GenomeKey

Continuing our Employee Spotlight series, we would like to introduce Dr Clio Andreae, our Senior Scientist and Quality Representative, based in Bristol at Science Creates. Clio has a background is in Molecular Microbiology, with a focus on antimicrobial and vaccine drug discovery. Clio says; “In 2020, I was introduced to two founding members of GenomeKey through a mutual contact. They were seeking advice from a Bristol Microbiologist in bacteria and antimicrobial resistance. Their mission to combat AMR through a rapid diagnostic test resonated deeply with me and I was pleased to hear that they subsequently got funding and that I was able to join their small team of 6.    My role is interdisciplinary, bridging scientific research, engineering, and machine learning to develop GenomeKey’s sample preparation technology for isolating bacteria from human whole blood. I also support the machine learning teams with the development of our AMR prediction pipeline. Beyond R&D, I contribute to clinical collaborations by training NHS staff on our sample preparation procedure and delivering talks about our mission. As Quality Representative, I lead the implementation of ISO 13485 procedures, essential for securing regulatory approval for our software and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products   Since I joined GenomeKey it's been wonderful to see the team grow and see the company succeed. I look forward to continuing to help the team develop a diagnostic through to clinical trials. After having worked behind the scenes in my previous job roles, I am excited to be involved in areas that directly interact with clinicians. It's always great to see the excitement of doctors when I describe what I am working on and hearing how impactful our diagnostic device could be on healthcare and the fight against AMR.”

GenomeKey Appoints Randy Pritchard as New Chair of the Board GenomeKey is pleased to announce the appointment of Randy Pritchard as the new Chair of the Board. Randy brings over two decades of executive leadership experience in the diagnostics and biotechnology industries, with a proven track record in organisational leadership, commercial strategy, and operational excellence. Randy previously served as CEO and Board Member at Pillar Biosciences, where he led the company's growth and strategic initiatives. Prior to that, he held several senior leadership roles at Roche Diagnostics, including Senior Vice President positions in Marketing and Lifecycle Leadership for Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Core Reagents. His expertise spans sales and marketing, business development, new product launches, and team leadership. "We are thrilled to welcome Randy as our new Chair," said Dr. Michael Roberts, CEO of GenomeKey. "His extensive experience in diagnostics and his strategic vision will be invaluable as we continue to advance our groundbreaking GenomeKeyDx device and work towards our mission of building a world where nobody dies from a treatable infection." Randy holds an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University. He is recognized for his ability to build and scale successful cross-functional organisations, mentor high-performing teams, and drive business growth through innovative strategies. "I am excited to join GenomeKey at such a pivotal time," said Randy Pritchard. "The company's innovative approach to rapid bacterial detection and antimicrobial resistance prediction has the potential to transform infectious disease diagnostics. I look forward to working with the board and the management team to accelerate GenomeKey's growth and bring this vital technology to the market." With Randy's appointment, GenomeKey is poised to strengthen its strategic partnerships, expand its commercial activities, and continue its mission to revolutionise sepsis diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship. About GenomeKey GenomeKey is a biotechnology company developing a 7-hour, whole genome sequencing diagnostic solutions for infectious disease. GenomeKey aims to transform the detection and identification of bacterial pathogens directly from whole blood samples, predicting antimicrobial resistance within hours. The company's flagship product, GenomeKeyDx, is set to revolutionise sepsis diagnostics and improve patient outcomes worldwide. For more information, please visit genomekey.com

The UK government has recently released its annual English Surveillance Report on antimicrobial use and resistance for 2023 and 2024, with a particular focus on bacteremia. The report indicates a 3.5% increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among selected pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which are major public health concerns. This ongoing rise in AMR underscores the urgent need for the development of rapid diagnostic tools to detect antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. GenomeKey is addressing this need with the development of an in vitro diagnostic test for bacterial species identification and AMR profiling, capable of providing results directly from blood samples in just 7 hours.

