Food Scientists Win Research Grant to Address Diet-Related Health Issues

InteliSpark client, Antithesis Foods, LLC, secures $225,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF), via the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, to conduct research in developing an alternative for high-calorie, nutrient-poor, palatable foods. This project will create chickpea-based, nutrient dense ingredients to incorporate in a broad range of processed foods.

Processed foods are high in sodium, saturated fats and sugar and offer little nutritional value. Eating large amounts overtime can lead to serious health issues such as obesity and type II diabetes. Around 27 million Americans have type II diabetes and over 93 million Americans are obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the growing awareness of diet-related health risks, Americans continue to consume processed foods due to taste, convenience and affordability.

Food scientists at Antithesis Foods, LLC decided to address this enormous challenge by creating healthy foods that are just as satisfying as junk foods. The ingredients will consist of the textures and tastes that are appealing in junk foods, while providing the benefits of being high in protein and fiber, and low in calories. Antithesis Foods, LLC will assess a novel microwave technology with the aim of creating low-cost, appealing, nutrient dense foods.

Food scientists hope this will result in a large commercial impact with the development of new products, brands, and production and processing equipment for these new ingredients. More importantly, they hope this will have a significant impact on population health by decreasing the rates of obesity and type II diabetes.

Innovation in 3-D Printing for Stronger and Lighter Products

InteliSpark client, Igneous IP Holdings, LLC, secures $225,000 for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for phase I of their project in developing new technology for 3-D printing, the field more formally known as additive manufacturing.

Stronger and lighter parts made with materials such as carbon fiber and glass fiber, are in high demand across many fields in the manufacturing industry. For instance, the transportation industry is incorporating these materials to design stronger and lighter aircrafts, cars and high-speed trains. Benefits include significant reductions in energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, material consumption, and improved safety and efficiency of a product.

Yet, the 3-D printing industry is struggling to meet this increased demand through inherent technical limitations. The industry uses vat photopolymerization, a process of selectively curing liquid resin (flexible, organic compound) through targeted light-activated polymerization (process where small molecules combine chemically to produce a chain-like molecule called a polymer). Though manufacturers rely on this process to create large models quickly and accurately, the process is expensive for some applications and creates parts that are more prone to degradation.

Researchers at the startup Igneous IP Holdings, LLC are proposing a new technology to incorporate into 3-D printing that will accelerate production speed and overcome size limitations. Researchers will modify the high-resolution vat photopolymerization process through the development of a novel foam resin technology. The end results are parts that are stronger, 75% lighter and less expensive to produce compared to traditional 3-D printing processes, as well as a smaller environmental footprint.

Renerva Advances Nerve Recovery Technology through Federal Funding

InteliSpark client, Renerva, LLC, wins a highly-selective grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for phase I of their research project to accelerate patient recovery from recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury. Researchers will assess the ability of a novel injectable medical device to supplement traditional nerve graft procedures for RLN injury.

RLN injuries, occurring most commonly during neck surgery, lead to vocal fold paralysis (VFP), also known as vocal cord paralysis. This may result in life-threatening airway obstruction and the need for a tracheostomy, a medical procedure that creates an air passage through the neck.

For some patients, nerve recovery occurs on its own, but many patients with paralysis require intervention to correct airway obstruction and voice changes. The most common intervention is reinnervation, or the surgical grafting, of laryngeal muscles to restore function. To allow time for natural recovery, the current practice is to wait 6-24 months prior to intervention. However, this delay allows long-term changes to occur to the damaged nerves which results in poor recovery.

Renerva, LLC plans to accelerate recovery after RLN injury through a novel injectable gel, Peripheral Nerve Matrix (PNM), and as a result, reduce the consequences of delayed repair. This research project, led by Dr. Lorenzo Soletti, co-founder and CEO of the biotech startup, represents one of the many NIH-funded research projects, via the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, in developing innovative medical technology for improved public health.

Promising New App to Help Patients Take Medications Correctly

InteliSpark client, Insightfil, was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for phase I of their project in developing a comprehensive medication management plan to promote medication adherence for improved patient health.

Research shows that about 50% of patients in the U.S. do not take their prescription medications as prescribed. Many patients have complicated medication regimens involving more than three types of drugs, which puts these individuals at a higher risk of not taking medications correctly. Non-adherence to prescription drug regimens leads to more hospital visits, increased healthcare costs, and poorer health outcomes.

This project, led by Dr. Edward Acworth, CEO and founder of the startup Insightfil, will address medication non-adherence by developing a solution that positively impacts all stakeholders including patients, doctors, pharmacies, and insurers. This medication management solution includes convenience packaging combined with a smartphone app that both verifies if a patient opens a medication pack and delivers essential and medicine-related information in real-time. In other words, not only will a patient realize he or she missed a dose, so will the patient’s doctor.

