Honouring an innovator in gene analysis: Metin Colpan named European Inventor Award 2021 finalist
- German scientist Metin Colpan nominated for European Patent Office (EPO) prize for developing a technique that enables a quicker, more efficient way to analyse genetic code
- His pioneering technique transformed researchers' access to DNA and RNA, with implications for gene sequencing, drug discovery, forensics, food safety and disease diagnosis, including for COVID-19
- Despite facing hurdles to commercialising his work, Colpan's determination and entrepreneurial spirit led to his start-up becoming the first German company listed on the US NASDAQ stock exchange
Munich, 4 May 2021 - The European Patent Office (EPO) announces that German genomics pioneer Metin Colpan has been nominated as a finalist in the "Lifetime achievement" category of the European Inventor Award 2021. Colpan developed a faster, more efficient technique to extract and purify nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, enabling researchers to study genetic material in far greater depth than previously possible. Following his breakthrough, he worked tirelessly to commercialise his technique, despite limited initial interest in the German market.
Colpan's 40-year career has been defined by his ability to understand both the scientific and commercial potential of his research. His crucial contribution to the field of genomics opened the door to new fields of science by changing the way that scientists analyse genetic data. Today, Qiagen - the company that Colpan co-founded - offers a range of products in molecular diagnosis, forensics, veterinary diagnostics and food safety. The company recently developed a portfolio of COVID-19 detection products, including tests for nucleic acids, antibodies and T cells, helping to remove critical bottlenecks in testing.
"Metin Colpan is a trailblazer in the field of genomics whose work has unlocked new avenues of scientific exploration," says EPO President António Campinos, announcing the European Inventor Award 2021 finalists. "His long and highly successful career is proof that the combination of innovation, tenacity and solid patent protection can transform an initial idea into a multinational business, inspiring new generations of technological breakthroughs".
The winners of the 2021 edition of the EPO's annual innovation prize will be announced at a ceremony at 19:00 CEST on 17 June which has this year been reimagined as a digital event for a global audience.
From adversity springs innovation
Nucleic acids, namely DNA and RNA, are biomolecules that store and transmit genetic information. The genetic codes of most organisms are made of DNA, while RNA forms the genetic material of some viruses and performs key functions in all living cells. The study of DNA and RNA requires molecules to first be isolated from other material, such as bacteria, viruses or animal samples. However, the extraction process can be difficult and time-consuming.
While working on his PhD thesis, Colpan needed to isolate RNA in tomato plants and coconut palms to understand a virus present in both. He initially used an existing technique called high‑pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), which involves dissolving nucleic acid samples in a fluid and passing them through a column under pressure. However, there were various HPLC methods and each had disadvantages: some only worked for specific ranges of molecule sizes, others were unable to separate mixtures of different nucleic acids. Colpan tried several forms of existing HPLC but spent six months isolating the viral RNA that he needed for his research. He calculated that he would need 10 tonnes of plant matter to complete his work and take several years. This inefficiency made him determined to find a faster, more effective route to extraction.
Colpan's innovative solution lay in a specific form of HPLC, in which a solution containing the viral RNA he wanted to extract was exposed to a porous matrix made of a modified silica gel. He ensured that the pores were exactly the right size so that they would trap the target material. The gel would therefore act as an anion exchanger, trapping its target thanks to the attraction between its own positively charged ions to the negatively charged ions present within the nucleic acid. Compared with existing techniques, this approach was more effective, as well as simpler, cheaper and significantly quicker. "Existing methods took two or three days to achieve what our product could do in 60 minutes," says Colpan. "Eventually, it became the gold standard for the purification of nucleic acids."
Colpan quickly realised the value of his technique for researchers working across the scientific spectrum. Over time, he was able to optimise the technology, extend its applications and widen the types and forms of samples for which his technique could be used. Colpan developed technologies to assist scientists and researchers' study and handle DNA, detect pathogenic agents, identify treatment-relevant gene variations, and discover new therapies, and worked with a growing team of colleagues on components, devices, and systems to automate these processes.
Following a suggestion from a US researcher, Colpan decided to reduce in size the materials needed to isolate and purify nucleic acids and place them into small plastic cartridges which were cheap to produce and easy-to-use. This led to the development of a ready-to-use disposable kit - the first of its kind - which helped make his technique more accessible to scientists and facilitated research in laboratories around the world.
