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Lahara Bio Presents at BIO International Convention

SBU Startup, Lahara Bio, presented in the start-up stadium event at the 2023 BIO International Convention in June.

Christopher Ashdown, a MD/PhD student at Stony Brook University, and Center for Biotechnology Program alumnus presented on behalf of Lahara after securing a spot in the coveted forum by winning multiple pitch competitions from NIH SEED office.

According to Ashdown, “Bio 2023 was an amazing experience, and I was thrilled to be able to share the exciting work that we’re doing at Lahara Bio with the greater bioscience community. The CfB was incredibly helpful in preparing the company for this conference and has done an excellent job of helping me develop on a personal/professional level”.

In addition to the main stage presentation, Ashdown also presented Lahara Bio at the NIH booth. Lahara Bio was sponsored to attend BIO by the NIH after Ashdown won the national investor pitch competition at the NIH Proof of Concept Network annual meeting this past spring.

Lahara Bio is an early-stage biotechnology company using cell-specific mechanical vibration to non-invasively improve biomanufacturing outcomes. Learn more about the company and the team behind Lahara at laharabio.com.

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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.

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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

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A Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) has been issued by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to encourage early-stage innovative bioengineering projects that could lead to preclinical and translational research and potential funding from federal and non-federal sources. The program is distinct from the NHLBI Catalyze Program and is focused on investigator-initiated ideas and concepts that may eventually contribute to the Catalyze pipeline.

This NOSI invites discovery- and design-driven bioengineering research ideas that are important across the Institute and critical for future hypothesis-generating projects. Notably, this program emphasizes first-generation prototype development and initial feasibility studies. The NHLBI is interested in the development of new ideas for diagnostics, therapeutics, surgical technologies, artificial intelligence/machine learning/computational modeling tools, smart biomaterials for self-adjusting implants, molecular imaging, synthetic biology, and nanotechnologies, as applied to HLBS-related issues.

First Available Due Date: February 16, 2025

Read the full NOSI and details on applying here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-HL-24-037.html

[post_title] => NHLBI Exploratory Research Grant for Bioengineers [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => nhlbi-exploratory-research-grant-for-bioengineers [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-05-01 12:39:34 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-05-01 16:39:34 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4553 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3266 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2019-05-21 18:27:06 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-05-21 18:27:06 [post_content] => Two important updates regarding upcoming BARDA DRIVe funding opportunities:  Drive Special Instructions – Due May 28! White papers, quad chart, and application form for the DRIVe special instructions to the BARDA BAA are due by 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday May 28th, 2019. Focus areas are: • 15.1: Advanced Research and Development of Sepsis Diagnostics and Devices • 15.2: Post-sepsis Monitoring • 16.1: On-Person, Wearable, and Biosensing Devices (Host Response and Direct Pathogen Detection) Steps to apply: 1.Review Solicitation BAA-18-100-SOL-00003 on fbo.gov. 2.Schedule a meeting with the ENACT or Solving Sepsis team (strongly encouraged). 3.Download the DRIVe Special Instructions Submission Form.* 4.Complete the PDF form, Quad Chart, White Paper, and Addendum (ROM cost estimate). 5. Email your submission to DRIVeContracting@hhs.gov by 3:00PM ET on May 28th. 6. You will receive an email notification confirming receipt within 5 business days. DRIVe personnel will review your white paper as described in the solicitation. 7. DRIVe personnel will notify you of the outcome of that review and may invite you to submit a full proposal. *You must download the PDF, as filling it out in a browser window will disable some key functionality. General DRIVe EZ-BAA - Deadline Extended  The deadline for DRIVe’s EZ-BAA has been extended to 3:00 PM ET on November 15th, 2019. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with a response as early as 30 days after submission. DRIVe has a new online portal for submitting EZ-BAA. Note: Companies must register for a profile in the online portal here, it can take up to 1 business day to account to be created. [post_title] => DRIVe Special Instructions & EZ-BAA Updates [post_excerpt] => DRIVe special instructions to the BARDA BAA are due by 3:00 PM ET on Tuesday May 28th! General application deadline for EZ-BAA extended until November 15th. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => drive-special-instructions-ez-baa-updates [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2019-05-21 18:27:06 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-05-21 18:27:06 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=3266 [menu_order] => 95 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4902 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2025-07-07 13:27:16 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-07-07 17:27:16 [post_content] =>

FuzeHub will host its ninth New York State Commercialization Competition on October 29–30 during the 2025 NYS Innovation Summit in Rochester, NY.

Startups will compete for a share of $410,000 in funding—including awards of $150K, $100K, and $80K—to advance the commercialization of their innovative products or technologies.

Eligibility:
- Companies are required to have an existing tangible prototype
- Applicants must be available to pitch in person October 29-30, 2025 in Rochester, NY.
- Applicants must propose to fund activities to improve upon an existing tangible prototype and/or their “go-to-market” strategy.
- Company must reside and operate in New York State, and at least one founder must reside in NYS.
- Company must be pre-revenue.
- Company must be pre-seed.
- Company must be registered with Dun & Bradstreet, and have an eligible North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code specific to manufacturing identified in their D&B profile.

Learn more an apply: https://fuzehub.com/commercialization-competition

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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.

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

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NHLBI Exploratory Research Grant for Bioengineers

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DRIVe Special Instructions & EZ-BAA Updates

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Applications Open: New York State Commercialization Competition 

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