The future is QuantuMDx

2011-12-15T16:53:00.001Z

This article is a bit behind the times, however it's always nice to have QuantuMDx's name popping up in the press; http://ping.fm/hIcDt

2011-11-30T10:33:00.001Z

QuantuMDx's awards :-) http://ping.fm/OVi49

2011-11-17T09:08:00.001Z

Is it wrong to remind everyone that it's my birthday today ;-) Perhaps not as a child, but as an adult, I should be more embarrassed than I am ;-)

Cels awards

2011-11-11T07:51:00.002Z

Our fellow award winners, QuantuMDx and 'The Thinker', Professor Sir John Burn - QuantuMDx's medical director!
http://ping.fm/hS1Fv

2011-11-11T07:49:00.001Z

A nice piece on our fellow award winners, QuantuMDx and 'The Thinker', Professor Sir John Burn - QuantuMDx's medical director! http://ping.fm/WiuDP

2011-11-02T02:37:00.001Z

Another great story in GenomeWeb:- http://ping.fm/ET22P

2011-10-28T07:54:00.001Z

Prof Sir John Burn, QMDx's Medical Dir., talks of anti-cancer properties of aspirin www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15475553

2011-10-19T16:03:00.001Z

N8 Supports Next Generation Diagnostic and Sequencing Technologies: tinyurl.com/5vt57fj

An odd message from Life Tech

2011-10-18T12:40:00.000Z

Our medical director (Prof. Sir John Burn) brought me back a fantastic T-shirt gift from the International Congress of Human Genetics in Montreal last weekend....

Who wants Life Tech getting in their genes anyway?! The idea makes me feel quite violated. At QuantuMDx, we'll just stick with sequencing your genes, easier, quicker, faster, cheaper... and on your phone (one day)!

The Times

2011-10-17T11:25:00.000Z

For those of you who missed it, or couldn't see the small image I previously uploaded (the perils of mobile uploads), here is the article that ran in the Times (London) this Saturday.

Thank you to Mark (Henderson) for taking the time out to meet with us and run the story. And thank you also to Bethany for putting up with Sam (Whitehouse - COO, QuantuMDx) and I during the photoshoot. I will be eternally grateful that my picture looks great.

I have also just learnt that there is a great article in Bio-IT...

A QuantuMDx Leap for Handheld DNA Sequencing

Bio-IT World | Capping off an exciting International Congress of Human Genetics in Montreal, clinical geneticist Sir John Burn provided the first glimpse at a disruptive nanowire technology for rapid DNA genotyping, produced by UK company QuantuMDx, that could eventually mature into the world’s first handheld DNA sequencer.

2011-10-15T09:13:00.001Z

QuantuMDx is in the Times today, on page 35. http://ping.fm/Ddv9V

2011-10-14T13:12:00.001Z

Another great article (the big one tomorrow hopefully): http://ping.fm/aIMAZ

2011-10-14T07:48:00.001Z

Another interesting story on the UK's most exciting Sequencing & Dx company: http://ping.fm/LfyRz

2011-10-13T10:36:00.001Z

QuantuMDx sign an EXCLUSIVE license for the use of Nanomaterials (including nanowires and nanotubes) for the detection and sequencing of nucleic acids, among other things. http://ping.fm/uXhbg

2011-10-06T14:13:00.001Z

Page 25: http://ping.fm/HWRaD

2011-08-30T06:52:00.001Z

An extremely interesting article, but then of course I am somewhat bias: http://ping.fm/SSfgH

QuantuMDx Group Ltd Secures Significant Funding!

2011-08-23T14:48:00.008Z

I am pleased to report that we have secured a significant investment that will allow us to take our prototype handheld molecular diagnostics device and our DNA Sequencing technology to the next level. Our team have been working tirelessly over the past 9 months to secure the funding and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in and associated with, QuantuMDx for their hard work!

Future press releases will provide more detail on the structure of the funding and our new investors, however I have been given permission to shout about it here. So brace yourselves...

"WE'VE GOT FUNDING!!!"

Along with the funding we are celebrating moving into new laboratory facilities in the International Centre for Life, Newcastle, UK and the successful demonstration of our first prototype. Furthermore, we have a number of new staff members joining us over the next few weeks, so the buzz at QuantuMDx is starting to grow as we begin on the road to commercialization. I can't wait to finally get our amazing handheld molecular diagnostic and DNA sequencing technologies out there!

The good news doesn't end there. We have been working tirelessly to secure our position and over the next few weeks and months we will be releasing a series of extremely exciting press releases. So watch this space, we're on a roll! www.quantumdx.com

On a personal note, I have a new iPad2 and wireless keyboard, so I am in geek heaven right now. Not only that, but I have moved to Newcastle and will be renting an apartment opposite my lab so I can work through the night... yes, I am crazy, but I am so passionate about what we are doing here I can't think of anything else - well, perhaps Liverpool FC and beer ;-)

www.biotechrockstar.com

QuantuMDx

2011-08-07T09:30:00.000Z

It has been some time since I wrote a proper post for my blog, so I thought I had better get back in to the swing of things. Since my last serious post, I have moved from Cape Town to Newcastle, in the north of England and am in the process of opening our new laboratory in the International Centre For Life. The facility is located close to our semiconductor partners, INEX and Newcastle University's, Institute of Genetic medicine.

Whereas our Cape Town laboratory is focusing on translating complex infectious disease testing to our nanowire-based biosensor, the facility in Newcastle will be developing a suite of PGx assays, nano-scale technologies and microfluidics. The lab will act as the hub for our research partners throughout the world, characterizing and optimizing our handheld device.

