A Norwich-based start up company, Glyconics, has won an £85,000 government grant for a feasibility study on low-cost diabetic screening in developing countries. Working with Diabetes Africa and Université Catholique de Bukavu, the six-month project will start with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has the fifth highest incidence of diabetes in Africa. Glyconics’ technology uses infra-red spectroscopy to analyse samples which produce a distinctive molecular fingerprint of diseases such as diabetes at the point-of-care.
Glyconics CEO Dr Kam Pooni said: “Until now, infra-red spectrometry technology was too large to be used outside of a hospital and could only be undertaken by highly trained staff in a laboratory....our portable handheld device and algorithm is highly innovative and impactful. It’s also simple to use, requires no blood and there is no expensive single-use plastic cartridges to be disposed of afterwards.”
Glyconics, based on Meridian Business Park, secured the phase 1 grant from the Global Challenges Research Fund. Meanwhile, an FT-backed innovation website, Sifted.eu recently listed Glyconics as one of the “80 standout European start-up pioneers driving seismic change in the post-pandemic world.”
Photo: Bukavu, where the six month screening programme is focused.
