Alida Biosciences Inc is developing a commercial platform for the analysis of the epitranscriptome, which is the totality of chemical modifications applied naturally to RNA to regulate possibly all aspects of RNA biology: transcription (mods are installed co-transcriptionally), translation, transcript lifetime, trafficking, alternative splicing, RNA folding, RNAprotein interactions, and more. The field of epitranscriptomics has seen rapid growth, motivated by the significance of this biology and the emerging opportunities to use RNA modifications as diagnostic biomarkers and to intervene in epitranscriptomic pathways as a promising novel paradigm in drug development, especially in cancer chemotherapy. Alidas platform technology will make epitranscriptomics more accessible by offering a user-friendly workflow, integrated process controls, and cloud-based data handling and bioinformatics. In this SBIR grant, we seek to develop engineered RNA modification binding agents for integration into our platform. The enhanced properties of the novel agents will be optimized specifically for our platform to maximize sensitivity and selectivity, which is especially significant for high-value clinical samples in which only sub-nanogram quantities of RNA are likely to be available: needle biopsies, FFPE samples, and others.
Public Health Relevance Statement: Project Narrative Alida Biosciences is a start-up company focused on reading the epitranscriptomic code, a regulatory layer of biological information controlling how the genetic code is used in cells when healthy and during disease progression. By creating and commercializing the first platform for reading multiple elements of this epitranscriptomic code simultaneously, we will enable new science to understand the progression of diseases such as cancer, identify novel diagnostic biomarkers, and accelerate drug development targeting epitranscriptomic pathways.
Project Terms: Acceleration; Aging; Alternate Splicing; Alternative RNA Splicing; Alternative Splicing; Antibodies; Award; Bar Codes; barcode; Biological Assay; Assay; Bioassay; Biologic Assays; Biological Sciences; Biologic Sciences; Bioscience; Life Sciences; Biology; Biopsy; Needle biopsy procedure; needle biopsy; Malignant Neoplasms; Cancers; Malignant Tumor; malignancy; neoplasm/cancer; Cells; Cell Body; Clinical Trials; Dedications; Disease; Disorder; DNA; Deoxyribonucleic Acid; Drug resistance; drug resistant; resistance to Drug; resistant to Drug; Elements; Engineering; Evolution; Exhibits; Gene Expression; Regulator Genes; Transcriptional Regulatory Elements; regulatory gene; trans acting element; Genetic Code; Grant; Health; Libraries; Ligands; Methods; Mutation; Genetic Alteration; Genetic Change; Genetic defect; genome mutation; Play; Protein Engineering; genetic protein engineering; protein design; Proteins; Publications; Scientific Publication; Reading; Reagent; Research; Research Personnel; Investigators; Researchers; RNA; Non-Polyadenylated RNA; RNA Gene Products; Ribonucleic Acid; Messenger RNA; mRNA; Role; social role; Science; Specificity; Vertebral column; Spinal Column; Spine; backbone; Technology; Testing; Time; Genetic Transcription; Gene Transcription; RNA Expression; Transcription; Translations; translation; Virus Diseases; Viral Diseases; viral infection; virus infection; virus-induced disease; Work; Yeasts; conference; convention; summit; symposia; symposium; RNA Sequences; cancer progression; neoplasm progression; neoplastic progression; tumor progression; improved; Clinical; Phase; Variation; Variant; biologic; Biological; Chemicals; Disease Progression; Funding; directed evolution; Directed Molecular Evolution; Therapeutic; scaffold; scaffolding; Knowledge; programs; Chemotherapy-Oncologic Procedure; Chemotherapy Protocol; Chemotherapy Regimen; Combination Chemotherapy Regimen; Quimioterapia; cancer chemotherapy; Dependence; monomer; nucleobase; Performance; success; molecular recognition; trafficking; novel; Code; Coding System; Sampling; Property; drug development; Bio-Informatics; Bioinformatics; Molecular Interaction; Binding; Affinity; Detection; RNA-Protein Interaction; RNA and protein interaction; RNA Folding; Reader; Reproducibility; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; SBIR; Small Business Innovation Research; Transcript; Molecular; Process; Modification; nano; Pathway interactions; pathway; rapid growth; designing; design; next generation; Outcome; Coupled; clinical relevance; clinically relevant; user-friendly; new diagnostics; next generation diagnostics; novel diagnostics; commercialization; tumor; product development; cloud based; diagnostic marker; diagnostic biomarker; clinically useful biomarkers; clinical biomarkers; epitranscriptomics; epitranscriptome; data handling; technology platform; technology system
