Biotech startup with strong VCU ties wins prestigious state grant for its DNA analysis tool

By Dan Carrigan

A startup company with roots at Virginia Commonwealth University has received a prestigious state grant that will accelerate its work in advancing DNA analysis.

Now housed in incubator office space in the Richmond neighborhood of Scott's Addition, Evizia is building on more than a decade of published research and grants tied to its husband-and-wife co-founders - Jason Reed, Ph.D., a professor in VCU's Department of Physics, and Sheila Corcoran, whose business résumé includes Wall Street experience.

An early version of their product - the aptly named PRECYSE - has been developed for testing, and they say the single-molecule imaging and analysis instrument offers superior speed, precision and cost efficiency compared with existing options for scientists and doctors.

"I am interested in developing technologies that are applicable in the real world," said Reed, who is also a researcher at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. "We want to provide researchers and clinicians with the tools they need to make groundbreaking discoveries and improve patient outcomes." - to one day help doctors care for patients with inherited neurological diseases and certain cancers.

"There is a real 'wow factor' because most have never seen a direct molecular resolution image of their samples," Corcoran added.

Over the past two years, Evizia has reached a number of commercialization benchmarks, including licensing exclusive patents. And this summer, it received a significant boost from Virginia Catalyst, also known as the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corp.

The nonprofit organization, established by the General Assembly, awarded Evizia and its partner universities an $800,000 grant to support the development and commercialization of PRECYSE. Evizia was one of only four recipients of the latest round of grants, which will allow the company to fast-track research and development as well as collaborations with researchers across the state, including at VCU and the University of Virginia. Evizia also will provide matching funds from partners.

Evizia's grant application was bolstered by endorsement from VCU TechTransfer and Ventures, which works with inventors across VCU's campuses to support commercialization of research discoveries, including connecting them with industry partners and outlining patent and legal resources.

"Their team is very unique and in a very strong position to be successful," Magdalena Morgan, Ph.D., director of licensing at TechTransfer and Ventures, said of Reed and Corcoran. "Jason's deep scientific expertise paired with Sheila's sharp business acumen creates a powerful synergy."

In many ways, Evizia emerged over the years from VCU's College of Humanities and Sciences as well as Massey, with support from additional partners. Its technology is timely, according to the co-founders.

Despite significant advancements in genome sequencing, analyzing larger sections and structures of the genome efficiently has remained challenging. Existing methods often fall short in sensitivity, speed and cost-effectiveness, requiring substantial patient samples and complex, expensive procedures, Evizia said. Clinicians and researchers increasingly need more efficient and accurate tools.

"This grant propels our work forward," Reed said of the Virginia Catalyst funding, "allowing us to build on existing key opinion leader feedback by testing with experts in our own backyard to push the boundaries of what's possible in DNA analysis."

Currently, most labs use a method called electrophoresis, which separates and checks DNA by comparing it with known samples. But PRECYSE allows scientists to see DNA directly at the single-molecule level. The new approach enhances the accuracy and speed of DNA analysis, helping labs save time and money.

Using a technology originally from semiconductor manufacturing, PRECYSE is based on an atomic force microscope (AFM), which images biomolecules like DNA.

"For those old enough to get this reference, the AFM works a lot like a record player needle. It rapidly interrogates the surface and quickly renders an image based on when the probe, or 'needle,' moves over the molecule," Reed said.

The scanning process, known as high-speed atomic force microscopy, creates detailed, 3D images at a nanometer scale (one-billionth of a meter). Direct visualization of DNA molecules provides accurate information on the structure and length of the sample. All the while, PRECYSE can replace traditional methods that provide less accuracy based on indirect measurements.

Evizia's work has been supported by grants and investment from the National Institutes of Health, VCU Health, Massey and two Virginia Investment Partnership Corp. mechanisms (Virginia Venture Partners and Commonwealth Commercialization Fund). Its PRECYSE technology continues to be refined through collaboration among physicists, molecular biologists, engineers and computer scientists.

"We are excited to partner further with leading researchers in the commonwealth to bring this technology to market," Corcoran said, "with the ultimate goal of impacting the speed, accuracy and cost of genomic analysis and improving patient outcomes."

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