It’s been a rather challenging year financially, as I am sure it has been for all small businesses. However, we are well funded and our science is moving forward faster than ever. QuantuMDx is booming and our technology is starting to demonstrate just how powerful it is. These are exciting times.

Keep an eye on QuantuMDx for some extremely announcements this month!

www.quantumdx.com

2011-08-04T14:53:00.001Z

QuantuMDx UK has a new lab at the International Centre for Life, Newcastle. http://ping.fm/rgEYp

2011-06-20T09:53:00.001Z

The fight against the emerging threat of drug resistance in BOTH developing and developed worlds will only be successful with the proper Dx tools:- http://ping.fm/2Dmqm

2011-06-10T09:28:00.001Z

Further argument to invest in Point of Care devices rather than lab-based 'me too' technologies. 10 min turnaround is better and cheaper than 2.3 weeks - Q-POC is the future - http://ping.fm/pUi3l

2011-05-31T16:06:00.001Z

Just about recovered from last weeks hectic schedule. Zurich was stunning and the IBM Nanotech center was so much fun. Thanks to all at the KTN for arranging the mission!

Back to the Lab

2010-05-16T12:58:00.000Z

March ’10 - It’s great to be back in the lab and wonderful to see how far we have come with regards to our assay development for HIV and TB. When we get this out into the field, where it’s needed, it’s going to save a lot of lives. It is very satisfying seeing this project grow and know that it’s going to do real good for so many people!

All of our high throughput assay optimization equipment has been ordered and will be with is shortly, we are starting to hire more staff now and solidify our already good corporate procedures and processes. We are turning into a machine, a well oiled and organized machine!

Further to this, our other interests in the UK and USA are starting to show some legs. We decided early on that we would structure the company by segregating the markets for which our technologies can address and form joint ventures with larger companies and/or investors. This way we don’t put all our eggs in one basket, yet we can grow each product line much quicker.

Right now we have two subsidiaries, QuantuMDx Technologies (Cape Town) which is a JV with TIA (formerly CBT), and QuantuMDx Sequencing, which we have funded ourselves to date and picked up a few substantial grants. QTech focus’ on developing a point of care diagnostic device (initially for HIV and TB) and QSeq is developing a range of DNA sequencing technologies.

We are also working on setting up three further subsidiaries, two with large companies and a third with an early stage proteomics company with some amazing technology. Fingers crossed that we can achieve all three! As they are finalized I will discuss them more, but for now, watch this space.

Back in Cape Town

2010-05-16T09:15:00.000Z

Round the world in 28 days, gulp, did it and survived!!!!

A380 business class seat, or should I say couch! Celebrating the success of the past 27

days working all over the world! QuantuMDx is going to make one hell of a splash soon!

I am now sat on my balcony, glass of Pinotage in my hand staring, like a crazy man.Geezm all those time zones in such a short period of time. I am going to be wiped out for a month! Still, you have to do these things when you want to succeed and now I know for sure we will!

The view I am looking at right now... not too shabby!!

Ciao Australia!

2010-05-16T09:02:00.000Z

I am in the lounge waiting for my flight now. The final day with the gang went great, we managed to cover all aspects of the disposable cassette development and even started getting data in. It is amazing to me that we are hitting all our specification targets already and we haven't even begun to optimize it. This is a case of supremely fastidious preperation and planning, preventing a piss poor performance.... as my dad always used to tell me, the "6 P's"!!!!

I should also tell you about last night also. I met with the CEO of AverDx and his wife for some 'experimental' food at his apartment. To say the views from his floor to ceiling windows, in his condo in Melbournes tallest building, were great is a massive understatement.

Gary's 'experimental' food. I love a man who's willing to take risks!!

Thank you so much Gary for your hospitality and the food. It was wonderful speaking to you about biotech and all the hurdles we all have to leap before we can say we have made it. Hopefully we can do business in the near future, your idea's are fantastic!

Meanwhile in Melbourne...

2010-05-16T08:54:00.000Z

Now that I have provided the context for these trips by publishing those last two posts, I can get back on with telling y'all about how things are going.

I met with the entire Australian team over these past few days and it's been a blast. We've gone through the projects (all 180 of them) one by one troubleshooting as we went. There is a real buzz about the technology now. It is amazing to finally see what was in my head finally made.

The Australian team and our custom fitted microfluidics test device... HOT!

Seeing our DNA extraction chip was almost emotional, it's super attractive... oh God, I am an uber geek :-s I would love to put up the picture of the chips, but legal tells me I must wait until we're done and dusted with our patents. I promise you however, it won't be long!

I want to say a BIG thanks to the team in Australia for all their hardwork and dedication to this, but most of all I want to say thank you for taking me to that brew pub where I have probably the best beer I have ever had (Next to Harvey's Best Bitter). The description of the beer said it tastes of 'Banana & Bubble Gum' and amazingly it did! WOW!

Anyway, I have one more day left here in Aus and then I fly back to Cape Town via Singapore.

And here's the other one I missed...

2010-05-16T08:42:00.000Z

OK, finally landed in London. I have a 5 hour layover, so have gone to the Virgin Revivals lounge for breakfast and a shower…. such a great service! Next stop a massage in the club house and on to the jet for my SFO flight.

Just woke up in my Upper Class bed.... yes, ROCK 'n' ROLL!!!

I have my suit all pressed as I will roll off the plane and into a cab for my meeting in Palo Alto 2 hours after I land. Nothing like cutting things fine.

