Aylesbury, UK. April 17th 2025 – In an astonishing coincidence, Aylesbury-based author Alan Nettleton may have predicted a real-life scientific breakthrough in his children’s science fiction novel Space Kids – The Journey of Hope, published in 2021.

Written mainly to inspire the author’s own children, the book features a 12-year-old girl named Sophie who leads a daring space mission to the distant exoplanet K2-18b. On this imagined world, Sophie and her child-only team discover intelligent alien life. Fast-forward to 2025, and scientists from the University of Cambridge have now detected potential signs of life on the very same planet.

“It’s surreal,” says Nettleton. “When I picked K2-18b as the setting for Sophie’s adventure, it was one of many distant planets I could have chosen for the story. I never imagined the real planet would make headlines just a few years later.”

The Cambridge team, using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), recently observed chemical signatures in the planet’s atmosphere that include dimethyl sulphide (DMS), a gas on Earth only produced by living organisms such as marine microbes. If confirmed, this could be the most compelling evidence yet of biological activity beyond our solar system.

“This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there,” said Professor Nikku Madhusudhan, who led the study. “If this association holds, then this planet could be teeming with life.”

The detection is currently at a confidence level of 99.7%—high, but still below the five-sigma threshold required for a scientific confirmation. Nevertheless, the coincidence between the fictional story and the cutting-edge science unfolding now has captured the imagination of local readers and scientists alike.

Space Kids – The Journey of Hope was the debut novel of Alan Nettleton, who penned his first children’s sci-fi novel during lockdown. His work encourages curiosity about science and space exploration in children aged 8–12 and has been praised for its blend of adventure, optimism, and scientific accuracy.

“It just goes to show the power of storytelling,” Nettleton said. “I hope this inspires young people in Aylesbury and beyond to look up at the stars and wonder, ‘What if?’”

The scientific findings have been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, with more data expected in the coming years.

Space Kids – The Journey of Hope is available to purchase on Amazon. https://amzn.eu/d/j78uhH8

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NOTTINGHAM, UK. 3rd April, 2025 – 4D Biomaterials Ltd, the materials manufacturing subsidiary of 4D Medicine Ltd, a UK university spin-out company developing next-generation bioresorbable medical devices, today announced it has achieved ISO 13485:2016 certification from The British Standards Institution (BSI). 

This globally recognised quality standard for medical device manufacturing marks a critical milestone in the company’s path to market, demonstrating high quality, low risk and customer-focused manufacturing capability. 

The certification confirms that 4D Biomaterials Ltd operates under a quality management system that meets stringent international regulatory requirements — a core prerequisite for the raw materials used in medical devices seeking regulatory approvals, clinical deployment, and global distribution. As such, certification significantly de-risks the company’s commercial strategy. 

Phil Smith, CEO of parent company, 4D Medicine Ltd commented:

“This achievement is a pivotal moment for our materials manufacturing business. ISO 13485 certification validates its operational systems and sends a clear signal to partners and investors: we are ready to scale. It also reflects the maturity of our technology platform, the discipline of our team, and our commitment to executing a high-quality commercialisation strategy.”

This milestone positions 4D to accelerate the development of commercial partnerships, regulatory approvals, and revenue-generating opportunities as it advances its differentiated product pipeline toward global markets.

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London, UK. March 19th, 2025 – Trilateral Research is working to create an innovative AI-powered screening tool for early melanoma detection.

Partnered with healthcare providers, AI developers, and research institutions as part of the iToBoS Project (Intelligent Total Body Scanner for Early Detection of Melanoma), the new system will integrate AI with advanced imaging to provide a more comprehensive view of skin health. 

A key challenge in AI-driven skin cancer detection is bias, as many existing tools rely on datasets that lack diversity. This limitation increases the risk of inaccurate or delayed diagnoses, particularly for underrepresented groups. 

Trilateral is focused on minimising bias in the iToBoS tool, making it more equitable, transparent, and effective across diverse skin types. The team is also working with partners to reduce bias in AI-driven skin cancer detection, to ensure consistent and equitable outcomes for all patients. 

