Glasgow firm’s software aims to speed up cancer research

Glasgow firm DeepMatter has signed a contract for its technology to accelerate drug development at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute.

 DigitalGlassware will be installed by the commercialisation and development arm of the Glasgow-based institute to speed up the sharing of data with its partners in China.

DigitalGlassware is a cloud-based platform on which scientists can record experiments and their results in minute detail. Research partners can view the database anywhere in the world, in real time, meaning work need not be duplicated and speeding up new drug development.

Its aim, using artificial intelligence, is to allow many experiments to be carried out automatically using robotics.

DigitalGlassware is expected to be deployed in China later this year.

DeepMatter Group chief executive Mark Warne said: “We are very proud to be working with Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, one of Europe’s leading cancer research centres, and delighted that through the use of our technology, DeepMatter is able to support them in their life-saving work.

“The difficulty in consistently reproducing quality chemistry globally is an issue that continues to plague chemists. DigitalGlassware addresses this problem and we believe it has the potential to transform the industry.”

In December last year, DeepMatter announced a deal for pharma giant AstraZeneca to use DigitalGlassware for drug development and in February it signed agreements with the universities of Leeds and Nottingham.

The Beatson, one of Europe’s leading cancer research centres, supports research into the molecular mechanisms of cancer development.

Justin Bower, joint head of the Drug Discovery Unit and Head of Chemistry at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, said: “We know that improved reproducibility in our work, particularly when achieved across multiple sites, will lead to enhanced productivity and a faster speed of discovery. DeepMatter’s technology is some of the most innovative we have seen to date and we look forward to working with them test its capabilities.”