Back to News & Events

CFB BEIR Receives $1.9M SBIR Fast-Track

Avanti Biosciences, Inc. a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company lead by Center for Biotechnology BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence Dr. Gian Luca Araldi, has announced that the National Institute of Aging (NIA) has awarded the Company an SBIR fast-track grant of up to $1,930,000 to support the company’s small molecule treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) over the next 3 years.

The award will enable the preparation and testing of Avanti’s proprietary compounds derivatized from natural catechins, which inhibit DYRK1A, an enzyme that modulates tau phosphorylation. Working with NY Institute for Basic Research and the University of California San Diego (UCSD), the company hopes to attenuate and potentially reverse pathogenesis for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

“This award marks a significant milestone for Avanti Biosciences and an important step for their research into a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease” stated Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the New York State Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University. “The Center for Biotechnology is thrilled to see another success for one of the emerging bioscience companies fueling our regional bioecosystem and we proudly support Dr. Araldi’s work as one of our BioEntrepreneurs-in-Residence.”

Dr. Gian Luca Araldi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Avanti, stated, “We are delighted to have been granted this funding from the NIA as it underscores the great need for innovative, effective treatments for this disease, and recognizes the potential benefits that our compounds may provide for patients with AD. The continuous support of Center for Biotechnology and the BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence program has been critical force in the development of our technology and the company as whole.”

More than five million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, irreversible, neurodegenerative disease that destroys memory and other cognitive abilities. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and as the aging population in the country grows, the incidence rate is expected to rise dramatically.

Learn more about Avanti Biosciences: avantibiosciences.com

Related Stories

WP_Query Object
(
    [query] => Array
        (
            [post_type] => post
            [posts_per_page] => 3
            [post_status] => publish
            [orderby] => rand
        )

    [query_vars] => Array
        (
            [post_type] => post
            [posts_per_page] => 3
            [post_status] => publish
            [orderby] => rand
            [error] => 
            [m] => 
            [p] => 0
            [post_parent] => 
            [subpost] => 
            [subpost_id] => 
            [attachment] => 
            [attachment_id] => 0
            [name] => 
            [pagename] => 
            [page_id] => 0
            [second] => 
            [minute] => 
            [hour] => 
            [day] => 0
            [monthnum] => 0
            [year] => 0
            [w] => 0
            [category_name] => 
            [tag] => 
            [cat] => 
            [tag_id] => 
            [author] => 
            [author_name] => 
            [feed] => 
            [tb] => 
            [paged] => 0
            [meta_key] => 
            [meta_value] => 
            [preview] => 
            [s] => 
            [sentence] => 
            [title] => 
            [fields] => all
            [menu_order] => 
            [embed] => 
            [category__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [category__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [category__and] => Array
                (
                )

            [post__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [post__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [post_name__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag__and] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag_slug__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag_slug__and] => Array
                (
                )

            [post_parent__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [post_parent__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [author__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [author__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [search_columns] => Array
                (
                )

            [ignore_sticky_posts] => 
            [suppress_filters] => 
            [cache_results] => 1
            [update_post_term_cache] => 1
            [update_menu_item_cache] => 
            [lazy_load_term_meta] => 1
            [update_post_meta_cache] => 1
            [nopaging] => 
            [comments_per_page] => 50
            [no_found_rows] => 
            [order] => 
        )

    [tax_query] => WP_Tax_Query Object
        (
            [queries] => Array
                (
                )

            [relation] => AND
            [table_aliases:protected] => Array
                (
                )

            [queried_terms] => Array
                (
                )

            [primary_table] => wp_posts
            [primary_id_column] => ID
        )

    [meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object
        (
            [queries] => Array
                (
                )

            [relation] => 
            [meta_table] => 
            [meta_id_column] => 
            [primary_table] => 
            [primary_id_column] => 
            [table_aliases:protected] => Array
                (
                )

            [clauses:protected] => Array
                (
                )

            [has_or_relation:protected] => 
        )

    [date_query] => 
    [request] => SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS  wp_posts.ID
					 FROM wp_posts 
					 WHERE 1=1  AND wp_posts.post_type = 'post' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish'))
					 
					 ORDER BY RAND()
					 LIMIT 0, 3
    [posts] => Array
        (
            [0] => WP_Post Object
                (
                    [ID] => 4906
                    [post_author] => 4
                    [post_date] => 2025-07-17 10:27:09
                    [post_date_gmt] => 2025-07-17 14:27:09
                    [post_content] => 

The Redesignation brings $10 million in funding to drive innovation, company formation, and economic growth.

The Center for Biotechnology (CFB) has announced its re-designated as a Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), a recognition that comes with $1 million in annual funding over the next ten years. The $10 million commitment underscores the CFB’s leadership in accelerating life science innovation, supporting early-stage technology development, and fueling economic growth through start-up formation and industry partnerships.