Trilateral evaluated the AI-driven system within the iToBoS project to ensure it operates fairly, transparently, and inclusively, with a diverse and representative dataset. 

A crucial part of this effort is the Risk Assessment Model, developed by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), which measures the reliability of the AI’s diagnostic decisions and identifies areas for improvement. Trilateral’s experts provided targeted recommendations to improve inclusivity, strengthen decision-making, and ensure the tool delivers accurate and fair diagnoses for all patients. 

Trilateral and its partners are refining how the AI processes and learns from patient data, expanding its ability to accurately detect melanoma across all skin types. By incorporating best practices for fairness and transparency, they are ensuring the system is both reliable and adaptable to real-world clinical settings. The iToBoS project aligns with Trilateral’s broader mission to ensure AI technology is used responsibly and meets ethical and regulatory standards. 

The iToBoS project is shaping the future of medical AI. By setting new standards for fairness and responsible deployment, it is paving the way for more inclusive and effective AI-driven healthcare solutions. Trilateral Research remains dedicated to advancing AI solutions that prioritise patient safety, accuracy, and fairness, ensuring that emerging technologies benefit all communities equitably. 

To find out more about Trilateral Research, its products, services or research innovations, visit: https://trilateralresearch.com/contact-us 

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NOTTINGHAM, UK. March 11th, 2025 – 4D Medicine Ltd, an emerging innovator in the biomaterials and medical device sector, is proud to announce the launch of its newly redesigned corporate website, www.4dmedicine.co.uk.

The site is designed to offer a comprehensive resource for investors, strategic partners, and healthcare professionals, highlighting the company’s groundbreaking 4Degra® bioabsorbable polymer technology and its potential to transform the medical device industry.

The new website offers information on the unique properties of 4Degra®, a next-generation bioabsorbable polymer developed to improve patient outcomes in medical device applications. 4Degra®’s unparalleled versatility and biocompatibility make it an ideal material for a wide range of devices, including those used in musculoskeletal repair, soft tissue regeneration and drug-delivery.

“4Degra® represents the next evolution in bioabsorbable materials, and this website serves as an essential tool to communicate the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for investors and collaborators,” said Phil Smith, CEO of 4D Medicine. 

“We’ve designed the site to not only inform but to also demonstrate the potential impact our technology can have in improving surgical outcomes and improving lives.”

Key features of the new website include:

The launch of this website underscores 4D Medicine’s commitment to transparency, collaboration, and ongoing innovation. The company is poised to lead the way in delivering solutions that enhance patient care and create lasting value for its partners and stakeholders.

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BOSTON, MA. January 30th, 2025 — In a groundbreaking move set to transform the way scientific research is captured and managed, Boston-based SciShield, and Groningen, Netherlands-based eLabNext, have merged to launch the world’s first and only Scientific Management Platform (SMP). The combined company has been re-branded as SciSure. Founded by scientists for scientists, SciSure delivers the unique combination of eLabNext’s Digital Lab Platform with its ELN (Electronic Laboratory Notebook) and LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) and SciShield’s comprehensive, trusted, and compliant EHS (Environmental Health & Safety) platform. The SMP will address the most pressing issues in science today: fragmented systems and the inefficiencies they create.  
 
“Scientific organizations face the costly challenge of maintaining disparate systems that burden scientists and add unnecessary cost, complexity, and risk. Today, that changes,” said Phil Meer, Chief Executive Officer. “By bringing eLabNext and SciShield together, we accelerate our vision to deliver an unparalleled scientist experience via a platform that will serve as a digital ecosystem for stakeholders vested in ensuring accurate, safe, compliant, and streamlined scientific research.”

Unparalleled Global Scale

Trust, protection, and research integrity form the core values of SciSure. The combined company offers unparalleled global scale, featuring 800+ unique customer organizations, 550,000+ research and administrative users, and 37,000+ lab groups across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. Customers include global Fortune 100 Biopharma organizations, over one-third of United States R1 Academic Institutions, and laboratories within companies across diverse industries, including healthcare, oil & gas, and food safety.
 