Round the World in stupid few days!

2010-05-16T08:40:00.000Z

OK, so idiot that I am I have just realised that I 'saved', not 'published' two blogs at the begining of my trek around the world. Below is one of them....

At the end of my last blog I noted that all the stress is worth it, just so we can help save lives. Well soon that resolve will be put to the test when I fly all the way round the world on a 26 day business trip. Fortunately we managed to secure a business round the world ticket for less than economy full fare ticket, so I am at least able to get rest when I’m flying the long haul legs.

So here’s my schedule; Cape town, Jo’berg, London, San Francisco, Phoenix, Cancun, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, Denver, Orange County, San Diego, LA, Tokyo, Singapore, Melbourne, Singapore and then back to base in Capet Town.

I have decided to record this trip in Blog entries to show you that being a Biotech RockStar is bloody hard work! That said, I am presently sat at the bar, in Upper Class on a Virgin Atlantic Jumbo from Jo’berg to London!

Rock on!

Melbourne

2010-05-15T07:31:00.000Z

Just landed in Melbourne!

I want to be clear on this point, not leave any room for misunderstanding.... I HATE MELBOURNE AIRPORT!!!

It has taken me longer to get out of the damn place than it took to fly here. My God they need to find a more efficient way to be anal! On top of that I had THE WORST business class seat of my life. The seat was more like a slightly wider economy seat, it was pathetic. Poor form Singapore Airlines!

Managed to get my car hire sorted, and my Sat Nav (no mistakes this time) and drove on over to my hotel. It's quite a way out of town, but it's close to our partners labs so it's easier. I have a week of solid work anyway so it's not like I would have gone to see the sights anyway! Plus, the hotel backs on this awesome street filled with every kind of asian food you can imagine. I can't wait to get stuck in!

First things first, I need to gather myself as I am due into the lab in 30 mins for our first day, straight of the plane!

Indonesia

2010-05-15T07:23:00.001Z

So now it's time to take a mini-break. There's an Island off the coast of Singapore called Bintan. A 2 hour ferry journey takes you to the southern side and then following that you are transported by mini bus for 30-40 mins.... and boom, you are in my happy place! Whenever I am tired from travel, or I am stressed and need a break, this is where I come.

The place is simple, the bamboo huts over the water have no air conditioning, the beds are hashed together bamboo with a thin matress thrown on, the electricity is hit and miss and to flush the toilet you have to fill a bucket up in the shower!

It sounds awful, but it's just so great to get away from life and stress and work (although my Blackberry still works - well I can't go too crazy). Also, the food there is stunning. They do fried fish and this amazing fried vermicelli that blows my mind. And at night I plug my iPod into the bar's HiFi and sip on a cold bintan as I watch the sunset.

Just the weekend, but it is good to recharge the batteries before my next long haul to Melbourne!

Biotech Rockstar doing his best Sir Freddie Laker!

Singapore

2010-05-15T07:14:00.001Z

Halfway through my week in Sinagpore and business is going well, not great, but well. I have now managed to identify a number of players capapble of doing what we want to enhance our biosensor and our electronics so I am lining up a time for them to pitch to me in April.

I also ran in to an old friend of mine CK. He's been putting together a Cardiovascular genetic risk panel. It consists of SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and a life style factors to provide a score of risk of heart disease. It is presently being validated on Asian populations, but I hope that I can hook him up with my contacts in both the UK and South Africa to get it validated on other populations also.Who knows, perhaps one day we might be able to deploy it on our handheld devices!

Land of heat and humidity!

2010-05-15T07:07:00.001Z

Landed a bit ahead of schedule and so I am now in bed tucked up, rocking, drewling and generally feel utterly insane from that flight from LAX, via Tokyo. I am kicking myself that I didn't spend more time in Tokyo, although the lure of getting to Singapore, one of my favorite cities, was too much.

I am gonna take a relaxing weekend, meet some friends, eat Singapore's amazing array of food in their Hawker centers, drink a bit, dance a bit and generally party like a Rockstar now that I am over the flu and have got an extremely successful trip to the States under my belt. Work hard play hard!

The most amazing Hawker food, cost me GBP2 :-D

I have a busy week of meetings ahead of me. Looking for partners in microelectronics, CMOS and a potentially some leads with regards to biomarker content for our handheld diagnostic device. Everyone is so passionate about Biotech in Singapore, I love the energy. Let's hope I can identify a few leads that can help use realise our dream of low cost molecular diagnostics, depolyed on a handheld device for developing and third world nations.

Flight SQ011

2010-05-15T06:55:00.000Z

Sat in my seat on top deck of Jumbo. I am impressed as always by the level of service by the airline, but just annoyed as all hell that my seat doesn't go flat. This is a 20+ hr flight and my seat only goes to a angle.... this is dumb!

Watched all the movies, so now all I will have left to do from LAX to Singapore is work... and try to not slip off my seat as I attempt to sleep.

Right, all emails sent and called to get back on board. Sigh, here's yet another long haul flight!

Tokyo - well, it's just another airport. How frustratingthat I don't get to check it out!

Last night in America

2010-05-15T06:50:00.000Z

So I dropped PF off in Newport Beach and my SatNav took me through some nasty looking neighborhoods to my hotel at LAX. Such a lonely boring drive up to LA. I had gotten used too PF's banter! Anyway, I am knackered and only good for bed. My hotel is typically American efficient and I am got from check in to in bed in about 10 mins.... awesome.

It's a real struggle getting my butt in gear to do work when I'm on the road, however I have a team in UK, Cape Town, India and Australia, let alone the corporate duties, so I have to be diciplined to get online and work whenever I have some down time.

