PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Breeding Programme Services
Roslin Technologies offers bespoke breeding programmes for production enhancement.
These include the delivery of database management, estimated genetic/genomic evaluations for the livestock and aquaculture sectors on a range of production parameters.
We are also developing a customised breeding programme for production of insects as a protein source. Insect protein has commercial application in animal feed and complements our goals to enhance production of livestock and aquaculture. Farming of insects is also a means of bioconversion as insects feed on waste organic matter.
BIOBANKING
Roslin Technologies offer secure and flexible biobanking services for its clients.
We process and store tissues, cells, blood or DNA at appropriate temperatures to prevent biodegradation. Sample storage periods are flexible depending on your project, from short term to long term. Roslin Technologies uses state-of-the art bar coding systems for sample storage and retrieval logistics.
All systems are monitored 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Backup power supplies, alarms, monitors and emergency systems protect the integrity of your samples. Your samples are security monitored and in secure locked storage. Our standard operating procedures (SOPs) follow good manufacturing practices ensuring uniformity and traceability at all stages. Roslin Technologies offers biobanking at -150°C, -80°C, -20°C and 4°C archiving valuable samples.
Avian Germline Cryopreservation
Unlike most mammalian species, biobanking of ova or early stage embryos was not possible for avian species meaning that the germline for a breed or line could only be preserved by maintaining live flocks. Pioneering research at the Roslin Institute has enabled the biobanking of complete germlines for chickens through isolation and cryopreservation of Primordial Germ Cells – PGCs.
Roslin Technologies offers this as a commercial service to preserve, for example, endangered species or commercial lines.
animal cells
Roslin Technologies are experts in animal cell culture and offer a broad portfolio of services around animal cell technology.
Our Portfolio Company, Animal Cells, offers, as a service access and processing of many animal cell types for clients in vitro research activities as well as working with collaborators and commercial partners to develop in vitro bioassays and therapies. A major driver is our inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPS) platform which focuses on developing cell lines for therapeutic screening assays, toxicology, clean-meat technology, cell therapy and gene editing studies. These validated iPS cell lines can be differentiated into a range of animal cell types providing broad application.
Gene editing
Gene editing technology is embedded in several of Roslin Technologies’ platforms.
Through the expertise of Roslin Technologies team of scientists and in partnership with Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS we have experience in editing.
– Chicken PGCs for expression of exogenous proteins.
– Canine cell lines to produce in vitro disease models and develop cell therapies.
– Aquaculture species through supporting academic research on diseases that challenge the aquaculture industry.
Vaccines & Diagnostics
Roslin Technologies is developing a pipeline of animal health products incorporating vaccines and diagnostics.
Escherichia coli is a human pathogen that can cause severe gastrointestinal disease that is potentially fatal.
An Escherichia coli O157 vaccine comprising three bacterial antigens has been jointly developed at Roslin Institute and Moredun Research Institute. It is intended for use in cattle to reduce bacterial colonisation and shedding in faeces. This will ultimately benefit human health through reduced contamination of food stuffs with enterohemorrhagic E. coli which causes hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uraemic syndrome in people. Roslin Technologies has taken an exclusive license for this vaccine. As a first step to commercialization, the project aims to confirm efficacy in field conditions on a US feedlot.
Animal African trypanosomosis is one of the most significant infectious disease threats to livestock in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is caused by three parasitic protozoan species, Trypanosoma congolense, T. vivax and T. brucei. These parasites are also established in South America and the Far East where they infect a range of host species.
Scientists at the Roslin Institute have developed a qPCR test to detect active Trypanosoma infection in cattle. The test is based on detection of a small RNA deemed to be more sensitive and specific than current tests.
Roslin Technologies is supporting a Roslin Institute project as a development step toward commercialization. The project aims to validate sensitivity and specificity of the test in a large cohort and to understand the dynamics of detection during infection.
Our vision is to ultimately provide a point of care test that does not require PCR.
Protein Expression Systems & Reagents
We offer protein expression as a service from design of constructs through to delivery of large quantities of high-purity product.
Our platforms have the potential to be used for production of therapeutic proteins, vaccine candidates and research reagents.
Eggcellent Proteins
Research at the Roslin Institute established the technology to create transgenic chickens that produce large quantities of a target protein in their egg-white.
This platform has been commercialised through Roslin Technologies and Porcine CSF1-Fc, Human CSF1-Fc, Canine CSF1-Fc, Human interferon α 2α and Trastuzumab are all available from Eggcellent Proteins.
Monoclonal Antibody Toolbox
A portfolio of monoclonal antibodies has been developed by the Roslin Institute as part of the “Immunological Toolbox” project. Roslin Technologies has agreed an exclusive licence to sell this portfolio of antibodies. Once validation studies have been completed, conjugated anti-porcine ADGRE-1, anti-chicken CSF1 and anti-porcine CSF1 will be available through Eggcellent Proteins for use in ELISA, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry studies.
PGC Expression System & Reagents
Our vision is to develop an in-vitro expression system via genetic manipulation of chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs). This will provide an intermediate step to identify targets for production of transgenic chickens or to produce smaller quantities of proteins that retain the benefits of chicken-associated post-translational modifications.
