Biotech Booster funding for Haplotagging

The UG/UMCG Biotech Booster project, Haplotagging, has been granted €200,000 in funding from the National Growth Fund. The funding will be used for the further development of Haplotagging’s innovative genotyping platform.

Revolutionizing genotyping: five times cheaper and faster

Haplotagging was initiated by Prof. Frank Chan (Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, UG) and Prof. Gerton Lunter (Faculty of Medical Sciences, UMCG). Their technology addresses a persistent challenge in genetics: the high cost of genotyping. Current methods are expensive to develop and to apply, limiting their use in key areas such as plant and animal breeding.

Haplotagging’s one-platform-fits-all solution eliminates costly development steps and reduces running costs by at least a factor of five, unlocking new opportunities in seed and animal improvement. Traditionally, seed and animal improvement — often led by Dutch companies — has had a huge influence on society’s food security. However, there is an urgent need for more efficient solutions to develop varieties that are resilient to climate change, resistant to disease, and adapted to local conditions. This makes efficient and affordable genotyping solutions such as Haplotagging more important than ever.

Funding, mentoring, and access to a network of investors

Funding from the Biotech Booster programme will enable Haplotagging to conduct a feasibility study assessing both the technical and commercial potential of its platform. The project team will also receive expert mentoring and gain access to a broad network of entrepreneurs and investors to strengthen their business development strategy and explore the establishment of a start-up company.

New Biotech Booster funding opportunities

Until November 30, researchers can apply for new Biotech Booster funding up to €200,000 per project. The UMCG Innovation Lecture on November 4 will be entirely dedicated to Biotech Booster. The session will begin with an introduction to the Biotech Booster programme and feature a short presentation by the award-winning BiloMedics project led by Prof. Folkert Kuipers, followed by a Q&A session.

More information:

• The invitation
• Frank Chan
• Gerton Lunter
• Biotech booster