Key events

2005

 January

• January 2nd: Commissioning of the production platform for prototype low-density biochips (the OpenBiochip Center) as part of the collaboration between Genopole® and Serial Genetics.
  
• January 31st: As part of Biolink, Genopole® organizes a “Business Development Road Show”. This event enabled start-ups from the Genopole campus (and indeed from across Europe) to present their development strategies to their peers, major biopharmaceutical companies (Sanofi-Aventis, Serono, J&J, Eli Lilly) and investors and thus to sketch out new collaborations.
  
   February
  
  
• Texcell moves into 2nd floor premises (1052 m2) in the Genavenir 5 building, featuring a sophisticated set of L2 and L3 labs.
  
• February 7th: The AFM (the French Muscular Dystrophy Association), Genethon and Genopole® organize a colloquium entitled “In vivo imaging: from the cell to the small animal”, presenting examples of currently available imaging techniques and those under development.
  
• February 24th : Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Ile-de-France Regional Council, holds a press conference to announce the region’s three “Competitiveness Cluster” projects in response to the French government’s call for proposals:
   MediTech Santé Paris-Region, dedicated to advanced technologies for healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
   System@tic Paris-Region, devoted to software and complex systems.
   Cap Digital, focused on new content markets (images, multimedia, digital living).
  
   March
  
  
• The Laboratory for Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biophysics (BioMoCeTi, led by Mahmoud Ghomi) inaugurates its new premises on the Genopole® campus. The activities of this Evry-based group essentially involve optical techniques at the interface between physics and biology.
  
• IntegraGen moves into 400 m2 of additional premises in the Genavenir 8 building.
  
• March 3rd: Biomethodes leaves the Genopole® Entreprises second-stage business incubator and moves into its new premises in the Genavenir 8 building, on Genopole® Campus 1. This new 815-m2 area (fitted out by the SEM Genopole® real estate company) will enable Biomethodes to reinforce its protein optimization platform and invest in new equipment.
  
• March 3rd: Foundation at Genopole® of GeneCust, offering the scientific community a novel “one-stop shop” portal to a wide range of custom genomics and proteomics services.
  
• March 30th - April 1st: Genopole®, the Essonne Economic Development Agency and the SEM Genopole® real estate company are invited by the CQIB (a Quebec-based incubator) to participate in its 10th birthday celebrations in Montreal, in conjunction with the Biomedex business convention. In addition to dialogue with the CQIB and the “Cité de la Biotech du Grand Montreal” on good business incubation practice, this delegation created broader links with the key players in the Quebec biotech and healthcare sectors.
  
   April
  
  
• April 4th: By comparing the genomes of several species of wheat, researchers from Genoscope and the Plant Genomics Research Unit have revealed the novel genetic mechanisms underlying the cereal’s evolution (The Plant Cell, April 2005).
  
• April 4-8th: Fourth Spring School in Montpellier. As the high point of the Epigenomics Program’s forums, this thematic, 1-week training course brings together more than 80 participants for a series of scientific seminars and working groups. The course (strongly supported by the CNRS and Genopole® ) has become a benchmark for the European modeling community.
  
• April 12th: Opening of the Center for Exploration and Experimental Functional Research (CERFE), offering services to the region’s public/private sector scientific and industrial communities.
  
• April 25th : Nautilus announces the development of a class of molecules with optimized biological and pharmacological properties. This could mark an important step towards the development of new-generation gamma interferons.
  
   May
  
  
• May 2nd: Truffle Venture, a innovation-focused European fund management company, makes a €3.5 million majority investment in Theraclion. Theraclion has received extensive business support from Genopole® and specializes in the therapeutic applications of high-intensity ultrasound.
  
• May 23rd: IntegraGen collaborates with the French Autism Foundation on the creation of a DNA sample bank as part of its validation studies on a diagnostic test for autism.
  
• May 26th: AOK Engineering launches commercialization of the DATAVEIN, a novel, non-invasive device for treating a wide range of vascular conditions.
  
• May 26th: Collaborative work involving Patrick Curmi’s research group (in the Biomolecular Structure and Recognition Laboratory) has revealed the mechanism of action of vinblastin (a cancer drug) on its target tubulin, a key protein in cell division. The research published in Nature (May 26th 2005) should make it easier to design effective anti-tumor compounds.
  
• May 31st: ObeTherapy and Zambon Group reach a first milestone in their search for treatments for metabolic diseases such as dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome and obesity.
  
   June
  
  
• The CEA Functional Genomics Service publishes (in Radiation Research)the results of its work on the effects of very low doses of ionizing radiation (such as those delivered during X-ray examinations, for example) on the genomes of human epidermal cells. These results will enable the use of new markers of exposure to ionizing radiation.
  
• June 6th: PartnerChip (a Genopole®-incubated company offering a range of services in the field of DNA microarrays) becomes an official Affymetrix service provider.
  
• June 13-17th: As part of the Nirvana thematic program (New Integrative Research Visions and Novel Applications), Genopole’s® Epigenomics Program hosts a number of prestigious visitors from France and worldwide. This think tank features the views of many world-renowned experts.
  
• june 14th: Biomethodes finalizes a collaboration agreement with the French Army Medical Service’s research center. On June 20th, Fidelis BioTech (Biomethodes’ gene synthesis department) completes a 17,600 base pair synthesis program. On June 25th, Biomethodes celebrates the success of its collaboration with the BioMerieux group which has improved the characteristics of an antibody by applying Biomethodes’ exclusive, patented Massive Mutagenesis® technology.
  
