Technology Summary

NucNano is an emerging drug screening platform from The Ohio State University designed to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies identify more promising therapeutic candidates earlier in development. By moving beyond conventional assays that primarily measure binding affinity and toxicity, NucNano provides mechanistic insight into how drug candidates alter disease-relevant biological processes, supporting more confident preclinical decision-making.

The Gap

The platform is intended to address a persistent source of drug development risk: many candidates show target engagement but fail later because early studies do not adequately predict functional efficacy. NucNano helps uncover biologically meaningful signals earlier, giving R&D teams a better basis for candidate prioritization, lead optimization, and go/no-go decisions before major development costs are incurred.

Technical Approach

Using analysis of chromatin dynamics and free energy landscapes, NucNano offers a functional view of drug activity at the molecular level. This allows investigators to assess not only whether a compound interacts with its intended target, but also whether that interaction drives disease-relevant biological effects. The result is a more mechanism-based approach to screening that may improve candidate selection and reduce downstream attrition.

Commercial Applications

Potential users include biotech companies, pharmaceutical companies and CROs engaged in therapeutic discovery and preclinical development. Commercial applications may include mechanism-of-action studies, response prediction, portfolio triage, and integration into discovery workflows where earlier efficacy insight can improve development efficiency and reduce risk.

To discuss this opportunity or request additional information, please contact Ana Panic, Licensing Officer at Innovation and Commercialization (panic.2@osu.edu).

Patents: PCT

Seeking: Business Development Lead

Inventors: Michael Poirier, Ralf Bundschuh, Carlos Castro, Kalven Bonin