Novel Therapy May Increase Success Rates for Corneal Transplant Surgery

InteliSpark client, Bedrock Therapeutics Inc., is collaborating with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on their newly awarded phase I STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) project from the National Eye Institute to develop a novel therapy in the prevention of corneal transplant rejection.   

The cornea, the outmost layer of the eye that is transparent and dome-shaped and covers the iris, the black part of the eye, focuses light into the eye. Corneal blindness, the 4th most common cause of global blindness is any extreme decrease in vision or blindness due to diseases of the cornea. The most effective treatment currently is corneal transplantation or corneal graft in which either part or the entire cornea is replaced by a donated cornea.

Though corneal transplants may cure blindness, approximately 20–30% of corneal grafts are rejected within the first 5 years, and for high risk-cases, grafts are rejected within 3 years. The waiting lists for corneal transplants far exceeds the number of corneas donated with approximately only one cornea available for every 70 needed.  This leaves many patients with limited mobility, emotional distress and an increased risk of falls and even death.

Dr. Brian Gilger, Co-Founder and Director of Preclinical Evaluation and Toxicology at Bedrock Therapeutics, is working with Dr. Matthew Hirsch, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to develop an immunomodulatory treatment, or therapeutics used to help regulate or normalize the immune system, to prevent corneal graft rejection. This therapy has the potential to increase the success rate for corneal transplant surgery and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Federal Funding Advances Cancer Immunotherapy Research

InteliSpark client, Sonoval, wins a $2.68 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) via the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop novel cancer immunotherapies. Sonoval researchers will target cells that suppress anti-tumor immune responses and contribute to cancer progression, namely regulatory T cells, also called Tregs.

Sonoval has developed 2nd generation versions of the cancer therapeutic Ontak, an FDA-approved drug in treating lymphoma that was later taken off the market in 2011 due to manufacturing problems and patients developing side effects. Sonoval’s preliminary data show reduced side effects in patients, and their novel production method will address critical issues in manufacturing. These innovative immunotherapies have the potential to boost anti-tumor immune responses with patients suffering from melanoma, colon carcinoma, renal cell cancer, ovarian and breast cancers.

Federal funding for this fast-track project will allow researchers to test the safety and anti-tumor efficacy of their drugs in phase I and determine dosing levels and conduct animal studies in phase II.  Sonoval was founded in 2018 by Dr. William Bishai, Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Tuberculosis Research, and by Dr. Jack Murphy, former researcher at Harvard and Boston University whose pioneering work led to the FDA’s approval of Ontak. Dr. Peter Suzdak, CEO of Sonoval, will lead this SBIR research project.

Augmented Reality May Improve Telemedicine in Space

InteliSpark client, ArchieMD, wins a phase I SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from NASA to develop an Augmented Reality (AR)-based telemedicine platform that will support medical guidance and care for space operations.

Responding to medical emergencies that occur during spaceflights is no small feat for a crew that may not have medical expertise.  In lieu of a medical doctor aboard, a crew member may need to perform a medical procedure to potentially save the life of a fellow crew member.

With advances in telemedicine, NASA is able to diagnose and provide medical guidance from the Mission Control Center directly to members aboard a spaceflight. Yet, challenges with communications including lag time lead to inefficient care. ArchieMD is addressing this critical need by developing a novel AR-based telemedicine platform that will allow autonomous medical care for multi-year manned lunar and Mars operations. This innovative technology will replace the need for a spaceflight crew to rely on step-by-step instructions given from the Mission Control Center, thereby facilitating timely decision-making and medical guidance when access and contact to Earth is limited.

Dr. Robert Levine, President and Chief Medical Officer at ArchieMD, will lead this research effort that has the potential to improve not only telemedicine in space but be applied beyond NASA and improve healthcare in remote and rural areas around the world. 

Researchers Develop a Novel Test that May Improve Concussion Diagnosis

InteliSpark client, Quadrant Biosciences, wins a $2.68 million SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The project aim is to refine a new diagnostic tool in the detection of mild traumatic brain injury, also known as a concussion, in school-aged children and young adults.

