2022 has been a historic year for Antibody Analytics, one that we’re incredibly proud of. But where do we begin? The world of life sciences is fast-paced and ever-changing, fuelled by new discoveries. Innovation is at the core of our industry. We’re creators. We collaborate, we invent, and while our role is at the beginning of the drug development life cycle, we change lives.

Between opening our bespoke facility in Motherwell and expanding our immunology research services, there have been a host of triumph moments that have kept us on our toes.

With so much to celebrate and 2023 right around the corner, what better time to reflect on our highlights from the past 12 months?

Expanding our Immunology Services 

So many immunotherapies are being developed that aim to replicate, simulate, hijack, or rejuvenate our immune systems. Therefore, there is a considerable and growing demand for immunology expertise.

In 2022, we invested heavily in this side of the business, and customers from all over the world engage with us to undertake complex immunology services. With highly skilled immunologists on our team and trusted partnerships with respected organisations, we are strategically placed at the centre of a rich ecosystem of knowledge and innovation. This was recognised by Made in Scotland, who awarded us with the accolade of Life Sciences Company of the Year.

By expanding our immunology services and building on years of experience in the field, we have turned the traditional CRO model on its head. Undertaking long-term contracts, we support clients from the earliest and most scientifically challenging stages of their drug development journey right through to clinical trials.

This year, we’ve made this new approach official. Reflected in our new website, communications and customer conversations, we’re proud to show the scientific world how we can support clients from concept to clinic. 

Innovation in cell line engineering 

Our in-house research and development team is one of the many golden threads at Antibody Analytics. Housing a team that’s bursting with knowledge and ideas has enabled us to achieve remarkable things, including the development of ground-breaking technologies and platforms.

Way back in 2020, we had an idea to develop a cell line platform designed to address an unmet need within our industry. Fast forward to 2022, and with the help of a successful 18-month grant-funded project, we have created two novel cell line systems, both of which are now the subject of separate patent applications.

As a result of these innovations, and following the successful completion of our Innovate UK SMART award , we established an entirely new cell line development service, an area we have seen flourish into a formal offering within our operations team in recent months.

This new service area has been incredibly valuable to us, with the cell line development projects we have undertaken often leading to additional projects requiring expertise from our other service areas. Together, these capabilities allowing us to conceptualise and deliver bespoke solutions to meet our client’s challenges. 

Opening the Antibody Analytics Discovery Centre 

After two years and several COVID-19 delays, we were thrilled to finally open our new Discovery Centre in 2022.

Funded in part with support from Scottish Enterprise, the new centre is ten times larger than our previous base, and the first phase of the building is already fully operational. Moving to and owning a 2,000 sqm purpose-fit facility gives us the freedom to recruit more budding scientists in the future and expand into additional service areas. We can now accommodate upwards of 200 employees, a number we will strive to achieve in the coming years.

With an increased demand for expertise in immunology research services, we aim to position ourselves as a global market leader in complex immunology and primary cell systems. The new premises allows us to strengthen our services and support clients throughout the drug development process. 

Looking Ahead to 2023 

The team at Antibody Analytics will certainly be leaving 2022 with a smile on their faces. It’s been a phenomenal year. One to celebrate. With 2023 just around the corner, we’re not showing any signs of slowing down!

By the end of next year, we aim to complete the second phase of our relocation by preparing the next phase of our new facility. This will allow us to further support our new service areas, collaborate more effectively and accommodate a growing workforce.

Since the beginning of 2022, we have employed 24 new teammates, and by the end of 2023, we hope this number will have at least doubled. By welcoming new talent and an increased capacity for research and development, we'll continue to create innovative technologies that provide exceptional results.

In providing an end-to-end service for our clients, we look forward to being assisted by some new partners in 2023 who can offer complementary support to our customers during the most challenging stages of drug development.

On top of all that, we're planning for further growth in our immunology and cell line development services, including launching our new platform system that seeks to solve a critical problem for cell therapy developers.

As we close out the final chapter of 2022, the Antibody Analytics story is nowhere near its end. There’s so much to look forward to in the year ahead, and we can’t wait to see where our journey takes us next. We have our lab coats and goggles at the ready, and we’re up for the challenge!