A technology that manipulates microRNAs (miRNAs) developed by Jingfang Ju, PhD, a biochemist and Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, and colleagues has shown promise when used as anti-cancer therapeutic. The technology has been licensed to Curamir Therapeutics Inc.,

Research leading to the development of the miRNA drug platform was funded in part by grants from the Long Island Bioscience Hub, led by the Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University, under the National Institutes of Health REACH  program, as well as the National Cancer Institute.

An incubated company financed by Delos Capital, Curamir will begin developing these drugs for testing with an initial $10 million in financing from Delos Capital. The company was co-founded by Dr. Ju and Dr. James Watson, co-discoverer of the DNA structure; and Dr. Lan Bo Chen, Professor Emeritus of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Academician of the Academia Sinica of Taiwan.

As outlined by MarketWatch, a recent study shows that Stony Brook University as one of the top 10 U.S. colleges and universities that best promote upward mobility. The editorial further outlines many areas in which Stony Brook University is setting up its graduates for success noting that over the past five years, Stony Brook has improved graduation rates across the board. Read the full piece here.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Catalyze Program is soliciting applications for early stage translational research projects with the goal of developing basic scientific discoveries into viable therapeutics, devices, and diagnostics to treat heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and disorders.

Funding is available for early stage technology development, including:

Therapeutics (Small molecules/Biologics)
– Identifying and characterizing lead compounds

Devices/Diagnostics/Tools
– Developing, testing, and modifying prototypes
– Identifying and developing assay targets
– Developing research tools

Enabling Technologies and Transformative Platforms
– Developing highly-innovative, next-generation technologies that could transform current approaches to clinical practice or translational research (technology must be beyond proof-of-concept and should be ready to begin validation)
– Accelerating the areas of early detection and screening, animal model development, or clinical diagnosis

Learn more about the program and the informational webinar taking place on October 3, 2019 on the NHLBI website.

The Center for Biotechnology, on behalf of Long Island Bioscience Hub (LIBH), is pleased to announce the opening of the 8th round of the LIBH Technology Development RFP.

Two specific funding programs have been designed to help faculty, physicians, surgeons, medical fellows, and post-docs develop their academic innovations toward commercial goals. The RFP is and forms for the funding programs can be found on the Center for Biotechnology website here.

Those interested in applying are strongly encouraged to discuss the proposal with:
Anton Xavier (anton.xavier@stonybrook.edu)
William Hanes (william.hanes@stonybrook.edu)
Heather Bielski Lawler (heather.bielski@stonybrook.edu)
Johnna St Clair (johnna.stclair@stonybrook.edu)

They are happy to introduce this Technology Development program and provide support to address unfamiliar questions in the application.

Deadline for submission is Sep 13th, 2019. All proposal should be submitted through the online portal HERE. Please note an approval from your Sponsored Programs Office is NOT required prior to the submission but will be required if the project is selected for NIH secondary review. Eligible applicants will be notified if their application is selected to move forward.

The Center for Biotechnology, in collaboration with Stony Brook University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, formed the LIBH. A principal goal of the LIBH is to foster the development of therapeutics, diagnostics, devices and research tools emerging from within the four partner institutions that address diseases within the mission of NIH. The LIBH is supported by the National Institutes of Health REACH initiative (Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub), our four partner institutions, The Research Foundation for SUNY, and Empire State Development.