Life Science Commercialization Grants Awarded

(USTR.gov)

The Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF) in Seattle, Washington awarded some $600,000 in grants for the commercial development of technologies to improve the diagnosis and management of health conditions. LSDF is a Washington state agency that makes grant investments in life sciences research to benefit Washington state citizens.

Christopher Bernards at Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason in Seattle received a $150,000 LSDF award to conduct first-in-human testing of a device that can deliver drugs directly to the central nervous system through an intranasal route. The new methods, if successful would be less risky, painful, and expensive than current techniques involving direct injections into the cerebrospinal fluid.

LSDF awarded Jane Burns at Seattle Children’s Hospital $150,000 to adapt a new air sampling device to collect exhaled breath for non-invasive detection of lung infections. The funding will help adapt an aerodynamic lens aerosol concentrator device for direct capture of exhaled breath for detection of bacteria or viruses, and test the modified device in children with cystic fibrosis to assess its sensitivity and specificity.

Patrick Stayton at University of Washington was awarded $150,000 from LSDF to improve the speed and sensitivity of immunoassays using environmentally sensitive polymers. Immunoassays are chemical tests to detect or quantify a specific substance in a blood or body fluid sample, using antibodies and purified antigens as reagents. In this project, immunoassay reagents based on new polymer technologies will be developed and tested in a model hormone assay using human samples. The investigators will directly compare their smart polymer-based immunoassay reagents with immunoassay reagents using current technology.

Barry Lutz also at University of Washington received a $149,461 award from LSDF to develop and simulation-test a prototype of an improved externalized cerebrospinal fluid drainage system. Current systems for draining cerebrospinal fluids require frequent adjustments by nurses to control the drainage rate and require patients to remain completely still. The research team will develop a smart external drain system that automatically maintains a drainage rate or intracranial pressure. The system will eliminate the need for manual upkeep by hospital staff and allow patients to move freely during treatment.

In all four cases, companies are collaborating with the grant awardees or are planned to take the technologies to market.

Read more: Drug Discovery Company Lands $25M in Private, State Funding

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