As the days grow longer and the lab gets sunnier, we’ve been making strides across science, strategy, and summer refreshments. This quarter has brought new partnerships, fresh faces, and more momentum for our platform. Here’s a round-up of what we’ve been up to.

We’re excited to announce that we’ve secured new investment from Northstar Ventures and Smartlink Partners. Their support comes at a pivotal time, as we focus on reaching critical commercial milestones and expanding our outreach to leading pharmaceutical companies. This funding will allow us to strengthen our technology offering, grow our business development capabilities, and accelerate our work with partners tackling the toughest challenges in RNA therapeutics.

We're particularly grateful to have investors who not only understand the complexity of what we’re building, but who also share our long-term vision. Their belief in our mission - and in the potential of Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics - is a strong vote of confidence as we move into this next phase of growth.

2. Innovate UK Grant to Advance Molecular Programming

We’re proud to share that we’ve been awarded a new grant from Innovate UK to support the continued development of our molecular programming and computational modelling capabilities. At Nanovery, we’re always striving to deliver novel assays and results faster. A critical part of this is being able to accurately predict how our nanorobots will behave, before they’re built. With stronger in silico modelling, we can now get to optimised assays within the first or second iteration, dramatically reducing turnaround times.

Computational design sits at the heart of our platform, and this grant will help us expand what’s possible. Combined with the arrival of two experienced computational scientists, Karol Kaszuba and Alex Punter, we’re in a stronger position than ever to accelerate assay development across virtually every project we run.

This June, Ennio represented Nanovery at the SLAS Europe 2025 Conference in Hamburg, which is a leading event for life sciences innovation, automation, and drug discovery technologies. With over 1,000 attendees from across biotech and pharma, the conference provided a valuable platform to engage with scientists and technology developers shaping the future of research tools.

Ennio showcased our work in nucleic acid nanorobotics for bioanalysis, highlighting how Nanovery’s approach is helping to solve long-standing challenges in oligonucleotide detection. From technical conversations to new connections, it was a fantastic opportunity to share our story with a broader European audience.

4. Selected for BioTools Innovator 2025 – A Global Platform for the Future of Biotech Tools

We’re honoured to announce that Nanovery has been selected to join the BioTools Innovator 2025 programme: a highly competitive, industry-backed accelerator dedicated specifically to companies building transformative life science tools and platforms. Backed by a coalition of strategic partners from across the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, the programme is uniquely tailored to support companies like ours that are solving critical unmet needs in research and drug development.

To be chosen from a global pool of applicants is a massive opportunity for us. It validates the work we’ve done so far, and opens new doors as we scale our commercial efforts. The programme kicked off in Mountain View, California, earlier this month, where we joined the 2025 cohort and began building relationships with mentors, investors, and potential customers from across the sector. We’re excited about what’s ahead and grateful for the support and belief from the BioTools Innovator team and their partners.

5. Elderflower Cordial and the Science of Teamwork

Long summer days in the lab call for focus, stamina... and sometimes, a bit of creativity. This month, the team came up with a new way to bring a little refreshment to our workspace: a homemade elderflower cordial, now quietly replacing the standard water cooler.

It’s a small detail, but it speaks to something bigger: our commitment to making the lab a place where ideas flow as freely as conversations. Whether discussing assay optimisation or modelling improvements, these impromptu huddles are often where the best thinking starts.

We take our science seriously, and our mission even more so. Creating a space where people want to be, where they’re supported, engaged, and collaborating, is a big part of why we’re able to move fast and solve hard problems together.

As summer progresses, we’re continuing to build, test, and deploy better tools for the RNA therapeutics community. Whether you’re working on ASOs, siRNA, or something even more ambitious - we’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for following our journey. You can always reach us on LinkedIn or contact the team directly!

Quarterly Update: June 2025 Highlights

We’re excited to share our first quarterly update of 2025. With winter receding and spring just around the corner, we’ve hit the ground running. The first months of the year have brought steady progress and new opportunities, especially in our Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics (NANs) platform. Our team’s dedication and expertise continue to fuel these advancements, and it’s been heartening to see our hard work pay off as the season changes.

We look forward to sharing our milestones and what’s on the horizon for the rest of the year.

We recently published a behind-the-scenes video detailing how our NANs are designed and developed – from in silico modeling to laboratory construction.

