| Reconciliation of income tax provision (benefit) | 
  
    | Reconciliation of income tax provision (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    |  |  | Year ended December 31, |  |  
    |  |  | 2021 |  |  | 2020 |  |  
    | Federal |  | $ | (1,185,488 | ) |  | $ | (2,900,517 | ) |  
    | State |  |  | (376,463 | ) |  |  | (230,238 | ) |  
    | Change in valuation allowance |  |  | 1,839,716 |  |  |  | 3,089,617 |  |  
    | Permanent differences, net |  |  | 110,821 |  |  |  | 1,399 |  |  
    | Foreign rate differential |  |  | (27,240 | ) |  |  | (985,231 | ) |  
    | Share-based payments, net |  |  | 14,827 |  |  |  | 22,267 |  |  
    | Enhanced research and development tax credits |  |  | (101,416 | ) |  |  | (56,564 | ) |  
    | Rate change |  |  | – |  |  |  | (2,015,683 | ) |  
    | Other items |  |  | (274,757 | ) |  |  | 156,432 |  |  
    | Net benefit for income taxes |  | $ | – |  |  | $ | (2,918,518 | ) |  | 
| Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities | 
  
    | Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    |  |  | Year ended December 31, |  |  
    |  |  | 2021 |  |  | 2020 |  |  
    | Deferred tax assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | U.K. net operating loss carryforwards |  | $ | 11,361,647 |  |  | $ | 10,733,568 |  |  
    | U.K. capital loss carryforwards |  |  | 1,545,934 |  |  |  | 1,550,659 |  |  
    | U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards |  |  | 5,709,292 |  |  |  | 4,671,789 |  |  
    | Switzerland net operating loss carryforwards |  |  | 21,758 |  |  |  | 72,614 |  |  
    | IPR&D |  |  | 6,537,654 |  |  |  | 7,020,109 |  |  
    | Share-based payments |  |  | 2,052,590 |  |  |  | 1,961,112 |  |  
    | Enhanced research and development tax credits |  |  | 1,519,074 |  |  |  | 1,375,136 |  |  
    | Germany net operating loss carryforwards |  |  | 628,574 |  |  |  | 636,378 |  |  
    | U.S. state net operating loss carryforwards |  |  | 1,730,756 |  |  |  | 1,408,866 |  |  
    | Other |  |  | 268,309 |  |  |  | 214,010 |  |  
    | Lease liability |  |  | 7,388 |  |  |  | 17,082 |  |  
    | Total deferred tax assets before valuation allowance |  |  | 31,382,975 |  |  |  | 29,661,323 |  |  
    | Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets |  |  | (31,375,587 | ) |  |  | (29,644,241 | ) |  
    | Net deferred tax assets |  |  | 7,388 |  |  |  | 17,082 |  |  
    | Deferred tax liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Right of use asset – leases |  |  | (7,388 | ) |  |  | (17,082 | ) |  
    | Total deferred tax liabilities |  |  | (7,388 | ) |  |  | (17,082 | ) |  
    | Net deferred liability |  | $ | – |  |  | $ | – |  |  |