This was not one of those times and I passed out before my head hit the pillow. Bugger!

It is morning now and I have 350 emails. How is that possible, one day worth of email, 350. I need a PA, I need a PA... or I need to clone myself. Eexcutive decision, pack up, take myself to the Singapore Airlines lounge and work solidly until the flight to Singapore takes off... 20+ hr flight, with a 1 hour layover in Tokyo. Thank God I am in business class!

I have impressed myself. I am in the lounge working and have been since 10am and we've just been called to board (12:30pm). 2 and half hours and I cleared nearly half of my emails. I'll do the rest on the plane and send from Tokyo. It sounds so glamourous, it REALLY isn't!!!

LAX

2010-04-21T14:40:00.000Z

I am back in the car as we drive North to Newport Beach, where PF and I will part ways. I'll then follow the Hertz shitty SatNav to a hotel at LAX and PF will stay on in Newport Beach where he's developing relationships with investors for when we need our big funding round prior to launch!

PF is a star, extremely successful with a load of companies and CEO experience under his belt. He's certainly and inspiration, his energy and his sharpness... even his wit sometimes! But the only problem is that he doesn't like Guinness... how is that possible and how am I to take him seriously???

San Diego

2010-04-21T11:49:00.000Z

Well that went super well. We met with the good Professor and it looks like we can probably do something together, which is going to be great for us. Furthermore, we spoke about the possibilities of us licensing some really neat technology they are developing down there.

Being the egotistical maniac I am (in a nice way of course), I loved the reaction I got when I presented what we, QuantuMDx, are doing. Gosh we're on to something special with our technology!

I am back in the car... changed out of my suit and into shorts and T in the car park. Shocked a few old ladies, oops! We're going to meet PF's son for some brewski's in San Diego and there are definitely some hot wings in my future!

UCSD

2010-04-21T11:40:00.000Z

We had breakfast in the most amazing place in Laguna beach, down a backstreet and it literally hung right over the beach. I needed a refuel of greasy fatty food to counter act the... errr... the... well ... ummm... the few beers I had last night! Luckily though due to the remains of the flu I was unable to

Me on the pier in Newport Beach!

I just want to mention at this point I love Valet parking, there just isn't enough of that in EU or South Africa!

Anyway, I am writing this from my laptop as we, PF and I, drive from Laguna Beach to University of California San Diego. We are meeting with one of the professors there to see if he'd like to join our scientific advisory panel. I have also just re-read his email and realized that they are expecting me to present to the faculty and students. I shall be putting that PowerPoint together after this blog entry... sigh!

The views from the Pacific Coast Highway are amazing, shame I am working and can't look at them.

I am going to talk about our amazing new take on using nanowire field effect transistors as biosensors. I get the feeling that I may just blow them away. It always amazes me how all these smart folk have spent years trying to perfect the sensitivity of these things, when all along it was just easier to alter the biology rather than the sensor. Well I am not complaining too much, I thought of it first :-)

Sweet Suite

2010-04-21T11:08:00.000Z

My hotel, some random airport hotel, is rubbish, but for some reason I have a suite.... it's got three rooms, huge TVs, a bar, a cool bathroom and the biggest bed in the world. I could get used to this!

Going out with our US based Director, PF (for now as I haven't asked him if I can identify him on this blog, not that it is a big secret, but.... well I dunno why, just seems right to ask first), time to get some decent food, cocktails and beer....

.... and I'm back! Top night, very tired though, so time to sleep!

IP

2010-04-21T10:58:00.000Z

So I guess this blog has been mainly about my travels and not much about how business is going, so I hope to address the balance a bit... without giving away too many secrets!

Intellectual property (IP) is a term referring to a number of distinct types of legal monopolies over creations of the mind, both artistic and commercial, and the corresponding fields of law^. Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets in some jurisdictions. (wikipedia)

One of the most important issues for a start-up Biotechnology company is intellectual property, it helps protect you from others steeling your ideas and it's also important for raising money as it provides some security to investors.

Our company has many items of IP and we are filing more everyday. Today, I spent 4 very expensive hours working through every aspect of our research looking for things to patent. Our offensive and defensive IP strategy has been designed to ensure that it is extremely difficult for other companies to enter our space. It is never going to be fool proof, however, it will certainly delay.

The other aspect of having patents on your technology is that you can license them out for huge revenues. This is something that we are just about to ramp up!

All in all a very good day and it looks like we have another three patents on the way and another 6 identified, we just need a bit more data.

I am going to my hotel for a nap!

California

2010-04-21T10:26:00.000Z

Well I made it, I survived the flight from Phoenix and it wasn't anywhere as bad as the last one. Phew! I am also starting to feel less dead!

Well that is until I got to the car hire place and realised I had to go down town to pick up the damn car. That's all well and good, but I can't frikin remember what city I am in, let alone where downtown is... taxi time!

$100 later and I am in Hertz shouting at the lazy idiot woman trying to convince me that the rusty pile of crap in the lot is my car. No, no, no, not happening! She has more good news, there is no SatNav, even though I pre-paid for it. Die you horrible woman die!!!

Luckily I manage to do their job for them and arrange their sister office to drive a nice new car down with a SatNav... I proceed to the flirt with the now attractive, yet still lazy woman to get other perks. None! Avis it is next time then!

2 hours later and I am mobile, zipping through the streets of Newport Beach like a mad man, rushing to pick up our US based director so that we can make our appointment with our IP attorneys... time is money with those guys, so I darn't be late.

