VirNext set up a network of close partners with extensive and multidisciplinary expertise
AXELERA is the leading competitiveness cluster, within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, for the chemical, process and environmental industries. Since 2005, they have been accelerating the success of their members involved in the controlled management of materials and environmental resources, by promoting development and innovation, to support the creation of value and respond to the climate and environmental emergency. The AXELERA cluster is a network of 417 members including companies (start-ups, SMEs, ETIs, groups), research laboratories and training organizations in the chemical-environmental sector. AXELERA have different areas of expertise such as production of raw materials and energy, production of chemicals, materials and recycled materials, manufacturers, collection, treatment and recovery of effluents and waste training organizations, equipment manufacturers, instrument makers, suppliers of consumables engineering, assembly, integrators, services to industry (process design and optimization, energy efficiency), regulations environmental services (water, air, soil, waste), laboratories, technical centers and R&D companies in chemistry, environment and biotechnology, private funding. VirNext is one of the members of AXELERA.
https://www.axelera.org/fr
AXO Science’s expertise lies in its ability to develop advanced diagnostic platforms that integrate innovative molecular techniques and high-throughput screening capabilities. The company specializes in creating diagnostic solutions that are not only accurate, but also scalable to meet clinical and research needs. Founded with the aim of revolutionizing diagnostic methods, AXO Science has always pushed the boundaries of what is possible in molecular diagnostics, providing reliable, rapid and accurate diagnostic tools that are crucial in the fight against infectious diseases, enabling optimization of the detection and characterization of various pathogens. By remaining at the forefront of molecular diagnostics and fostering strategic partnerships, AXO Science not only strengthens its technological capabilities, but also contributes to the global effort to improve healthcare outcomes through innovative diagnostic solutions.
In addition to the detection of respiratory pathogens, AXO Science is also positioned in early-stage cancer diagnostic solutions, and has marketed an extended blood group diagnostic test that has enabled the genotyping of thousands of patients and donors, thus ensuring improved transfusion safety. AXO Science is also active in forensics, with products that are used by dozens of police forces around the world and have helped solve thousands of criminal cases.
The Lyon-Est Quantitative Imaging Center (CIQLE) is a technological platform of the Claude Bernard Lyon I University (UCBL), attached to the Health Lyon-Est Federative Research Structure (SFR), offering services in photonic microscopy, electronics, histology and image analysis. The CIQLE is part of the regional platform LyMIC (Lyon Multiscale Imaging Center, https://lymic.univ-lyon1.fr) which has obtained the IBiSA label (Infrastructures in Biology, Health and Agronomy).
CYNBIOME is the first excellence network on microbiota and infectious diseases based on the Non-Human Primate (NHP) model. This network will take full advantage of the synergy between local stakeholders by creating a division for the preclinical investigation of the microbiome.
The aim of the network is to develop this model and the relevant analytical tools through collaborative R&D projects. This will allow CYNBIOME® to offer unique preclinical services in the field of microbiome and infectious diseases, centered on the use of the NHP model. These services are aimed at the biopharmaceutical industry and will initially cover the preclinical validation of the safety of Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs). Virnext takes part to the Cynbiome network.
Founded in 2008, CYNBIOSE is specialized in preclinical research services with a core expertise and focus on the non-human primate (NHP) model. They support the derisking of drug candidates and human microbiome therapeutics with different services and hybrid exploratory designs to bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical development. Cynbiose facilities are fully AAALAC accredited and has the agreement to handle wild type or GMOs pathogens. All their preclinical studies are supported by a GLP-like quality management system. CYNBIOSE is also investing in R&D programs to develop innovative NHP models for the study of microbiota and infectious diseases.
