Three researchers from RCSI have been successful in receiving grants aimed at helping to commercialise four research projects being undertaken at the College.

Professor Fergal O'Brien, Professor Mauro Adamo and Professor Caroline Jefferies have all received grants from Enterprise Ireland's Commercialisation Fund Programme.

Professor Fergal O'Brien, Professor of Bioengineering & Regenerative Medicine in RCSI's Department of Anatomy, has received funding for two separate research projects, one is for the development of a new collagen-based film for ocular repair, called OcularColl (for which he has been awarded €222,705). The second grant, for an amount of €554,264, will go towards his research on PanaColl, a Collagen-Scaffold Based Systems for the Delivery of Antibiotics for the Treatment of Microbial Infections and Enhancement of Tissue Regeneration.

Professor Mauro Adamo, Professor of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry in RCSI's Department of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry received a grant totalling €193,310 for the development and scale-up of licensable processes to make Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).

Professor Caroline Jefferies, Associate Professor and Head of Biochemistry in RCSI Department of Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics (MCT) was awarded €324,810 for her research on TIL3A-100 as a novel therapeutic in SLE (lupus).

Professor Ray Stallings, RCSI Director of Research, said: “We at RCSI welcome the announcement of this award funding to the four RCSI research projects through Enterprise Ireland's Commercialisation Fund Programme. I congratulate all three researchers involved and their success is a testament to the world-class, impactful research being carried out in the College and its relevance to industry.”

The Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund Programme aims to convert the outputs of state funded research into innovative new products, services and companies. The Programme supports researchers in Higher Education Institutions and Research Performing Organisations to undertake research that has the potential to result in the commercialisation of new innovations by way of licenses to improve the competitiveness of Irish Industry or through the spin out of new start-up ventures.