Verra

AUTOMATED DATA COLLECTION AND COMPRESSION SYSTEM FOR CO2 MONITORING DATA

IN-SITU STRESS ESTIMATION FROM DOWNHOLE DRILLING DYNAMICS DATA USING SIGNAL PROCESSING AND DATA ANALYTICS

A DISEASE-MODIFYING PROTEIN THERAPEUTIC FOR THE TREATMENT OF COPD - PROJECT SUMMARY CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH WORLDWIDE AT 3.23 MILLION (2019), WHILE NEARLY 400 MILLION SUFFER ITS EFFECTS. COPD IS A HETEROGENEOUS, MULTI-PHENOTYPIC DISEASE WITH LUNG DAMAGE DERIVED FROM SMOKING, VAPING, COOKING, FOREST FIRES, POLLUTION, CHEMICAL EXPOSURE, AND NUMEROUS OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS (E.G., 1ST RESPONDERS, MILITARY, AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL WORKERS). THE MOST COMMON FORM OF COPD IS CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH MUCUS HYPERSECRETION THAT RESULTS IN GREATLY REDUCED LUNG FUNCTION LEADING TO A DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE. CURRENT TREATMENTS FOR COPD LARGELY TREAT SYMPTOMS WITHOUT MEANINGFULLY ALTERING THE COURSE OF THE DISEASE. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO TRULY DISEASE-MODIFYING TREATMENTS AVAILABLE FOR COPD PATIENTS. DIFFERENT FAMILIES OF PROTEASES HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED IN COPD. RECENTLY, A SPECIFIC PROTEASE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE UPREGULATED IN LUNG EPITHELIAL CELLS AND MACROPHAGES, AND ITS EXPRESSION IN THESE CELLS CORRELATES DIRECTLY WITH DISEASE SEVERITY IN HUMAN COPD PATIENTS. THE TARGET IS A PLEIOTROPIC MEMBRANE BOUND PROTEIN THAT PROCESSES CYTOKINES, GROWTH FACTORS, RECEPTORS, AND RECEPTOR LIGANDS ON THE CELL SURFACE. VERRA THERAPEUTICS HAS DEVELOPED A SOLUBLE PROTEIN INHIBITOR, VTH245, THAT SELECTIVELY INHIBITS THE PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY AND BLOCKS DELETERIOUS ACTIVITIES IN MODELS OF COPD. THIS INNOVATIVE PROTEIN INHIBITOR HAS SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES IN SPECIFICITY (COMPARED TO SMALL MOLECULE INHIBITORS), PENETRATION (SMALLER THAN MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES), AND IMMUNOGENICITY (BASED ON A NATURALLY OCCURRING PROTEIN SEQUENCE). DATA GENERATED IN OUR PHASE I PROJECT HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT VTH245 TREATMENT IN A GOLD-STANDARD MOUSE MODEL OF CIGARETTE SMOKE-INDUCED COPD 1) SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BIOMARKERS OF LUNG INFLAMMATION AND DESTRUCTION; 2) REDUCED INFLAMMATORY CELL COUNTS IN THE LUNG LAVAGE TO NEAR-AIR LEVELS; AND 3) REDUCED MUCUS HYPERSECRETION. FURTHER, THESE RESULTS MATCHED OR EXCEEDED PERFORMANCE OF THE MARKETED DRUG, ROFLUMILAST. WHILE ROFLUMILAST TREATMENT IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH A RANGE OF TOXICITIES THAT LIMIT ITS USE, VTH245 WAS WELL TOLERATED AND DISPLAYED THE HIGHEST SURVIVAL RATE OVER 6-MONTHS (20/20 ANIMALS). THIS PHASE II SBIR PROJECT WILL EXTEND OUR FINDINGS FROM PHASE I AND PROVIDE KEY IND-ENABLING SAFETY DATA TO INFORM FUTURE FIRST-IN- HUMAN STUDIES THROUGH THE EXECUTION OF THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AIMS: AIM 1: TO IDENTIFY THE PREFERRED ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION FOR VTH245 FOR TREATING COPD BY COMPARING THE EFFICACY PROVIDED BY TWO CLINICALLY RELEVANT ROUTES OF ADMINISTRATION, SUBCUTANEOUS AND INHALED, DETERMINING A SINGLE ROUTE FOR USE IN TOXICITY STUDIES IN AIM 3; AIM 2: TO PERFORM CRITICAL CMC ACTIVITIES FOR VTH245 PROCESS DEVELOPMENT AND GENERATE HIGH QUALITY VT245 FOR USE IN TOXICITY EVALUATIONS IN AIM 3; AND AIM 3: TO GENERATE A PRELIMINARY SAFETY PROFILE OF VTH245 TO SUPPORT IND APPROVAL. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PHASE II PROGRAM WILL FURTHER DEFINE THE TARGET PRODUCT PROFILE FOR VTH245 AND PROVIDE CRITICAL DATA FOR AN IND SUBMISSION TO SUPPORT A CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

