A £750,000 ($1 million) global collaboration has been launched to advance next-generation vaccine technology. 

iiDiagnostics (iiDX), a company formed by the Infection Innovation Consortium: iiCON, and Canadian biotech Eyam Health have launched a collaboration to bring forward Eyam Health’s novel vaccine technology using advanced automated organoid models.  

This £750,000 ($1 million) international initiative will combine Eyam’s advanced vaccine design and delivery platforms with world-leading automated organoid technology from iiCON’s lead partner, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), to accelerate the R&D and testing of vaccines against infectious diseases.   

The project will be the first commercial project to be carried out in the state-of-the-art Liverpool Robotic Infection Research Laboratory being delivered by iiCON and LSTM, worth £20 million ($27 million).  

The first category three level robotic laboratories in the UK, this world-leading facility is equipped with liquid handling, robotic systems and analytical equipment – providing industry and academic collaborators with the containment and research capabilities to safely tackle high-risk global infectious diseases.   

“This collaboration allows us to test and validate both our Gemini and Jennerator platforms in a human-relevant model under fully automated, high-containment conditions,” said Ryan Thomas, CEO of Eyam Health.  

“Together with iiDiagnostics and LSTM, we are designing a new blueprint for speed, scalability, and precision in vaccine development — one that doesn’t rely on cold-chain, in vivo testing, or outdated delivery systems.”  

“This partnership represents a critical step in demonstrating how the Liverpool Robotic Infection Research Laboratory can support innovation-led companies like Eyam,” added Professor Janet Hemingway, iiCON Founding Director. 

 “The project will not only advance next-generation vaccine candidates, but will support the development of a commercially viable service offerings for the broader biotech sector —bolstering leading-edge infection innovation and making a key contribution to UK and Canadian pandemic preparedness.”  

Bruno Quinney, Content Team, DDW