December 12, 2011
CASPER, Wyo. – GlycoBac, LLC, a Laramie, Wyo., company, has received funds to pursue a federal grant that would help them develop a platform for producing various proteins, or biologics, with clinical applications in human and veterinary medicine.
The company received a $5,000 Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI) Phase 0 award that will support its efforts in preparing and submitting a National Institutes of Health Phase I SBIR proposal.
GlycoBac is working to develop an improved version of an insect virus/insect cell system that will be the major technology offered by the new company.
“This proposal will provide the initial funding needed to support our research and development efforts,” said company President Donald Jarvis. “The Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative award is an instrumental step in the early development of our new biotechnology company, as it will allow us to pursue the additional funding needed to refine and begin to market our new technology.”
“GlycoBac, LLC is an excellent example of a newly formed Wyoming small business that can be provided a leg-up in the process of obtaining seed capital from the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program,” said Gene Watson, WSSI program manager. “This WSSI Phase 0 award will assist GlycoBac in preparing a competitive proposal which could lead to a $700,000 Phase I SBIR award that would allow them to begin the commercialization of their important research project.”
The Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative is sponsored by the Wyoming Business Council and administered by the University of Wyoming Office of Research and Economic Development. The mission of the partnership is to increase the number of federal SBIR awards received by Wyoming small businesses by providing funding assistance through the WSSI Phase 0 program. The program facilitates the preparation of competitive proposals in the annual national $2.5 billion SBIR competition for Phase I (up to $150,000) and Phase II (up to $1 million) awards. Any Wyoming tech-based, for-profit small business or individual desiring to submit a Phase I proposal to any of the eleven participating federal SBIR agencies is eligible to apply for a WSSI Phase 0 award. For further information on the WSSI and SBIR programs, go to www.uwyo.edu/sbir or email wssi@uwyo.edu.
The mission of the Business Council is to facilitate the economic growth of Wyoming. The Business Council, a state government agency, concentrates its efforts on providing assistance for existing Wyoming companies and start-ups, helping communities meet their development and diversification needs, and recruiting new firms and industries targeted to complement the state’s assets. For more information, please visit www.wyomingbusiness.org.
