As we approach the close of our 10th anniversary year, we reflect on how far Metrion has come, from its scientific roots to becoming a trusted partner in ion channel drug discovery.
It was a hectic but exciting time when we started Metrion. Moving from being a biotech to learning how to commercialise our science, and become a customer-facing contract research organisation, was a huge change.
Metrion was founded by members of the research biology team at Xention, a biotech specialised in ion channel drug discovery. During the period 2002-2005, the Xention team had pioneered the use of automated patch clamp electrophysiology in drug discovery, and subsequently developed substantial expertise in cardiac ion channels, leading to the clinical development of potassium channel inhibitors as novel treatments for atrial fibrillation in collaboration with Servier.
When Xention decided to focus its efforts elsewhere, we saw an opportunity to continue and expand the work we were passionate about. Several of us invested our own money to spin-out and create Metrion, transforming that passion into a company with a clear vision and purpose.
We also carried forward key client collaborations from Xention, so ensuring a smooth transition for those partners was essential - and successfully achieved. Having those early trusted relationships gave us a solid foundation and helped establish Metrion’s reputation for quality and reliability right from the start.
Those early days were a steep learning curve. Suddenly, we had to think about things that had never crossed our minds before:
Through it all, we knew that quality would be the key to our success.
Building the right team and culture at Metrion was vital. We wanted to create an environment and values that would attract and retain talented people. We take pride in having built one of the most experienced and respected teams of ion channel scientists
Over the past ten years, we have completed three lab moves and renovations (from Pampisford to Babraham Research Campus, to Riverside at Granta Park to our current location of Granta Centre at Granta Park), each time designing spaces that could grow with us, and ensure we could operate safely during the Covid era.
From fewer than ten people in 2015, Metrion has grown significantly in response to increasing customer demand. Founding members who will work with, or guide, Metrion today are:
 |  |  |  |  |
| Dr Keith McCullagh Chairman | Dr John Ford Non-executive Director | Dr Rob Kirby COO | Dr Tony Rush Director of Neuroscience | Dr Ray Tang Senior Scientist II |
Our growth has been built on both our people and our facilities. Metrion’s laboratories are among the leading electrophysiology centres in the world. This is made possible by our dedicated team, who work closely together and in partnership with our customers to drive discovery forward.
From fewer than ten people in 2015, Metrion has grown significantly in response to increasing customer demand. Among our founding members who continue to guide us today are Dr Ketih McCullagh (Chairman) and Dr John Ford (Board member).
We’ve scaled our services significantly over the last ten years:
This has led to our laboratories being among the leading electrophysiology facilities in the world, made possible by our dedicated team, who work collaboratively with one another and in close partnership with our customers to drive discovery forward.
Guiding this success is our leadership team, which brings together over 125 years of combined drug discovery experience, including more than a century in the ion channel field. This depth of expertise, reflected in around 150 scientific publications, underpins our commitment to delivering world-class ion channel screening and drug discovery services.
We’re grateful for the investment and funding that has supported Metrion’s growth and innovation journey. These partnerships have enabled us to expand our scientific capabilities, advance new research areas, and strengthen our global presence. This funding includes:
Along the way it’s not all been work, we’ve had fun too, including:
 |  |  |  |
| Sport days at Granta Park with our dinosaur mascot | Punting (without falling in!) | Lots of pizza | Celebrated our 10th anniversary with a summer party and a competition to decorate a Metrion themed cake |
What better way to end the year than by winning 'Campaign of the Year' at the Life Science Sales and Marketing Awards! This was for our NaV1.9 campaign which launched assays that enable our customers to accelerate discovery of novel, non-opioid pain therapeutics with greater efficiency and confidence. This recognises what makes Metrion special - great team work and genuine collaboration across every part of the business.
We sometimes think of Metrion like a Netflix series: as we’ve moved from the early seasons to the later ones, we’ve seen characters come and go, moving on to other fantastic companies, institutes, and industries across the world, or into well-earned retirement; some have even returned for another season! Every one of them has left their mark and helped build Metrion into what it is today.
It’s been an incredible journey so far, and as we head towards the end of our 10th year we look forward to many more years helping pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world shorten their development timelines an deliver life-changing medicines with confidence.
Metrion 10th anniversary summer party 2025.
