BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring announced that grants totaling $577,800 have been awarded to foster the growth of the bioscience industry in North Dakota in the area of coronavirus research.
“The grants will help companies’ partner, assist and develop technologies to benefit coronavirus research, virus screening technologies, antibody therapies, immunotherapies and sanitation technologies,” Goehring said.
The state Emergency Commission approved $5 million in funding earlier this year from the coronavirus relief bill for coronavirus research and $4.4 million was awarded in July.
Organizations receiving grants are:
- Biomed Protection ND, LLC - $45,000 for development of an electronic biology-based computational platform to design diagnostics to detect autoimmunity in COVID-19 patients
- Genovac Antibody Discovery, LLC - $412,800 for the rapid development of novel Nanodisc-based anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and multiple target antibodies for diagnostics and therapeutics
- Checkable Medical, Inc. - $40,000 for development of a COVID-19 at-home rapid antibody test and clarity diagnostics
- Core Health Strategies - $30,000 for research into Bovine Interleukin-10 as a primary suppressor of the Cytokine Storm Cascade in patients with COVID-19
- Core Health Strategies - $50,000 to develop an Immunological Wellness Program for COVID-19
Grant applications were reviewed and scored by a committee made up of Goehring, a representative from the bioscience association of North Dakota and a representative from the North Dakota Department of Commerce.