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Gateway Biotechnology Chosen to Participate in an Accelerator Program

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Gateway Biotechnology Chosen to Participate in an Accelerator Program

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With over two decades of experience in the fields of plant genomics and developmental biology, Dr. Thomas Brutnell serves as the vice president of Gateway Biotechnology in St. Louis, Missouri. In this role, Dr. Thomas Brutnell oversees the product development of repurposed FDA-approved drugs and new drug candidates to prevent and treat noise-induced hearing loss.

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With over two decades of experience in the fields of plant genomics and developmental biology, Dr. Thomas Brutnell serves as the vice president of Gateway Biotechnology in St. Louis, Missouri. In this role, Dr. Thomas Brutnell oversees the product development of repurposed FDA-approved drugs and new drug candidates to prevent and treat noise-induced hearing loss.

Gateway Biotechnology was chosen to join the MassChallenge Boston, a zero-equity, competition-based accelerator program that offers an opportunity for startups to win more than $1 million in cash prizes.

Founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2009, MassChallenge supports startups with the highest potential to make a positive impact across all industries worldwide. In March 2019, MassChallenge chose more than 100 startups with focuses ranging from health care and life sciences to high tech, consumer goods, cleantech, and social impact to participate in the accelerator program.

In addition to winning cash prizes, startups will also gain access to expert mentorship, networking with corporate partners, and spacious co-working spaces at the Innovation and Design Building in Boston. During the program, the participants will partake in an evidence-based curriculum that tackles the essential stages of product development.

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Gateway Biotechnology Chosen to Participate in an Accelerator Program

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With over two decades of experience in the fields of plant genomics and developmental biology, Dr. Thomas Brutnell serves as the vice president of Gateway Biotechnology in St. Louis, Missouri. In this role, Dr. Thomas Brutnell oversees the product development of repurposed FDA-approved drugs and new drug candidates to prevent and treat noise-induced hearing loss.

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SBIR Grant to Help Gateway Progress on Tinnitus Treatment

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SBIR Grant to Help Gateway Progress on Tinnitus Treatment

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Thomas Brutnell, a skilled executive in the biotechnology sector, splits his time among a variety of endeavors. He is the founder of Viridis Genomics Consulting and serves as a visiting scientist for the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Beyond these roles, Thomas Brutnell is vice president of Gateway Biotechnology, a St. Louis-based drug-development business that recently secured over $2 million in federal funding.

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Thomas Brutnell, a skilled executive in the biotechnology sector, splits his time among a variety of endeavors. He is the founder of Viridis Genomics Consulting and serves as a visiting scientist for the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Beyond these roles, Thomas Brutnell is vice president of Gateway Biotechnology, a St. Louis-based drug-development business that recently secured over $2 million in federal funding.

The biotechnology startup received a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant in July 2020. At $2.2 million, the grant was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Gateway was founded in 2011 with the purpose of developing drugs that prevent and treat hearing disorders. Since its founding, it has received several Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) and SBIR grants from the NIH. It also is part of a $10 million contract from the United States Department of the Army to develop a treatment to prevent noise-induced hearing loss. The drug produced through this project is part of a clinical Phase II trial.

With the new SBIR grant, Gateway plans on supporting the advanced development of a tinnitus treatment. Tinnitus involves a ringing in the ear and is associated with hearing loss. While several companies seek drugs that prevent and treat this condition, there are currently no FDA-approved drugs for tinnitus on the market. The funding will help Gateway expand pilot studies of their lead candidate, a plant natural product, and move closer to clinical trials and FDA approval.

A Chesterfield, Missouri scientist, Thomas Brutnell leads Viridis Genomics Consulting, focusing on leading-edge developments in plant genetics and genomics. Thomas Brutnell's work centers on agricultural biotechnology communities, including pre-Series A biotech firms with disruptive research approaches. His guidance includes project management, as well as R&D, grant writing, and manuscript editing. View all posts by thomasbrutnell

Published

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SBIR Grant to Help Gateway Progress on Tinnitus Treatment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thomas Brutnell, a skilled executive in the biotechnology sector, splits his time among a variety of endeavors. He is the founder of Viridis Genomics Consulting and serves as a visiting scientist for the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Beyond these roles, Thomas Brutnell is vice president of Gateway Biotechnology, a St.