I'm late!

Phoneix .... again!

2010-04-21T10:18:00.000Z

OK, so I have just landed in Phoenix. That was the most painful experience ever. My sinus' nearly burst and my eyes nearly popped out of my head as we were coming into land. Note to self, never fly with a cold... oh wait, I have to fly to Santa Anna in an hour... bugger!

Not enjoying economy class :-(

I am crap!

2010-04-21T10:02:00.002Z

OK, OK, I am crap at keeping this blog up, ugh! I promise to do better from now on. We are getting a new PA soon, so she'll be able to organize me better!

That said, I do have a number of posts that I have written, just not uploaded. So I'll run through them for a while. Also, I have a load of pics that I will be adding to these posts and old posts, so enjoy people!

Biotech Rockstar!

Virus Threat

2010-02-11T00:48:00.011Z

Well last night must have been the worst of it, the fever broke, I sweated like a waterfall and I was full on hallucinating…. crazy! It is now 7am and I am struggling to get my butt out of bed to grab a coffee and med. My nose is running my head clouded and I ache all over. Thank Goddness I am with my business partner and not alone in some crappy hotel in DC!

9am One coffee, one shower and a whole load of meds later and I am, well, I’m….. errrr…. Still feeling like crap!

10am Still feeling like utter crap

11am Doing some work now, conf calls, emails and writing a few things. Brain is functioning at base rate, so things are taking far too long!

12:30pm All packed up and ready to roll to the airport. This is going to be painful, I feel rubbish!

Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-02-11T00:48:00.009Z

Well I passed out after that last blog and woke up at 8pm. I walked up from my basement suite and found chicken noodle soup and a note waiting for me. I guess someone read my mind! How sweet of them to put that out for me.

I am heating it up as I re-route my ticket from Atlanta-DC-Santa Anna to Atlanta-Santa Anna, as my travel agent is based in South Africa and no doubt asleep. The git at the hotel in DC refused to give me a refund. Well I won’t stay there again and I’ll be in DC a lot in the future. Stupid stupid hotel policies!

Well I have eaten, watched some comedy and am now taking myself off to bed again. Long flight to California tomorrow afternoon!

How did I manage to pull that one off???

2010-02-11T00:48:00.007Z

I am back at my business colleagues house after the meeting and I feel like death warmed up. I am writing this at 3pm from bed and I can barely do that I am so weak.

The meeting went well apart from the fact that I almost passed out during my ‘science pitch’ and I lost my vision for a few seconds. However, like a true professional I managed to keep my sh*t together and according to my business partner I did a great job. No one noticed I was in turmoil on the inside. It must be said that the guys we met where a great bunch of chaps with a great vision for a much needed product. What’s better is that I can only think of our technology that can do what they want. I believe we make a good fit and I suspect the feel the same. All in all a very successful meeting and I’d be cracking the champers now had I not been so ill.

4pm well that is a stroke of luck. I have just been emailed from the chap I am meeting at the FDA tomorrow. Due to Snowmaggeddon, the Federal Government in Washington DC is closed Monday and as there is a second storm forcast for Tuesday afternoon (bringing another 8inches) I am advised that I should not bother wasting my time going to DC and we should arrange a Skype call instead. Thank God, another day in bed at my business colleagues house.

Now I wonder if his wife has any Chicken Noodle soup!?

Sick Puppy

2010-02-11T00:48:00.005Z

4am I am awake, sweating like a convict in the dock and I swear I am hallucinating a little bit, or at least my vision is not working properly. I need more sleep, but can’t seem to get comfortable. Oh God, getting ill on the road is bad enough, but when I have such a huge meeting in the morning it’s dreadful.

5am Still awake

6am Still awake

7am Asleep…. Only kidding, bloody awake still

8am No more time to sleep, showered, dressed and hocked up on a bunch of meds and vitamins to patch me up until the end of the big meeting. Wish me luck!

Atlanta

2010-02-11T00:48:00.003Z

Landed in wet and gloomy Atlanta…. there is a definite theme emerging here! I went through immigration, collected my bag and then went through customs. BUT then they took my bag off me again and I had to go through another security check, jump on a train and into another baggage claim. Even the locals where confused.

My business partner Paul is waiting for me after I finally make it through the most bizarre and stupid airport in the world. He drives me back to his beautiful home in the ‘burbs in Atlanta and we sit down to Pizza, Guinness and the last quarter of the super bowl. I am a HUGE Pat’s fan and so am a little annoyed I am not watching the might Tom Brady & team run out in Miami against the Saints, but hey ho, it’s quickly remedied as I watch Payton Manning literally throw it away and the evil Colts lose to the Saints. I think New Orleans needs that!

Sore throat update…. It hurts like hell and uh-oh, it’s turned into a full blown cold. Shit! We have a massive meeting with a huge company that might change all our destinies and I am fast going downhill with a bad cold. This is NOT good.

Early night and lots of meds!

Amused

2010-02-11T00:48:00.001Z

Well an hour into the flight and the internet on this AirTran flight is working like a dream and with Broadband speeds. I am gobsmacked, amazed and confused as to why AirTran and not Virgin Atlantic or Singapore Airlines are not pioneering this fantastic service. I mean, it’s stunning!?!? Come on Sir Richard, catch up buddie!

The rest of the service is basic and crap, though better than BA ;-)

I am amused to read in the paper that there is a ‘monster storm’ dumping inches (around 30inches) of snow on Washington DC presently and they are calling it Snowmageddon. Whoever came up with that is a genius! I am less amused as I am supposed to be in DC on Monday night through to Tuesday night to meet the FDA for our initial meeting. This might be fun! Gulp!

