Future Space welcomes Vitamica, a medical diagnostics company, as its newest resident. The spin-out from the University of Bristol wants to challenge one of the biggest threats to our progression in medicine.
We’ve all heard about the fear of bacteria resistance and have been warned about not finishing a course of antibiotics. But where’s the tech solution we’ve all been waiting for?
Well, Vitamica is developing a pioneering diagnostic technology that tests pathogenic bacteria for susceptibility to antibiotics in a ground-breaking time of just one hour.
Resisting the resistance
Victmica’s ambition is to challenge the global issue of AMR, which threatens the effectiveness of the antibiotics we rely on. The new tech is set to revolutionise the way clinicians make decisions on prescribing antibiotics.
So how does it all work? The rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is based on Sub-Cellular Fluctuation Imaging (SCFI). SCFI can essentially detect what effect antibiotics has on individual bacteria and tell us in a matter of seconds whether the cells are still alive, a breakthrough discovered at the University of Bristol.
And Vitamica is getting traction outside of Bristol too. In recognition to their unique effects towards positive change, the company has been shortlisted for the Global Good Award in the LAUNCH: Great West Awards, taking place on 6 June to celebrate the successes of scientific companies in the South West.
Making space for the future
Future Space is an innovation hub based within UWE Bristol’s University Enterprise Zone (UEZ) for life science and tech companies.
It offers a range of office space, laboratories, workshops and coworking facilities, all dynamically engineered to cater to the needs of high-tech and science-based startups.
Vitamica is joining the dedicated laboratory space provided to further its research and testing.
Chief Technology Officer at Vitamica, Charlotte Bermingham, says, “We’re thrilled to have joined the community to continue our testing and research to demonstrate the capability of this technology in fighting antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as well as to take advantage of the additional support on offer at Future Space for early-stage companies like ours.”
And Future Space’s centre director, Martin Ried, is equally enthusiastic to have the team on board. He says, “Having another University of Bristol spin-out company join the community is testament to the facilities we have here at Future Space and it’s great to have Vitamica using our laboratories to conduct its revolutionary testing.
“We’re excited to see what the future holds for Vitamica.”
