Collaboration with Suppliers: Another Way to Engage in Transfer Activities
Over the past two years, we have established a wide range of partnerships with scientific equipment suppliers with the ultimate goal of promoting advanced research that can lead to future results which can be transferred to industry.
The first case was with PerkinElmer, a company we have collaborated with for years, through the temporary lease of new state-of-the-art equipment. Having this new instrument has enabled our researchers to explore the possibilities of chemical analysis and its application across various environments. For PerkinElmer, it meant having a space available to hold demonstrations for potential customers and offer workshops and training sessions to current customers. The opinions of IQS researchers and users of the instrument have also been very valuable. When IQS later acquired the ICP-MS Single Particle Single Cell instrument, a new opportunity opened up to offer an industrial doctorate focused on studying these techniques in nanotheranostic treatments. Connecting business and higher education clearly represents another way to engage in research and technology transfer.
The second case involves our work with Sciex and the creation of a joint laboratory at the IQS campus, the Sciex-IQS Demo Lab. This collaboration is based on the acquisition of an LS-MS/MS QTOF instrument by IQS, the temporary lease of an LC-MS/MS QTRAP instrument from Sciex, consulting from a Sciex applications expert, and the incorporation of an IQS researcher. Similar to the previous case, the objective is to advance the use of this analytical instrument’s applications in various chemistry and bioanalysis fields. Potential customer visits, training sessions, and personalized activities with Sciex’s customers at IQS facilities are just some of the advantages Sciex gained through the partnership. In addition, the instrument’s operation, its potential for applications, and addressing possible challenges that could arise using it can also be monitored on a daily basis.
We could also highlight other cases that are already underway and new ones that we’re working on, but we’ll save that for another day.
Today I would like to take the opportunity to share news about the organization of two sessions IQS held this June in collaboration with both PerkinElmer and Sciex.
Specifically, on 21 June, the “State-of-the-art technologies for the pharmaceutical industry” session was held jointly with Sciex. Topics covered ranged from the sensitivity of an instrument such as the QTRAP 7500, the bioanalysis applications in the ZenoTOF 7600 system, and the new Sciex OS 2.2 software.
Subsequently, on 22 June, the “Innovations in ICP-MS: advanced solutions in metals analysis” session took place. This collaboration between PerkinElmer and IQS focused on increasing knowledge about the ICP-MS and ICP-MS Multiquadrupole techniques, as well as their future potential. The session also featured attendance by speakers from Carburos Metálicos, the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, and the University of Zaragoza.
In both cases, the sessions ended with a visit to the facilities and friendly, natural dialogue between the attendees and the speakers who noted that the sessions were extremely interesting and worthwhile.
Dr Núria Vallmitjana
Director of IQS Tech Transfer
