An exclusive license agreement has been signed between SATT Nord and SAS Gènes Diffusion, through its subsidiary GD Biotech, for the development of a screening kit for a biomarker predictive of health and productive longevity in cattle.
This license follows a three-year collaboration between SATT Nord and Gènes Diffusion SAS, a company specializing in genetics and animal reproduction in cattle, pigs, horses, and rabbits.
The licensed technology is the result of a research project led by Eric Viscogliosi, research director at the CNRS and head of the Ecology and Physiopathology of Intestinal Protozoa (ECOPHIP) team at the Lille Center for Infection and Immunity (CIIL), and carried out by Magali Chabé, Senior Lecturer in Parasitology and Mycology at the University of Lille.
The CIIL, located on the campus of the Pasteur Institute in Lille, develops research projects on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases with the aim of applying this knowledge to the development and improvement of their diagnosis, as well as vaccines and treatments. The CIIL covers a wide range of disciplines, including Parasitology. ECOPHIP, which focuses its research activities on the molecular epidemiology and pathophysiology of the intestinal protozoan parasites Blastocystis and Cryptosporidium by combining field studies and laboratory research, enjoys national and international visibility and recognition.
"The fact that we were able to join this project in co-maturation, with the bipartisan agreement of SATT Nord and GD Biotech, the private partner with whom we had already co-published, was a reassuring factor for us academics. This project was an opportunity to apply one of our discoveries in human health to the agricultural world (i.e., animal health), and thus to capitalize on our results through a European patent, perfectly meeting the institutional requirements for capitalizing on our research results.
The financial and human involvement of SATT Nord was a real asset in bringing this project to fruition, which also reinforced the interest in my research topic (the impact of intestinal parasites on the intestinal microbiota) within my laboratory." Magali Chabé, Associate Professor at the University of Lille.
The co-maturation project consisted of detecting a biomarker in bovine intestinal microbiota and diagnosing it using a rapid method. This element of intestinal microbiota is associated with greater bacterial diversity, leading to better stimulation of the animals' immune systems, which will be more resistant to various infectious episodes. This biomarker can be detected relatively early in heifers, for whom it will be predictive of their ability to achieve greater longevity in milk production. By producing more during their career as dairy cows, these animals will show greater efficiency in terms of their carbon footprint.
This joint development between the teams at SATT Nord, Gènes Diffusion SAS, and CIIL, with a €200,000 investment from SATT Nord, has made it possible to develop the technology taking into account the specific needs of Gènes Diffusion and to meet its market expectations. This public-private partnership via co-maturation, a major asset for the development of innovations, received support from the Hauts-de-France Region via ERDF funding of €67,722 as part of the Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth initiative, and opens the door to further collaborations in the field of natural antibiotics.
"It was through Magali Chabé and Eric Viscogliosi that we were put in touch with GD Biotech's Christophe Audebert, which enabled us to work smoothly, efficiently, and calmly. Christophe introduced us to Gènes Diffusion's business and the issues associated with it. The teams at SATT Nord, CIIL, and GD Biotech quickly agreed on the co-development program and the terms for using the technology if the licensing option was exercised. With a better understanding of the technical issues faced by GD Biotech, SATT Nord naturally returned to Christophe, without waiting for the end of the project, to propose two other projects currently under evaluation. We can expect this to be the subject of a future press release." François-Xavier Denimal, Head of the Health Business Unit at SATT Nord.
"SATT Nord has enabled us to forge links between our colleagues in academia and ourselves, who are focused on applied research. Beyond this initial project, SATT Nord took the time to understand the scope of our activities. This allows us to test solutions, often developed in the field of human health, in our areas of application. Today, with the growing awareness that global health depends on agriculture, it is easier to motivate academic researchers who have historically focused on highly clinical applications. SATT Nord has understood these challenges and is helping to build the necessary bridges. Christophe Audebert, R&D Director at GD Biotech.
The project received ERDF funding of €67,722 as part of the Smart, Sustainable, and Inclusive Growth initiative.