CARBONWATCH: ROCK PHYSICS-BASED MACHINE LEARNING SOLUTION FOR END-TO-END MONITORING OF CO2 STORAGE SITES

DRILL-BIT VIBRATION AS A SAFE AND VIABLE REPLACEMENT FOR RADIOISOTOPE-BASED WELL LOGGING TOOLS FOR MEASURING DENSITY, POROSITY AND CLAY MINERAL/ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** COMMERCIALIZATION OF NOVEL METAL-PHOSPHATE LUMINESCENT REAGENT FOR MEASURING PEROXIDE VALUE IN EDIBLE FATS & OILS

A DISEASE-MODIFYING PROTEIN THERAPEUTIC FOR THE TREATMENT OF COPD

SBIR PHASE I: A TOOL FOR IN-SITU STRESS MEASUREMENT IN DEEP DOWNHOLE ENVIRONMENTS -THE BROADER IMPACT/COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF THIS SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND ECONOMICS OF SUBSURFACE OPERATIONS, SUCH AS DRILLING, STIMULATION, PRODUCTION, AND INJECTION, ASSOCIATED WITH GEOLOGICAL CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND PRODUCTION OF GEOTHERMAL HEAT AND FOSSIL FUELS FROM SUBSURFACE ROCK FORMATIONS. THESE OPERATIONS CAN AFFECT PERSONNEL SAFETY, LOSS OF CAPITAL, SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT, AND INCREASE EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES. TO OPTIMIZE SUBSURFACE OPERATIONS, KNOWLEDGE OF THE STATE OF STRESS IN ROCK FORMATIONS IS ESSENTIAL. FAILURE TO CONSTRUCT REASONABLY ACCURATE STRESS MODELS COSTS THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY SEVERAL BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY. HOWEVER, DETERMINATION OF IN-SITU STRESSES IS ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES IN THE SUBSURFACE ENGINEERING AND CURRENTLY NO TECHNOLOGY DIRECTLY MEASURES THESE STRESSEES IN DEEP FORMATIONS. THIS PROJECT ADVANCES A TOOL TO MEASURE THESE STRESSES DIRECTLY. THIS SBIR PHASE I PROJECT PROPOSES TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP A ROBUST AN INNOVATIVE DOWNHOLE TOOL FOR DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF ALL STRESS COMPONENTS AND THE STRESS ORIENTATION IN DEEP WELLS WITH ANY WELL TRAJECTORIES. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PHASE I RESEARCH STUDY INCLUDE: 1) DEVELOP ANALYTICAL AND NUMERICAL SOLUTIONS TO ACCURATELY OBTAIN FAR-FIELD STRESSES FROM NEAR-WELLBORE STRESSES. 2) DESIGN AND RENDER THE TOOL AND ALL ITS COMPONENTS FOR BOREHOLE SIZES RANGE 7? TO 12 ??. 3) DEVELOP NUMERICAL MODELING AND SIMULATION OF DIFFERENT DOWNHOLE CONDITIONS. 4) DESIGN THE MECHANICAL, HYDRAULIC, AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, MATERIALS, AND SENSORS/TRANSDUCERS AND PREPARATION FOR PROTOTYPING. THE PROPOSED TOOL HAS A NOVEL MODULAR DESIGN FOR WIRELINE, DRILL-PIPE AND COIL TUBING APPLICABLE TO VERTICAL, DEVIATED, AND HORIZONTAL WELLS. THIS MEASUREMENT CAN BE REPEATED AS NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE FULL STRESS TENSOR. THE TECHNOLOGY IS AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED FROM THE SURFACE. THE EXACT POSITION AND ORIENTATION OF THE TOOL IS DETERMINED BY AN ASSEMBLY AND MAGNETOMETER, RESPECTIVELY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

HEAT-SWEEP MONITORING WITH BUBBLED WATER SEISMIC IMAGING

EARLY PREDICTION AND PREVENTION OF FRAC SCREEN-OUT USING DEEP REINFORCEMENT LEARNING

DYNAMIC FRACTURE NETWORK EVOLUTION: MONITORING AND CHARACTERIZING USING A GEOMECHANICALLY CONSTRAINED TIME-LAPSED WINDOWED MICROSEISMIC IMAGING

COMMERCIAL ASSAY KIT USING NOVEL COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS FOR MEASURING PEROXIDE VALUE IN EDIBLE FATS & OILS