• June 30th: Installation of a silanization facility (cutting-edge equipment for producing biochips) in Genewave’s premises as part of the agreement between Genopole® and the Ecole Polytechnique elite engineering school.
  
   July
  
  
• The SEM Genopole® real estate company agrees to sell a 6,400 m2 plot to a hotel group with a view to construction of a 72-room, 3-star hotel at the heart of Genopole® Campus 1.
  
• July 5th : In collaboration with the Genoscope lab, the research groups led by Didier Raoult (CNRS/University of the Mediterranean) and Jean-Michel Claverie (CNRS) sequence the genome of the bacterium Rickettsia felis.
  
• July 6th: Nokad closes a €450,000 seed funding round with Cap Décisif (a Paris-based seed capital fund) and the Genopole® Day One seed fund. Founded in January 2004 (following a 2-year incubation by Genopole® Entreprises), Nokad has developd unique know-how enabling the in vivo functional knock-out of one or several proteins via induction of a specific autoimmune reaction in the animal host.
  
   August
  
  
• August 4th: Prefectoral approval of operation of a medical irradiator under environmental legislation for high-risk industrial sites.
  
   Fall: 3 new landscaped areas are set out on the Genopole® Campus 1 site; in parallel, a major construction site opens in order to prepare access to the 5 new office/lab buildings for which construction permits have been granted. The LEPHE (Laboratory for Exercise Physiology Studies) and a branch of the IGNA (the Nantes-Atlantique Genetics Institute) move into the Genavenir 3 bis building. Celogos, Centaure Metrix and MacDermol move into the Genopole® Entreprises/CCIE second-stage business incubator.
  
   September
  
  
• Serono (the Swiss biotechnology group which acquired Genset in 2002) confirms the relocation of its Serono Genetics Institute research center from Evry to Geneva.
  
• September 19th: ovagali Pharma confirms the success of the Phase I cancer trial of its oral formulation of Paclitaxel. Nova12005 opens up the way to new approaches for treating taxane-sensitive tumors.
  
• September 26-30th: For the third year in a row, Genopole® organizes a session of the Advanced Introductory Week in Postgenomic Biology. With scientific support from campus researchers, the basics of postgenomic biology were taught to modelers (computer scientists, mathematicians and physicists).
  
   October
  
  
• Genopole® officially accredits the Laboratory for Polymeric Materials at Interfaces, led by Loïc Auvray. The research theme of this multidisciplinary group of chemists and physicists focuses on macromolecule transport through natural and synthetic nanopores, together with the synthesis and in vivo & in vitro analysis of non-viral “polymer vectors” for use in gene therapy.
  
• October 11th: Texcell signs a exclusive agency contract in Japan with the Itochu consortium.
  
• October 18th: Jean Kadouche (Chairman and CEO of MAT Biopharma) wins the “Biomanager of the Year” prize awarded at the annual Biorif business convention organized by the Ile-de-France Regional Council.
  
• Genopole® accredits four new enterprises. Acriter Consulting offers drug development consultancy and training services to pharma companies and start-ups. Drugabilis is a CRO specializing in pharmaceutical developability. MacDermol focuses on the design of compounds used in the prevention and the treatment of ageing-related conditions. Celogos develops autologous cell therapies.
  Following the shutting down of Anosys, Genopole® and the Genethon laboratory have decided to take over the company’s GLP-level premises. Genopole® has leveraged this acquisition by providing Genethon with materials and equipment for facilitating the transition from cell therapy to gene therapy. The objective is to produce the first clinical batches in 2006. These combined efforts will help anchor biomanufacturing activities on the Genopole® campus.
  
• October 17th: In collaboration with the Science and Technology Office at the French Consulate in Boston, Genopole® is co-organizing the French-American Innovation Day (FAID) at Harvard Medical School, on the theme of gene therapy.
  
   November
  
  
• The LaMI (Computer Science Laboratory) and LSC (Laboratory for Complex Systems) merge to create a new joint CNRS- University of Evry Val d’Essonne research unit (IBISC - Informatics, integrative biology and complex systems), led by Etienne Colle. This merger will become effective on January 1st 2006 and results from the will to develop complementary IT and automation methods and tools for application to living systems, synthetic complex systems and the interactions between humans and these systems.
  
• November 4th: A medical irradiator is installed on campus and will help the cluster’s public and private sector scientific community to perform research work with therapeutic outputs.
  
• November 7th: Jean-Claude Muller is elected as President of the MediTech Santé Paris Region competitiveness cluster (since renamed as “Medicen Paris Region”), with Pierre Tambourin (CEO of Genopole®) as Vice President.
  
• November 8th: Aymeric Dugray (PDG of Nokad) receives the annual Innovation Prize awarded by the Essonne Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
  
• November 14-18th: This first annual “European Seminar on Complex Systems” brings together 450 scientific specialists seeking to widen their knowledge via dialogue on concepts, models and theories. A satellite workshop is held at Evry.
  
• November 17th: Integragen raises 8 million euros in its second round of fundraising. The funds will enable the enterprise (which specializes in predictive medicine) to finalize the development of its genetic screening tests and to start commercialization.
  
   December
  
  
• Thierry Mandon (President of Genopole® and Vice President of the Essonne General Council) is elected as the Nouvel Economist magazine “Man of the Year” for the Paris Ile-de-France region in the “Public Commitment” category, in view of his significant contributions to Essonne-based clusters.

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