About
I am a molecular biologist with a long practical experience in the manipulation of RNA, which is critical for this project. I am first author in several peer reviewed publications of gene expression during embryonic development. I graduated with a PhD. in Molecular Biology from the University of Montreal, in 2000, followed by two postdoctoral appointments as a Fellow member, first at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York and second at the UT Southwestern Medical Center of Dallas, Tx. A great part of my work consisted of analyzing RNA expression by in situ hybridization with antisense RNA riboprobes. I therefore feel capable to reiterate these techniques for this crowdfunding. In 2018 I founded New Jersey Neurons, LLC, with the goal of producing autologous neurons. Tremendous progresses have been achieved towards this goal, while only relying on private funds and donations. For example, in absence of a good substrate to support neural growth, I initially had to use chick embryos as hosts for induced neurons, however, recently I developed a gel that can fulfill this role advantageously, without animal-derived laminin. Removing animal-derived components from procedures is important for future clinical trials. I also developed animal-free formulations for the cryopreservation of neurons and skin biopsies. This allows the production of autologous neurons from biopsy samples performed remotely and shipped on dry ice. Lastly, neural induction by synthetic RNA oligonucleotides, as described here, is a new technology that should attract investors interested in neuron replacement therapies. It is my hope that these technologies will find applications in future clinical trials.
Joined
September 2022
