Despite the bitter cold on Monday, Dr. Russ Johnson and I were pleased to welcome representatives from AcroBiosystems to the UW-Madison College of Engineering for an introductory visit.
Headquartered in Newark, DE, with international branches, AcroBiosystems is a leading biotech company specializing in the development and manufacturing of recombinant proteins, antibodies, and other essential reagents. Their work supports the advancement of therapeutic antibodies, vaccines, and diagnostics. The company is actively seeking to expand collaborations with researchers and biotech companies in the Midwest.
At the College of Engineering, we are proud of our strengths in regenerative medicine, biomedical engineering, and materials science—areas that align closely with AcroBiosystems’ business focus.
The visit was attended by five distinguished representatives from AcroBiosystems:
- Melissa Delgado, Senior Regional Manager (Pacific Northwest, Midwest & Canada)
- Megan Cox, Associate Regional Manager (Midwest & Eastern Canada)
- Michael Friedman, Corporate Business Development Director
- Larry Yu, Director of Sales (US)
- Rebecca Warfield, Field Application Scientist (US)
Our discussions covered a range of topics, including upcoming engineering building projects, potential co-marketing opportunities, and areas for research collaboration. The representatives also toured our research labs to explore partnership opportunities. Over the course of four hours of meetings and tours, we highlighted several key research areas at the College of Engineering, including:
- Label-free metabolic flow cytometry and custom microfluidic devices led by Dr. Amani Gillette in the Skala lab
- iPSC stem cell manufacturing and clinical research with primate model led by Dr. Igor Slukvin
- Biomimetic stabilization technology for room-temperature lipid nanoparticle storage led by Dr. Bill Murphy
In summary, this introductory visit was a success, providing both UW-Madison and AcroBiosystems with a deeper understanding of each other’s capabilities and collaboration needs. We see several promising opportunities moving forward:
- Co-marketing initiatives, including naming contributions to our new engineering project
- Research collaborations leveraging the company’s products and services
- Investment in UW-Madison’s stem cell-related startups
In preparation for the visit, our Office of Corporate Relations facilitated the signing of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) between AcroBiosystems and UW-Madison, enabling a more detailed exchange of information during the visit and future communications. Our UWCoE alum, Dr. Craig Fieschko from Dewitt LLP, also joined us in the summary chat, willing to step in for engagement with WARF for IP-related discussions if needed. In the end, the group will gather in-person at the Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium in town for the next steps.
As a leader in stem cell research, UW-Madison welcomes additional industry collaborations to advance this groundbreaking technology. Companies interested in partnering with us can contact xiujuan.zhang@wisc.edu and/or russ.johnson@wisc.edu.