NEW ORLEANS (press release) — Informuta, a company looking to revolutionize the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infectious diseases through artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML)-powered analytics of DNA, received a $275,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program on Sept. 13. This grant aims to further research and develop a platform for detecting genetic antibiotic resistance motifs that are predictive of current and future susceptibility to drugs.
Dr. Kalen Hall and Dr. Leo Williams, co-founders of the Tulane University startup spinout, are dedicated to combating drug resistance in bacteria, which has been a challenge in modern medicine.
“We are thrilled to receive this NSF STTR award, which represents a crucial step forward in validating our technology and advancing our efforts to combat the growing drug resistance crisis. This grant will provide the necessary funding to generate key clinical data to support our FDA submissions and ultimately bring our product to market to help patients,” said Hall in a press releasse. “We are incredibly grateful for the invaluable support and guidance provided by the New Orleans BioInnovation Center and the Tulane University Innovation Institute. Their partnership and mentorship have been instrumental in helping us achieve this milestone, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we work towards transforming infectious disease diagnostics.”
Antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis that is predicted to overtake cancer and heart disease as the leading cause of death by 2050, taking 10 million lives annually. Already, antibiotic-resistant infections directly cause 1.2 million deaths and cost the US health system over $20 billion in direct medical costs. Contributing to this crisis, it is estimated that half antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary or misused. Current diagnostic technology has prevented the field from shifting to a precision medicine approach, as the standard of care is slow and poorly prognostic of patient drug response. Consequently, clinicians resort to trial and error which leads to further misuse, poorer outcomes, and increased emergence of resistance.
This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will establish the feasibility of leveraging mutational signatures found in the DNA of bacteria to predict current and future drug resistance status. Mutational signatures are highly specific global patterns associated with mutational processes in cells. Studies have shown they can be indicative of past antibiotic exposure leading to an understanding of current resistance status. Additionally, certain signatures have also been linked to rapid drug resistance acquisition and can be used as a signal for future treatment failure.
“We are incredibly proud of the achievements of Kalen Hall and Leo Williams; early in the team’s development, I saw high potential. Their work is a shining example of what happens when you match innovative research with an entrepreneurial drive and the support of Tulane. By utilizing the resources of the Tulane Innovation Institute, along with the support of local and regional ecosystem programs, funding, and mentorship, they’ve made tremendous strides in a short amount of time. Their early success with this STTR award is a great example of how Tulane University is driving growth and supporting Louisiana-based companies,” said Kimberly Gramm, David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer, Tulane Innovation Institute.
The New Orleans BioInnovation Center and the Tulane University Innovation Institute played key roles in helping the startup form and secure the grant.
“This achievement highlights the power of collaboration within our biotech ecosystem. Informuta’s success is a testament to the dynamic partnership between NOBIC, our local bio community, and Tulane University,” said Kris Khalil, executive director of NOBIC. “Together, we are shaping a future where groundbreaking scientific research swiftly translates into life-saving solutions. Informuta’s pioneering work exemplifies this vision, and we couldn’t be more proud of Dr. Hall and Dr. Williams for reaching this significant milestone.”
The research kicked off on Sept. 15, 2024 and will run through Aug. 31, 2025. For more information on Informuta and their work visit here.
