Oxford University Spins Gold

The sidebar in the article "Oxford's Knack for Spinning Gold" contained several factual inaccuracies and omitted some of the factors that are vital to the success of the Oxford cluster of spin-off companies (C&EN, Sept. 24, page 54).

In 1992, PowderJect was a spin-off from the engineering science department.

In 1997, Opsys was not based on Paul Burns's work but on that of Victor Christou (Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory) in collaboration with Oleg Salata from my department, engineering science. We actually made the devices based on rare-earth molecular compounds in our laboratory in the period from 1996 to 2000. Burns joined the advisory board after the company was formed.

In 2000, Oxford Biosensors was founded by Peter Leigh of the engineering science department and me working with Luet Wong and Allen Hill of the department of chemistry. The prototype devices were all made in the engineering science department.

Much of the success at Oxford depends upon the collaborative interdepartmental links and enterprise culture that has grown in the past 10-15 years. This is further exemplified by the success of Brian Bellhouse's company PowderJect, which has been the focus of a relationship with Teknikos leading to the funding of the new Institute of Biomedical Engineering. The institute links engineering scientists and clinicians and has led to many advances in life-enhancing activities in diagnostics, drug delivery, and patient care. Many of the companies named in the article are also based at the university's new Science Park at Begbroke, which provides a unique and dynamic set of facilities for young high-technology companies, especially those requiring access to good materials characterization facilities.

Peter J. Dobson
Oxford, U.K.

C&EN replies: The box accompanying this story was not meant to imply that all the companies listed were spun out of the university's chemistry department. The list serves as an indicator of the wealth of chemistry-related spin-offs at the university—in turn an indicator of the richness of chemistry—related science to be found throughout the university.