Inside Nanovery: How We Build Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics for Bioanalysis

Leveraging our growing computational pipeline, we are continually refining our approach. Thanks to our iterative design, build, test, and learn cycle, each experiment enriches our understanding, generates new datasets and sharpens our predictive algorithms. This means we can refine our nanorobot designs faster and more reliably—well before we start assembling them in the lab—ultimately streamlining the entire development process. For our customers, this translates into quicker, more robust assay development, allowing them to see reliable results sooner.

2. Attending the RNA Therapeutics Conference

In February, our team attended the RNA Therapeutics Conference in London. We had the privilege of learning from industry-leading presentations by Eli Lilly, GSK, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Roche, and Johnson & Johnson, among others. We also formed valuable connections with fellow attendees, potentially paving the way for new collaborations that could further accelerate our work in RNA therapeutics bioanalysis.

Our second project with a large global pharmaceutical partner kicked off towards the end of last year, and it’s progressing smoothly. We plan to publish the outcomes of our existing projects to showcase the remarkable results we’re generating. Additionally, we’re in active discussions with four other major pharmaceutical companies regarding potential collaborations. We look forward to sharing more details as these partnerships develop.

4. Breakthroughs in Double-Stranded siRNA Analysis

We’ve made significant progress in our platform’s capability to analyze double-stranded siRNA molecules and are currently piloting this solution with select biotech partners. Additionally, our capacity to support oligonucleotide therapies with chemical modifications (including LNA, fluoro, MOe, and OME modifications) continues to strengthen, enabling us to provide more comprehensive analysis and support. If you’re working with novel or more exotic chemical modifications and find it challenging to detect or quantify your candidate molecules, we encourage you to reach out to us.

Toward the end of last year, we hosted a webinar titled “New Frontiers in ASO and siRNA Bioanalysis.” We thoroughly enjoyed the insightful conversations with established pharma and emerging biotech companies, and we look forward to hosting similar events soon. You can watch the recording of the webinar here:

NANOVERY WEBINAR: New Frontiers in ASO and siRNA Bioanalysis

We continue to foster strong connections with Newcastle University and Durham University, where our founders, lab scientists, and PhD students have recently delivered presentations to biotech and life science students. Engaging with the next generation of innovators is integral to our mission and aligns with our grant dissemination commitments. By sharing our journey, challenges, and discoveries, we aim to spark curiosity, inspire budding scientists, and help build a thriving biotech ecosystem—ultimately benefiting the entire research and deep tech community.

As we move further into 2025, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of our nanorobotics platform and forging meaningful collaborations across the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. Thank you for following our progress, and stay tuned for more updates in the coming months.

For inquiries or more information, feel free to contact our team or explore our resources online. We look forward to continuing this journey with you.

Quarterly Update: March 2025 Highlights

As part of our ongoing growth and development programme, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Jurek Kozyra, Founder and Chief Business Officer, to the CEO role.
 
Mark Chadwick, the outgoing CEO, has guided the company through its transition from a research-led organisation to a commercially focused one and will transition to a role as board advisor. We would like to thank Mark for his leadership and guidance as CEO, his continued commitment to the success of Nanovery, and his ongoing support of the board in his new role.

Comments from Mark:

I am today announcing my transition from part time CEO of Nanovery to Senior Board Advisor. As a company, we have made amazing strides in refocusing our Nanorobot platform towards the RNA therapeutics market, including 2 top 10 pharma breakthrough deals and with further projects imminent. However, in a challenging investment environment, I feel this is the way I can continue to best support the company through its next funding round and phase of development. I will always champion the amazing team at Nanovery, who have become very much friends as well as colleagues. I feel sure that they will all continue onwards with courage and fortitude, and achieve great things together!

Comments from Jurek:

The past two years have been an incredible journey of learning and growth for Nanovery. We took bold steps to bring our technology to the forefront, achieving first commercial deals and seeing uptake from leading pharma and biotech companies. These milestones reflect our team's dedication and hard work as we expanded our capabilities and refined our focus. As Chief Business Officer, I had the privilege of working closely with our partners and customers to demonstrate the potential of Nanovery’s platform. Stepping up into the CEO role, I’m excited to continue driving this mission forward as we enter a new phase of growth.

Jurek Kozyra Named CEO as Nanovery Enters Next Growth Phase

We’re excited to share our latest video, which dives into Nanovery’s innovative approach to RNA therapeutics.

Are you curious about how our Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics are designed and deployed? In this video, you’ll get an insider’s look at our process—from the moment a customer reaches out to the final delivery of custom nanorobots explicitly designed for advanced bioanalysis of siRNA and ASO.