Next stop Atlanta!

Sunday Blues!

2010-02-09T21:46:00.002Z

Well this very welcome and delightful break for Freddie and Racky’s wedding in Cancun is soon to be over. So long stunning vista’s of golden sand and blue skies, so long incredibly strong Margarita, so long wonderful hotel room and so long friends…. Hello crappy Air Tran flight to Atlanta & hello again, oddly sore throat. I had better not b getting a cold, with the week ahead of me I dare not be ill!!!

10am Just finished a delightful breakfast with the newly married couple and said my goodbyes to everyone. It’s time for me to get back to my world –Biotech Rockstar- tour!

12noon Finally dragged myself out of the hotel in and into a cab for the airport. Cancun is such a nice place, I must come back!

13:00 All checked in and sat waiting for the Air Tran flight to Atlanta. I have never flown Air Tan before, so I am interested to know what they are like…. I fear the worst!

14:00 Finally sat in my basic seat on the plane and bugger me, it’s not too shabby. No frills of course, but and this is a HUGE BUT…. They have in-flight WiFi. I look forward to seeing how it is.

Day 2, Cancun

2010-02-09T21:20:00.003Z

10am Well the sun is out, my spirits are high and I am excited to see once of my best friends get married to the most amazing girl, today is a good day! So, I need to pick up a suit, drink some margarita’s and tan before my groomsman duties at 5pm.

11am On beach with Margarita in hand, shooting the shit with some old buddies and generally relaxing. Bloody sore throat though. Probably a function of the a/c on ALL the flights. Cancun is stunning and not at all what I thought it would be.

14:00 Oop’s, a few too many Margarita’s and I am running behind schedule. Time to go find a suit in the mall opposite the hotel. OK, right foot infront of left, then left foot in front of right….

15:00 My God, found a Black suit in Zara for only GBP97 and it looks fab! Time to celebrate with a beer in Hooters ;-) with my buddie Speno!

As my business partner always tells me, WORK HARD & PLAY HARD!!!

Cancun

2010-02-09T20:40:00.003Z

3pm IT’S BLOODY GLOOMY AND RAINING… NOT AMUSED!

Flight in was just awful, we had a lot of turbulence and that was capped off by the fact that I was sat between two excitable older ladies who were talking non -top about their grandchildren – one had 16 and the other 14. Now that’s cute, but they could not have been 50 yet, think about it!!!!

Anyway, I am in a cab to the ME hotel where I will not be sitting round the pool getting a tan…. as it’s cold and raining. Ugh! Time for M&M’s…Massage and Margaritas!

5pm I am a little tipsy… and relax!

Pheonix

2010-02-09T20:34:00.002Z

Of course I blew all my budget on a business round the world fare (well wouldn’t you), so I am having to take cheap economy flights everywhere that connect in daft locations. This time I am in Phoenix. I know nothing of Phoenix and by the look of things flying in I’d say it’s just another city.

So anyway, I am starving. The damn flight from SFO didn’t carry any breakfast (stupid) and so I am rushing about to find a full English… Burger King it is then! Two breakfast sandwiches later and I am feeling fat and hate myself. I suddenly feel stupid for packing my gym stuff, sigh!

It’s an hour layover and then finally off to sunny Cancun for a weekend break, whoop whoop!

Leaving SFO

2010-02-09T20:28:00.002Z

Well I passed out at about 7:30pm after a search for food proved fruitless… and now I am wide awake at 2am. Shucks. Well I guess there’s a silver lining to every cloud, as I have a 6am flight to Cancun, Mexico and will be unlikely to miss that now.

I guess I will just catch up on the emails I missed over the past few days and speak to the girls in the Lab in Cape Town. Never a down moment in my life, got to take advantage of every second ;-)

4am I am waiting for the damn airport shuttle outside my hotel in South San Francisco… which looks decidedly dodgy.

4:30am Still waiting

4:33am on the shuttle finally! Glad I checked in online or I’d be running this close.

4:42am Sinking feeling of realization has just washed over me, this shuttle is hitting every damn hotel in the area before the sodding airport.

4:53am Why am I not surprised, we swing by the Travel Lodge and outside waiting is 25 Chinese chaps dressed to the nines and lugging at least 2 large suit cases each. Of course we have to load the lot before trucking on.

5:15am Finally made it to bag drop to pick up my boarding pass and pop my bag in. I am greeted with a frown and a ‘my you are cutting it fine’… all delivered in a rather 3^rd rate British accent. I pretend to laugh and grit my teeth as I say “great accent” and I flash a smile. It works and she lets me through, though I am told to run, run like the wind. So I walk through security and saunter on the Jet without the need for a rush. These people work at the damn airport, don’t they know how long it takes, silly fools!

5:50am Door closing, time to shut down and relax in my emergency exit seat and watch the inexcusably old cabin crew go about their business.

World of pain

2010-02-07T22:57:00.001Z

Wow, I am feeling awful! I have just checked into my hideous hotel room after my Palo Alto meeting and am desperately trying to find the room service menu…. there isn’t one. I will either have to eat the maid or pass out hungry.

It’s 7:30pm and I am going to sleep, 6am flight to Phoenix tomorrow. Gulp!

Back II, the revenge!

