London, UK, 9 October 2007. Plasticell Ltd is delighted to note that Sir Martin Evans, a founding member of the company’s Scientific Advisory Board, has been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine together with Mario Capecchi and Oliver Smithies for their discoveries of “principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells”.
The Nobel Prize recognizes Sir Martin’s pioneering work at the University of Cambridge during the 1980s when he was the first to isolate stem cells from the early mouse embryo and to use these to produce genetically modified mice. In so doing Sir Martin established the field of embryonic stem cell research and laid the foundations for gene targeting in mice, a technology used today throughout biomedicine to create mouse models of human disorders.
Dr Yen Choo, Plasticell’s CEO, commented: “On behalf of everyone associated with the Company I would like to proudly congratulate Sir Martin on this richly deserved award. He has been immensely supportive of Plasticell’s scientific work since its inception and yesterday’s announcement inspires all of us to strive harder towards his vision of the next phase of embryonic stem cell research, the development of therapies for human disease.”
Martin Evans sits on Plasticell’s Scientific Advisory board alongside Nick Allen, Andrew Griffiths and Aaron Klug the 1982 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry.
About Martin Evans
Professor Sir Martin J. Evans FRS was born 1941 in Great Britain. He obtained his PhD in Anatomy and Embryology in 1969 from University College, London. Most recently he was Director of the School of Biosciences and Professor of Mammalian Genetics, Cardiff University. For more information see http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2007/press.html
About Plasticell
Plasticell is a privately held, London-based biotechnology company using innovative, high throughput stem cell technologies and novel drug discovery platforms to dissect the mechanisms leading to differentiation of stem cells, the master cells responsible for tissue development and repair. Plasticell’s research focus is to discover regenerative small molecule drugs. The company also forms industry alliances by partnering its Combinatorial Cell Culture™ technology for high throughput stem cell differentiation to derive cell lines and reagents for research and therapy applications. For more information please visit the company’s website: www.plasticell.co.uk