exRNA Therapeutics Ltd, a start-up incubating at ASPIRE BioNEST, signed agreements with two faculty members of the School of Life Sciences at University of Hyderabad (UoH) for joint collaborative research on Friday.
The start-up is working on the development of novel therapeutic agents to treat communicable and non-communicable diseases. Professors Sharmishta Banerjee and Nooruddin Khan, the faculty members participating in this area, would be screening and validating novel molecules developed by exRNA Therapeutics, either alone or in combination, for better treatments for viral and bacterial infections, said a press release.
The agreements were signed by director R&D G.S. Prasad, on behalf of the participating faculty, and CMD of exRNA Therapeutics Vinay Tiwary, and exchanged in the presence of UoH VC B.J. Rao and registrar Devesh Nigam.
“Having a supportive and nurturing innovation ecosystem in an academic institution is highly advantageous not only for the institute but also for students and faculty. UoH and ASPIRE have become role models that are being replicated in many educational institutions as it helps in translation of academic research outcome into technologies and products,” said the VC.
Director and coordinator of ASPIRE and ASPIRE BioNEST and professor of the School of Life Sciences Rajagopal said, “ASPIRE BioNEST encourages all its start-ups to collaborate with the faculty of the university as their experience in basic and applied sciences will help the start-ups to take their technologies faster to the market”.
“ASPIRE at UoH supports start-ups arising from life sciences, pharma, chemistry, IT and electronics through its incubation centres, ASPIRE BioNEST, ASPIRE-TBI and ASPIRE TIDE, respectively. Currently, our activities are spread over 53,000 sq. ft. and we are planning further expansion. All the three incubation centres together supported nearly 80 start-ups, of which 30 have successfully graduated and are currently functioning with full occupancy,” said Mr. Prasad.