We walk you through our computational pipeline, how we create and refine each nanobot, and the precision that goes into detecting the nucleic acids critical to accelerating therapeutic development. Whether you're new to Nanovery or a returning collaborator, this video offers fresh insights into how we’re pushing the limits of RNA therapeutic technology.

Are you interested in seamless bioanalysis solutions? Contact us to explore how Nanovery can help advance your RNA therapeutic projects.

Want to stay updated? Follow our LinkedIn page here for the latest news and insights on RNA therapeutics and Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics!

New Video Release: Inside Nanovery’s Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics for RNA Therapeutics

Join Us for an Exciting Webinar – Back by Popular Demand!

Are you passionate about the latest advancements in RNA therapeutics? Want to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving field of bioanalysis? Due to high demand, we are excited to offer a second opportunity to attend our popular webinar, "New Frontiers in ASO and siRNA Bioanalysis – Back by Popular Demand!" This event will once again dive into cutting-edge techniques designed to streamline and accelerate the quantification of RNA therapeutics using Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics (NANs). Don’t miss this chance to catch up on the latest innovations!

🗓 Date: Tuesday, 15th October 2024
🕒 Time: 9 am (PDT) / 12 am (EDT) / 5 pm (BST)
📍 Register Now: https://form.jotform.com/242595514650358

Introduction to Challenges in Bioanalysis for ASOs and siRNA: Understand the current challenges faced in the bioanalysis of ASOs and siRNA, including sensitivity, robustness and throughput.

Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics (NANs) Unveiled: Discover our new Bioanalysis technique that can enhance accuracy, efficiency, and reliability in detecting and quantifying ASOs and siRNA at low concentrations.

Case Studies and Performance: Learn from real-world case studies demonstrating the application and performance of NAN's platform, now including direct-to-tissue homogenate data without needing extractions.

Q&A Session: A chance to engage with us and discuss your current bioanalytical challenges.

This webinar is an excellent opportunity for professionals in RNA therapeutics to expand their knowledge, learn about groundbreaking technologies, and connect with industry experts. Whether you are a researcher, scientist, or industry professional, this event will provide you with the tools and insights needed to excel in your work.

Secure your spot now by registering today!

👉 Register Here: https://form.jotform.com/242595514650358

NANOVERY WEBINAR: New Frontiers in ASO and siRNA Bioanalysis – Back by Popular Demand!

Are you passionate about the latest advancements in RNA therapeutics? Do you want to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving field of bioanalysis? If so, you won't want to miss our upcoming webinar, "New Frontiers in ASO and siRNA Bioanalysis". This event promises to be an illuminating experience, diving into cutting-edge techniques designed to streamline the quantification of RNA therapeutics using Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics (NANs).


🗓 Date: Tuesday, 30th July 2024
🕒 Time: 8 am (PDT) / 11 am (EDT) / 3 pm (BST)
📍 Register Now: https://form.jotform.com/241822863438361


Understanding Bioanalysis Challenges
Gain invaluable insights into the current problems faced in the bioanalysis of ASO and siRNA. This segment will address issues such as complexity, sensitivity, throughput and robustness - key challenges in current bioanalysis workflows.

Innovative Bioanalysis Techniques
Discover how NAN technology is revolutionising the bioanalytical landscape. Learn how these advanced techniques enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of detecting and quantifying ASOs and siRNA at low concentrations, providing the way for more effective RNA therapeutics.

Real-World Applications
Our experts will share real-world case studies that highlight the practical applications and performance of the NANs platform. See firsthand how these innovations are being implemented in the field to achieve remarkable results.

Interactive Q&A
Engage directly with leading experts during our interactive Q&A session. This is your chance to discuss your specific bioanalytical challenges and get tailored advice from the pioneers in RNA therapeutics.

This webinar is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the field of RNA therapeutics to expand their knowledge, learn about groundbreaking technologies, and connect with industry experts. Whether you are a researcher, scientist, or industry professional, this event will provide you with the tools and insights needed to excel in your work.

Only 24 hours remaining! Secure your spot now by registering today!

👉 Register Here: https://form.jotform.com/241822863438361

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a fundamental biological technique that can produce millions of copies of a target DNA sequence, enabling the analysis and engineering of these basic building blocks of life. Since its conception by the maverick Cary Mullis, potentially during his LSD travels, it has become a cornerstone of molecular biology and biotechnology, gaining widespread recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In tackling difficult-to-treat diseases, Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapies (ASOs) are short, synthetic, single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides that can bind to a patient’s mRNA to reduce, restore, or modify protein expression through various mechanisms. While the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of small molecules are well understood, making these larger ASO molecules more drug-like is one of the chief challenges faced by ASO developers. Techniques for PK studies, where a drug and its metabolites are tracked and quantified, also must be adapted for ASOs and often cannot reach the same power and resolution as for small molecules.

