Pulmokine wins $515K Phase I NIH SBIR grant

Pulmokine, Inc. has been awarded a National Institute of Health Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)  grant worth $515,000 entitled “A Phosphopeptide Multiplex PRM Mass Spectroscopic Biomarker Assay For PAH” . Pulmokine, Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focusing on pulmonary disease and kinase inhibitor technology. The company’s mission is to develop new ways of treating hard-to-treat lung conditions and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and related disorders.

The grant Pulmokine, Inc. has been awarded is for the SBIR project to develop a quantitative phosphopeptide biomarker assay for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It will consist of a kit of stable isotopically labeled internal standards of a selected set of phosphopeptides either up or down-regulated in PAH. The set of stable isotopically labeled peptides will be used to quantify the level of target phosphoproteins in the buffy coat fraction of blood in a parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mass spectroscopy (MS) assay.

The company proposes to determine if a subset of these phosphoproteins are differentially regulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (buffy coat, which contains lymphocytes and platelets) of subjects with PAH compared to controls, to develop assays that can be used to determine how the levels of these phosphoproteins change over time, and to determine if these levels correlate with clinically important endpoints: i.e., mortality risk, hospitalization for PAH, and listing for lung transplant.

Phase 2 of the project will address regulatory requirements for kit commercialization, provide a longer validation study, and perform serial sampling of subjects with iPAH to correlate biomarker results with clinical course and prognosis.

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InteliSpark has an open position for an Entry-Level Proposal Development Coordinator

Position: Proposal Development Coordinator

Hours Per Week: Full-Time

Pay: BOE, salary

 Position Overview: The primary role for this position is to provide support for the InteliSpark, LLC (formerly Centurion Technology) team and clients in proposal development and submission. The position is well suited for a new or recent graduate.  Specific activities include:

• Populating federal contract and grant application forms for agencies including NIH, NSF, DoD, DoE, and others

• Tracking application status and required documents

• Composition of short technical documents, including commercialization documents

• Communicating with clients for company onboarding and government registrations

• Additional support activities

Qualifications: Applicants must meet the following specifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business-related field or equivalent experience in grant management and writing

• Proficiency in communication, written and oral, skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite (e.g., Word, Excel), Adobe Acrobat, Outlook

• Ability to provide attention to detail

• Ability to work independently and demonstrate self-management

       Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with EndNote and Google Spreadsheets

• Experience with project management

• Previous experience with federal contract and grant applications to agencies including: NIH, NSF, DoD, DoE, and others

About the Company: InteliSpark, LLC is a hands-on business development consulting firm specializing in securing non-dilutive funding for start-ups through the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), and other government research funding programs.  We work with start-ups, universities, venture capital firms and economic development programs to match small innovative companies and technologies with funding opportunities. Using our proven track record of creating winning SBIR/STTR proposals, we turn those opportunities into realities. 

To Apply: Please send resume and cover letter to Kirk Macolini at kirk@intelispark.com

Sample 6 Technologies wins NIAID (NIH) Phase II SBIR grant

InteliSpark client Sample6 Technologies has been awarded a $1 million Phase II SBIR grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The award is for the project “Adaptation Of An Enrichment-Free Listeria Diagnostic To Food Matrices” Sample6 is a company who is dedicated to revolutionize food safety through science, software and passion. The company shifts food safety from reaction to prevention through the use of in-shift pathogen diagnostics paired with powerful analytics. The tools they create are delivered to food processors, retailers and consumers.

Millions of Americans are effected by foodborne illness each year. The illness impact the gastrointestinal microflora resulting in dysbiosis and increasing the risk of other illnesses such as namely irritable bowel syndrome, kidney failure, pancreatitis and diabetes. In fact, diabetics are at an increased risk of developing foodborne illness to begin with and take longer to recover. In 2014 there were 19,542 laboratory confirmed infections, 4,445 hospitalizations and 71 deaths from foodborne illness.