As we approach the close of our 10th anniversary year, we reflect on how far Metrion has come, from its scientific roots to becoming a trusted partner in ion channel drug discovery.
It was a hectic but exciting time when we started Metrion. Moving from being a biotech to learning how to commercialise our science, and become a customer-facing contract research organisation, was a huge change.
Metrion was founded by members of the research biology team at Xention, a biotech specialised in ion channel drug discovery. During the period 2002-2005, the Xention team had pioneered the use of automated patch clamp electrophysiology in drug discovery, and subsequently developed substantial expertise in cardiac ion channels, leading to the clinical development of potassium channel inhibitors as novel treatments for atrial fibrillation in collaboration with Servier.
When Xention decided to focus its efforts elsewhere, we saw an opportunity to continue and expand the work we were passionate about. Several of us invested our own money to spin-out and create Metrion, transforming that passion into a company with a clear vision and purpose.
We also carried forward key client collaborations from Xention, so ensuring a smooth transition for those partners was essential - and successfully achieved. Having those early trusted relationships gave us a solid foundation and helped establish Metrion’s reputation for quality and reliability right from the start.
Those early days were a steep learning curve. Suddenly, we had to think about things that had never crossed our minds before:
Through it all, we knew that quality would be the key to our success.
Building the right team and culture at Metrion was vital. We wanted to create an environment and values that would attract and retain talented people. We take pride in having built one of the most experienced and respected teams of ion channel scientists
Over the past ten years, we have completed three lab moves and renovations (from Pampisford to Babraham Research Campus, to Riverside at Granta Park to our current location of Granta Centre at Granta Park), each time designing spaces that could grow with us, and ensure we could operate safely during the Covid era.
From fewer than ten people in 2015, Metrion has grown significantly in response to increasing customer demand. Founding members who will work with, or guide, Metrion today are:
| | | | |
| Dr Keith McCullagh Chairman | Dr John Ford Non-executive Director | Dr Rob Kirby COO | Dr Tony Rush Director of Neuroscience | Dr Ray Tang Senior Scientist II |
Our growth has been built on both our people and our facilities. Metrion’s laboratories are among the leading electrophysiology centres in the world. This is made possible by our dedicated team, who work closely together and in partnership with our customers to drive discovery forward.
From fewer than ten people in 2015, Metrion has grown significantly in response to increasing customer demand. Among our founding members who continue to guide us today are Dr Ketih McCullagh (Chairman) and Dr John Ford (Board member).
We’ve scaled our services significantly over the last ten years:
This has led to our laboratories being among the leading electrophysiology facilities in the world, made possible by our dedicated team, who work collaboratively with one another and in close partnership with our customers to drive discovery forward.
Guiding this success is our leadership team, which brings together over 125 years of combined drug discovery experience, including more than a century in the ion channel field. This depth of expertise, reflected in around 150 scientific publications, underpins our commitment to delivering world-class ion channel screening and drug discovery services.
We’re grateful for the investment and funding that has supported Metrion’s growth and innovation journey. These partnerships have enabled us to expand our scientific capabilities, advance new research areas, and strengthen our global presence. This funding includes:
Along the way it’s not all been work, we’ve had fun too, including:
| | | |
| Sport days at Granta Park with our dinosaur mascot | Punting (without falling in!) | Lots of pizza | Celebrated our 10th anniversary with a summer party and a competition to decorate a Metrion themed cake |
What better way to end the year than by winning 'Campaign of the Year' at the Life Science Sales and Marketing Awards! This was for our NaV1.9 campaign which launched assays that enable our customers to accelerate discovery of novel, non-opioid pain therapeutics with greater efficiency and confidence. This recognises what makes Metrion special - great team work and genuine collaboration across every part of the business.
We sometimes think of Metrion like a Netflix series: as we’ve moved from the early seasons to the later ones, we’ve seen characters come and go, moving on to other fantastic companies, institutes, and industries across the world, or into well-earned retirement; some have even returned for another season! Every one of them has left their mark and helped build Metrion into what it is today.
It’s been an incredible journey so far, and as we head towards the end of our 10th year we look forward to many more years helping pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world shorten their development timelines an deliver life-changing medicines with confidence.
Metrion 10th anniversary summer party 2025.