Among children aged 14 and younger, concussions contributed to nearly 640,000 emergency room visits and 18,000 hospital stays in 2013. Children and adolescents make up the majority of the 3 million concussions that occur annually in the US, and yet many concussions continue to go undiagnosed. This leads to suboptimal post-injury treatment and management, thereby increasing the likelihood of a wide range of long-term negative effects including emotional and behavioral problems and cognitive deficits.

Concussions are underdiagnosed because conventional diagnostics are often inaccurate, relying on subjective measures. To address this critical health challenge, Quadrant Biosciences, in partnership with Penn State University, will refine a rapid saliva diagnostic test that is accurate, non-invasive, and objective. Pilot studies have allowed researchers to identify a panel of saliva miRNAs capable of diagnosing concussions.

In this NIH funded project, researchers will refine the test to differentiate between patients with concussions from those who suffer from conditions that mimic concussion symptoms such as chronic headaches, ADHD, anxiety, and depression. This innovative diagnostic tool has the potential to save lives and improve patient recovery.

Return Rates for Online Garments May Decrease with Virtual Fittings Technology

InteliSpark client, Couture Technologies Inc., wins $256k from the National Science Foundation to develop a sophisticated process to enable photo-realistic clothing simulations for virtual fittings based on 3D modeling and fabric simulation technologies.

E-commerce is booming, but businesses face the major hurdle of high return rates of online purchases, a rate far exceeding the return rate for in-store purchases. One of the primary reasons cited for returning goods was dissatisfaction with garment fit.

Couture Technologies, a data analytics tech startup based in Tennessee, is developing proprietary software aimed at greatly reducing return rates for online purchases. Their novel solution will utilize machine learning, numerical simulations and 3D graphic renderings to generate virtual garments and enable customized fit and sizing visualizations prior to purchase.

With even a 1% reduction in returns, this technology would give back $2.3 billion to fashion retailers and keep over 50 million pounds of goods out of landfills. This project, funded through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, shows promise in stimulating economic growth and technological innovation in the private sector.

Chemical-free Solution Shows Promise in Controlling a Honey Bee Parasite

InteliSpark client, Combplex, Inc., wins a phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop and validate precision lasers for controlling a major honey bee parasite.

Honey bees are vital for the health of our economy and environment, producing honey and other hives products and serving as crop pollinators. Yet, bee colonies are declining around the world due to the varroa mite, a highly dangerous parasite. Not only can bee colonies die from the mite itself, but the mites also carry and transmit diseases that pose a serious threat as well. This results in agricultural damages with an estimated $2 billion in losses in the United States alone.

Beekeepers have attempted to control this parasite with chemical pesticides without success. Meanwhile the varroa mites are expanding and threatening bee colonies around the world. Combplex is developing and validating a high-power laser burst to destroy the mite without harming the bees.  This novel solution is a year-round, automatic and chemical-free method and has the potential to improve food and agriculture supplies around the world.

Combplex is a startup committed to creating a more resilient farming ecosystem, and Hailey Scofield, the CEO and Co-founder of the company, will lead this NSF-funded project to develop innovative technology to advance that mission.

Protecting Communities and the Environment through Innovations in Water Treatment

InteliSpark client, Aclarity, LLC, wins a $1 million SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a cost-efficient and comprehensive water treatment solution for industrial and municipal water.

Traditional water treatment systems are expensive, require high energy-use, and may result in harmful discharges to the environment. Aclarity’s patent-pending technology, developed at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has the potential to revolutionize water treatment. This new technology uses an electrochemical design and destroys water contaminants on contact rather than merely separating out the contaminants. The innovative solution also has the potential for zero-liquid discharge/reuse operations. In zero-liquid discharge, all wastewater is purified and recycled, thereby leaving no discharge at the end of a water treatment process.  Reduction in freshwater demand and the utilization of recycled water in agriculture are tremendous benefits of zero-liquid discharge.

