Issue 119

Community Notices

Applying for the NCL Assay Cascade (deadline Sept. 1)

Two types of applications for the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory’s (NCL) Assay Cascade characterization program are available, depending on the state of development. Applicants can submit a proposal for (1) comprehensive (physicochemical, in vitro, and/or in vivo) characterization of a lead cancer nanomedicine concept with previously demonstrated proof-of-concept efficacy data or (2) limited characterization (2–3 physicochemical or in vitro assays) to support lead selection or technology development. All services are funded by the National Cancer Institute for accepted applicants under both application types.

Read more about the application process, evaluation criteria, and characterization capabilities on the NCL website: https://dctd.cancer.gov/research/research-areas/nanotech/ncl . Please email ncl@mail.nih.gov to discuss specific questions and needs in advance of the September 1 application deadline.

SAVE THE DATE: Marble Center Distinguished Seminar with Dr. Natalie Artzi, September 28 (4-5pm).

The Marble Center will host Dr. Natalie Artzi as part of our distinguished seminar series. Dr. Artzi is the Hansjӧrg Wyss Associate Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School, Head of Structural Nanomedicine at Mass General Brigham's Gene and Cell Therapy Institute, Associate Institute Director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, and Visiting Scientist at the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science at MIT.

Dr. Artzi is a biomedical scientist-engineer renowned for transformative contributions to structural nanomedicine and pioneering work on tissue- and cell-responsive materials. Dr. Artzi developed materials that activate based on chemical cues, enabling targeted drug delivery, and creating a novel "depot effect" where nanotherapeutics are released to neighboring cells to enhance immune therapy. Read more…

News

Marble Center INSIHT Grant Recipients Announced!

Kripa Varanasi, PhD

Michael Strano, PhD

The Marble Center is pleased to announce that both Dr. Kripa Varanasi and Dr. Michael Strano are the recipients of the Integrated Nanoscale Sensing, Imaging, & Health Technologies (INSIHT) seed grant. The award program will support two projects that aim to address challenges associated with early cancer detection.

Dr. Varanasi’s project will focus on Enabling hyper resolution and contrast in ultrasound cancer detection via physics-informed AI and targeted bubble-plastron transformations
Dr. Strano’s project will focus on AI-Enabled Multimodal Label-Free Chemical Imaging for Real-Time Bladder Cancer Detection.

*SB-101 is designed to deliver healthy, cryopreserved hepatocytes that engraft and restore liver detoxification function in infants with urea cycle disorders. | Image Credit: © alexlmx -* *stock.adobe.com*

Satellite Bio Wins FDA IND Clearance for SB-101, Marking Transition to Clinical-Stage Company

(BioPharm International) Satellite Biosciences, Inc. (Satellite Bio) announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for SB-101, an investigational cell therapy for the treatment of urea cycle disorders (UCDs). The clearance marks the company's transition from a preclinical to a clinical-stage biotechnology company. Satellite Bio plans to initiate a phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of SB-101 in infants with severe early-onset UCDs later in 2026.

SB-101 is a first-in-class, off-the-shelf liver cell therapy built on Satellite Bio's platform for delivering healthy hepatocytes to receptive sites in the body, where the cells can engraft and restore metabolic function. The therapy is manufactured in advance and cryopreserved, intended to provide a ready-to-use treatment option for infants who require urgent intervention rather than one built around a patient-specific manufacturing timeline. The liver performs more than 500 vital functions, including detoxifying harmful substances such as ammonia, processing nutrients, and producing essential blood proteins, and SB-101 is designed to restore this detoxification capacity in patients whose own liver cells cannot adequately perform it. Read more…

Job opportunities

Bioconjugation Scientist, Chemical Biologist, GT Biosciences. GT Biosciences is seeking a mission-driven, multidisciplinary Scientist in Organic Chemistry and Bioconjugation to join our Deliveromics Platform Development team. In this role, you will lead the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel ligands, linkers, and conjugates for targeted delivery applications. You will develop and optimize multi-step synthetic routes and bioconjugation strategies across a broad range of molecular formats, including oligonucleotides, peptides, proteins, lipids, small molecules, and other therapeutic payloads. This is a full-time, in-person position based in Cambridge, MA.

Scientist, Chemistry and Delivery Science, Moderna. In this role, you will drive the design, development, and optimization of LNP formulations that enable the delivery of transformative therapeutic modalities. The successful candidate will combine scientific rigor with creativity, leveraging a deep curiosity for understanding the fundamental principles of LNP self-assembly, structure-function relationships, and delivery performance. You will apply experimental design, statistical modeling, and advanced analytical characterization techniques to generate insights that accelerate platform innovation and therapeutic development.