SBIR Phase II:Nano-scale Engineering via Grid-scale Computing: Designing, Optimizing and Manufacturing Cancer Therapeutics

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will advance the development of new drug compounds for the treatment of glioma, which have been designed and constructed with an innovative combination of grid-powered, computer-aided design (CAD) software and DNA nano-fabrication technology. The compounds are self-assembling DNA nanostructures functionalized with molecular subcomponents for targeting and destroying malignant glioma (brain) tumors. Prognosis for glioma is poor because complete surgical resection is impossible and chemotherapy (being poorly selective) leads to collateral brain damage, hence treatments are needed that target and destroy glioma cells with high specificity. The broader impacts of this research are the societal benefits associated with improved disease outcomes through the creation of revolutionary new nano-pharmaceuticals. The Company's efforts under this project are focused initially on creating an effective treatment for glioma, but the Company's Essemblix platform has the potential to be used to create compounds for a wide variety of 
indications. The ability to "plug and play" at the molecular level, made possible 
by PNL's computational and nano-fabrication technology, opens the door to the deliberate design and development of entirely new types of pharmaceutical materials that could address indications across a vast and diverse number of pharmaceutical and 
biotechnology market segments.