Magnitude Biosciences

Magnitude Biosciences is a specialist contract research organisation (CRO) that spun out of Durham University in 2018. The company was co-founded by Professor David Weinkove, a biologist with extensive expertise in C. elegans and ageing biology, and Dr. Chris Saunter, a physicist who developed the core technology. Weinkove's desire to improve his own research efficiency and apply the strengths of C. elegans studies to industrial challenges was the catalyst for the company's creation. Dr. Fozia Saleem joined as CEO in 2022 to spearhead the company's growth and commercial strategy.

The firm provides preclinical research services by using the nematode worm, C. elegans, as an in vivo model to test compounds for various industries. Its business model operates on a fee-for-service basis, offering customised assays and research projects to clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech, nutrition, and consumer goods sectors. This approach allows companies to accelerate early-stage R&D, de-risk more expensive rodent studies, and gain insights into the efficacy and toxicity of their compounds.

At the core of its service is the proprietary WormGazer™ platform, an automated imaging technology that monitors large populations of C. elegans. This system continuously captures multi-endpoint data on metrics related to healthspan, such as mobility, to provide a comprehensive profile of a compound's effect on ageing, neurodegeneration, and toxicity. Unlike traditional manual observation, the WormGazer™ platform provides scalable, reproducible, and rich data sets, significantly reducing the time and costs associated with preclinical screening. The company offers services in areas including ageing, microbiome, neurodegeneration, and toxicity, and can create custom transgenic worm models tailored to specific research questions.

Keywords: contract research organisation, CRO, C. elegans, preclinical research, drug discovery, toxicity testing, ageing research, neurodegeneration, automated screening, in vivo testing, healthspan, compound screening, WormGazer, biophotonics, drug development, lifespan assays, phenotypic screening, research services, longevity, small molecule screening