May 2019
May 2019: Accelero Biostructures, Inc. has received additional non-dilutive funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II program
San Francisco: May 2019
Accelero Biostructures, Inc., has received additional non-dilutive funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II program. Accelero Bio has developed novel technologies and tools for accelerating structure-based drug discovery using its deep expertise in high-throughput protein X-ray crystallography.
“We are very excited to receive this additional highly competitive Phase II funding from NIH, which cements our R&D and business plans enabling us to advance our mission to drive early drug discovery to develop new medicines to help people around the world”, said Debanu Das, Co-Founder and CEO.
The funds will be used to complete development of the Accelero Biostructures ABS-OneStepTM platform to discover novel leads for developing new therapeutics. X-ray crystallography is the gold standard for determining the exact binding orientation of molecules, which is an essential step in this process.
Accelero Biostructures was formed in January 2015 with support from the University of California’s QB3 program and is now in its 5th year of operations. “We aim to dramatically increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of developing novel lead molecules for preclinical testing. Our platforms help in providing additional tools and technologies to the company’s customers and partners.”, said Ashley Deacon, Co-Founder and CSO.
March 2019: Accelero Biostructures, Inc. expedites structure determinations for groundbreaking research expanding the DNA alphabet from 4 to 8 building blocks
San Francisco: March 2019
Accelero Biostructures, Inc., expedited structure determinations and provided rapid, high-quality macromolecular crystallography data collection and processing on crystals of protein-DNA complexes of Hachimoji DNA that double the DNA alphabet with implications for life in the universe and DNA storage. The groundbreaking research was published in Science, February 22nd, 2019.
DNA and RNA are naturally composed of four nucleotide bases that form hydrogen bonds in order to pair. Hoshika et al. added an additional four synthetic nucleotides to produce an eight-letter genetic code and generate so-called Hachimoji DNA. Coupled with an engineered T7 RNA polymerase, this expanded DNA alphabet could be transcribed into RNA. Thus, new forms of DNA that add information density to genetic biopolymers can be generated that may be useful for future synthetic biological applications.
According to the New York Times, Hachimoji DNA could have many applications, including a far more durable way to store digital data that could last for centuries. It also raises a profound question about the nature of life elsewhere in the universe, offering the possibility that the four-base DNA we are familiar with may not be the only chemistry that could support life.
The structure determinations were expedited by Accelero Biostructures, cofounded by Dr. Debanu Das, a former graduate student of Dr. Georgiadis, and Dr. Ashley Deacon, who provided rapid, high-quality macromolecular crystallography data collection and processing on crystals of the protein-DNA complexes. The crystal structures provided 3D proof that Hachimoji DNA assembles duplex DNA retaining essential features of natural DNA while imparting novel sequence specific features conferred by the novel synthetic base pairs.
Dr. Debanu Das, CEO of Accelero Biosciences commenting on the company’s role said “We were honored to contribute to this monumental discovery and to validate this pioneering work with our platform – it’s a powerful tool for structure determination”.
September 2018: Accelero Biostructures, Inc. expands operations to MBC Biolabs
San Francisco: Sept 2018
Accelero Biostructures, Inc., today announced the move and expansion of their services to meet the needs of their growing customer base. The company has recently relocated to a larger facility and been accepted into the MBC BioLabs community after a competitive evaluation. MBS Biolabs is a community of scientists and innovators and provides operational and facility support to growing bio focused companies.
Accelero Biostructures also joined the California Life Science Association – a non-profit association representing California’s life sciences industry. CLSA aims to advances California’s world-leading life sciences innovation ecosystem by advocating for effective national, state and local public policies and supporting entrepreneurs and life sciences businesses.