Brain penetrating compounds as promising therapeutics for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Problem: An estimated 6.2 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), and this number is projected to reach over 13 million by 2050 with societal costs expected to rise to $1.1 trillion. A key feature of AD-affected brain tissue is the...

A method to rapidly detect the presence of EGFRvIII mutations in cancers and normal tissue using digital PCR. Problem: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a devastating brain cancer with poor prognosis. EGFRvIII is a mutation in the Extracellular Growth Factor Receptor that frequently occurs in GBM tumors. Targeting EGFRvIII mutations is an emerging...

A platform technology to rapidly identify novel lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations to carry mRNA-based therapeutics to target organs/cells in vivo. Problem: Messenger RNA (mRNA) has emerged as a promising new class of nucleic acid therapy, with the potential to induce protein production to treat and prevent a range of diseases. While significant...

Air and water tolerant precatalyst for Shibasaki’s rare earth metal BINOLate catalystsProblem: Asymmetric catalysis is used for synthesizing optically active or chiral materials, which form the basis for the production of numerous pharmaceuticals, natural products, fine chemicals, and biologically active compounds. Because of the cooperative activation...

Method for covalent cross-linking of antibodies to surfaces for immunoassays and targeted drug delivery Technology Overview: The Tsourkas Lab has designed a facile method for the site-specific bioconjugation of native immunoglobulins (IgGs). The researchers have developed novel photoreactive Protein Z variants that allow for the introduction of...

Sortase-mediated expressed protein ligation and bioconjugation for molecular imaging and targeted therapeutics Technology Overview: The Tsourkas Lab has developed a novel conjugation technique that allows any single-chain recombinant protein to be site-specifically modified at the C-terminus during protein expression and purification procedures....

Synthesis of trifluoromethylated alkylboron compounds and incorporation into small molecules and macromoleculesProblem: Fluorinated macromolecules are widely utilized in industry, with the most notable example being Teflon, or perfluorotetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Additionally, methods for incorporating CF3 into small organic molecules are not well developed,...

Problem: Methane, also known as natural gas, is a widely used in power generation and has the advantage of producing lower carbon emissions than coal per unit of energy generated. However, the release of any unburned methane during combustion presents a problem, as methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a heat-trapping effect 20 times greater than...

Cross-coupling reactions without the generation of waste productsProblem: Catalytic carbon-carbon bond formation based on cross-coupling reactions (CCRs) plays a central role in the production of natural products, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and organic materials. Coupling reactions with organometallic reagents and organic halides facilitate a plethora...

Therapeutic development for HIV-1 infection and prevention of transmissionProblem: A global pandemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) persists, with about 34 million people worldwide currently infected and 2.5 million people newly infected with the virus annually.Inhibition of the initial HIV entry...