Research, Safety, Training, and Operations in a Single Platform

For decades, scientists, Lab Operations, Facilities Management, and EHS professionals have managed the dynamic and complex operational and regulatory requirements that span scientific organizations using fragmented technologies. These disconnected systems aren’t just inconvenient—they create significant risks. These risks include inadequate research documentation, poor IP management, loss of critical experiment data, lapses in training, compliance violations, and the mishandling of hazardous materials. The SMP mitigates these risks by creating synchronized, intelligent, and proactive data-driven insights and seamless, secure workflows to enable scientists to effectively conduct and document their research, and scientific organizations to proactively inspect, report, remediate, and, ultimately, minimize risk. Moreover, via its partner-enabled Marketplace, SciSure offers an open digital ecosystem designed for internal customer systems and third-party software vendors to seamlessly deliver third-party data and workflows into and out of the Scientific Management Platform (SMP).

“Our mission is to support scientific organizations in facilitating unburdened, uncompromised, and safe scientific advancement,” said Nathan Watson, SciShield Founder and SciSure Chief Strategy Officer. “The SMP enables fast, efficient, and more reliable decision-making, allowing scientists to focus on what they do best: advancing their scientific discoveries.”
 
A Solution Designed by Scientists, for Scientists

With scientists and researchers at the core of SciSure’s Senior Leadership Team, the Scientific Management Platform (SMP) will improve the scientist experience, with benefits including:
 
– Liberating scientists from administrative and compliance burdens
– Enhancing trust in digital solutions and accuracy of data
– Establishing a home base for planning, documenting, and organizing research data
– Streamlining and organizing multiple technologies, allowing for data from adjacent systems to be securely integrated and available to scientists within their daily workflow
 
“Scientists must have confidence and trust in the digital solutions they use. When trust goes up, speed and innovation follow,” said Erwin Seinen, eLabNext co-founder and SciSure Chief Revenue Officer. “The SMP is the ultimate home base for scientists, lab operations, and EHS professionals to thrive together,” added Wouter de Jong, eLabNext co-founder and SciSure Chief Product Officer.

Ownership

SciSure is backed by Strattam Capital. Strattam Capital first invested in SciShield in 2023 to enable the company to accelerate its pace of innovation while continuing to provide best-in-class services to its high-profile customer base. In addition, the investment provided SciShield with resources to expand its product offerings, operations, and sales teams.
 
About the SMP

The Scientific Management Platform (SMP) redefines laboratory efficiency and compliance, empowering organizations to deliver on their missions without compromise. By uniting critical systems, the SMP champions a new era of trust and innovation in digital science, fostering collaboration and liberating scientists and researchers to make the breakthroughs the world is counting on them to make.

Explore more about the SciSure vision and learn how we’re reimagining the Scientist Experience at www.scisure.com.
 
For more information, please contact:
Jon Zibell
Vice President of Global Alliances & Marketing
Jon.Zibell@scisure.com

NOTTINGHAM, UK. January 28th, 2025 – Leading UK contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Upperton Pharma Solutions, has completed the build of its new sterile manufacturing facility in Nottingham, UK.

The new facility is in addition to its existing 50,000 sq. ft facility, Trent Gateway, and the purpose-built facility has been designed specifically in line with the revised EU GMP Annex-1 regulations. The 7,000 sq. ft facility will support the manufacturing of aseptic and terminally sterilised small volume liquids and powders for parenteral, nasal and pulmonary delivery.

The new facility has the capability to support formulation development, clinical manufacture and analytical testing, with batch sizes of up to 2,000 vials, pre-filled syringes and pre-filled cartridges for liquid formulations and pre-sterilized powders.

The expansion is a natural progression for Upperton which already develops and manufactures small molecule and biological, non-sterile, oral, nasal and pulmonary dosage forms from early development to late-stage clinical manufacture for global biotech and pharmaceutical companies. 

Nikki Whitfield, Chief Executive Officer at Upperton, said: “We are delighted to complete the build of our sterile facility. The combined experience of our leadership team in sterile facility builds and subsequent operations ensures that we are ideally placed as a CDMO partner of choice for small to mid-sized biotech and pharma looking to get into the clinic quickly with fast access to sterile manufacturing services.”