ASOs, being RNA-based, should be targetable using reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), which allows for the quantification of RNA sequences. Naturally, drug developers looked to this technique for quantification as part of PK bioanalysis to overcome the limited sensitivity of LC-MS. Unfortunately, the synthetic characteristics introduced to make these RNA molecules more suitable as drugs also make them challenging for PCR.

In this blog post, we will provide a summary overview of the current state of the art in bioanalytical approaches for ASOs using qPCR.

qPCR for measurement of ASOs during bioanalysis must overcome two major challenges:

Short length of ASOs:
Designing PCR primers for the available 19–25 nucleotides (nt) on an ASO is counter-productive. Typically, the optimal length of a single PCR primer lies between 18 and 24 base pairs (bp), which is comparable to the length of an ASO itself. Shorter primers are less specific during the annealing phase, leading to more non-specific binding and amplification. This necessitates an elongation step to create cDNA that can accommodate effective primer binding.

PCR enzyme compatibility with ASO chemical modifications:
ASO structures are chemically modified, via the backbone or other moieties, to improve their drug properties such as stability and tissue specificity. Unfortunately, these chemical modifications alter the sterics of enzyme binding, reducing the recognition and activity of transcriptase required to create cDNA for PCR. This causes a high degree of variability in experimental runs.

Splint ligation, originally developed for microRNA quantification, was first reported in the literature for ASO targets in 2021. Its use in drug development is presumably more established. This technique works around the aforementioned issues by translating the short, chemically modified ASO into a more suitable input for qPCR.

Rather than directly detecting the ASO, the ASO molecule hybridises and bridges two DNA template sequences. These template sequences can then be ligated together by DNA ligase to create a new single template, which is then used to create cDNA for amplification. Chemical ligation can also be used during this step but is generally a less sensitive approach.

Drawbacks of this technique include the complexity of developing a splint-ligation assay (both templates and primers must be optimised) and the skill required to run it well. Splint ligation is also less effective for advanced ASOs with 2'-O-methoxyethyl (2'-MOE) modifications, suffering from reduced sensitivity.

While developers value the sensitivity and lower switchover costs of using a qPCR assay for different ASOs, there is still a long way to go in creating easy-to-use, reagent-based assays that developers can feel confident in.

This is where Nanovery’s Nucleic Acid Nanorobotics (NANs), a completely novel, non-enzymatic approach, can help. Specially built for ASO quantification, NANs are reagent-based but enzyme-free and comparably sensitive to qPCR for a wide range of modifications and patterns.

Some advantages of using NANs are that they work directly in samples, removing extraction steps, and are incredibly simple to design and operate.

[1] Boos JA et al. "Whole-body scanning PCR; a highly sensitive method to study the biodistribution of mRNAs, noncoding RNAs and therapeutic oligonucleotides." Nucleic Acids Research Aug; 41(15): e145, (2013)

[2] Marcial-Quino J et al. "Stem-Loop RT-qPCR as an Efficient Tool for the Detection and Quantification of Small RNAs in Giardia lamblia." Genes (Basel) Dec; 7(12): 131, (2016)

[3] Hills AC et al. "Peptide Conjugates of a 2′-O-Methoxyethyl Phosphorothioate Splice-Switching Oligonucleotide Show Increased Entrapment in Endosomes." ACS Omega 8, 43, 40463–40481 (2023)

[4] Gagnon KT et al. "Guidelines for Experiments Using Antisense Oligonucleotides and Double-Stranded RNAs." Nucleic Acid Therapeutics 29, 3 75.1, 21-30 (2023)

Overview of ASO Quantification and Bioanalysis Using qPCR

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are a growing class of therapeutic agents that modulate gene expression and promise to treat a spectrum of disorders once considered 'undruggable'.

Since their first market entry in the '90s, the FDA and EMA have approved at least nine ASO therapies for conditions such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, marking significant strides in the clinical application of this technology.

ASOs modulate gene expression. At the molecular level, they enact their mechanism of action by binding to complementary mRNA sequences to promote degradation or cause exon-skipping before translation to protein. As such, ASOs offer the advantage of precise targeting of sequences with potentially fewer off-target effects compared to small molecules. ASOs can also target a sequence specific to a genotyped patient, providing a clear route to precision medicine.

