The growing complexity of genetic payloads in cell and gene therapies is creating new manufacturing challenges, increasingly seen as a critical bottleneck in the development of next-generation treatments.

Edinburgh and London, UK, 23 March 2026 – Lentitek Ltd has entered into a commercial collaboration with ViroCell, incorporating the licensing of Lentitek’s proprietary technology to support advancements in lentiviral vector production.

Through this collaboration, Lentitek’s intellectual property and vector engineering capabilities will be combined with ViroCell’s GMP manufacturing expertise, enabling the production of more advanced and complex vectors required for gene-modified cell therapies.

Lentitek operates across Edinburgh and London, developing innovative technologies aimed at improving the reliability, safety and scalability of lentiviral vectors, which play a central role as delivery mechanisms in many emerging therapies.

ViroCell, headquartered in London, is a specialist CDMO focusing on vector optimisation and the GMP manufacture of lentiviral vectors for clinical use.

Drawing on decades of experience in viral vector design and more than 200 GMP production runs, ViroCell has established itself as a key partner for developers seeking to refine vector performance for both clinical development and commercialisation.

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr Adam Inche, CEO of Lentitek, said:
We are delighted to combine the technologies that Lentitek has developed with ViroCell’s proven expertise in lentiviral vector manufacturing. Current lentiviral vector production approaches can face significant challenges when confronted with the increasingly complex genetic payloads required for modern gene-modified cell therapies such as CAR-T. By combining Lentitek’s vector engineering technologies with ViroCell’s vector optimization and manufacturing expertise, we believe this collaboration will help address these emerging manufacturing hurdles.

Nicholas Ostrout, PhD, VP of Commercial Development and Corporate Strategy at ViroCell, added:
ViroCell has always differentiated itself from other CDMOs through a strong focus on vector design and optimization at the earliest stages of development to ensure effective and efficient GMP manufacturing. We call this objective derisking. Our commitment to building more intelligent and manufacturable vectors led us to the technologies that Lentitek has been developing to ensure that we continue to be the partner of choice for our innovative partners. Developers are continually requesting increasingly sophisticated vector designs, with larger payloads and polycistronic GOIs. We felt that Lentitek’s proprietary technology could further enhance our vector design approach and ensure we continue to maximize viral titers. We look forward to delivering these capabilities through this collaboration.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lentitek will provide input into the design of ViroCell’s proprietary transfer plasmid, alongside laboratory-scale production and testing services, as well as licensed access to its lentiviral vector platforms.

About Lentitek: Lentitek Ltd is an Edinburgh-based biotechnology company with laboratory operations in London. The company develops vector engineering technologies that enhance the quality, safety and manufacturability of lentiviral vectors used in advanced therapies including adoptive cell therapies and gene therapies. Founded in 2019 by Dr Adam Inche, Lentitek has raised over £1.5 million in private and grant funding and is focused on commercialising its lentiviral vector technologies.

For more information about Lentitek, visit www.lentitek.com or contact [email protected].

About ViroCell: ViroCell Biologics is a London-based viral vector CDMO advancing lentiviral and retroviral-based therapies from concept to clinic. With a team that brings over 20 years of expertise and approximately 200 GMP batches produced, the company designs robust vector strategies that consider productive titres and clinical goals from the outset. Its next-generation platforms and high-yield GMP processes enable rapid delivery- typically six months – while maintaining the quality standards required for clinical development.

 For more information about ViroCell, visit www.virocell.com or contact [email protected].

One Degree, the UK charity transforming young lives through tailored mentoring, is set to double the number of students it supports from disadvantaged backgrounds over the next three years – expanding beyond London for the first time in its history.

Through a new phase of growth alongside Ark, the charity will bring its proven mentoring programme to schools across England, reaching hundreds more young people in need of academic and personal support.

To date, 918 students from less privileged backgrounds have accessed One Degree’s life-changing mentoring programme. With seven additional schools targeted over the next three years, the charity expects to support a further 800 students nationwide.

The programme combines one-on-one mentoring, on-demand learning and career guidance, equipping GCSE-age students not only to achieve academic success, but also to build confidence, resilience and employability skills.

CEO of One Degree, Roger Wynne-Dyke, said: “Our national expansion is a game-changer for the charity. For the first time, we can offer our holistic mentoring approach to students outside London, helping them unlock their potential and create pathways to further education and meaningful careers.”

One Degree’s impact is already evident. Since its founding in 2009, the charity has supported almost 1,000 students, with recent cohorts seeing up to a 30% increase in grades. In one Greater London school, students in the programme achieved a 100% Maths pass rate.

One former student, Eliott C, is now a 25-year-old DJ and producer performing internationally under the name ‘CONFLUENCE’.

