Sometimes, a single meeting is enough to spark a collaboration with lasting scientific impact.
That is exactly what happened when French biotech company AlgenScribe met representatives from Max Delbrück Center (MDC) and technology transfer specialist Ascenion during BioFIT 2023 in Marseille. What started as conversations at Europe’s leading partnering event for life sciences has since evolved into an international collaboration bringing together complementary expertise in genome editing.
A partnership built on complementary expertise
The collaboration, officially formalised in July 2024, combines AlgenScribe’s genome-editing technology with complementary innovations developed at the Max Delbrück Center, supported by Ascenion’s technology transfer expertise.
Together, the partners aim to accelerate research and contribute to the development of future cell therapies for genetically determined diseases.
BioFIT as the starting point
While partnerships often take months to develop, they usually begin with one essential ingredient: the right introduction.
For this collaboration, that first connection happened during BioFIT.
Dr. Sigrid Scheek, Technology Manager at Ascenion, recalls:
“We are delighted that we were able to initiate this cooperation at the French partnering event BioFIT in Marseille.”
For AlgenScribe, BioFIT also opened the door to new international opportunities.
As CEO Frédéric Zampatti explains:
“BioFIT enabled us to connect with numerous stakeholders and establish two scientific collaborations, including our first international partnership with the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin.”
Turning meetings into collaborations
Every year, BioFIT brings together technology transfer offices, research organisations, biotech and pharma companies, investors and innovation stakeholders from across Europe and beyond.
The objective is simple: create the conditions for meaningful discussions that can evolve into research collaborations, licensing agreements, investment opportunities and strategic partnerships.
The collaboration between AlgenScribe, Max Delbrück Center and Ascenion illustrates how a conversation initiated during the event can develop into a project with long-term scientific and medical ambitions.
Meet your future partners at BioFIT 2026
BioFIT returns on December 10th and 11th, 2026 in Marseille, co-organised with MedFIT.
Whether you are seeking research collaborations, licensing opportunities, investors or strategic partners, BioFIT provides a dedicated environment to meet the people who can help move your innovation forward.