Epimod specializes in infectious diseases and operates in Europe and West Africa. It was established in 2017 on the basis of a strong academic track record and has since expanded to include a team of experienced scientists offering a wide range of complementary expertise. These cover statistical data analysis, mathematical modelling and numerical simulation for health sciences at all biological scales, from fundamental mechanisms to drug evaluation and population-scale public health interventions, including health economic analyses. Epimod’s recent projects include exploring respiratory syncytial virus prophylaxis with a study of various target product profiles, characterizing the early intra-host viral dynamics of chikungunya, associating immune biomarkers with mortality in Covid-19 patients, and analyzing the seasonality, epidemiology and control of malaria in Togo, West Africa.
https://epimod.fr/
Epithelix is a biotech company founded in March 2006 and located in Geneva, Switzerland which provides alternative in vitro solutions to animal experimentation to evaluate the effects of drugs in development and to assess the toxicity of chemical compounds on the human airway.
The company is the European leading provider of in vitro reconstituted human respiratory tissues. They develop a unique technology allowing reconstituted tissues to be maintained at a homeostatic state for a long-time period.
Virnext partners with Epithelix to provide in vitro SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses models of infection based on reconstituted human respiratory tissues at the air liquid interface (ALI) in Virnext’s BSL-3 and BSL-2 facilities, respectively.
Link to the insight from Dr Samuel CONSTANT, co-founder and CEO of Epithelix: https://documentcloud.wondershare.com/clientShare/review/bpcFVoayn8Msp0rtjRcN4bUvPHiRbgPtuCHThfbeih4fM46XO13Fy4nJARhEGJnTS0PjVEOkBkU4DQP6uC6kgA
Lyonbiopole is the health competitiveness cluster of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region focusing on three services offers: (1) innovation: supporting R&D projects (development, partnership building, structuring, financing, etc.) on a regional, national and European level; (2) development: Supporting companies in their growth, including strategy, financing, HR, international development and communication and (3) promotion: Representing their members and the regional health sector in France and internationally. Lyonbiopole bring together, advise and work with more than 275 members (companies, academics and hospitals) with their plans to innovate, grow, expand internationally and host new projects. The structure supports biotech, medtech and digital health-tech partners to build the medicine of the future and to make tomorrow’s health innovations available to patients. In addition to providing access to an industrial, academic and clinical network, Lyonbiopole conducts scientific and economic activities to meet the needs of the members and to support them. Virnext is one of the members of Lyonbiopole.
NeoVirTech’s mission is to provide researcher state of the art virology assays using innovative, image based readout. They have developed a library of autofluorescent viruses and viral vectors for the direct imaging of antiviral drug candidates effect or disinfection procedure in the field of human health, animal health and biodefense.
The company exploits and provides access to its proprietary ANCHOR™ technology to both academic and industrial customers and has the ability to convert any kind of DNA into an autofluorescent particle.
Members of the Université Laval and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 communities, as well as partners from the research community, gathered to highlight the creation of the International Research Laboratory (France-Canada), which is working on origin, the treatment and prevention of respiratory viral infections (LIR RespiVIR).
Under the co-direction of Guy Boivin, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University, and Manuel Rosa-Calatrava, Director of Research at the Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale at Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, LIR RespiVIR aims to be a global reference in research on emerging and re-emerging respiratory virus infections.
A unique vehicle, an International Research Laboratory (LIR) is a structuring entity «without walls» where a teaching and research team from two international universities work together in complementarity around a jointly defined scientific programme. The teams of Guy Boivin and Manuel Rosa-Calatrava have been working together since 2010. Their work has already led to numerous scientific publications, the filing of several patents of invention and the creation of two start-ups (Signia Therapeutics and Vaxxel) employing today 10 people, mainly graduates of Université Laval and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1.
Their team’s common theme is the study of respiratory viruses and the development of new strategies to combat pathogens such as influenza viruses, pneumoviruses or SARS-CoV-2. In this dynamic, the LIR RespiVIR will focus in particular on continuing and developing the training of students through research in order to transmit and sustain scientific knowledge, In this way more research staff will be trained. This LIR also provides for the co-supervision of doctoral students and facilitates exchanges between the student and research communities of Université Laval and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1.
