Over the past several weeks, we’ve been exploring how our Global platform can be used to explore different emerging technology sectors internationally. So far, we’ve examined the AgriTech, Semiconductor and Esports industries. This time it’s the turn of Engineering Biology.
Exploring Engineering Biology
Engineering Biology (EngBio) is an emerging discipline, where the principles of engineering and biology are combined to create practical applications based on biological systems. It is a truly interdisciplinary field incorporating areas such as synthetic biology, bioinformatics and biomanufacturing.
The field has diverse applications across various sectors, including energy, agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing. A compelling example of its potential is the development of ‘smart’ plastics that self-destruct upon contact with water. These innovative materials could play a crucial role in reducing plastic waste accumulation in our oceans, addressing a significant environmental challenge.
We have previously shared how our UK-generated Real-Time Industrial Classifications (RTICs) can be applied to companies worldwide. There are nearly 60 different RTIC sectors available in our global product, including not one but two RTICs relating to Engineering Biology. The sector is so large and varied that we have separated it into both Application and Supply chain sectors. For this post I’m going to focus on the Application side of the industry.
I can quickly and easily find a list of relevant companies by going to the EXPLORE tool within the Global product and picking the Engineering Biology Application RTIC from the list of filters. If I sort the results by turnover, I see that important multinational biotechnology companies such as Illumina and Kite Pharma appear at the top of the list.
These are large companies that operate in numerous fields. Next, I wanted to see how our RTICs pick up smaller companies focusing on more specific areas. One exciting topic in the headlines, following this year’s Nobel Prize announcements is microRNA. For their discovery of these small molecules, US scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. MicroRNAs play a role in gene expression and offer potential diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities in treating cancer and other diseases.
Back in the EXPLORE tool, I started with the Engineering Biology RTIC list and then further targeted my search using some keyword filters. The keyword filter searches for a match in the full web text of a company, and multiple words can be combined into a single query. To increase the chances of a match I’ve included different formats that microRNA can be written as. This search returns 193 companies sorted by their keyword match score.
The top match is Curamir Therapeutics, an interesting company from Massachusetts, USA. They are a university spinout developing a platform that uses microRNA to target resistant cancer stem-like cells. These are a subset of cancer cells that contribute to tumour progression with their ability to self-renew and proliferate.
Our pre-built RTICs are a great way to quickly find companies working in specific sectors. It’s easy to find both large established companies, or smaller start-ups and spinouts working in more niche areas. RTICs cover a wide range of other industries and allow you to find information in just a few clicks that would previously have required hours of manual research.
Interested in finding out more about our Global Platform? You can find out more about the tool and sign up for a free trial today.
