Dr Emmeline Hill, a genomics researcher in UCD’s School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, and co-founder of Equinome was last night presented with the 2010 IMAGE Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Dr Hill was presented with the accolade in recognition of her innovative idea and its transformation into a commercial success as a UCD equine genomics spin-out company. 

Dr Emmeline Hill

Equinome, headquartered in NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre, is a world leader in the development and provision of genomic selection tools for the bloodstock and racing industry.   

Traditionally Thoroughbreds have been selected using only a mix of visual assessment combined with historical bloodline data to infer their likely genetic composition. However, research led by Dr Emmeline Hill in 2009 resulted in the world’s first successful identification of a performance-related gene in Thoroughbred horses. This gene was found to predict sprinting ability and stamina potential, which can immediately identify a Thoroughbred as a potential sprinter, middle-distance or long-distance horse.   

The identification of the ‘speed gene’ in Thoroughbreds has the potential to transform breeding decisions in an industry which has remained relatively unchanged for over 300 years.  

Following this breakthrough, Equinome was co-founded by Dr Hill and Jim Bolger, the well known Irish horse breeder and trainer, and the Equinome Speed Gene Test was commercially launched last January. Still in its first year of operation, Equinome has already secured customers in Ireland, UK, France, USA, Australia, New-Zealand and Singapore and has new products scheduled for release in 2011 and 2012. 

Melanie Morris, Editor of IMAGE magazine, speaking at the awards ceremony at The Merrion Hotel, said, “As this is the fourth IMAGE Businesswomen of the year awards, it is rewarding to see the calibre of entries has once again risen to a very impressive standard. Considering the challenges the winners and nominees have overcome in 2010, it proves just how hard working, creative and versatile Irish businesswomen are.”  

The judging panel, chaired by Nick Mulcahy, editor, Business Plus, comprised IMAGE Publications director Robert Power; The Sunday Business Post deputy editor and Dragon’s Den presenter Richard Curran; Orla Nugent, MBA Programme Director, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School; Caroline Kennedy, MD, Kennedy PR, and last year’s winners Domini and Peaches Kemp of Itsa.  

ENDS

1 December 2010

For further information contact Micéal Whelan, NovaUCD, e: miceal.whelan@ucd.ie, t: +353 (0)1 716 3712, Ben Bringer, IMAGE Publications, t: +353 (0)1 271 9616, e: ben.bringer@image.ie

Editor’s Notes

Equinome, a new Irish biotech company, was established in 2009 as a result of groundbreaking research led by company co-founder, Dr Emmeline Hill in partnership with racehorse trainer Mr Jim Bolger. Equinome’s ongoing research and development activities continue to support collaborations between world-class science and elite racehorse breeding and training. Equinome, headquartered in NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at UCD, has also established facilities at the UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine and at Jim Bolger’s training yard in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. Through this research Equinome is continuing to drive the cutting-edge of equine performance genomics.  

NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre, is the hub of knowledge transfer activities at University College Dublin. NovaUCD is responsible for the commercialisation of intellectual property arising from UCD research and for the development of co-operation with industry and business. NovaUCD as a purpose-built centre also nurtures new technology and knowledge-intensive enterprises such as Equinome. NovaUCD has been funded through a unique public-private partnership that includes AIB Bank, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Enterprise Ireland, Ericsson, Goodbody Stockbrokers, UCD and Xilinx.