“The Center for Biotechnology has served as a critical bridge between academic research and commercial success,” said Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the Center for Biotechnology. “This re-designation ensures we can continue to expand our impact, helping innovators bring breakthrough technology to market and strengthening New York’s position as a leader in the bioscience industry.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “NYSTAR’s Centers for Advanced Technology are vital to our strategic efforts to grow New York’s economy and the state’s greater innovation ecosystem. By investing in the industries of tomorrow, New Yorkers benefit today through dynamic partnerships that help to create new jobs, generate more revenues, and encourage more companies to establish a footprint in communities all throughout the state.”

The Center for Biotechnology is located on the campus of Stony Brook University (SBU), the flagship research institution within the prestigious State University of New York (SUNY) system. Stony Brook University is recognized as a national and global leader in life sciences research, biomedical innovation, and clinical care. Situated on Long Island, New York, Stony Brook has built a formidable reputation as a hub for cutting-edge scientific discovery and translational medicine. The Center for Biotechnology builds upon these strengths by providing cutting-edge programming and competitive financial support to advance biomedical innovation and emerging company growth.

“We are excited to build upon the successful foundation of strong entrepreneurial networks, infrastructure, and programming that we have built over the last four decades” said Dr. Diane Fabel, Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Biotechnology. “The impacts we have had during our last designation period include over $1B in total economic impact with more than 1000 jobs created, and driving more than $315M in follow-on funding. We are excited to see those numbers continue to grow when we celebrate fifty years of hard work at the end of this redesignation period”.

As part of the New York State CAT program, the CFB will continue to work with emerging and established companies across the state to de-risk early-stage technologies, advance both technology and company value, foster public-private collaboration, and provide critical infrastructure for the region’s growing life science ecosystem. Additionally, the CFB team will continue its efforts to develop a life sciences workforce to support the region's bio-innovation economy with a specific emphasis on sectors deemed important to the NYS economy.

Dowload the full press release here.

[post_title] => Center for Biotechnology Announces Redesignation as New York State Center for Advanced Technology [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => redesignation2025 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-07-21 14:51:44 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-07-21 18:51:44 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4906 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4488 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2024-10-24 10:45:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-10-24 14:45:00 [post_content] =>

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 will 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

[post_title] => Long Island to be location for Nation-Leading Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub: New York BioGenesis Park. [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => long-island-to-be-location-for-nation-leading-cell-and-gene-therapy-innovation-hub-new-york-biogenesis-park [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-02-26 16:35:20 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-02-26 21:35:20 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4488 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2621 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2017-03-20 13:58:38 [post_date_gmt] => 2017-03-20 13:58:38 [post_content] => CEWIT, the Center for Biotechnology and Henry Schein, Inc., have joined forces to host an expert symposium presenting cutting-edge advances in biomedical and clinical-related technologies, digital health, and smart medical devices, focusing on the technology as well as the joint industry, academic, and R&D partnerships that are integral to major innovations in the healthtech domain — at Stony Brook University. Tuesday, March 28, 2017, 9:30am-3:30pm The Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT) at Stony Brook University 1500 Stony Brook Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794-6040 Event is free but registration is requires. View full agenda and register here: www.cewit.org/events/healthtech.html [post_title] => CEWIT Medical Technologies and Healthcare Innovations Symposium [post_excerpt] => Featuring cutting-edge advances in biomedical and clinical-related technologies, digital health, and smart medical devices, focusing on the technology as well as the joint industry, academic, and R&D partnerships that are integral to major innovations in the healthtech domain — at Stony Brook University. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => cewit-medical-technologies-and-healthcare-innovations-symposium [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2017-03-20 13:59:29 [post_modified_gmt] => 2017-03-20 13:59:29 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=2621 [menu_order] => 151 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4051 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2023-03-16 14:01:07 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-03-16 14:01:07 [post_content] =>

The NIH is providing an opportunity for grantees to participate in an online entrepreneurial education platform aimed at teaching academic innovators methods to assess the commercial value of their biomedical technologies through our commercialization assistance program, Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation Education (e-C3i). This program provides entrepreneurial education for investigators who are interested in better understanding the value of their innovation in addressing an unmet market need. The eC3i course is being offered to investigators with active (or in a No-Cost Extension through 9/23) NIH-funded research projects from participating Institutes and Centers.

All applications must be received no later than April 14th, 2023. Apply Today! Applications can be submitted to NIBIB-SBIR@mail.nih.gov. All NHLBI grantees are encouraged to contact us (nhlbi_sbir@mail.nih.gov) if you are interested in participating or have any questions about the application process. Learn more here.

