Washington Entrepreneurial Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub

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The overarching goal of the partnership between NIH and the University of Washington (UW) Entrepreneurial Center for Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (referred to as WE-REACH) is to facilitate and accelerate the transformation of health research innovations into products. This NIH funded WE-REACH Center is a National Center of REACH in the Northwest region. Two key objectives of the Center are to (1) assist investigators with innovative technologies to establish proof-of-product concept definition (2) facilitating the formation of spinout companies on track to a self-sustaining structure. With well-established expertise, know-how and infrastructure to assist the Research and Development of the following two Covid-19 technical- ready Covid-19 research and develop projects intended to verify proof-of-product concepts with working prototype. (1) Aptamer-based highly sensitive biosensors for salivary COVID-19 antigen detection (Pun) (2) Broad-spectrum detection of VOC and non-VOC biomarkers from patient exhalant using biomimetic multiplexed eNose biosensor for COVID-19 diagnosis (Saikaya) The two technically sound approaches employ by the point-of-care device candidates intend to detect viral antigen in saliva and exhalant biomarker signatures from infected subjects without having to send sample to a centralized facility or a long wait-time for results. WE-REACH will assist the investigators in developing milestone-driven, stage-gated, activity-based project planning and tracking to accelerate proof-of-product concept studies within 2-year of funding. The study results will provide measurable outcomes that are deemed sufficient for upscaling and appropriate for follow-on funding.