As we approach the close of our 10th anniversary year, we reflect on how far Metrion has come, from its scientific roots to becoming a trusted partner in ion channel drug discovery.
It was a hectic but exciting time when we started Metrion. Moving from being a biotech to learning how to commercialise our science, and become a customer-facing contract research organisation, was a huge change.
Metrion was founded by members of the research biology team at Xention, a biotech specialised in ion channel drug discovery. During the period 2002-2005, the Xention team had pioneered the use of automated patch clamp electrophysiology in drug discovery, and subsequently developed substantial expertise in cardiac ion channels, leading to the clinical development of potassium channel inhibitors as novel treatments for atrial fibrillation in collaboration with Servier.
When Xention decided to focus its efforts elsewhere, we saw an opportunity to continue and expand the work we were passionate about. Several of us invested our own money to spin-out and create Metrion, transforming that passion into a company with a clear vision and purpose.
We also carried forward key client collaborations from Xention, so ensuring a smooth transition for those partners was essential - and successfully achieved. Having those early trusted relationships gave us a solid foundation and helped establish Metrion’s reputation for quality and reliability right from the start.
Those early days were a steep learning curve. Suddenly, we had to think about things that had never crossed our minds before:
Through it all, we knew that quality would be the key to our success.
Building the right team and culture at Metrion was vital. We wanted to create an environment and values that would attract and retain talented people. We take pride in having built one of the most experienced and respected teams of ion channel scientists
Over the past ten years, we have completed three lab moves and renovations (from Pampisford to Babraham Research Campus, to Riverside at Granta Park to our current location of Granta Centre at Granta Park), each time designing spaces that could grow with us, and ensure we could operate safely during the Covid era.
From fewer than ten people in 2015, Metrion has grown significantly in response to increasing customer demand. Founding members who will work with, or guide, Metrion today are:
| | | | |
| Dr Keith McCullagh Chairman | Dr John Ford Non-executive Director | Dr Rob Kirby COO | Dr Tony Rush Director of Neuroscience | Dr Ray Tang Senior Scientist II |
Our growth has been built on both our people and our facilities. Metrion’s laboratories are among the leading electrophysiology centres in the world. This is made possible by our dedicated team, who work closely together and in partnership with our customers to drive discovery forward.
From fewer than ten people in 2015, Metrion has grown significantly in response to increasing customer demand. Among our founding members who continue to guide us today are Dr Ketih McCullagh (Chairman) and Dr John Ford (Board member).
We’ve scaled our services significantly over the last ten years:
This has led to our laboratories being among the leading electrophysiology facilities in the world, made possible by our dedicated team, who work collaboratively with one another and in close partnership with our customers to drive discovery forward.
Guiding this success is our leadership team, which brings together over 125 years of combined drug discovery experience, including more than a century in the ion channel field. This depth of expertise, reflected in around 150 scientific publications, underpins our commitment to delivering world-class ion channel screening and drug discovery services.
We’re grateful for the investment and funding that has supported Metrion’s growth and innovation journey. These partnerships have enabled us to expand our scientific capabilities, advance new research areas, and strengthen our global presence. This funding includes:
Along the way it’s not all been work, we’ve had fun too, including:
| | | |
| Sport days at Granta Park with our dinosaur mascot | Punting (without falling in!) | Lots of pizza | Celebrated our 10th anniversary with a summer party and a competition to decorate a Metrion themed cake |
What better way to end the year than by winning 'Campaign of the Year' at the Life Science Sales and Marketing Awards! This was for our NaV1.9 campaign which launched assays that enable our customers to accelerate discovery of novel, non-opioid pain therapeutics with greater efficiency and confidence. This recognises what makes Metrion special - great team work and genuine collaboration across every part of the business.
We sometimes think of Metrion like a Netflix series: as we’ve moved from the early seasons to the later ones, we’ve seen characters come and go, moving on to other fantastic companies, institutes, and industries across the world, or into well-earned retirement; some have even returned for another season! Every one of them has left their mark and helped build Metrion into what it is today.
It’s been an incredible journey so far, and as we head towards the end of our 10th year we look forward to many more years helping pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world shorten their development timelines an deliver life-changing medicines with confidence.
Metrion 10th anniversary summer party 2025.