On Wednesday 21 May, Charles River Laboratories welcomed guests to its Portishead site for the second annual Innovate South West open day—a celebration of science, collaboration, and innovation in the region.
The event brought together researchers, industry leaders, and innovators to showcase the South West’s growing life sciences ecosystem. With a packed agenda of expert talks, lab demonstrations, and poster sessions, attendees had the opportunity to explore cutting-edge scientific developments and connect with peers across the sector.
We were delighted to be invited to speak on behalf of the University of Bristol’s Translational Research Hub, as well as South West Life Sciences. Highlights from an excellent lineup included:
- Professor David Wraith – Founder of Apitope and Professor of Immunology at the University of Birmingham.
- Professor Darryl Hill – Co-founder of PoreSafe and Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Bristol.
- Dr Louise Brackenbury, Dr Lynsey Chatham, and Dr Claire Richards – from Charles River Biotherapeutics Division – sharing insights into immunology, infection, and cutting-edge technologies such as Retrogenix® Cell Microarray platform.
Molly Chilton, Senior Scientist, Charles River Laboratories, said:
“Charles River’s Portishead site, a hub for expertise in cell biology, immunology, infection, and pharmacology, launched this event series to strengthen connections across the life sciences sector and promote the region’s outstanding scientific capabilities.
“A special thank you goes to our speakers, lab demonstrators, poster presenters, and organisers for making the day a resounding success.”
