Arcis Biotechnology expands presence at Sci-Tech Daresbury with move to Techspace One

Arcis Biotechnology, a research and development led company with expertise in creating a wide range of fast sample preparation technologies have expanded its presence at Sci-Tech Daresbury following a sustained period of growth.

Previously based at the Innovation Centre and ITAC Laboratory within the campus, Arcis has moved its operations to a new 2,109 sq ft facility in Techspace One, a laboratory and office building for companies
from sectors such as biomedical, materials, process technology and clean technology.

Techspace One comprises high-quality facilities for science and technology companies developing or upscaling their business. The three-storey multi-let building provides a combination of circa 33,000 sq ft of wet and instrumentation laboratories, grade A office accommodation, meeting hubs and break out areas.

The move has allowed Arcis Biotechnology to consolidate its laboratory and office teams into the same workspace, comprising 997 sq ft of office space and 1112ft of lab space, enabling greater collaboration and knowledge sharing between different elements of the business.

Arcis has designed and custom-built its own laboratory space in order to ensure it fully services the company’s specialist requirements, with manufacturing, R&D, cleanroom, testing, packing and labelling
facilities all incorporated in one facility.

Dr Jan Rogers, chief scientific officer, Arcis Biotechnology said:

“Sci-Tech Daresbury has proven a perfect home for our business in recent years, and has provided the support that has proven crucial to our expansion. It’s testament to the flexibility of the site that our ongoing growth can be accommodated within the campus.

“Our new facilities will be crucial for our future work as we look to expand our technology into next generation sequencing within cancer diagnostics as well as infectious diseases for clients across the UK, Europe and North America.

“Techspace One is the perfect platform for us to accelerate our operations and get our sample preparation solutions to the healthcare and scientific professionals who need them.”

John Downes, group chief executive of Langtree and chair of the Sci-Tech Daresbury company joint venture said:

“Arcis Biotechnology is a perfect example of the sort of business that we’re proud to have at Sci-Tech Daresbury and Techspace One - the company’s journey and the ease of the transition to its new location within the campus embodies the “home for life” concept that is so important to us.

“Arcis’ innovative, forward-thinking and ambitious work over recent years has rightly resulted in a growing demand for its services and I’m sure that will only increase as a result of the move to the tremendous new facilities at Techspace One.”

In recent months, Arcis Biotechnology has developed its Coronavirus RNA extraction research kit in response to the shortage of chemicals available for diagnostic testing. This enables users to go from biological sample to downstream testing in under three minutes in most situations and provides all of the necessary reagents to rapidly prepare respiratory tract specimens of molecular testing.

The kit serves as a starting point for collaboration with healthcare organisations and Arcis is currently in discussion with numerous NHS trusts regarding its use.