$1M partnership to advance nanotechnology-enabled cancer research

The State University of New York (SUNY)’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE; Albany, NY) and Nuclea Biotechnologies (Pittsfield, MA) have launched a $1 million research partnership to enable the development and commercialization of a high-throughput nanochip to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment of breast, colon, prostate, and other cancers.

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“Driven by the vision and leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York is recognized as the leading global hub for nanotechnology education and innovation, including an expanding footprint in critical 21st century fields such as life sciences,” says Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, CNSE senior vice president and CEO. “This public-private partnership with Nuclea Biotechnologies expands CNSE’s cutting-edge research in the nanobioscience arena, and further illustrates its role in accelerating advanced technologies and attracting high-tech companies to New York.”

“This research agreement is a perfect marriage of biotechnology and nanotechnology,” says Patrick Muraca, president and CEO of Nuclea. “CNSE’s global reputation as the world leader in nanoscale engineering will lend critical expertise in developing the miniature version of our protein chip, which is an important element for us as we work toward commercialization. We’ve assembled a great team and look forward to this collaboration with CNSE.”

“This partnership targets important research that offers great promise for improving the quality of life for those stricken with cancer and other deadly diseases,” said Dr. James Castracane, Professor and Head of CNSE’s Nanobioscience Constellation. “We look forward to working with Nuclea Biotechnologies to develop and commercialize new sensing platforms that will enhance disease diagnosis and treatment, and ultimately, promote health care that is more efficient and cost effective.”

In 2005, Nuclea patented an Antibody Protein Analysis Chip to be used in their fatty acid synthase (FAS) analysis. Currently, Nuclea is able to conduct roughly 300 tests per run using the protein chip. Through this partnership with CNSE, the company expects to triple the number of tests that can be performed during each run.

CNSE will use its nanofabrication capabilities to help Nuclea develop a high-throughput nanochip, which would be used as a sensing platform for the analysis of biomarkers associated with cancer and other diseases. This will not only increase the number of tests per run, but will also result in smaller amounts of the biological sample necessary for testing. Concurrently, CNSE will explore methods to support the miniaturization of the protein chip.

Nuclea and CNSE are also discussing additional opportunities for collaboration, which may include the location of a Nuclea office and personnel at CNSE, as well as joint educational and workforce training programs.

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