The sterile facility will feature two cleanrooms with advanced VHP isolation technology and carry out GMP manufacturing of sterile drug products making use of existing full-service formulation development and quality control laboratories.

Jon Austwick, Director of Quality and Compliance at Upperton, said: “This expansion illustrates our continued investment in our capabilities to support drug developers to scale and accelerate the path to delivering safe and effective medicines to patients. The facility has been built with the highest level of quality and is a testament to our internal teams and build vendor who have worked tirelessly over the past 12 months to bring our vision to life.” 

This investment in sterile drug product manufacturing enhances the existing service offering from Upperton, which provides formulation development across a broad range of dosage forms, clinical trial supply, and late-stage manufacturing for non-sterile dosage forms for both small molecules and biologics.

Whilst the commissioning of the facility, along with the installation and validation of new equipment continues, Upperton will utilise existing expertise within its research and development and analytical teams to support the pre-formulation and stability studies for early proof-of-concept products for parenteral, nasal and pulmonary delivery. 

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CARDIFF, UK. December 11th, 2024 – Epilepsy Alarms has announced it is now providing EpiMonitor for the first time in the UK. EpiMonitor is the world’s most advanced system for epilepsy monitoring and seizure detection. Designed for people living with epilepsy, this innovative system integrates cutting-edge wearable technology and real-time monitoring to improve safety and peace of mind.

Developed by Empatica, a global leader in wearable health technology, EpiMonitor features the EmbracePlus smartwatch— which is MHRA registered and CE certified in the UK and FDA cleared in the US . EpiMonitor is suitable for adults and children aged 6 and up. This powerful system ensures accurate seizure detection, robust data analysis, and seamless caregiver communication.

Key Features of the EpiMonitor System

1. Industry-Leading Seizure Detection Accuracy
Utilising advanced algorithms with 98% precision, EpiMonitor detects potential generalized tonic-clonic seizures and alerts caregivers via automated calls and SMS, complete with GPS location.
2. Customisable Sensitivity Settings
Users can adjust detection precision to suit their lifestyle, reducing false alarms and tailoring functionality to individual needs.
3. Comprehensive Health Tracking
Beyond seizure alerts, EpiMonitor tracks daily health metrics such as sleep quality, physical activity, and seizure events. Users can share this data with healthcare providers to improve treatment outcomes.
4. Easy-to-Use and Durable Design
The EmbracePlus smartwatch boasts a sleek, waterproof design, always-on E-Ink display and a battery life of up to seven days, ensuring comfort and continuous monitoring. It also includes a digital clock-face, function indicators and a scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 screen.

Why EpiMonitor Is a Game-Changer in Epilepsy Care

Epilepsy affects over 600,000 people in the UK alone, making reliable seizure detection and health monitoring crucial for many families. EpiMonitor sets a new standard with its blend of advanced technology, user-friendly functionality, and focus on personalized care. It’s more than a device—it’s a lifeline.

“EpiMonitor is a revolutionary step forward in epilepsy care,” said Stewart Smith, Director at Epilepsy Alarms UK. “We’re proud to partner with Empatica to bring this life-changing technology to our community, providing families with unparalleled support and peace of mind.”

Availability and Pricing

EpiMonitor is now available exclusively through Epilepsy Alarms UK, a trusted provider of epilepsy-specific safety solutions. To learn more or purchase, visit the Epilepsy Alarms website or contact our customer service team at 0800 180 88 33  or  email support@epilepsyalarms.co.uk.

FRAMINGHAM, MA. December 10th, 2024 – Today, eLabNext announced that its customizable Digital Laboratory Platform can integrate with SPT Labtech’s compact, user-friendly barcode reader, BioMicroLab Scan. The free add-on can be accessed through the eLabMarketplace, eLabNext’s application library for extending and personalizing platform functionality, enabling users to rapidly scan and decode the broadest range of tube racks on the market, including cryotubes, cryovials, cryoboxes, glass vials, and ANSI/SLAS microplate standard labware. 

