Establishment of Leaf Systems International Limited

Established as a joint venture between PBL, JIC and the BBSRC, Leaf Systems is a new company that will deliver both translational and commercial R&D projects utilising the proprietary Hypertrans® plant expression technology.

Hypertrans® is used for the production of high-value products in plant tissues, and was developed by Prof George Lomonossoff and Dr Frank Sainsbury at the JIC, winning them the BBSRC Innovator of the Year Award in 2012.  The technology is already in commercial use for the development and manufacture of human and animal vaccines.  Leaf Systems will act as a bridge between academic and commercial users of the Hypertrans® system, building on existing avenues of exploitation and developing new and exciting applications for its use, such as plant metabolic engineering.

A bespoke building is taking shape on the Norwich Research Park to house the company, and Leaf Systems will open its doors for business in Q1 2017.