The cause of these illnesses is due to contaminated food that enter the public supply due to lack of detection at the manufacturing/packaging plant, distribution warehouse or retail location. The current tests are ineffective because they require a prolonged enrichment step to decrease the likelihood of false negatives and false positives. This causes a delay in providing actionable results to the food processor leaving them with two choices. They can either store the products for longer until they get the test results back, resulting in older, lower-quality food or sending the products out to the public before receiving the test results putting the public at risk of food contamination.

Under the SBIR project, Sample6 is developing the world’s first enrichment-free foodborne pathogen detection system. DETECT/L is a rapid screening that will detect single Listeria spp. cell in less than seven hours. Sample6’s exclusive Bioillumination platform will allow for speedy turnaround enabling food manufacturers and packagers to quickly detect any contamination and solely retain the products at risk.

However, food can become contaminated later on in the supply chain during production, shipping, or in wholesale and retail environments. It is important to develop a second test to prevent this. The Phase II study will continue the work begun in Phase I to adapt the DETECT/L for finished product testing.

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Rayonix wins DoE Phase I SBIR grant

InteliSpark client Rayonix has been awarded a Department of Energy Phase I SBIR grant. The grant is for the SBIR project “Development and Commercialization of a Novel Two-Color Hybrid Pixel X-Ray Detector”.  Rayonix builds the most advanced large area X-ray detectors on the market. These detectors allow scientists to make strides while researching a number of different scientific fields.

Under the SBIR project, Rayonix will develop and commercialize a fast-new hybrid pixel array detector for use at synchrotron facilities. This new X-ray detector, is referred to as the cPix2. It offers significant novel properties: the ability to record two simultaneous X-ray images at different colors or sample times, and the ability to accurately measure much more intense X-rays than previously possible. The cPix2, has capabilities that are currently not available on the market, such as sync mode for high photon count rate capability, and the ability to produce two full-resolution images per X-ray exposure.

ASIC 48x48 pixel prototype design is completed and physical devices will be available before this grant begins. Standardized Si sensors are available to be bump bonded and SLAC collaborators have the expertise and equipment to accomplish this during Phase I. SLAC is also able to build a first complete camera with readout electronics and computer interface card. At this point the cPix2 will be characterized with X-rays. Software development to produce a Linux driver, user interface and calibration tools, is to be completed by Rayonix. Computer hardware will also be provided by Rayonix and integrated with the new X-ray detector, to produce a complete system that can easily be transported to any synchrotron.

Several scientists and institutions have not only expressed support for this project but are ready to aid in the actual experiments to reach this goal. The cPix2 will be commercially available worldwide which will benefit many different material science research and industry fields and many new classes of experiments, such as pump-probe X-ray scattering, X-ray fluorescence, and time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy, leading to advances in materials research and life sciences.

InteliSpark is now an approved SBIR/STTR service provider for Wisconsin’s Center for Technology Commercialization

We are excited to announce that InteliSpark has recently become approved SBIR/STTR service provider for Wisconsin’s  Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC). The Center for Technology commercialization is a resource for SBIR/STTR funding assistance for small businesses in the state of Wisconsin.

CTC provides the support and guidance necessary for small businesses to bring their innovations to the market. They manage a series of micro-grants on behalf of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The micro-grants can fund up to $4,500 per micro grant and up to $9,000 per small business.  Eligible Projects include the development of an SBIR/STTR Phase I or Phase II proposal or other federal funding proposal, the development of an SBIR/STTR Phase II Commercialization Plan or a comprehensive business plan and the procurement of a CTC-approved market research study in support of a commercialization or business plan.  Businesses eligible to apply for funding assistance must be starting or expanding a technology-based or research oriented business or a firm located in Wisconsin that relies on the use of technology.

Procedural requirements include contacting the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC) for intake and an assessment including the creation of a Business Model Canvas with a formal request for a meeting and submitting an online application either for an SBIR/STTR Assistance micro-grant or a Business/Commercialization micro-grant.

ArchieMD wins NIH Phase I SBIR grant

InteliSpark client ArchieMD, Inc. has been awarded a $225,000 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The award is a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project entitled “An interactive app to promote safe and effective use of opioids in young children postoperatively.”

