives EUR 1.73 Million for the Development of Novel Synthetic Detection Reagents for Medical Research and Diagnostics

• Supported by Life Science Inkubator (LSI) Bonn
• Alternative to antibody-based detection with improved reproducibility and reliability

Bonn, June 13, 2019 -- Clickmer Systems, a spin-off from the University of Bonn, Germany, today announced its incubation at Life Science Inkubator (LSI) Bonn. With the incubation, the project team has not only secured funds totaling EUR 1.73 million from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), but also gains access to the LSI infrastructure and support from seasoned life science professionals in LSI’s network. This will allow the team to further advance its technology and build an attractive product pipeline.
Clickmer Systems focuses on the development of clickmers, a synthetic alternative to antibodies. Clickmers are chemically modified nucleic acids binding to targets - typically proteins - with high specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility. They can be used in both diagnostics and research and are an alternative to frequently used antibodies, which are produced in biological systems. Clickmers, by contrast, are manufactured synthetically. This means fewer lot variations and a significantly improved reproducibility of results. Consequently, clickmers are highly suited for diagnostics because medical diagnostics require a consistent quality of the reagents used as well as high reproducibility. This can be guaranteed by a chemical synthesis process under GLP and GMP standards that needs to be established and validated only once - an important USP compared to biologic manufacturing processes. Another advantage is the fact that clickmers could enable the detection of important targets that are not covered by available antibodies yet.
The clickmer technology originates from the working group of Professor Günter Mayer, University of Bonn. Clickmers are modified aptamers, a class of molecules introduced by the pioneering works of Professor Michael Famulok, also from the University of Bonn. For many years, the Mayer and Famulok groups have been focusing on novel, fully synthetic detection reagents with improved characteristics compared to standard antibody-based methods. The Clickmer Systems project group will initially focus on ELISA (diagnostics) and Westernblot (research) applications. During their research in the teams of Prof. Mayer and Prof. Famulok, the two co-founders Dr. Nora Karnowski and Dr. Maren Hamann have established a first proof-of-concept for a customized clickmer for Westernblot applications.
Dr. Joachim Schorr, head of the project at LSI and previously Managing Director and Senior Vice President Global R&D at QIAGEN, is convinced that clickmers have great potential for research and diagnostics: „Reproducible results are the basis for every reliable diagnostic test. We will use the financing obtained at LSI to complement our team and to build a clickmer product portfolio.“
„We are delighted about the start of the project and the further collaboration with Clickmer Systems here at LSI. We are impressed by the potential of the clickmer technology and the commitment of the entire project team to bring clickmers to market“, adds Dr. Jörg Fregien, Managing Director of LSI.

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Contacts
Dr. Nora Karnowski
Project Group Clickmer Systems
Life Science Inkubator GmbH
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: +49 1523 1090937
Fax: +49 228-227790-29
karnowski@life-science-inkubator

Prof. Dr. Günter Mayer
University of Bonn, LIMES Institut
Kekulé Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1
53121 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: +49 228-73-2935
Fax: +49 228-73-4809
gmayer@uni-bonn.de

Rüdiger Wolf
University of Bonn, Technology Transfer
Poppelsdorfer Allee 47
53113 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: +49 228-73-2210
Fax: +49 228-73-992210
wolf@verwaltung.uni-bonn.de

Dr. Frank Striggow
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Life Science Inkubator GmbH
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn, Germany
Tel.: +49 228-227790-33
Fax: +49 228-227790-29
striggow@life-science-inkubator.de

Media Inquiries:
akampion
Dr. Ludger Weß / Ines-Regina Buth
Tel: +49 40 8816 5964
Tel: +49 30 2363 2768
info(at)akampion.com

About the University of Bonn
Tradition and modernity are no opposites in Bonn. Boasting 200 years of history, over 38.000 students, 544 Professors, 6.500 employees and an outstanding reputation both at home and abroad, the University of Bonn is one of Germany's leading universities and has an excellent research reputation.
The University of Bonn offers potential founders and entrepreneurs a vast array of information and support. Rüdiger Wolf has been responsible for technology transfer for years now and has initiated, among others, a monthly networking meeting for entrepreneurs. Just recently, the transfer center enaCom was established, which is strongly supported by both Rüdiger Wolf and Prof. Günter Mayer to advance business ideas originating from the University of Bonn, according to the motto „We invest in people. We foster networks. We create impact.“
Further information is available at: www.uni-bonn.de

About Life Science Inkubator GmbH (LSI)
Life Science Inkubator GmbH (LSI) is located at the research hub caesar in Bonn, Germany, and offers potential entrepreneurs an incubation concept which is unique in Germany. Innovative projects in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medtech are evaluated at an early stage and advanced to financing and market stages in close collaboration with the respective project group. The incubation concept is based on five elements: evaluation, seed financing, project management, HR and industry transfer. After a successful spin-off, a fund dedicated to follow-on financing called LSI Pre-Seed-Fonds GmbH is available.
Further information can be found at: www.life-science-inkubator.de (German only)

This release was published on openPR.