VirexpR, an innovative service company and independent consulting laboratory, was founded on more than 10 years of experience and activity in virology applied to the management of air, water, and surface contamination, and was developed within the laboratory VirPath academic research laboratory and the VirNext technological platform. In order to meet the major health, economic and societal challenges of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and contamination management in clean rooms and controlled environments, VirexpR is committed to ambitious development of experimental protocols and next-generation test benches in order to provide innovative technology offers, as well as a wide range of R&D services in the fields of virology and microbiology for IAQ. VirexpR aims to validate and propose new standards that will ultimately allow the recommendation of deployment and operation modes in situ of air treatment, respiratory protection and biocollector devices.
The CNRS Institute of Biological Sciences has created ViroCrib, a shared infrastructure for screening antiviral molecules in several relevant and complementary preclinical models (in vitro, ex-vivo, in vivo) in order to urgently respond to the emergence of future pathogenic viruses that could lead to global health crises. Priority will be given to studying respiratory viruses that pose a recurring global threat, such as SARS-CoV-2, coronaviruses, influenza viruses (H1N1 in particular) and pneumoviruses.
Supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, ViroCrib brings together a consortium of virologists, research teams and molecular screening technology platforms. Our VirPath team is one of the founding teams of this consortium with the Molecular and Cellular Virology team of the Lille Center for Infection & Immunity (CNRS UMR-9017 – Inserm U1019), the Center for the Study of Infectious Diseases & Anti-PharmacologyInfectious of Montpellier (CNRS UAR3725) and the Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy of Montpellier.
The expertise and complementarity of its teams and platforms will accelerate the screening and preclinical evaluation of antiviral drugs to better cope with future epidemics and pandemics. ViroCrib will prioritize the study of respiratory viruses that pose a recurring global threat and aims to expand its expertise and models by integrating other research teams and technology platforms. Virocrib can be mobilized very quickly at any time to respond, even in an emergency, to the arrival of a new virus. This will be made possible thanks to all the tools that have been put in place, which will be very easy to use even in times of crisis.
https://www.virpath.com/collaborative-projects-consortiums-and-partnership/virocrib-1/
VirPath – Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI U1111 INSERM – UMR 5308 CNRS – ENS Lyon – UCBL1) is an academic laboratory located in Lyon and specialized in virology and human respiratory pathologies. VirPath is associated with the World Health Organization and hosts the National Reference Center for Respiratory Viruses (South of France). VirPath works on different aspects of respiratory virus biology, from the deciphering of the mechanisms leading to virus emergence and pathogenesis, to the analysis of viral interplays with cells and key host factors of the host epithelium mucosal responses, by using physiological and predictive preclinical models based on reconstructed human respiratory epithelium and in vivo models of infection. In a more translational point of view, VirPath is interested in the mechanisms of antiviral resistance, as well as the discovery of innovative antiviral strategies targeting the host (drug repurposing) and optimization of vaccine quality and potency as new means to control influenza and pneumovirus infections. VirPath thas been very reactively engaged in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, made possible by their integrated research model, their dedicated team investment over the past 10 years, and the confidence and support of their affiliated trustees (INSERM via REACTing, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and its subsidiaries EZUS and Lyon Ingénierie Projets) and national and internationalpartners (ANR, Institut Mérieux, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Instituts de Recherche en Santé du Canada and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).
Nexomis is a technological support and consultancy platform dedicated to the exploitation and enhancement of Omics data.
Spin-off of Virnext, Nexomis is a solutions architect for computational biology, based on cutting-edge expertise in bioinformatics and NGS and extensive skills in AI, mathematics and system deployment. Nexomis technology offering is made up of three distinct services: the use of proven pipelines for rapid, high-quality analyses ; personalised support for complex projects ; and the deployment of customised technical solutions for exploring, managing and adding value to data.
For more information regarding collaborations and partnership opportunities with VirNext