2010-02-07T22:32:00.006Z

I’m back! Yes, I know, you’ve heard that before, however we ran into a few technical issues with the reserve bank in South Africa and literally all my spare time was take up in trying to ensure momentum wasn’t lost and we didn’t slip behind schedule. Of course I succeeded and the development of our Point of Care (POC) molecular diagnostic (MDx) device is running smoothly, touch wood.

We have several assays planned for HIV and TB. Obviously I cannot go into detail about them for commercial reasons, however rest assured, they are going to be game changing and extremely useful on the front line in the war against both these diseases. The device it’s self is well into it development now and we are getting some exquisite data showing that our single flow through, sample to result methodology is extremely powerful.

Day to day in our lab in Cape Town we are running our assay optimization experiments on our high throughput liquid handling machines, linked to RT-PCR thermal cyclers. We also have a sophisticated software package that runs the assay design, creates aprotocol for the liquid handling machine and then statistically analyses the results. This means we cut out human error, staff costs and time. It’s a real winner!

Our biosensor work is going well, we are now creating our own nanowire FET chips and have added an extremely special twist the method of detection. My own invention I’ll have you know…. Smug or proud, you decide!?

Sometimes I catch myself as I talk to a partner or someone in the media about QuantuMDx. I have to pinch myself to remind myself that this isn’t a dream, I really am doing this. This crazy idea that lurked in my head for years is extremely close to being in my hand and working how I wanted it too. The most satisfying thing about this rollercoaster ride is that my invention could very well save millions of lives… that is quite some motivation to push through these hard stressful times.

Nanowires

2009-10-16T07:46:00.004Z

A nanowire is pretty much that, a tiny wire, wherein it's thickness is 10 to the minus 9 meters thick. Take home message, pretty damn small.

We use two basic methods of synthesizing our nanowires: top-down and bottom-up approach. In a top-down approach we etch (using an eBeam) the nanowires out of a piece of silicon. In our bottom-up approach the nanowires are synthesized using a VLS method wherein the nanowire is 'grown' by the combination of constituents ad-atoms.

Our sensors are fabricated in such a way so as to enable us to measure the conductance in the nanowire. We simply imobilize a capture molecule on top of the nanowire and when a target molecule (such as DNA) binds, it brings with it a charge. This build up of charge density at the nanowire surface causes a field effect, which we can measure. Array hundreds of these in a microfluidics chamber and front end it with some neat sample prep technology and hey presto, you've got yourself a super cool new diagnostic tool that can sit in your pocket and run all the assays you could hope for.

Bloody clever huh ;-)

If only it was a simple as it sounds above. The truth is that it has taken years of development to get to where we are now. But now we're here, with everything working... well, it feels BLOODY great!

AFM image of two nanowires

And I am back!

2009-10-08T13:12:00.003Z

I can barely believe it when I looked at the date for my last post, July 8th?? Where has time gone and why haven't I been posting? Ahh well what do I expect, it's a busy life now. However, a number of people have been kind enough to mention they have enjoyed my posts so now that I have come up for air following 3 months hard graft, I feel I can dedicate some time to providing y'all with some entertainment at my expense.

I'll aim to post a number of blogs over the next few days, describing some of my experiences as we develop this amazing Point of Care device. Since my last blog the project has really started to take shape, we have started to get real life data and all our contracts and partnerships have be signed. All planning and testing has been completed and we are now at the cusp of diving head first into the deep end of our development projects.

This is when it gets fun!

My desk, the hub ;-)
www.QuantuMDx.com

Day's one & two

2009-07-08T06:11:00.004Z

Today was the first day of the rest of my life, yes, I love clichés and no doubt you, the reader, will probably hate them soon ;-)

Our first two scientist employees came started work today. This would have been a super exciting and wonderful event, however, we still haven’t got a lab, or offices… bugger! We have been told by a number of Professors (at the University we are hoping to move into and whom are the decision makers) that we can take part of this wonderful laboratory facility, called the PRF. It is perfect, has a reception, offices, and lots of different ‘mini-labs’ that can accommodate all our different processes (Nanotech, electronics, microfluidics, sample prep, PCR, etc), so I am happy. The only problem is that it comes with a mother-load of University politics. Furthermore, as it is University owned, we need to seek approval from both Ethics and the commercial team, who will most likely want to ring fence some IP for themselves…. we will stand strong and prevent them exploiting us!

So anyway, fortunately for me and my two new employees, I am happy to report that I am occupying the office of a member of faculty (MK) who is championing our cause with the powers that be at Stellenbosch Uni. It’s not ideal of course, but I’ll take it for now as I wait for all the Red Tape and the rather protracted way in which decisions are made here, to swing our way. The main point is that I have a space wherein I can teach TF & YY the wonders of nanowires, lucky them!

Their first day with me was awesome… for me! I got to talk and talk and talk about science, MY science, to a captive audience. Credit must be given to the two ladies, either they were really into it, or gave a performance worthy of an Oscar. It is clear they are both very dynamic individuals, full of ambition and drive and they certainly want to make their mark on this world. I am determined to allow them this opportunity with Q-POC. After all Q-POC, which will enable high quality, laboratory standard testing in the field, will help the fight against HIV, TB and Malaria enormously in this country!

On day two YY & TF dutifully showed up at my faux-office, sat down and proclaimed that they had both gone home with fried brains… oop’s, information overload. So instead today I limited my rant to only a few hours and gave them some papers on Nanowires to read, absorb and formulate some questions for Wednesday (Note to self: read papers so you can answer questions). I then packed them off on their way as I wrote out the protocols for their next few months work – which is to perform a comprehensive survey of the research groups working in the diagnostics field for HIV, TB and Malaria. We need to understand the competition and see if there are some JV or licensing opportunities to help shorten our time to market (licensing in someone else’s biomarkers – preferably validated – will be much less of a headache than developing our own).