A key challenge for ASOs is their large size (relative to small molecules), which makes them difficult to deliver to target cells. Therefore, understanding the journey of each molecule in the body is crucial for developing better delivery methods. To achieve this, bioanalytical pharmacokinetic (PK) studies are conducted to determine if a drug reaches its intended target by measuring the drug and its metabolites in various biological samples.

As ASOs continue to advance in clinical development for various therapeutic applications, robust bioanalytical methods are needed to evaluate them effectively at all stages of the drug pipeline and ensure the best drugs (i.e. most effective, promising, and highest-quality) make it to the clinic.

ASOs present unique challenges in PK bioanalysis, which are summarised here:

ASOs are designed to overcome degradation by nucleases and reach their site of action whilst maintaining RNA-binding affinity. To achieve this, ASOs use diverse chemical modifications, including phosphorothioate backbones, sugar modifications (e.g. OME, MOE, morpholino), or conjugates (e.g. GalNAc).

Each modification changes the ASO’s physicochemical properties, which in turn affects their performance during bioanalytical assays. This means a large degree of optimisation during the development of bioanalytical methods is often required. ASO pharmacokinetic properties are largely driven by chemistry rather than sequence, so any amendments to chemistries require independent study. Together, these factors pose issues for early-stage development, where PK screening is performed on numerous candidates. New technologies are required to facilitate rapid optimisation and validation.

ASOs are desirably administered at low doses to reduce their toxicity; therefore, highly sensitive analytical methods are required to detect and quantify them in biological matrices. Conventional detection techniques such as LC-MS or branched DNA may lack the required sensitivity. PCR, which is generally seen as the most sensitive tool for quantification of nucleic acids, suffers from poor reverse-transcriptase efficiency due to the chemical modifications in ASOs. Some workarounds, such as splint ligation PCR, alleviate these issues, but they introduce additional complexity to the protocols.

Discriminating ASOs from endogenous (natural) nucleic acids poses a significant challenge in bioanalysis. ASO sequences may overlap with homologous sequences in mRNA, leading to non-specific binding and quantification errors. Employing highly selective techniques such as combining LC-MS with sequence-specific hybridisation may yield a solution. 

Additionally, specificity towards individual metabolite sequences is also required to understand full PK. These metabolites can be one or two bases shorter or longer, which poses a large challenge for techniques other than LC-MS.

Biological matrices such as plasma and tissue contain other endogenous components, such as proteins, that can interfere with ASO quantification. Matrix effects can lead to signal suppression or enhancement in techniques such as hybridisation ELISA, which uses enzymes, compromising assay accuracy and reproducibility. Sample preparation techniques like solid-phase extraction and matrix-matched calibration standards can help to minimise matrix effects and improve assay reliability.

ASOs are susceptible to degradation by nucleases present in biological samples, leading to inaccurate quantification. To preserve ASO integrity during analysis, stabilising agents such as RNase inhibitors and chelating agents may be incorporated into sample processing protocols.

No single technology is currently considered the gold standard for oligonucleotide analysis, as study objectives vary, and bioanalytical format requirements vary according to modification and concentration range required. Each bioanalytical approach offers both positive results and related challenges. Validation procedures such as specificity, accuracy, precision, and sensitivity ensure the reliability of ASO quantification results across different laboratories and studies

____

In conclusion, effective bioanalysis of ASOs requires overcoming various inherent challenges from their structural complexity, low concentrations, and interactions with biological matrices. 

Existing techniques can be customised to address ASO-specific quantification. However, there is still a need for sensitive and robust techniques that can be rapidly optimised for new ASOs to drive the pipeline forward and see better drugs helping patients. 

Better tools for ASO quantification are something we are addressing here at Nanovery. For more information, please visit our pages at:

Or simply get in touch to find out more. 

[1] Roberts TC et al. "Advances in oligonucleotide drug delivery." Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 19, 673–694 (2020)

[2] Shin M et al. "Quantification of antisense oligonucleotides by splint ligation and quantitative polymerase chain reaction." Nucleic Acid Therapeutics 32.1, 66-73 (2022)

[3] Guimaraes G et al. "Antisense oligonucleotide in vitro protein binding determination in plasma, brain, and cerebral spinal fluid using hybridization LC-MS/MS." Drug Metabolism and Disposition, 50(3), 268-276 (2022)

[4] Osawa M et al. "Sensitive and specific quantification of antisense oligonucleotides using probe alteration-linked self-assembly reaction technology." BioTechniques 75.1, 21-30 (2023)

Challenges in Antisense Oligonucleotide PK Bioanalysis

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