SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering or referred to as (SUNY Poly CNSE), www.sunycnse.com announced recently that the biotech startup “HocusLocus, LLC” http://hocuslocus.com in Partnership with SUNY has been awarded over $1 million from NIH and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The funding will help to further research and development, along with commercialization of an RNA-based switch technology called “sxRNA”. HocusLocus an RNA-based-therapeutic molecular tool company has previously received significant funding in New York State.
Associate Professor of Nanobioscience, Dr. Scott Tenenbaum is developing the RNA-based switch technology to enable the technology to either enable targeted cells to develop properly or cause the cells to self-destruct.
Both SUNY and HocusLocus have figured out how to switch ON or OFF specific gene expression enabling a more targeted and effective approach to treating HIV, Ebola, and dengue and/or the ability to guide stem cells toward development without complications.
Four grants are going to help drive development of “sxRNA”. The first NIH grant for $225,000 will enable application of the technology by targeting specific viruses to switch certain genes to ON or OFF which will be done to cause the death of virally infected cells.
A second NIH grant for $225,000 will enable the “sxRNA” to be applied to stem cells, so that the switch can help eliminate wayward cells that can lead to tumors. A third NIH award for $410,000 will support further basic research to develop the “sxRNA” as a platform technology. In addition, a $225,000 NSF grant will be used to manufacture the RNA switch technology to help bring the platform to market.