Applied Biopharm Consulting Ltd has announced that it has been awarded an Intellectual Property (IP) Start Grant from the Local Enterprise Office under Enterprise Ireland's IP Strategy initiative.
The grant will assist the company in obtaining specialised intellectual property advisory services to safeguard innovations from its artificial intelligence-driven viral capsid engineering research programme.
The IP Start Grant allows companies to hire external intellectual property specialists to conduct prior art research and create a formal patent strategy.
Applied Biopharm Consulting stated that it will use this funding to assess and safeguard biomolecular innovations that stem from its proprietary computational platform for designing engineered viral vectors.
Building on a 2024 feasibility study supported by the Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West, the company is advancing methods that utilise AI, structural bioinformatics and molecular simulation to enhance engineered adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors.
Its platform aims to improve vector targeting and binding, with applications in next-generation gene therapies and precision biologics.
According to the company, initial research indicates strong potential for innovative solutions in viral vector engineering, which supports its strategy to develop proprietary technologies alongside its consulting services.
Dr Anthony Newcombe, Managing Director of Applied Biopharm Consulting Ltd, said: "Securing the IP Start Grant represents an important milestone as we transition our capsid engineering research from early feasibility toward protected innovation."
As we continue advancing AI-driven molecular design capabilities for viral vector development, establishing a strong intellectual property foundation is essential to maximising long-term value and enabling future partnerships.
A spokesperson for the Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West added: "We are pleased to support Applied Biopharm Consulting through the IP Start Grant under Enterprise Ireland's IP Strategy initiative."
"Protecting intellectual property is a crucial step for innovative companies as they scale and commercialise their technologies and we look forward to seeing the continued progression of this advanced research programme."