Rediscover Measurement for Recovery to help your business
Since March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected businesses. Last summer, the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at LGC, in partnership with other National Measurement System Laboratories, launched Measurement for Recovery (M4R), a programme developed to help companies across the UK to recover in the challenging economic environment resulting from COVID-19, by giving them access to the expertise and resources of the UK’s leading measurement science laboratories.
Since its launch, Measurement for Recovery has provided support for over 400 UK businesses from across the UK, with over 80% micro or small businesses. Given the challenges brought by the pandemic, this programme allows was set up to allow for quick and easy applications with short turnaround times.
M4R helped across diverse sectors energy, life sciences, health, consumer products and materials testing, increasing commercial opportunities, accelerating delivery and catalysing further investment in R&D.
At the NML, our scientists have supported organisations with a range of challenges, including the development of forensic technology to identify individuals, supporting the improvement of drug delivery challenges in precision medicine, as well validating methods to address the effective treatment of chemical compounds in commercial water applications for environmental benefit.
Bridge Farm Group
Improving the safety of novel food products
Bridge Farm Group are developing a novel technique for Cannabidiol (CBD) purification for novel food applications aligned around the health benefits of natural plant extracts. The NMLs expertise in the development of bespoke methods for CBD analysis has assisted to optimise and validate their methods in order to achieve the high sensitivity and robustness required to determine controlled cannabinoid content. Through M4R, the NML have addressed the measurement challenges and given the company the confidence to seek investment to commercialise and scale up to enable their entry into a fast growing and expanding market of CBD based consumer products worth £300 million annually.
“Our collaboration with the NML has given us access to the very highest standard laboratory testing and analytical expertise. This collaboration is also helping us optimise our own in-house methodology and testing standards for the future development of our business”
Highfield Diagnostics
Supporting development of rapid tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2
Highfield Diagnostics are working to develop a lateral flow test for the rapid and cost-effective detection of the SARS-CoV-2 at the point-of testing. The NML helped optimise their existing method to improve assay performance which has helped accelerate their route to commercialisation. Through the development and commercialisation of a COVID-19 rapid test, it stands to assist the government’s test, trace and isolate strategy to help assist with containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Getting critical feedback and support from a subject expert at the National Measurement Laboratory, we believe will be absolutely valuable and will help accelerate the development of our SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test”.
M4R remains open to all registered UK companies and can provide expert advice (consultancy) and analytical support for projects at no charge (up to 20 days) to address issues including design, manufacturing, production and processing, regulatory compliance and product development. M4R is being funded by the Department for Business, Energy, Innovation and Skills (BEIS). If you are interested in accessing the UK’s measurement expertise, you can apply through the M4R website.
M4R was one of the many programmes running at the NML during 2020. For more highlights, including further COVID-19 work, new reference materials and the launch of a new training platform for analytical scientists, read our 2020 Annual Review