STTR Phase I: A therapeutic molecule for COVID-19

The broader impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to provide a therapeutic solution for coronavirus pandemics. Coronaviruses have been implicated in several outbreaks, including prior SARS and MERS. The proposed therapeutic will inhibit the virus’s ability to replicate and elicit the body's immune system to kill the virus. In addition, this research can be applied to solutions for other viruses including RSV, hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS. The proposed project will advance a method integrating vaccines, small molecule inhibitors, and antibodies. This project will identify a small molecule that targets and binds to the virus, then link it to a small payload that signals the body's immune system. This project will identify and develop a targeting molecule that can bind effectively to multiple strains of the coronavirus and a payload that promotes an appropriate immune response. 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.