Most of us think of sugar as something to be avoided if we want to keep our waistlines in check. But for Dr Daryl Fernandes, research in sugars has led to the formation of Ludger, a burgeoning biotech company which is helping biotech firms with crucial drug development.

Dr Fernandes said: "It's important to understand the kind of sugars studied in glycosciences.

"Sugar is the most common substance in the natural world, but it comes in a myriad of forms, based around common building blocks.

"A sheet of paper is sugar, it is cellulose. A lobster is sugars, so are the wings of a honey bee. Our kind of sugar is known as glycans or oligosaccharides."

Ludger, so called because it is Dr Fernandes's middle name, after the saint, was formed in 1999 as the spin-out from a spin-out.

After taking his DPhil at Oxford University, Dr Fernandes began researching sugars in antibodies or glycoanalysis. He examined antibodies in humans in disease areas such as rheumatoid arthritis.

This work would be spun out as Oxford Glycosciences (OGS) and for some years, Dr Fernandes was involved in transferring the technology to OGS. In 1993, he joined the company as process development manager.

In the late 1990s, OGS moved its focus to proteomics - a branch of molecular biology concerned with protein sets in organisms - which allowed Dr Fernandes to take his research and establish Ludger, now based at the Culham Science Centre.

Ludger's business revolves around analysing and measuring glycosylation, the types and concentrations of sugar molecules on the surface of cells and in therapeutic drugs.

Biopharmaceuticals contain very complex patterns of sugars and the last decade has witnessed significant advances in understanding the strong correlation between drug efficacy and glycosylation.

Such a drug will contain a protein that binds to the diseased cells and a small but highly important sugar content that helps to communicate with the body's immune system.

Biopharmaceutical companies have a need to characterise the sugars in their treatments, to understand the glycosylation.

They will modify the sugars, then check to see if the efficacy is better or worse. Also, a drug can be tailored to stay in the body longer, or act more quickly by altering the glycosylation.

Ludger offers distinct services to biopharma including kits and reagents for glycoprofiling, contract analysis and training customers in analytical techniques. Until a year ago, the company's mainstay was the kits and reagents, but the contract and training work is fast becoming the lead product.

Ludger's approach to quality is second to none. The kits are manufactured in-house to Good Laboratory Standard protocols and have underpinned the company's global reputation and growth.

Glycoprofiling for customers is carried out where the analysis is especially complex, or specialist skills are demanded.

This is expensive, but companies cannot afford to get it wrong with critical drugs and a regime of increasing regulation.

Ludger can be involved at any stage, from early studies through development, regulation and even production.

It is also a two-way street with the companies often inspecting Ludger, which Dr Fernandes welcomes.

He said: "It's a chance for both sides to learn and build relationships. And with our increasing presence in the market, we expect national bodies like the US Food and Drug Administration to visit us sooner or later."

Training is to the same high standards and part of Ludger's mission to have long-term relationships with clients.

Dr Fernandes added: "Business development is not an instant process. We are looking to partner with successful companies that offer a mutually compatible fit and it can take several months to build those relationships.

"We train clients in glycoprofiling, but with the sometimes rapid staff turnover in science, we gain repeat business to educate the newcomers.' Surprisingly, Ludger also trains competitors.

"Some of the competition offer services that overlap with ours and also have a need to train client staff. Provided we are happy with the standards of a competitor, we are happy to teach them the necessary skills. Again, it's all part of a long-term strategy."

Underpinning Ludger's ethos is Jura, a quality control system, which encompasses not only laboratory operations, but also financial and personnel systems and customer service.

Marketing is limited, with some advertising and by using trade fairs and agents, but most custom arrives by word of mouth.

The USA accounts for more than half of business, with growing demand from Europe. India is rapidly becoming a key area, while China is an emerging market.

Now with ten staff, Ludger is self-financing and has never had any investment capital.

Employees are chosen for their skills and cultural fit - each is on an extended training programme over a period of years.

While everyone has a specific role, flexibility is a key attribute. Unsurprisingly, staff turnover is very low.

Dr Fernandes includes himself in the training and meets regularly with a business coach.

He said: "I am not in business to get rich quick, then sell out and retire. The increasing stringency of regulation means companies which have not used glycoprofiling before are now forced to do so.

"Ludger is there to meet the demand not only today or tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow, too."