NCInnovation awards grants to Pinku Mukherjee and Susan Trammell

Klein College of Science researchers Pinku Mukherjee and Susan Trammell were each awarded a research and development grant from NCInnovation this week. NCInnovation is a nonprofit organization that bridges the gap between academia and industry to help advance research from North Carolina public universities from proof-of-concept to commercial investment and viability.

The grants were awarded after a multi-month review and evaluation process led by external panels of subject matter experts and overseen by the Program Committee of NCInnovation’s Board of Directors.

Jordan Poler, professor of chemistry in the Klein College of Science, received the NCInnovation grant last year and has made strides in regenerable filtration that removes PFAS and forever chemicals from water supplies.

Mukherjee, the Irwin Belk Distinguished Professor in Cancer Research, along with team member Ru Zhou, associate research professor in biological sciences, are developing a pancreatic cancer therapeutic using a novel T-cell engager derived from a patented monoclonal antibody that was also developed at UNC Charlotte. The T-cell engager has shown significant efficacy in treating chemotherapy-resistant pancreatic cancer as the tumor-specific protein is found on 85% of solid tumors. Pancreatic cancer is particularly deadly because it is typically diagnosed only in late stages due to a lack of screening tools and the fact that it progresses without obvious symptoms.

Trammell, professor of physics and optical science, and team developed an innovative laser technology, called Light-Assisted Drying, to enable storage of vaccines and other therapeutics at room temperature. This technology, which was recently awarded U.S. Patent 11,849,722, is a promising alternative to freeze-drying for storing and stabilizing proteins. Traditional preservation methods are slow, energy-intensive and involve complicated procedures. LAD, in under three hours, uses a near-infrared laser to gently remove water from the material and encase it in a protective sugar-based coating, preserving both stability and effectiveness. It works with a wide range of biological materials and offers a practical substitute for refrigeration-dependent systems, which could eliminating the need for refrigeration during transport and storage would reduce costs by up to 80%.

Mukerjee and Trammell were among 17 awardees statewide from 12 institutions:

Read more about the NCInnovation grants for Mukherjee and Trammell.