Spark-Tube Biobanking System (STBS)

Project Information

SPARK-TUBE

Grant agreement ID: 735709

DOI

10.3030/735709

Project closed

EC signature date 14 September 2016

Start date 1 September 2016

End date 28 February 2017

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Health, demographic change and well-being

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

SPARK-TECH SP. Z O.O.
Poland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SPARK-TUBE (Spark-Tube Biobanking System (STBS))

Reporting period: 2016-09-01 to 2017-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Spark-Tube Biobanking System (STBS) was invented to make current complex methods of blood preservation and biobanking more efficient, robust and simplified. The need for such system unfolded when conducting research projects aimed at identification and validation of disease biomarkers in blood. There are currently two major limitations in the state-of-the-art blood-based biomarker diagnostics, lack of technical solution allowing fully automated, high-throughput blood preservation combined with laborious and very expensive manual procedures.
The product has a high potential in the field of human health research, human health safety and efficacy in clinical trials, epidemic outbreak and rare diseases treatment. Therefore, STBS can be utilized in several major global markets including both the private and public health sectors, the pharmaceutical industry, the military and medical research.
Within this project, we aimed to asses technical, legal and commercial feasibility for STBS commercialization.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Matters investigated within the feasibility study for STBS refer to four major areas. Firstly, we have established organizational plan for further research and development of STBS. This includes meeting legal requirements for our product, legal and ethical requirements for clinical testing of STBS, and finally we have arranged and divided SBTS development plan in detailed work packages. Secondly, intellectual property rights (IPR) strategy and administrative plan was developed. Within this area, we have prepared administrative plan for securing excellence (staff, equipment, external expertise/subcontracting) required for completion of STBS product and we have established IPR strategy for our products development. Thirdly, marketing plan based on detailed market study was conducted. Within this area major market segments and competitors for STBS were characterized and marketing plan for STBS commercialization was established. Lastly, we have prepared business plan for STBS commercialization.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Given the limitations in currently available methods, STBS thanks to its novel technology (separation of blood-fractions, long term-preservation, and banking) is expected to overcome the roadblocks in accessing blood preservation solutions and become universal biobanking platform. System will find wide application in medical diagnostics (including genetic biobanks), clinical drug trials, and clinical research. STBS is not only a high impact medical ‘tool’ but also a great business opportunity as it can be utilized in many different economical environments where cost effective solutions are necessary to change the social limitations of clinical blood processing.

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