Base to Base biotech podcast 17: Silico nanoparticle gene delivery, and diagnosing urinary tract infections

This week, our subjects are a silica nanoparticle gene delivery system in a conversation with Nigel Theobald, CEO of N4 Pharma, and a point-of-care diagnostics system for urinary tract infections developed by Welsh company Llusern Scientific. We spoke with the company's co-founder and CEO, Dr Emma Hayhurst.Interview times:03:00 N4 Pharma 24:45 Llusern ScientificN4 PharmaN4 Pharma is a UK biotech company developing a silica nanoparticle gene delivery system called Nuvec.Nuvec is being used to enable advanced therapies for cancer and other diseases. N4 Pharma has developed a pre-clinical RNA therapeutic, N4 101, which is a patient-friendly orally delivered inflammation inhibitor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using Nuvec.N4 Pharma announced positive results from its first in vivo study, which explored the therapeutic potential of orally administered Nuvec particles loaded with siRNA alone and combined with mRNA.We had a conversation with Nigel Theobald, CEO of N4 Pharma, about the company and its work.Llusern ScientificLlusern Scientific is a treatment-directing molecular diagnostics company, developing fast, accurate, and accessible tools to guide real-time clinical decision-making at the point-of-care.Its solution, Lodestar DX, is a portable diagnostic device that delivers lab-accurate results for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in around half an hour.As well as providing guidance on the best treatment option based on the specific microbial infection, Lodestar DX also provides a clear ‘rule-out’ decision where antibiotics are not necessary, helping to reduce antimicrobial resistance through antibiotic stewardship.Our guest on the podcast is Llusern Scientific co-founder and CEO, Dr Emma Hayhurst.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]