I find it important to provide very strict and tight instruction to scope of work, to scientists, or it becomes too easy to follow tangents. With this in mind, I have develop a template document with all the fields we require to develop an opinion on a group/companies biomarkers (Science, IP, etc, etc). Along with this I have written an SOP for this document and structured it around weekly update meetings. This way I have full control over the direction and yet the scientists still feel they have scope to express themselves within the bounds of SOPs…. more importantly, it helps me remember what the hell we’re doing!

End of day 2 – things are looking great. Our employees are smart, sharp and hungry, we’re on target to hit our milestones/deliverables…. time for beer! QMDx rule number 1 – work hard, play harder!

The empty lab (well part of it),

just waiting for the red-tape to be cut!

Sad inspiration...

2009-07-06T10:57:00.005Z

The weekend just gone was a weird one for me. I have been so excited about our first two South African employees starting on Monday (more of this later), the sun was bright and was really quite summery (which is odd as it’s winter here). I decided to go for a quick work-out before going to explore Century City, just outside of Cape Town. I just wanted clear my head so that I could plan what I was going to do with YM and TF more effectively.

I was driving along the road, on my way to the gym, and came to a set of traffic lights. Suddenly a white Corsa sped through my peripheral vision and past me. I can’t recall the details of what happened next, I guess I was in shock, but the car must have crashed into a motor cyclist. The scene was straight out of a horrific movie. I approached the car to find the driver in hysterics, she had gone into serious shock and couldn’t be brought out of it. I remember the young boy she hit, laying on the ground, unconscious & bleeding. The emergency services arrived quite quickly, but it was too late and he died at the scene.

Later in the weekend I heard there was another person on the bike, who also died instantly. I don’t remember seeing him at all, I guess I was also in shock. I am not looking forward to those memories coming back!

Whilst it is undoubtably sad for the woman driving the car (I really don’t think it was anyones fault, just one of those things), and of course for the poor chaps who were killed, when I think back to that scene and the fact that a number of us had blood on us, I think how useful our Q-POC device would have been. Rather than have to anxiously wait the few days for the HIV test results to return, we good samaritans could have received peace of mind in minutes. Just yet another reason to drive me to make this a reality!

Thankfully the police called to let me know neither of the victims had HIV.

Welcome

2009-07-05T14:42:00.008Z

Well hello people, welcome to the first post of my soon to be extremely famous (in my own head) blog. I have recently been reading Richard Branson’s novels and have been impressed with the way he is able to refer to the 30+ years of notebooks he’s used over the years to organize himself and his business interests. That won’t work for me as I don’t operate well with paper and pen, but I really wanted to document the next few years as I will be building a Biotech empire…. yes, I am either inspired or utterly delusional, so this will make for some good reading.

So who am I and why do you want to bother reading this? Well, I am just a normal chap with a big idea (or 15), a bunch of patents and licenses, funding (in the millions, Sterling) and a desire to do things differently. If you like Biotech, Diagnostics, Nanotechnology and watching crazy fools like me try to navigate through these complex fields with all the Bravado of a champion sportsman, because I KNOW I am going to change the world, then stick with me. If you are not into those fields, fear not, I travel the world, meet crazy people and love to drink, dance and party where and when I can. I work like a mule in the Atlas Mountains and party like a biotech-rock star.

Do you hate me already ;-)

My company is developing devices surrounding our core technology, which is a silicon nanowire biosensor. We are presently applying it in two fields, point of care diagnostics (think a cell phone sized device that can run diagnostic tests in minutes – no need to wait for your blood sample to be sent to a laboratory. Wouldn’t it have been great if they had one of our devices to track this Swine Flu… I digress) and DNA Sequencing (want your genome sequenced for under $1k, no problem, just give us 2 years to get there). If you want more info, just head to our website (www.quantumdx.com) or wait until I explain more in later posts.

I realize a lot of what we do is super technical and there will be a bunch of long words to get your head round. I will attempt to link all of these words to websites providing definitions and explanations. If you know all the words, concepts and theory, bloody well get in contact with me, we’re hiring (see Facebook or LinkedIn links to the right)!

I intend this blog to be fun, lighthearted and to provide an insight into what it takes to startup and (hopefully) make a success of a Biotechnology company, from a mad scientist’s perspective. To date my board, myself, EW, JW & PF, have successfully set up most business processes, secured funding from a South African government fund, incorporated a subsidiary in Cape Town to focus on making a Point Of Care device (Q-POC) and have started to get funding for our UK based subsidiary, focusing on making a DNA Sequencing device (Q-SEQ).

I am presently in Cape Town to set up the SA subsidiary (more of this later), PF is in USA dealing with the regulatory issues and keeping an eye on the market and EW & JW are in the UK. We have partners in Melbourne (who are developing our special microfluidics components), New Zealand, Singapore, India, Germany and Switzerland… and I have to visit them, a lot! As you can see, it’s pretty hectic and I am kept busy. However, wherever I go, I make sure I get out of the office and find a bar or two for some interesting adventures and fully intend to report them all here.

I am writing this post on Sunday, July 5^th 2009, tomorrow my first two employees (excluding members of our board) start work and we still haven’t had the approval to move into our lab at Stellenbosch University. Ahh the entrepreneurial life… and so my adventure begins, enjoy!

Enjoying a glass of wine in my apartment when EW was in town to help

with the business aspects of our Cape Town based subsidiary.