By adding the BioMicroLab Scan application to eLabNext’s platform, users can work with confidence, knowing that sample identification, even for extensive sample libraries, is taken care of. The connection between the BioMicroLab Scan and eLabNext also gives users a quick and easy way of storing integral sample data in the platform. Automatic transfer of information ensures research integrity and data integrity so scientists can focus more time and effort on other tasks.

“The integration of the BioMicroLab Scan with eLabNext will bring seamless data tracking to more labs,” says Cory Tiller, Product Manager for Sample Management at SPT Labtech. “The combination of eLabNext’s approachable platform and the Scan’s flexibility means that any lab with 2D barcoded tubes can go from sample creation to inventory update in moments.”

“Today’s labs require seamless automation and integrations, so we’re always on the lookout for any tool that helps our users circumvent issues with sample management and tracking,” comments Zareh Zurabyan, Head of eLabNext, Americas. “By allowing users to integrate the BioMicroLab Scan with our platform, they can secure their samples with one of the most versatile laboratory barcode readers on the market, and scale their lab operations efficiently.”

The BioMicroLab Scan can capture and decode SBS format racks in less than 1 second and 81/100/196 cryobox formats in less than 2 seconds. It also features compatibility with cold environments, which is essential for any laboratory personnel in the life science industry and users of the eLabNext platform. 

GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS. October 30th, 2024 — eLabNext, a leading provider of digital lab management solutions, is proud to announce a major shift in its brand positioning, consolidating its three flagship products—eLabJournal, eLabInventory, and eLabProtocols—into one unified, centralized platform: the Digital Lab Platform (DLP). 

This transition is designed to address the evolving needs of research scientists, providing a secure, efficient, and collaborative environment for achieving accelerated and reliable research outcomes.

This new platform combines the power of an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) and Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), streamlining research processes while fostering seamless collaboration.

“Our customers have been instrumental in driving this change,” said Erwin Seinen, Managing Director at eLabNext.

“Centralizing our products into one Digital Lab Platform is the natural answer to their needs. Lab work has evolved drastically over the past 15 years since we started building eLabNext, and so has our platform. We are not just adapting to this evolution—we’re pushing the whole ecosystem further. This step is a bold move in our history, and we are confident it will elevate research in a way that’s never been done before.”

The previous approach of offering three separate tools is no longer sufficient for the modern laboratory environment. Scientists now require a secure, easy-to-use, and centralized platform that allows them to collaborate effortlessly and streamline workflows. This is where the DLP comes in, tackling the problems of siloed data, inefficient research processes, and compliance challenges.

To support this shift, eLabNext has launched a redesigned website featuring simplified navigation and new, dedicated pages explaining the key features of the ELN and LIMS capabilities within the DLP. These work alongside clear and comprehensive explanations of the platform’s tools, functionalities and benefits and an enriched resource section to help users better understand how eLabNext can transform their lab work.

The website is designed to clearly communicate the concept of a Digital Lab Platform and provide valuable information about how it integrates inventory, sample, and experimental data management into one efficient system.

Since its founding in 2010, eLabNext (formerly Bio-ITech) has been at the forefront of developing digital solutions for life science laboratories. Milestones include the launch of eLabInventory and eLabJournal in 2011, strategic alliance with Eppendorf AG in 2015 and the launch of the eLab Marketplace for customizable lab software add-ons in 2020. The latest innovation includes the launch of the new eLabNext Developer platform and an upgraded Sample and Inventory System.

Now, with the unification of its products under the DLP, eLabNext is setting a new standard for lab management systems.

The primary audience for this new platform includes scientists and researchers in biotechnology and academia. Additionally, those working in analytical, diagnostic, clinical, and chemical R&D labs will benefit from the platform’s centralized, secure, and compliant solution that accelerates research outcomes and improves collaboration.

By breaking down the silos between inventory, sample, and experiment management, eLabNext provides the solution to siloed lab operations, collaboration challenges and inefficient workflows.

Visit www.elabnext.com to explore the new platform and learn more about how eLabNext can help accelerate reliable discoveries with a Digital Lab Platform built for modern research needs. 

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