Research Reagents

Deriving Value from Research Tools

Your Research Reagents are valuable

Antibodies, cell lines, proteins, DNA constructs, plasmids and other reagents generated

by researchers are key to much laboratory biological research.

The availability of research reagents is vital for the research community and a number of

commercial companies have been set up to meet this need by supplying reagents.

These companies are keen to acquire licences to supplies of reagents from University

researchers. Cambridge Enterprise has established a service to enable this in a

straightforward way. Researchers who developed the material share in the returns from

any sales of the reagents according to the University’s revenue sharing policy.

What advantages are there in a company distributing yourmaterials?

There are a number of advantages for licensing research reagents to companies.

● Availability Allowing companies to hold stocks of research reagents developed within

the University means that they are available worldwide at short notice to the whole of

the scientific community. Cambridge Enterprise usually licenses reagents under non-

exclusive agreements to ensure that there is no monopoly of supply.

● Convenience Maintaining and distributing the reagents is the responsibility of the

company, allowing the developers of the material to concentrate on research.

● Financial Return Revenue generated by the licensing of research reagents is shared

according to the University’s revenue sharing policy.

Cambridge Enterprise also ensures that the researcher, who developed the material, is free

to continue to distribute it as they wish to academic colleagues and collaborators.

Which materials can be licensed?

Antibodies and hybridomas are the biggest group but purified proteins, DNA constructs

and other materials are also often licensed.

How can you make your material available?

● Contact Cambridge Enterprise or complete a Cambridge Enterprise reagent

disclosure form. Electronic versions of this can be found online at:

www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk/library-i.php

● Completed forms can be e-mailed to: reagents@enterprise.cam.ac.uk

● Cambridge Enterprise will acknowledge receipt of your disclosure and will contact

you to discuss your reagent and the options for commercialisation.

● When a company expresses a wish to take a licence, Cambridge Enterprise will consult

you, negotiate the terms and put in place the appropriate agreements.

● Cambridge Enterprise will work with you to transfer the material to the company.

Cambridge Enterprise will also ensure that any royalties are collected and shared

with you.

If you have any queries, please e-mail: reagents@enterprise.cam.ac.uk or

telephone: +44 (0)1223 760339

Some of the companies who are working with Cambridge Enterprise include:

Further Information

For further information please contact:

Cambridge Enterprise Limited, University of Cambridge

Hauser Forum, 3 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0GT

Tel: +44 (0)1223 760339

Fax: +44 (0)1223 763753

E-mail: reagents@enterprise.cam.ac.uk

Web: www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk

Cambridge Enterprise Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Cambridge. It is

responsible for the commercialisation of technology arising from the University’s Departments.

Cambridge Enterprise Limited is registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 1069886.

Registered office: The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TN.