Thermo Fisher Scientific Forms Technology Alliance Partnership with the University of Birmingham, UK

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has entered into a Technology Alliance Partner agreement with scientists at the University of Birmingham, UK, establishing a collaboration to accelerate research in high-resolution accurate mass (HRAM) and triple quadrupole liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for life science applications.

The alliance will focus on two research areas:
• Metabolomics, where the Thermo Fisher Scientific team will work with the laboratories of Professor Mark Viant and Dr. Warwick Dunn, to develop and test new hardware and software approaches for metabolite detection and identification for environmental and clinical research
• Proteomics, working with Dr Helen Cooper’s lab to exploit high resolution mass spectrometry and gas-phase ion chemistry for top-down and bottom-up analysis of proteins.

The Technology Alliance Partnership establishes a broad collaboration between Thermo Fisher Scientific and the University of Birmingham. It includes: engaging in research, sharing samples and data that could lead to development of better techniques, exchanging ideas for improving instrument and software performance, ongoing conversations about current technology issues, promoting the training of graduate students, and publishing new methodology and scientific advances.

Thermo Fisher’s Technology Alliance Partnership program is an ongoing initiative to drive innovation through the sharing of ideas and expertise between a number of academic research laboratories and the company.

“The University of Birmingham scientists share our drive to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer,” said Iain Mylchreest, vice president, research and development, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We look forward to a very productive collaboration with this innovative, creative group for advancing metabolomic and proteomic research.”

“We are excited to become Thermo Fisher Scientific’s first Technology Alliance Partner within Europe,” said Professor Adam Tickell, the University’s pro vice chancellor for research and knowledge transfer. “We anticipate that innovations from this research will translate directly into improved healthcare and environmental diagnostics. We are particularly excited by Thermo Fisher’s commitment to supporting graduate research.”

The partnership builds upon the University of Birmingham’s Systems Science for Health initiative, which focuses on introducing a variety of life science technologies into clinical research. It follows almost a decade of collaboration between the two organizations.