Zygogen LLC, an Atlanta company headquartered at Georgia State University that uses zebrafish for preclinical drug discovery research, is to showcase its technology this week in London at BioPartnering Europe, the longest-running bioscience conference in Europe.

Established in 2000, the company is examining gene function in zebrafish to gain a better idea of how scientists can develop drugs to combat diseases that attack tissues in humans. 

Representatives of the Metro Atlanta Bioscience Council, an arm of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, will also be on hand at the BioPartnering conference to market the city’s bioscience resources to European companies.

Through the event, the council aims to identify partnering and licensing opportunities for the approximately 200 bioscience firms it represents in the state, Russell Allen, vice president of biosciences at the chamber, told GlobalFax last week.

The promotional push in Europe is part of the organization’s revamped marketing plan, “Breakthrough Atlanta,” which seeks to improve knowledge of the city’s resources among bioscience firms and related industries around the world.

“It’s true that Atlanta is not currently known as a major bioscience center, though that’s not due to lack of resources, but to a lack of marketing,” said Mr. Allen.

In fact, many European companies don’t know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which offer research and funding opportunities to private business, are located in Atlanta, he said.

To address the knowledge gap, two representatives of the CDC’s technology transfer office will be on hand to discuss potential licensing agreements with European firms, he added.

Representatives of Atlanta’s existing bioscience community, including David Dodd, CEO of Serologicals Corp., a provider of biological products for life science firms, will also be on hand to discuss the business climate in Georgia, and in Atlanta in particular.

Following meetings and conference events in London, the bioscience council representatives are to travel to several other UK cities, including Cambridge, Liverpool and possibly Manchester, said Mr. Allen.

For additional information, contact the Metro Atlanta Chamber at (404) 880-9000.