Researchers believe this will contribute to a more accurate information exchange between all stakeholders, leading to decreased healthcare costs and improved health outcomes for patients. Once Insightfil develops a successful prototype in phase I, they plan to advance to phase II and conduct a pilot study in 1-2 pharmacies serving 5,000 patients.

Potentially Life-Saving Diagnostic for Unruptured Brain Aneurysms

InteliSpark client, Neurovascular Diagnostics, Inc., secures $750,000 for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for phase II of their project to test and validate a new blood-based diagnostic that detects unruptured brain aneurysms in patients.

About six million people in the United States have an unruptured brain aneurysm. Approximately 30,000 people suffer from a ruptured brain aneurysm annually, 50% of which are fatal. Many show no symptoms until it is too late. The lack of adequate diagnoses of unruptured aneurysms puts these individuals in a potentially dangerous situation. Additionally, the treatment costs are significantly more for ruptured than unruptured aneurysms.

Neurovascular Diagnostics, Inc. will build upon the success of phase I of their project and validate and test a new diagnostic. In phase I, researchers discovered that a panel of about 50 circulating RNAs (ribonucleic acid) isolated from blood samples predicted unruptured brain aneurysms with over 90% accuracy. In phase II, researchers will utilize blood samples from 400 individuals with and without brain aneurysms across 3 clinical centers to test the accuracy of their new diagnostic. 

Drs. Vincent Tutino and Hui Meng, CEO and CMO respectively, at Neurovascular Diagnostics, Inc., are utilizing technology they developed at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Both of their academic training and research in neurovascular diseases and intracranial aneurysms led them to develop this desperately needed diagnostic screening tool and to form the startup Neurovascular Diagnostics, Inc.

This new diagnostic has the potential to provide millions of Americans access to affordable screening, which may save many lives and prevent the permanent neurological deficits that survivors from ruptured brain aneurysms experience daily.

Improved Infant Formula on the Horizon through Innovative Research

InteliSpark client, Zymtronix Catalytic Systems, Inc., was awarded a research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), via the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, to test the feasibility of their novel technology in producing complex human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) more efficiently and affordably for improved infant formulas.

HMOs, the third largest component found in human breast milk, lead to stronger immune systems in breast-fed babies compared to formula-fed babies. HMOs feed good bacteria in the gut and are also absorbed into the baby’s blood stream to support the developing immune system.

But not all parents have the option to breast feed. Researchers have attempted to introduce HMOs into infant formula, but the biggest challenge is accessibility and affordability of complex synthetic glycans.   

Dr. Alexander Hoepker, lead biochemist at the Cornell University spinoff, Zymtronix Catlytic Systems, Inc., will lead phase I of this research project to demonstrate key steps for the production of HMOs. Researchers will utilize the company’s unique technology in enzyme immobilization to significantly improve HMO production efficiency while establishing substantial cost savings.

Enzymes serve as biological catalysts by speeding up chemical reactions. Enzyme immobilization occurs when enzymes attach to inert matrices allowing for increased functional efficiency and reusing of an enzyme. Zymtronix sees the potential application for the production of HMOs.

Improved infant formula with the introduction of HMOs may lead to long-lasting, positive effects on formula-fed babies.

Fighting Cancer by Delving into the Budding Field of Immunotherapy

InteliSpark client, Glycobia, Inc., secures $300,000 for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for phase I of their project, “Novel Strategy to Generate Glycan-Specific Antibodies for Cancer Immunotherapy.” Dr. Brian Green, Senior Director of Research and Development at Glycobia, Inc., will lead this project to investigate an innovative method to advance the field of immunotherapy.

The growing field of cancer treatment through immunotherapy targets malignant cells, but unlike traditional therapies, it avoids dangerous and unpleasant side effects of treatment. Immunotherapy is a promising method of treatment as it helps the body’s natural immune system fight against cancer.

Tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens are appealing targets for immunotherapy, but the problem is that carbohydrates are poor immunogens. As a result, cancer research has developed few diagnostics and treatments in targeting these antigens.  

In response to this significant technical challenge, Glycobia Inc. will use a novel immunization strategy that elevates and focuses the immune response to these poor immunogens. Researchers hope this will lead to the development of vaccines and antibody-based therapies targeting carbohydrate antigens that are found in human cancers, such as, but not limited to, lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and melanoma.

