Bangor exploits cell spotter

Engineers at University of Wales, Bangor, have joined forces with a new biomedical company in the United States to exploit an electronic method for rapidly detecting cancer cells.

Developed by a team led by Bangor's Ronald Pethig, the technique can distinguish cell types by their response to an electric field. It will be exploited by California-based Aura Diagnostics, which hopes soon to finalise Pounds 3-4 million in backing from venture capitalists. Bangor, as holder of several of the company's patents, is to be a shareholder.

Linda Foster, president and co-founder of Aura Diagnostics, said that the company's Bay Area base allowed it to tap into the region's pool of specialist engineers, biologists, biochemists, managers and investors. Ms Foster said: "We felt the area would be the best location to move the project forward quickly. We believe we will have the technology on the market in about three years."