Nanoco Group offered additional grant for cancer research

9th Jun 2014 12:32

AIM-listed Nanoco has been awarded a further £308,000 grant to support its research in the in-vivo imaging of cancer at University College London (UCL), it announced on Monday. The grant has been awarded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), the UK's innovation agency, under its Biomedical Catalyst funding programme. UCL will also receive a TSB grant under the Biomedical Catalyst programme to support the project.The pair, which have been jointly researching since 2011, have been using the fluorescence of Nanoco quantum dots - nanocrystals made of semiconductor materials - to pinpoint malignant lymph nodes to guide surgeons in the removal of cancerous tissue. Nanoco explained that its quantum dots "offer the major advantage of fluorescing for a longer period of time, giving surgeons a greater opportunity to remove cancer cells". Michael Edelman, Nanoco's Chief Executive Officer, said: "Our work to date shows that the sustained fluorescence achievable with Nanoco quantum dots has the potential to give surgeons a much greater window than currently available for the removal of cancer cells. "We look forward to continuing this research with the ultimate objective of our technology becoming part of a commercially available bio-imaging product. This bio-imaging research highlights the versatility of our core cadmium-free quantum dot technology and its multiple potential commercial applications of which the display sector is our lead focus."NR