Though not as widely used as traditional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, immunotherapy shows great promise. Glycobia, Inc. is contributing directly to this field through its technology and continued research through federally-funded projects. The company is a biotech startup founded by Cornell faculty member, Dr. Matthew P. DeLisa and PhD alumnus, Dr. Adam Fisher.

Using Data to Combat Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse

InteliSpark client, Principled Strategies, Inc., wins a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for phase I of their project to deliver actionable solutions to pervasive prescription drug misuse and abuse that exists at prescriber, pharmacy, and patient levels.

Prescription drug misuse, abuse, and addiction is an alarming public health concern in the United States. The 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health revealed that 9.9 million people misused prescription pain relievers, and that 37.6% of misusers received prescriptions or stole from health care providers.

Recognizing the urgency in finding preventative measures to this widespread health issue, Principled Strategies, Inc. created SafeUseNow. This novel solution identifies behaviors of prescribers that may contribute to drug abuse, misuse, and addiction. It also engages prescribers in educational programs to improve prescription drug prescribing and monitors patterns or changes in behaviors that may inform and improve intervention services.

As SafeUseNow focused on prescribers primarily, researchers identified the need to address the issue at the patient level and will develop patient-level risk identifiers in this newly awarded project to incorporate in SafeUseNow. This holistic approach enables insurance companies, networks, and state and local governments to identify behaviors that may contribute to the issue across prescribers, pharmacies, and patients. This, in turn, will enhance or prompt new approaches to prevention and intervention. 

Technology May Turn the Tide in Battle to End Illicit Drug Trafficking

InteliSpark client, SensoDx LLC., wins a contract from the Department of Defense, US Army, for phase II of their project “A Next Generation, High-Precision, Field Drug Detection System.”

The increasing death toll in the United States related to synthetic opioids reached 28,000 in 2017 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More deaths resulted from synthetic opioids than any other type of opioid.

Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are incredibly powerful drugs. Fentanyl is 50­­–100 times more potent than morphine, while its-related compound, carfentanil, is around 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Though fentanyl is a legal drug distributed through pharmacies, the drug is also illegally manufactured in laboratories in China and Mexico, before being smuggled into the United States and distributed through the illicit drug market.

The easy access to these drugs, low lethal doses, and potential for weaponized use pose an imminent national security threat. SensoDx, LLC has received several grants and contracts in the past from the U.S. Department of Defense, via the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs, to develop novel technology in detecting illicit drugs in the field.

In this newly awarded contract, researchers will adapt SensoDx’s high-performance drug identification technology based on a programmable bio-nano-chip, with embedded artificial intelligence, to allow U.S. Armed Forces to detect and quantify fentanyl and carfentanil in the field.

Current drug detection technologies are costly, bulky, heavy, not shock-resistance, nor hard-wearing, require a high-level of training and only detect a single drug. SensoDx’s lightweight, rugged, easy-to-use, low-cost drug detection system will allow U.S. Armed Forces the ability to accurately and quickly detect synthetic opioids as well as an array of other illicit drugs in the field.

This drug detection technology has the potential to be used by domestic law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and intelligence agencies in cracking down on illicit drug trafficking.

Children Grasp STEM Concepts through a Game

InteliSpark client, Parametric Studio, Inc., was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Department of Education for phase I of their project, “An Augmented Reality Sandbox for use in Early Elementary STEM Instruction.” As one of 13 award recipients across the nation, Parametric Studio, Inc., will develop an augmented reality application-based engineering puzzle game for students in kindergarten to grade 2 that combines design, simulation, programming, STEM learning, and collaboration utilities.  

Research shows that technology can be a learning tool for both inside and outside of the classroom, and that early exposure to computer science and engineering increases the likelihood for students’ future success in math and science. According to research conducted by Google and Gallup, only 40% of K–12 schools in the U.S. offer at least one computer science course, and yet, over 90% of parents believe in the importance of computer science in early education. Meanwhile, schools that do offer courses continue to experience challenges in meeting state and national standards for math and science.

To meet the growing need for early and effective education in STEM, the researchers at Parametric Studio, Inc. will develop an engineering puzzle-based augmented reality (AR) sandbox for K–2 age children. Students will design Rube Goldberg contraptions that will foster skills in problem solving and algorithmic thinking. This fun and engaging approach has potential to improve students’ perceptions toward STEM as well as their performance, thereby helping teachers and institutions meet state and national standards. Additionally, young children will develop critical skills required to thrive in the 21st century.

Parametric Studio, Inc. is an Ed-Tech company that believes in the importance of STEM education in raising up the next generation of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. This project, led by Dr. Christopher Whitmer, Chief Technology Officer at Parametric Studio, Inc., exemplifies the potential for technological innovation in the private sector in addressing social challenges.