SBIR Phase I: A Novel SARS-CoV-2 Virus-Like Particle Optimized to Deliver shRNA Therapeutics to Prevent and Treat Infection (COVID-19)

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project involves generation of a new class of therapeutics to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, while also laying the foundation for a new way to treat respiratory infection and pulmonary illness. This approach relies on precise delivery of a treatment that impairs the ability of the COVID-19 virus to form infectious particles. In the future, this approach could be rapidly modified for use against other respiratory viruses or to deliver other pulmonary medicines. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to generate a novel SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic through precise delivery of a genomic medicine and direct competition with the SARS-CoV-2 virus for access to at-risk or infected pulmonary epithelial cells. This project will use an in silico approach to design and prioritize the product, followed by in vitro testing and validation. This project aims to prioritize a novel delivery vehicle and genomic medicine candidate. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.