[post_title] => NIH Grantees: Learn How to Commercialize Your Tech [post_excerpt] => The NIH is providing an opportunity for grantees to participate in an online entrepreneurial education platform aimed at teaching academic innovators methods to assess the commercial value of their biomedical technologies. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => nih-ec3i-2023 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-08-22 11:34:34 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-08-22 15:34:34 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4051 [menu_order] => 5 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2041 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2016-03-11 19:35:25 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-03-11 19:35:25 [post_content] => Taking place on two days over the course of two weeks at the beginning of March, the 2016 Long Island Innovation Boot Camp/Pre-Seed Workshop was held at the Long Island High Technology Incubator. The annual event, co-organized by the CFB and Stony Brook Universities Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (CEBIP), featured eight technologies emerging from the region’s top research institutions. The event rallies community talent and resources to investigate and transform commercially promising technologies into pre-seed stage companies. Dr. Carol Carter, a molecular Genetics and Microbiology Profession at Stony Brook University, participated in the boot camp this year. About her experience in the boot camp, she noted to Innovate Long Island, “It’s given me an education of a type I’ve not gotten before, in all of my training. As an academician, you don’t usually get this kind of perspective on what you do.” Read additional articles on the event here and here. [post_title] => 2016 Long Island Innovation Boot Camp [post_excerpt] => Held at the Long Island High Technology incubator, this annual event, co-organized by the CFB and Stony Brook Universities Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (CEBIP), featured eight technologies emerging from the region’s top research institutions. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => 2016-long-island-innovation-boot-camp [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2016-03-29 20:30:14 [post_modified_gmt] => 2016-03-29 20:30:14 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=2041 [menu_order] => 188 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 5 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4906 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2025-07-17 10:27:09 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-07-17 14:27:09 [post_content] =>

The Redesignation brings $10 million in funding to drive innovation, company formation, and economic growth.

The Center for Biotechnology (CFB) has announced its re-designated as a Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), a recognition that comes with $1 million in annual funding over the next ten years. The $10 million commitment underscores the CFB’s leadership in accelerating life science innovation, supporting early-stage technology development, and fueling economic growth through start-up formation and industry partnerships.

“The Center for Biotechnology has served as a critical bridge between academic research and commercial success,” said Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the Center for Biotechnology. “This re-designation ensures we can continue to expand our impact, helping innovators bring breakthrough technology to market and strengthening New York’s position as a leader in the bioscience industry.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “NYSTAR’s Centers for Advanced Technology are vital to our strategic efforts to grow New York’s economy and the state’s greater innovation ecosystem. By investing in the industries of tomorrow, New Yorkers benefit today through dynamic partnerships that help to create new jobs, generate more revenues, and encourage more companies to establish a footprint in communities all throughout the state.”

The Center for Biotechnology is located on the campus of Stony Brook University (SBU), the flagship research institution within the prestigious State University of New York (SUNY) system. Stony Brook University is recognized as a national and global leader in life sciences research, biomedical innovation, and clinical care. Situated on Long Island, New York, Stony Brook has built a formidable reputation as a hub for cutting-edge scientific discovery and translational medicine. The Center for Biotechnology builds upon these strengths by providing cutting-edge programming and competitive financial support to advance biomedical innovation and emerging company growth.

“We are excited to build upon the successful foundation of strong entrepreneurial networks, infrastructure, and programming that we have built over the last four decades” said Dr. Diane Fabel, Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Biotechnology. “The impacts we have had during our last designation period include over $1B in total economic impact with more than 1000 jobs created, and driving more than $315M in follow-on funding. We are excited to see those numbers continue to grow when we celebrate fifty years of hard work at the end of this redesignation period”.

As part of the New York State CAT program, the CFB will continue to work with emerging and established companies across the state to de-risk early-stage technologies, advance both technology and company value, foster public-private collaboration, and provide critical infrastructure for the region’s growing life science ecosystem. Additionally, the CFB team will continue its efforts to develop a life sciences workforce to support the region's bio-innovation economy with a specific emphasis on sectors deemed important to the NYS economy.

Dowload the full press release here.

[post_title] => Center for Biotechnology Announces Redesignation as New York State Center for Advanced Technology [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => redesignation2025 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-07-21 14:51:44 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-07-21 18:51:44 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4906 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [comment_count] => 0 [current_comment] => -1 [found_posts] => 281 [max_num_pages] => 94 [max_num_comment_pages] => 0 [is_single] => [is_preview] => [is_page] => [is_archive] => [is_date] => [is_year] => [is_month] => [is_day] => [is_time] => [is_author] => [is_category] => [is_tag] => [is_tax] => [is_search] => [is_feed] => [is_comment_feed] => [is_trackback] => [is_home] => 1 [is_privacy_policy] => [is_404] => [is_embed] => [is_paged] => [is_admin] => [is_attachment] => [is_singular] => [is_robots] => [is_favicon] => [is_posts_page] => [is_post_type_archive] => [query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => 325c4f9f1aebaa5ec90666fa54175ba0 [query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] => [thumbnails_cached] => [allow_query_attachment_by_filename:protected] => [stopwords:WP_Query:private] => [compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => query_vars_hash [1] => query_vars_changed ) [compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => init_query_flags [1] => parse_tax_query ) [query_cache_key:WP_Query:private] => )

Center for Biotechnology Announces Redesignation as New York State Center for Advanced Technology

More Information

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

More Information

CEWIT Medical Technologies and Healthcare Innovations Symposium

More Information

NIH Grantees: Learn How to Commercialize Your Tech

More Information

2016 Long Island Innovation Boot Camp

More Information