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The Significant Risks of Hearing Loss Among Musicians

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The Significant Risks of Hearing Loss Among Musicians

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Thomas Brutnell is an established presence in the Missouri entrepreneurial community who consults in the agricultural biotechnology sphere and serves as the vice president of Gateway Biotechnology, Inc. With the latter firm, Thomas Brutnell is focused on combating hearing disorders through innovative, plant-based therapeutics.

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Thomas Brutnell is an established presence in the Missouri entrepreneurial community who consults in the agricultural biotechnology sphere and serves as the vice president of Gateway Biotechnology, Inc. With the latter firm, Thomas Brutnell is focused on combating hearing disorders through innovative, plant-based therapeutics.

One major hearing loss issue is caused by exposure to loud sounds over an extended period of time. This is particularly prevalent among those in the music business; musicians including Neil Young and Coldplay's Chris Martin have reported developing tinnitus over the course of their careers.

As reported in an AARP article, a German study examining 7 million health insurance records from 2004 to 2008 found that musicians were four times more likely to experience noise-induced hearing loss than workers in any other profession.

The reason for this has to do with sheer volume, since musicians are subject to longer exposure of sounds over 85 decibels, a noise level that is similar to what one would experience with busy street traffic. Anything over 85 decibels is considered risky, while the pain threshold is at 125 decibels. Average music concerts are 115 decibels, or slightly below the sound of an ambulance or jackhammer. In some arenas, sound can reach 140 decibels, which exceeds levels associated with a jet engine.

Unfortunately, it does not take long for the negative effects to accumulate for musicians. 3M Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division data points to damage occurring after only three minutes of exposure to sound at the 115 decibel level.

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The Significant Risks of Hearing Loss Among Musicians

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Thomas Brutnell is an established presence in the Missouri entrepreneurial community who consults in the agricultural biotechnology sphere and serves as the vice president of Gateway Biotechnology, Inc. With the latter firm, Thomas Brutnell is focused on combating hearing disorders through innovative, plant-based therapeutics.

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Dr. Thomas Brutnell, a plant geneticist and molecular biologist, engineers photosynthesis in plants and advises private and public organizations regarding plant genetics. Aside from his professional projects, Thomas Brutnell has written and contributed to a number of papers, including “Climate-smart crops with enhanced photosynthesis.”

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Dr. Thomas Brutnell, a plant geneticist and molecular biologist, engineers photosynthesis in plants and advises private and public organizations regarding plant genetics. Aside from his professional projects, Thomas Brutnell has written and contributed to a number of papers, including "Climate-smart crops with enhanced photosynthesis."

Escherichia coli or E. coli, has been a workhorse for biology and genetics for decades. In a recent paper published in Cell (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.009), Gleizer and colleagues conducted an elegant engineering feat by endowing E. coli with the capacity to fix CO2, a major greenhouse gas, into simple sugars. By rewiring central metabolism of the bacterium to use CO2 as a carbon source and formate as a reductant , the authors then tapped evolution to drive the synthetic biology. After 200 days of directed evolution, the group was able to generate a bacterium capable of fixing CO2 via the Calvin cycle.

As climate change is perhaps our greatest social, economic and scientific challenge for the foreseeable future, this study paves the way for a promising line of research with global implications. As the authors suggest, this work could provide a framework for enhancing the production of bioproducts produced using electrochemically generated formate from CO2 and thus could result in net negative carbon emissions. This work also opens up the possibility to enhance Rubisco kinetics for bacterial and plant systems.

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Dr. Thomas Brutnell, a plant geneticist and molecular biologist, engineers photosynthesis in plants and advises private and public organizations regarding plant genetics. Aside from his professional projects, Thomas Brutnell has written and contributed to a number of papers, including "Climate-smart crops with enhanced photosynthesis." Escherichia coli or E.