Newsletter
—————-23 April 2024 —————–
Welcome back to the Trinity Term 24! Oxford University Biotech Society successfully concluded this year’s IGNITE programme last term, and this term we are committed to bringing more high-quality hashtag#biotech events to you.
Next week, we are hosting Andy Clayton for a talk and a Q&A session at Jesus College on 29th April, Monday. Andy is the founder and CEO of Fermtech, a serial entrepreneur, and an Oxford biology alumnus.
Fermtech produces affordable, animal-free protein for the food industry by combining the ancient process of solid-state fermentation with some modern biotechnological magic. They grow protein-producing micro-organisms on the waste grains left over from brewing, creating a circular food economy (and keeping costs low).
The company is offering internships in Oxford this summer, and this is a great opportunity to connect with the CEO himself. Come along to join a discussion about his journey from university to hashtag#entrepreneurship as a hashtag#neurodiverse scientist.
—————-7 March 2024 —————–
Celebrating Success of Oxford University Biotech Society IGNITE Programme 2024!
Last Friday marked the culmination of an incredible journey for our student biotech startup community at the University of Oxford! From innovative ideas to groundbreaking pitches, it was truly inspiring to witness the passion and dedication of all participants throughout this event.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our esteemed panel of judges for their invaluable expertise and guidance throughout the event: Claire Shingler from BioEscalator, Katharina Ramshorn from Oxford Science Enterprises, Nenad Svrzikapa from Orfonyx Bio, and Peter Crane from Caeruleus Genomics. We are immensely grateful for your time, dedication, and commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders in the biotech industry.
A special shoutout to our sponsors — BioEscalator, Oxford Science Enterprises, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Eppendorf — whose generous support made this programme possible and offered the best prize for the winner (including 4-month lab space, $5000 non-dilutive funding, consumable package, and patent support). We couldn’t have done it without you.
And now, without further ado, let’s give a round of applause to our incredible winner Jhanna Kryukova, Prof Shoumo Bhattacharya, and the team of Omnitide Therapeutics! The spinout aims to develop peptide-based chemokine network neutralising inhibitors to combat inflammatory diseases. Congratulations on your well-deserved victory! Your hard work, creativity, and determination have paid off, and we can’t wait to see where your journey takes you next.
Here’s to continued success, growth, and innovation in the exciting world of biotechnology. Let’s celebrate the successful closure of this year’s programme (big thanks to our Committee team!) and look forward to IGNITE 2025!
—————-25 November 2023 —————–
Registration Open for OUBT IGNITE Programme
Are you passionate about revolutionising the biotech industry and turning your ideas into thriving ventures? Look no further! We’re thrilled to introduce Oxford University Biotech Society’s Entrepreneurship Programme, IGNITE, which will take place over Hilary Term 2024. The programme is designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to succeed in the ever-evolving world of biotechnology.
There is no need for you to have an idea already, as, over the course of the programme, the combination of lectures, workshops, and mentorship will no doubt spark ideas that you will nurture, cultivate and ultimately pitch by the end of the programme! Don’t worry about forming a team now either. The programme is designed to help you meet talented people from all backgrounds and, hopefully, find your co-founders!
This is an excellent opportunity to develop and pitch your own biotech idea with help from industry leaders, academics, and VCs alongside other Oxford students. Don’t miss this chance to propel your biotech dreams into reality and join us at our programme!
IGNITE has already resulted in many successful biotech start-ups and you may be next. Now the registration form for the programme is open! Please follow the link HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVooxdchUMpoosQC6wsAUcwYbqUzzrtEs7z7c2EUpszgultw/viewform
—————-20 November 2022 —————–
OUBT OxBioHack 2023 – Ended with A Resounding Success!
As we conclude the intense one-day event of OUBT OxBioHack 2023 this past weekend, it’s time to reflect on an incredible day of innovation, collaboration, and the boundless possibilities that arise when minds converge. We brought together 40+ students from different backgrounds, among which 5 teams were formed, all with marvellous ideas and executions. We are so proud and surprised to see how much everyone accomplished in the mere course of 6 hours.
Looking Forward:
While the event has concluded, the journey doesn’t end here. We encourage all participants to carry the spirit of OxBioHack forward, fostering the relationships formed and transforming innovative ideas into reality. The deadline may have passed, but the opportunities that sprouted from OxBioHack are just beginning to blossom.
Thank You:
A massive thank you to Jonathan H Chan and Kriszta Józsa from Oxford University Biotech Society, Hera Brown from OUComSoc, and Maximilian Lin from Oxford Personalised Medicine Society for co-organizing this exceptional event, as well as our judges Benjamin Schuster-Böckler and Max Rath for dedicating the day to the event.
Let’s continue this journey of exploration, collaboration, and innovation. Until the next OxBioHack! See you in 2024!
—————-19 September 2022 —————–
Harvard Medical School Stealth Spinout: Fall Research Internship Opportunity
Overview:
A Harvard Medical School stealth spinout is offering a paid research internship opportunity to a clinical trainee, PhD, MS or final-year undergraduate student.
The internship will chiefly focus on scientific assessment of proteins and pathways of interest, scientific literature reviews, basic patent searching and target and asset prioritization. The research intern will be expected to prepare written materials supporting their analyses and present their findings. The post will require approximately 5-10 hours of work per week for a duration of 3 months, with an option for extension for exceptional performers. The position poses a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in biotech company building and drug discovery. The intern will be paid a competitive salary at an industry-standard rate.
Qualifications/Requirements:
- Must be a graduate student (PhD, MD, MS), clinical resident, or senior undergraduate student, conducting biomedical research at a top institution
- Strong scientific acumen and curiosity, ability to navigate biomedical fields including gene therapy and molecular and cell biology. A basic understanding of the drug discovery process is helpful, but not required.
- Excellent communication and writing skills, proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel
- Resourceful, proactive, and independent: able to function at a high level with intermittent supervision
- Meticulous attention to detail and organization
About the Company:
The company is developing a novel gene therapy delivery modality for an array of rare diseases. Work to date has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Harvard Medical School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a number of U.S. venture capital funds, including the Harvard Innovation Lab’s Allston Venture Fund, backed exclusively by six funds: Bain Capital, General Catalyst, Polaris Partners, Highland Capital, Underscore VC and GETTYLAB.
Application Submission:
All applicants should use the following link to apply: https://us1qkh6xiow.typeform.com/to/pGsxMiwf