In this phase II project, the research team, led by Julie Mullen, Founder of Aclarity, will optimize efficacy and efficiency in destroying contaminants, finalize large-scale device design, and develop a pilot system. This new technology has the potential for commercial success in many industries by reducing costs while also protecting the environment by saving energy and eliminating discharge.

Winning Grant Advances the Development of a Novel 360° Panoramic Camera

InteliSpark client, Circle Optics LLC, wins a phase I SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a new camera system for long-form panoramic images at a low cost.

Several challenges such as parallax errors or perspective errors may arise when multiple photographs are stitched or blended together to form a composite image such as in panoramic photography. Simply put, a parallax error is when an image you take appears differently than it did in your camera’s viewfinder. The viewfinder is located slightly above the lens and views the world at a slightly different angle than the lens does. This causes a displacement of a particular subject, particularly ones that are closer to the camera. These challenges lead to expensive and time-sensitive post-production for content creators and producers attempting to integrate many shots for panoramic images.

Circle Optics, a tech startup located in Rochester, NY, is developing the world’s first stich-less 360° camera that will save costs and labor by rendering a perfect 360° image instantly. The ability to minimize overlapping image capture will reduce the problems of parallax error and perspective errors. The research team, led by Andrew Kurtz, Director of R&D at Circle Optics, will develop software and optical-mechanical alignment and assembly concepts in this project.

Sectors that may benefit from this innovative technology include navigation, aviation, tourism, construction, manufacturing, and entertainment.

New Device May Improve Microscopic Imaging of Biological Samples

InteliSpark client, Mizar Imaging LLC, wins a phase I STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop novel enhancements in microscopic imaging to capture high-resolution, high-contrast images of biological samples.

Traditional imaging methods in confocal microscopy, an optical imaging technique for increasing resolution and contrast of images taken by a microscope, require high levels of light. This results in damage to tissues and disruption to processes like cell division in biological samples.  Mizar Imaging is addressing this challenge by developing a simple, add-on mirrored sample chamber unit that will improve the collection of light in confocal microscopes and minimize damage to samples.

Dr. Paul Maddox, President and Founder of Mizar Imaging and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will work in partnership with Dr. Joel Smith, CEO at Mizar Imaging and experienced scientist and professor, on the design and development of this novel device in this phase I project. Their innovative technology has the potential for far-ranging applications for disease and pharmaceutical research.

Innovative Insect Repellent May Reduce Risk of Malaria and Other Insect-Borne Diseases

InteliSpark client, Longsleeve Inc. (formerly Hour 72, Inc.), is awarded a research grant from the National Science Foundation to develop and test the efficacy of an innovative, long-lasting insect repellent. This product is based on the company’s innovative platform technology of a novel material that may be used in other applications as well such as anti-microbials and sunscreens.

Billions of people worldwide are at risk of contracting an insect-borne disease such as malaria, Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. In 2018, approximately 228 million contracted malaria, and 405,000 died of the disease, concentrated mostly in Africa. The Zika virus outbreak of 2015–2016 posed a threat to public health in the international community with the emergence of new data that Zika could cause birth defects and neurological problems. Dengue, another widespread virus, can cause mild to severe, or even life-threatening illness in some people. Around 3 billion people live in areas that are at risk for dengue.

What these diseases all have in common is that transmission occurs through mosquito bites. Protection is possible through the use of insect repellent, but the challenge is that most products are only effective for a few hours. The New-York based start-up, Longsleeve Inc., is addressing this global health issue through their innovative platform technology that aims to extend the life of functional skin products.

In this phase I Small Business Innovation Research project, Longsleeve researchers will develop an insect repellent that is low-cost, long-lasting (effective for at least 3 days), waterproof, not absorbed in the bloodstream, contains zero synthetic repellents, and imperceptible to the touch when applied to the skin. If proved effective, large scale commercialization of the product could greatly improve public health in areas of the world where insect-borne diseases are prevalent.