CFB Clients Tapped as FuzeHub Commercialization Competition Winners

The CFB was proud to support our clients, Ergami Endoscopy and FASS, who were each announced as winners of $50,000 after pitching their business plans to a panel of judges assembled by FuzeHub at the recent New York State Innovation Summit.

FuzeHub is a not-for-profit organization that supports small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in New York State, hosts this annual as part of the ESD-supported FuzeHub Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund.

Ergami Endoscopy, based in New York City, is developing a low-cost robotic colonoscope insertion solution to improve procedure productivity; reduce patient pain and need for sedation; and reduce endoscopy-related injuries in endoscopists and nurses.

FASS is a unique syringe system that uses a rotating mechanism to switch between two needles in a single device, eliminating the need for manual switching of needles. Developed by an ER nurse after witnessing the dangers of needlestick injuries firsthand, FASS is designed to improve safety and efficiency in high-pressure environments like the ER and psychiatric units, where patients can be agitated.

Read more about the competition here.

Webinar: NIH’s Seed Fund – Submitting Successfully to the Small Business Program

America’s Seed Fund, also known as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, offers small business entrepreneurs in the life sciences more than $1.4 billion in non-dilutive funding to support small business research and development.   

Join NIH SEED for this informational webinar on Wednesday, November 13, at 1:00 p.m. ET, where you’ll learn about open funding opportunities, common application errors, and how to avoid them.

Bring your questions – there will be a live Q&A session following the presentation! Next receipt date is January 5.

Speaker: Stephanie Fertig, Director, NIH Small Business Program

Moderator: Adam Sorkin, NIH Small Business Policy Manager

REGISTER HERE
Can’t make it? The webinar will be recorded and posted online about 7 business days after the event.

Long Island to be location for Nation-Leading Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub: New York BioGenesis Park.

Featured

Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled plans for New York BioGenesis Park, a groundbreaking $430 million Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Innovation Hub in Nassau County, Long Island. To be developed by The Albanese Organization, Inc., this state-of-the-art facility would catalyze CGT research, development, clinical manufacturing, and commercialization across New York State. With a historic $150 million state investment—the largest nationwide for a cell and gene therapy hub—NYBGP would accelerate the delivery of new therapies from lab to patient in New York’s diverse communities. This transformative hub aims to establish New York as the leading global destination for CGT innovation, driving economic growth, attracting top talent, and revolutionizing patient care statewide and beyond.

The Center for Biotechnology is thrilled to be counted as a partner in this effort, and is looking forward to working with our colleagues in the initiative to help catalyze and accelerate life-changing therapies.

New York BioGenesis Park is envisioned as a cutting-edge, full-service campus dedicated to advancing cell and gene therapies and accelerating their commercialization. At full build-out, the 700,000-square-foot park would create an end-to-end Cell and Gene Therapy innovation and supply center, featuring interconnected areas for public engagement, research, manufacturing, and collaboration.

A cornerstone of New York BioGenesis Park is its incubator, supported by a $50 million investment from ESD’s Long Island Investment Fund. This facility will empower early-stage therapeutic developers by offering state-of-the-art wet lab space, shared equipment, office space, and other essential resources. This nurturing environment would provide Cell and Gene Therapy companies with access to specialized equipment, mentoring, and stage-appropriate financial guidance. As a critical component of New York BioGenesis Park, the incubator is poised to catalyze the growth of promising Cell and Gene Therapy companies by providing them with resources and support, unlocking their potential for innovation and success.

New York BioGenesis Park would foster strong ties with academic and medical institutions throughout New York, creating a robust ecosystem for Cell and Gene Therapy innovation. Collaborating with the Empire State Cellular Therapy Consortium and world-class institutions like Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Feinstein Institutes, Northwell Health, Roswell Park, Stony Brook University, Weill Cornell, Columbia University and others around the state, New York BioGenesis Park would enhance research synergies and accelerate medical breakthroughs. This ecosystem would bring together experts in advanced Cell and Gene Therapy therapies, offering specialized facilities, services, and resources to both tenants and collaborating institutions. By facilitating cutting-edge science, innovative technology development and novel approaches to clinical trials, New York BioGenesis Park would ensure New York’s institutions remain globally competitive in groundbreaking Cell and Gene Therapy research and commercialization.

Read the press release of Governor Hochul’s announcement here:
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-launches-next-phase-long-islands-nation-leading-cell-and-gene-therapy

CFB Client JelikaLite Awarded NSF Grant to Further Clinical Prototype

CFB Client JelikaLite has been awarded a 2-year, $959,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop a non-invasive therapeutic brain stimulation medical device to improve the communication, responsiveness, and social integration of autistic children.

JelikaLite is a clinical stage medical technology company developing a transformational neuromodulation platform for unmet needs in developmental pediatric disorders whose lead product is focused on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The NSF project’s objectives are to finalize the current clinical prototype into a manufacturing-ready product and implement a platform for personalizing transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) treatment based on individual sensor -derived patient characteristics.

Details of the award can be found here.

SBU Center for Healthy Aging Seminar Series

Established in April 2023, Stony Brook University’s Center for Healthy Aging aims to promote healthy aging and extend physical and mental well-being through innovative research solutions. Please join them for our inaugural virtual seminar series.

Dr. Payel Sen, Stadtman Investigator, NIH
Epigenetic mechanisms of tissue aging
September 25th at 11 am
https://stonybrook.zoom.us/j/98037022918?pwd=XT2p35EKbehaazZpb0aLJtOW3a8gE1.1
Meeting ID: 980 3702 2918
Passcode: 426599

As we age, changes in our “epigenome” alter how our genes are regulated, ultimately impacting organ function. Our research focuses on understanding epigenomic changes in different organs. In this presentation, I will focus on skeletal muscle, which makes up 40% of our body weight and plays a key role in metabolism. As we age, our muscles tend to weaken, partly because the stem cells in our muscles that help repair and grow reduce in number and function. In our study, we looked at muscle stem cells from young, old, and geriatric mice and uncovered that as these cells age, they show signs of increased immune activity and start to lose their ability to stay dormant, which is vital for their function. We also identified specific areas of the genome that might be responsible for these changes. By targeting these areas, we could potentially restore the function of these stem cells and help maintain muscle health as we age.

Upcoming Topics & Dates:

  • October 30th, 11 am: Samantha Rossano, PhD, Medical Science Liaison, Life Molecular Imaging, Inc., Brain imaging biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease
  • November 20th, 11 am: Gregorio Valdez, PhD, GLF Translational Associate Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Slowing muscle degeneration
  • February 26th, 11 am: Christopher Barrett Bowling, MD, MSPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences, Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Geriatricizing chronic disease research
  • March 26th, 11 am: Dr. Frank Lin, MD, PhD, Director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Professor of Otolaryngology, Medicine, Mental Health, and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Team, Baltimore HEARS and the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
  • April 30th, 11 am: Dennis Selkoe, MD, Vincent and Stella Coates Professor of Neurologic Diseases, Harvard University, Role of soluble oligomers of amyloid beta in synaptic injury