Research reagents – selling online
Research and Innovation Services (RIS) supports our researchers wishing to make their reagents available to other research teams across the world. This usually involves an academic receiving a request for materials and RIS negotiating a material transfer agreement (MTA) with the external researcher’s institution, following which an amount of the reagent can be sent out.
If a reagent turns out to be popular, this conventional route can quickly put a burden on the research team.
Passing on the burden
It’s now becoming common for academic reagents to be purchased directly from online catalogues, rather than by contacting a PI. Selling research reagents through a catalogue means that the licensed company becomes responsible for manufacturing the reagents, quality control, shipping and addressing queries from the recipients. Ordering online is generally much faster and repeat orders are easy. Many academics also prefer the anonymity of buying reagents from a catalogue.
RIS has built good relationships with various reagent companies such as Ximbio (CRUK), Millipore, Tocris and Cayman Chemical. For example, Tocris sell chemical tools for life sciences researchers working in pre-clinical drug development, both in academia and industry. The range of their catalogue is broad – covering small molecules, including PROTACs, and peptides e.g. for endogenous signalling, or inhibitors of key pathways. Their interest spans most of the obvious therapeutic areas, such as cancer, immunology and neuroscience. In particular, they have a need for tools, compounds and modulators in the area of neglected tropical diseases.
We have licensed an increasing number of reagents for research use over the past few months, and now the researchers involved can direct any enquiries to the catalogue entry, relieving the burden. In return, the University receives a modest royalty.
So, how can you get your research reagents out of the lab and into the hands of a catalogue company?
RIS can help determine the right pathway for your reagents.
Please contact Rachel Simpson, Technology Transfer Manager in RIS.
