Touchlight Genetics, an expanding UK biotech company that has developed an enzymatic process of DNA synthesis that is fast, efficient and has a yield that meets growing demand for DNA, has installed a UV sterilisation cabinet supplied by Cleaver Scientific of Rugby to ensure a clean, safe and contained environment for preparation of its samples and templates.
Hampton, Middlesex-based Touchlight's dbDNA expression cassettes eliminate the need for bacterial sequences and antibiotic resistance genes in the production of biological therapies, satisfying concerns from the industry’s main regulatory bodies – the US FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA). This novel technology provides a near-term manufacturing solution to a key bottleneck in the production of innovative therapies.
The CleanView range of UV sterilisation cabinets from Cleaver Scientific provide a sterile contained environment for the preparation and manipulation of sensitive biological samples. Acting as a low-cost alternative to a cleanroom, powerful UV lights in the cabinet are used to denature nucleic acids in 5 to 30 minutes, rendering them unsuitable for amplification. White light provides excellent visibility when working within the cabinet.
The cabinets incorporate safety features to prevent user exposure to UV light; the UV lights are timer controlled, and safety switches on the cabinets doors automatically turn the UV lights off when opened. The cabinet also acts as an efficient shield from radioactive beta emissions, and can therefore be safely used with isotopes such as 32P.
Dr Lydia Hunter, a Research Scientist at Touchlight Genetics, commented: 'We have made good use of our UV sterilisation cabinet from Cleaver Scientific, which enables us to prepare our RNA and DNA samples and templates in a clean, safe and contained environment.
'Cleaver Scientific has been extremely supportive in ensuring that its product is well maintained and meets our requirements.'