ArchieMD is a physician-led company that designs educational products for a variety of different audiences within health sciences. The company produces applications with different types of training programs and simulations and 3D simplified concepts with visual explanations making it easier for the audience to understand.  ArchieMD stands apart from its competitors because they evaluate the educational impact of their applications by using content guidance from nationally recognized subject matter experts along with partnering with leading healthcare institutions.

In recent years, there has been increased attention to pain in children and adolescents leading to a rise in the home use of opioid prescriptions. This has also lead to an increase in hospital visits (>21,000) and accidental overdose deaths in children and adolescence. The heart of this epidemic is directly related to parents having little to no training about opioid usage.

Under this SBIR project, ArchieMD will team up with the University of Michigan to develop a smartphone application. It will be designed for parents who have children prescribed to the home use of opioid prescriptions. The app will provide education and tools to help parents with accurate real-time assessments of both pain and analgesic related adverse drug events (AR-ADEs). The goal of the SBIR is to improve analgesic safety and efficiency by improving parent’s analgesic and pain management skills.

Widetronix wins U.S. Army Phase II SBIR contract

InteliSpark client Widetronix has won a $1 million contract from the U.S. Army for the Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project “Radioisotope Power Source for Long-Lived Sensors and Communications.”

Widetronix is an early stage company that was initially created based on technology developed at Cornell University. They are actively working with customers on defense, medical and industrial applications. The company designs and manufactures ultra-low power sensor platforms with lifetimes designed to exceed 25 years. A key factor in Widetronix technology is that they are based on the companies innovative silicon carbide betavoltaics.   Betavoltaics generate electric current through the non-thermal conversion of beta particles to electrical energy, using a similar process to photovoltaics

The project being funded is to commercialize betavoltaic power sources which can last >25 years to extend the operational lifetimes for low-power applications in defense, medical and industrial monitoring applications. Currently, the commercially available power-storage devices / batteries only have a life-span that rarely reaches 10 years.

Lionano wins Phase II SBIR contract from the U.S. Army

InteliSpark client Lionano has been awarded a $859,193 contract from the U.S. Army for the Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project “High Energy Density Materials for Projectile Li-ion Battery.”  Lionano is a battery material manufacturing start-up that has created a drop-in replacement material for lithium-ion batteries. The material will improve capacity, battery life, and recharge faster than any material currently available on the market. Lionano is commercializing battery technology originally developed at Cornell University.

Batteries are critical components in modern military electronics. Advanced energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries (LIBs) must keep up with the development of military technology that demands batteries with high gravimetric and volumetric energy density, fast charging rates, and reliability over extreme operating conditions. These criteria are driving Lionano’s development of new active battery materials that serve as a drop-in replacement for current LIBs. LIBs created from Lionano's novel cathode material also would revolutionize electric vehicles, consumer electronics and industrial energy storage solutions such as wind/solar, telecom batteries and other areas.

Wicked Device wins Phase I NSF SBIR grant

InteliSpark client Wicked Device, LLC has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant worth $225,000. The grant is for the  SBIR project “A STEM toolkit enabling global air quality experiments.”  This will enable Wicked Device to compete for a NSF Phase II SBIR award worth $750,000.   Wicked Device is an electronic development company based in Ithaca, N.Y. They aim to “inspire and empower, making technological tools available to current and future inventors”.  The SBIR project will adapt Wicked Device’s Air Quality Egg product for the educational market through the development of collaborative educational software. 

The goal of the SBIR is to increase student’s engagement in experiential learning about environmental science. The project will change the scale of student scientific experiments from a local basis to a regional or even global level. By expanding to a regional and global level, it will help students understand the effects of both natural and human events have on air quality – while enabling development of more rigorous scientific thinking.

Under the SBIR project, Wicked Device will create software that allows big data to be available on a global scale. Currently, there is no such software without inaccuracy, failure and difficulty to use. Features of the software will facilitate data-sharing in a global network and include: GIS mapping, continuous logging, time averaging, annotation, and integration with compatible software systems.

This project will allow for a more interactive and creative approach while studying environmental science. By integrating this project in high school and post-secondary school curricula it will increase the likelihood and interest of students to enter a STEM field which will create a more diverse workforce and increase productivity.