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2409774

Cooperative Agreement

Overview

Grant Description
SBIR PHASE II: COST-EFFECTIVE PEPTIDE PRODUCTION PLATFORM -THE BROADER IMPACT OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PHASE II PROJECT IS TO ACCELERATE THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF SPECIAL MOLECULES KNOWN AS PEPTIDES. THE LAST TWENTY YEARS HAVE SEEN EXTENSIVE ACADEMIC RESEARCH ON BIOACTIVE AND STRUCTURAL PEPTIDES FOR APPLICATIONS RANGING FROM ANTIMICROBIALS, VACCINES, SCAFFOLDS FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING AND DRUG DELIVERY GROWTH FACTORS FOR CELL CULTURE MEDIA, AND BIOACTIVES FOR MEDICAL NUTRITION OR THE CONTROL OF CHRONIC DISEASES. HOWEVER, DESPITE THEIR GREAT POTENTIAL, FEW HAVE ADVANCED TO TRANSLATION AT SCALE, DUE IN PART TO THE PROHIBITIVE COST OF PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS. THIS PROJECT CONTINUES TO ADVANCE A PEPTIDE PRODUCTION SYSTEM TOWARD COMMERCIAL VIABILITY. THE PROPOSED PROJECT AIMS TO SCALE-UP A RECOMBINANT TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM THAT WILL DRAMATICALLY DECREASE THE COST OF MANUFACTURING OF PEPTIDES BEYOND WHAT IS CURRENTLY COMMERCIALLY FEASIBLE. IT ADDRESSES PEPTIDE PRODUCTION FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN THAT OF CURRENT RECOMBINANT PEPTIDE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES. SPECIFICALLY, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT PEPTIDES CAN BE TREATED AS POLYMERS RATHER THAN AS FOLDED PROTEINS WITH A COMPLEX STRUCTURE, NOVEL MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES WILL ENABLE PEPTIDE PRODUCTION AND PURIFICATION. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "NSF SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PHASE II (SBIR)/ SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAMS PHASE II", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF23516
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Wilmington, Delaware 19803-1709 United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have decreased 100% from $1,000,000 to $0.
Oakgrove Bio was awarded Cooperative Agreement 2409774 from National Science Foundation in March 2025 with work to be completed primarily in Wilmington Delaware United States. The grant has a duration of 2 years and was awarded through assistance program 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships. The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II Programs (SBIR/STTR Phase II).

SBIR Details

Research Type
SBIR Phase II
Title
SBIR Phase II: Cost-Effective Peptide Production Platform
Abstract
The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to accelerate the commercialization of special molecules known as peptides. The last twenty years have seen extensive academic research on bioactive and structural peptides for applications ranging from antimicrobials, vaccines, scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug delivery growth factors for cell culture media, and bioactives for medical nutrition or the control of chronic diseases. However, despite their great potential, few have advanced to translation at scale, due in part to the prohibitive cost of peptide synthesis. This project continues to advance a peptide production system toward commercial viability. The proposed project aims to scale-up a recombinant technology platform that will dramatically decrease the cost of manufacturing of peptides beyond what is currently commercially feasible. It addresses peptide production from a different perspective than that of current recombinant peptide production technologies. Specifically, taking advantage of the fact that peptides can be treated as polymers rather than as folded proteins with a complex structure, novel microbial cell factories will enable peptide production and purification. 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.
Topic Code
BT
Solicitation Number
NSF 23-516

Status
(Ongoing)

Last Modified 3/18/25

Period of Performance
3/15/25
Start Date
2/28/27
End Date
28.0% Complete

Funding Split
$0.0
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$0.0
Total Obligated
100% Federal Funding
0% Non-Federal Funding

Additional Detail

Award ID FAIN
2409774
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Small Business
Awarding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Funding Office
491503 TRANSLATIONAL IMPACTS
Awardee UEI
M214G98DEM25
Awardee CAGE
8HYJ1
Performance District
DE-00
Senators
Thomas Carper
Christopher Coons
Modified: 3/18/25