Discovery Center of AstraZeneca @AstraZeneca

Pharmaceutical giant AstrazZeneca wants to take over the Chinese company Gracell Biotechnologies in order to strengthen its cell therapy projects in a deal worth up to $1.2bn.

In 2021, Metrion Biosciences moved into its labs in Cambridge, UK. © Metrion Biosciences Ltd

Cambridge-based Metrion Biosciences Ltd has secured £3.5m in new equity financing – led by Maven Capital Partners and a £1m contribution from existing investor, Gresham House Ventures.

Under a high magnification of 10,000X, this digitally-colorized scanning electron microscopic (SEM) image shows a strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria taken from a vancomycin intermediate resistant culture (VISA). © CDC/Janice Haney Carr

Swiss LimmaTech Biologics and AbVacc Inc have agreed to co-develop AbVacc’s preclinical Staphylococcus aureus vaccine LBT-SA7 (formerly IBT-V02) in case of Phase I success.

© wikipedia.org - Richard Ying et Tangui Morlier

The French Republicans have tabled a bill in the National Assembly aimed at banning the commercialisation of cell-based meat in France.

Aerial view at EFPL where the technology was established. © EFPL

Lausanne-based Vandria SA has cashed in CHF18m in a Series A financing led by ND Capital to drive clinical development of VNA-318.

© Nature Design - pixabay.com

Antibiotics specialist Antabio SAS has raised €25m in a Series B financing round with subscriptions from the AMR Action Fund, the EIC Fund and from existing investors.

Coffee cell cultures. © VTT

Scientists led by Heiko Rischer from the Finnish research centre VTT have published the proof of concept for cell-based coffee production.

Spanish outgoing Agriculture Minister Luis Planas presenting the results of the Agriculture on Monday evening. © CE

At the EU Council (10-11 December), agriculture ministers did not reach the qualified majority required to adopt the adapted version of the EU Commission’s draft regulation on new genomic techniques.

Carthera SA

Sorbonne University spin-out Carthera SA has closed its Series B financing round with an additional investment of €4.5m at €42m to launch clinical trials.
 

©UK.gov

On the occasion of SynbiTECH in London, British Science, Research and Innovation Minister, Andrew Griffith, unveiled a £2bn strategic 10-year plan to foster engineering biology.