With an idea that emerged from the depths of frustration whilst studying for his doctorate at Oxford University, Ryan Cawood has built a successful business that has already helped hundreds of research scientists worldwide It focuses on the provision of a ‘one-stop-shop’ for standard DNA components in an ‘easy to clone’ format.

Founded in 2011, Oxford Genetics initially benefited from a Government grant awarded to the company to expand Dr Cawood’s concept and take on his first employee.

Just three years later, the company has grown to a team of five experienced genetic engineers based at Cherwell Innovation Centre, Upper Heyford and has developed a technology known as SnapFastTM, which is widely used for biological research.

Dr Cawood said: “Genetic engineering is extremely important for research and is used in thousands of laboratories around the world, yet cloning strategies for many of the popular DNA components are not standardised.

“Our aim at Oxford Genetics was to engineer a DNA plasmid (small molecule) system that could accommodate most of the functional DNA that a researcher might require within a single plasmid.”

Based on personal experience gained during his research in to cancer vaccine at Oxford University, Dr Cawood created the concept for SnapFastTM with the catchline: ‘one plasmid, 1, 000 possibilities’.

He said: “We have essentially created ‘Lego for DNA’ to simplify the purchasing of synthetic DNA molecules for researchers.

“Previously, researchers would have spent hours in the lab trawling through catalogues and the Internet to find the right components from a multitude of providers.

“This laborious process can be similar to trying to match Lego to Meccano. It causes significant problems because firstly you have to fit them together and then you have to discover who owns the patents for the DNA you are using.”

He added: “During the process of developing clinical products, there is often a lot of wasted time when having to start the process all over again because of patent infringements and material ownership.

“Our platform gets around that and makes the process much more straight forward.”

Oxford Genetics now sells products via the Internet to a range of private companies and academic research organisations worldwide, with the UK and United States its strongest markets, closely followed by Germany and Japan.

Researchers visit the website and select their desired plasmids or request a custom-made product, safe in the knowledge there will be no conflicting components or intellectual property issues to overcome at a later date.

In addition, Oxford Genetics has established a strong distributor network covering 19 countries.

Dr Cawood said: “Our business model is reliant on the Internet and our e-commerce site, which has proved very successful and is where the majority of our marketing efforts go. But occasionally it is necessary to have a presence on the ground to help with language barriers and currency conversion, which is why our distributor network is important for the continued growth of the business.”

With £150,000 of additional investment secured last year from venture capital firm, Mercia Fund Management, coupled with significant industry recognition for SnapFastTM, Oxford Genetics is aiming to become a major provider to the global life science market.

The company has undergone significant product expansion since 2012 when it produced just 100 plasmids. It now has more than 1,600 plasmids on offer, excluding custom made requests.

Continuing its rapid journey of growth, Oxford Genetics is aiming to double in size by 2016 and to replicate the SnapFastTM cloning system to provide insect, plant and yeast DNA based on the founding concept of the Lego-like approach for the backbone of each plasmid.

With an increasing product range combined with endorsement from industry peers and continued backing of Mercia Fund Management, it certainly appears that Oxford Genetics is set to fulfil its promise of revolutionising the genetic research sector.

Dr Cawood said: “We are aiming to completely seal the market to ensure Oxford Genetics is the only one-stop-shop available to researchers who wish to make very complicated DNA research tools in a short amount of time.

With only a handful of competitors worldwide and no clear leader, we are set to achieve our objective within the next two years.”

Contact:  01869 238004  Web: www.oxfordgenetics.com

By Kelly Lea

• This page is coordinated by Oxford Innovation www.oxin.co.uk