Biosciences

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has announced that eight University of Colorado Boulder researchers and four university-connected startup companies received funding through the latest round of the Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. The awards, granted through the Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention programs, represent one of the university's strongest performances to date.

CU Boulder Today—University of Colorado Boulder researchers have developed a method to activate and sustain glowing bioluminescent algae using simple chemical solutions, opening the door to future technologies such as living sensors and autonomous systems that operate in dark environments.

CU Boulder Today—The prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences has announced its newest members, and they include CU Boulder affiliates William Penuel and Jun Ye.

CU Boulder College of Arts and Sciences—Research suggests that disrupted or fragmented sleep after a traumatic brain injury not only interferes with the healing process but also has long-term consequences for brain health. Rachel Rowe, an assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder, has investigated this question in a recent study linking low-quality sleep following traumatic brain injury to cognitive impairment, persistent inflammation and delayed healing.

The New York Times, WIRED, CU Boulder Today—A research team of scientists and engineers from the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Colorado State University has developed a suite of therapies that prompt aging or damaged joints to repair themselves within weeks, according to animal studies. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has advanced the up to $33.5M project to its next phase, and the team has formed Renovare Therapeutics Inc. to move toward commercialization.

The University of Colorado Boulder and Techstars, the global startup accelerator and investor, have announced a strategic partnership to expand opportunities for founders and strengthen Colorado’s innovation economy.

Wall Street Journal—The second Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement targets vaccines, leading some investors to step back. In biotech investment circles, they are the ultimate contrarians: the venture capitalists who say now is the time to invest in vaccines. VitriVax, a CU Boulder spinout, raised more than $17.2 million in Series B financing in October.

Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth has received the Biomaterials Global Impact Award, which recognizes distinguished research and development accomplishments in the field of biomaterials.

CU Boulder Today—CU Boulder researchers have discovered an appetite-suppressing compound in python blood that helps the snakes consume enormous meals and go months without eating yet remain metabolically healthy. The research, a collaboration with scientists at Stanford Medicine and Baylor universities, could inform new weight loss therapies that promote satiety without the nausea and muscle loss that can come with existing drugs.

CU Boulder Today—Supported by a new five-year, up to $25 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Personalized Regenerative Immunocompetent Nanotechnology Tissue (PRINT) program, a team of CU Boulder, MIT, Harvard and Columbia researchers is working to develop 3D-printed liver tissue made of human cells and able to be transplanted into anyone without their body rejecting it.