The technology and the products developed by Colpan had a seismic impact on the research community, laying the groundwork for game-changing developments in genomics such as gene testing and gene sequencing, both of which could be used in the detection and treatment of complex health issues such as cancer or heart disease.
The need for better, faster genomic tools
Understanding the potential of his technology, Colpan filed his first European patent application in 1983. For Colpan, gaining patent protection for his technology gave early investors the confidence to help him establish his company, which he co-founded in 1984 with his business partner, Karsten Henco. Between 1987 and 2012, he was named in 14 granted European patents relating to a range of specific technologies in the field of genomics.
Early efforts to get backing from the German pharmaceutical industry failed and public opposition to genetic research at the time did not help. Undeterred, Colpan turned his attention to the US, where he visited scientists at many universities to persuade them of the benefits of using his new techniques and products. "I was my own researcher, producer manufacturer and my own salesman," says Colpan. "I travelled the world to try to convince scientists to use this procedure instead of the old methods. From 1988, I was in the US for two out of every four weeks, visiting all the American universities, going from lab to lab like a vacuum cleaner salesman."
Until 2003, Colpan was Managing Director of Qiagen and responsible for overseeing the business' rapid transformation from a hypothetical idea into a thriving, innovative corporation. Today, it is a European biotechnology success story and the first German company to go public with a listing on the US NASDAQ stock exchange. As a result of Colpan's patented technology, Qiagen now sells hundreds of different products with many applications in a broad range of disciplines, such as applied testing, drug development, forensics, veterinary diagnostics and food safety.
Colpan's transformative innovations, coupled with his acute entrepreneurial spirit, have earned him a place as one of the architects of the blossoming field of genomics; his inventions have facilitated countless other scientific breakthroughs. Qiagen - the company for which Colpan still works as Supervisory Director - has developed a full portfolio of COVID-19 products, from RNA extraction to testing solutions (PCR tests, antigen tests, antibody tests, and T cell testing). Thanks to their speed, efficiency and flexibility, these solutions are helping to reinforce testing infrastructures. The T cell test kit is also helping scientists to understand more about disease progression and the human immune response, demonstrating that Colpan's work continues to inspire new solutions to modern challenges.
Notes to the editor
About Metin
Colpan
Metin Colpan was born in Istanbul on 21 January 1955. He studied
biochemistry, organic chemistry and chemical engineering at the Darmstadt
Institute of Technology, where he also obtained his PhD. Colpan co-founded the
company Diagen GmbH (renamed Qiagen GmbH in 1996) in 1984, serving as its Chief
Executive Officer and Managing Director from 1985 to 2005. He has been a member
of the company's Supervisory Board and Chairman of its Science and Technology
Committee since 2005. In 1998, he was named German Entrepreneur of the Year.
Outside of his scientific work and business interests, Colpan enjoys cooking
Crimean, Turkish and Italian food. He collects modern art and Egyptian antiques
and is interested in architecture. Colpan is a supporter of philanthropic
projects and a number of charities, including Médecins Sans Frontières. He has
established his own charitable foundation, which helps intelligent, socially
disadvantaged children and talented scholars.
Metin Colpan is named in 14 granted European patents, including EP0268946 and EP0104210, which were granted in 1988 and 1984 respectively.
About the European Inventor Award
The European Inventor Award is one of Europe's most prestigious innovation prizes. Launched by the
EPO in 2006, it honours individual inventors and teams of inventors whose
pioneering inventions provide answers to some of the biggest challenges of our
times. The finalists and winners are selected by an independent jury consisting of international authorities from the fields of business,
politics, science, academia and research who examine the proposals for their
contribution towards technical progress, social development, economic
prosperity and job creation in Europe. The Award is conferred in five
categories (Industry, Research, SMEs, Non-EPO countries and Lifetime
achievement). In addition, the public selects the winner of the Popular Prize from among the 15 finalists through online voting.
About the EPO
With 6 400 staff, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered
in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was
founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe.
Through the EPO's centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to
obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 44 countries, covering a market
of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority
in patent information and patent searching.
Media contacts European Patent Office
Luis Berenguer Giménez
Principal Director Communication, Spokesperson
Tel.: +49 89 2399 1203