Employee Spotlight: As part of a new series, let us introduce you to our Head of Engineering, Matt Davies. Matt is based at our research and development facility in Bristol, UK and has been part of the GenomeKey team since February. Matt says, “GenomeKey has already developed software to speed the treatment of sepsis by identifying bacterial strains in blood, and any antimicrobial resistance, via Whole Genome Sequencing. They've developed a biochemical process to enable the WGS, at sensitivities equivalent to the gold standard, in a timeframe that allows more effective treatment. I'm leading the engineering team that is automating that biochemical process and developing an instrument that can be placed into any hospital or clinical microbiology laboratory to speed up the time from sample to targeted, more effective, treatment and to reduce the workload on clinical scientists while still enabling them to process more samples more rapidly.   GenomeKey's focus on finding a solution to a problem that is affecting more and more people around the world, and becoming harder to treat as antibiotic resistance increases, initially attracted me, but the great leadership team, the truly collaborative attitude of the people here and the caring, supportive, but still fast paced and intellectually demanding environment that has been created, keep me excited to start work every day.”

Today, the United Nations is holding a General Assembly High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance 2024 today to highlight the urgent threat posed by AMR. This meeting is pivotal in raising global awareness and galvanizing action to combat this silent pandemic. We at GenomeKey are working towards improvements to diagnostics by providing a rapid bacterial species and AMR profiling IVD for bacterial blood stream infections. Our diagnostic will help curb the spread of AMR, ensuring patients are put onto the right treatment within just 7 hours, saving patients lives. Watch the live stream here

Join Michael Roberts, our CEO, as he discusses GenomeKey's journey and reveals key strategies for scaling a biotechnology startup. Don't miss his talk at the Panel Discussion hosted by SETsquared Bristol on October 9th!

We are excited to announce that GenomeKey are Corporate Supporters of Science Creates Outreach! GenomeKey is building a world where nobody dies from a treatable infection by transforming diagnostics with their next-generation IVD device, which maps the right antibiotic to the right patient, in just hours. The specialist team delivers a variety of inspiring workshops in The Learning Lab to educate the next generation of scientists, so we are thrilled to have them in our network of supporters and to be working with them to make a difference. If your company would also like to make a big impact in the community, be celebrated for your social commitments and enjoy an exclusive package of resources and support from us in return, please click here to get in touch: https://lnkd.in/eTh4Kwue #TheLearningLab #STEM #outreach #inspiringthenextgeneration

We're thrilled that GenomeKey has been awarded $11.4M to transform sepsis diagnosis and treatment. Read more👉https://bit.ly/4dqjMOa The major grant was from Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) to build a functioning, automated prototype of their desktop diagnostic device.👏👏 The Bristol-based company joined our incubation programme in 2020 with a vision to build an in vitro diagnostic device that would completely transform the way we diagnose and treat sepsis and other bacterial infections. GenomeKey’s next-generation device will be able to detect and identify bacteria directly from patient blood, delivering a full antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile in just hours. Michael Roberts, GenomeKey CEO, said: “We have a vision of the world where nobody dies from a treatable infection. Right now, the gold standard test takes too long and has a high false-negative rate. We’re giving clinicians the information they need, much faster, so they can deliver rapid diagnostics testing and precision medicine for a more targeted treatment. #Healthtech #Biotech #Startups #Founders #Incubator #Accelerator

CARB-X is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to supporting early-stage antibacterial research and development to address the rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria. They awarded GenomeKey US$11.4 million to continue their important work developing a next-generation in vitro diagnostic device that’s set to become the new standard for bacterial identification. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/dxmw9Z4b

This major grant of US$11.4 million was awarded by global non-profit CARB-X. The CARB-X portfolio is the world’s most diverse antibacterial R&D portfolio. Erin Duffy, Ph.D., R&D Chief of CARB-X says, “It is imperative to direct treatment quickly with the right antibiotic treatment, and GenomeKey’s technology has the potential to help practitioners direct the appropriate treatment by delivering a phenotypic antibiotic sensitivity prediction based on rapid whole genome sequencing direct from blood.” Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/dxmw9Z4b