Struggling with confidence in English and maths during his GCSEs at Westminster Academy, Eliott joined the One Degree programme, where he improved academically while building key communication and teamwork skills. He has since performed for major brands including Guerlain and Eurostar, and featured in Simon Squibb’s ‘What’s Your Dream’ series.

Reflecting on his journey, Eliott says:
“Joining One Degree really helped me with maths and English. At first I was worried it would take too much time away from making music, but it quickly became a second family. The confidence I gained means I can communicate easily with global clients, producers and event managers.

“Whether I’m negotiating a gig in Paris or collaborating on a track in London, I feel equipped to put myself forward and take opportunities—skills that have been crucial in building my international DJ career.”

Roger added: “Our national expansion represents a unique opportunity for further corporate partners and volunteers to get involved. Businesses who want to support or provide mentors can help shape the next generation of UK talent.”

To find out more, visit https://myonedegree.org/ or https://myonedegree.org/contact/.

Independent holiday agency Dorset Cottage Holidays says the county is ready for its moment in the spotlight.

The opening of the King Charles III England Coast Path last week has shone a fresh light on the English coastline – and its great news for Dorset tourism.

Dorset Cottage Holidays, a family-run business with close to 100 hand-picked properties across the county, says the launch of the new coastal path marks a turning point for Dorset as a travel destination, and that the county has everything it needs to rival the Cotswolds as Britain’s most coveted rural retreat.

Leanne Hemingway, owner of Dorset Cottage Holidays, says: “The opening of the King Charles III England Coast Path has put a well-deserved spotlight on the English coastline. As an independent, family-run agency set up over 25 years ago, we have watched this county quietly establish itself as one of England’s finest destinations, and I genuinely believe it is on the cusp of becoming the place to visit.”

Leanne believes Dorset holds a unique appeal for the growing number of travellers seeking beauty, character and quality closer to home.

“People who love the Cotswolds, the beauty, the charm, the sense of stepping into somewhere that feels almost impossibly picturesque, will fall completely in love with Dorset. It has all of that, and then it has the coastline and the seaside attractions.”

Corfe Castle – A storybook village with a thousand years of history

Built by William the Conqueror following the Norman conquest of 1066 on the site of a Saxon stronghold with roots stretching back over a thousand years, Corfe Castle’s dramatic ruins rise from a natural hill commanding the gap in the Purbeck Hills; a strategic position that has made it one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the country.

The village below is built almost entirely from local grey Purbeck limestone, its two main streets meeting at a square that has barely changed in centuries. It is the kind of place that draws comparisons with the most celebrated Cotswolds villages – a picture-perfect, deeply historic settlement that feels entirely untouched by time.

“Visitors arrive at Corfe Castle and can’t quite believe what they’re seeing,” says Leanne. “It looks like something straight out of a storybook, sitting up on the hill with the village clustered around it. You can even hop on the Swanage steam railway right from the village. It’s completely magical.”

Silverlake: Dorset’s best-kept luxury secret

For those seeking a more elevated escape, Silverlake is a name that is fast becoming known among discerning travellers. Set within hundreds of acres of nature reserve in the heart of rural Dorset, just ten minutes from the coast, the private estate offers over 50 award-winning lakeside holiday homes ranging from cosy two-bedroom cottages to contemporary six-bedroom lodges sleeping up to 12 guests.

Designed with sustainability and luxury in mind, the properties sit around a series of freshwater lakes surrounded by heathland and ancient woodland. On-site facilities include the Hurricane Spa – a tranquil wellness retreat set on the edge of Beaumont Lake, featuring a heated infinity pool, sauna, gym and treatment rooms – alongside a rooftop bar and restaurant, private beach, watersports, tennis courts and forest playgrounds. It is, in short, a destination in its own right.

“Silverlake is the kind of place that genuinely surprises people,” says Leanne. “They arrive expecting a nice lodge and leave talking about it for years. Award-winning architecture, stunning lakes, a spa, a rooftop restaurant, all set within acres of unspoilt Dorset countryside and just minutes from the Jurassic Coast. It is a home from home, designed at the highest possible level.”

Accessibility is another Dorset plus point. The county sits within two hours of London, with 95 miles of UNESCO-listed Jurassic Coast on the doorstep and beaches including Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, Studland and Chesil Beach consistently rated among the finest in the country. The new coastal path now ties those landscapes together in a way that has never been possible before.

Leanne adds: “The Cotswolds will always be special. But if you love what it offers, Dorset is ready to show you something just as beautiful, just as charming, and with the added magic of the sea.”

Dorset Cottage Holidays is an independent, family-run holiday letting agency based in Dorset. With close to 100 carefully selected properties across the county, the agency specialises in connecting guests with the very best of what