Grants and loans

BT Catalyst, Jan-Feb, 2006

Alphavax of Durham, $3.3 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for the preclinical development of a smallpox vaccine.

Asklepios Biopharmaceutical of Chapel Hill, $1.5 million award from an unnamed source to develop a treatment for Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy.

Embrex of Durham, $296,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the "Enhancement of Early Development in Turkeys by In Ovo Feeding."

Icoria of Research Triangle Park, $786,250 for two years from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to study metabolomics and gene expression in relation to alcohol-related diseases.

Icoria also announced three contracts expected to generate up to $1.1 million in revenue. The company will provide microarray expression services, analysis and reporting to Duke University, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and an unnamed biotechnology company.

Piedmont Triad Research Park in Winston-Salem, $9.9 million from the federal transportation reauthorization fund to move railroad tracks, build bridges and provide grading and road work that would ultimately open the eastern portions of the Research Park for development.

The University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill, to split a $9 million Environmental Protection Agency grant with University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey at Piscataway. The universities will establish environmental bioinformatics centers.

Zen-Bio of Research Triangle Park, $961,578 for two years from the National Institutes of Health to develop a human omental adipocyte (fat) cell system that could lead to the development of diagnostic tools and medication to treat obesity-related diseases.