Introducing the BioNTX Life Sciences Manufacturing Initiative
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The BioNTX Life Sciences Manufacturing Initiative brings together a select group of independent experts to help guide and prioritize North Texas’ most critical biomanufacturing needs. The Initiative focuses on strengthening the region’s manufacturing foundation by aligning assets across academia, industry, workforce, and investment; identifying strategic gaps; and informing policymakers and ecosystem partners.
Through this coordinated approach, BioNTX aims to enhance Texas’ national and global competitiveness—attracting investment, expanding manufacturing capacity, and advancing a stronger, more resilient life sciences manufacturing ecosystem in support of a Bigger, Better Texas.
To ensure this work reflects real-world needs, BioNTX has launched a short survey for North Texas biomanufacturing stakeholders. Your input will directly inform strategies and initiatives shaping the region’s biomanufacturing landscape.
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Strengthening Careers: Voices from
Alloy Futures’ Inaugural Cohort
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Exploring the people, ideas, and breakthroughs shaping the North Texas life sciences ecosystem.
In this new episode, “Alloy Futures: Voices From the First Cohort,” host Eric B. Moore, Chief Communications Officer at BioNTX, sits down with three members of the inaugural participant group to explore their real-world experiences inside the program:
- Amy Liverman, Founder, Pursuit Scientific Communications
- Anthony Grichuk, Cancer Biology PhD Candidate
- Karoliina Stefanius, Senior Scientist, SingleCell Biotechnology
Together, they share candid reflections on how Alloy Futures shaped their career trajectories, expanded their understanding of industry pathways, and connected them to a professional network that is transforming the North Texas biotech talent pipeline.
“The magic of Alloy Futures is not just in the curriculum,” says Moore. “It is in what happens when talented scientists gain the confidence, clarity, and community to pursue their next step.”
Because in North Texas, innovation is not only happening—it is accelerating.
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Salarius Pharamceuticals and Decoy Therapeutics Merge to
Accelerate Peptide Conjugate Therapeutics in Texas
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BioNTX is proud to share this announcement from Decoy Therapeutics (formerly Salarius Pharmaceuticals), which reflects another critical dimension of a healthy, maturing life sciences ecosystem: companies successfully transitioning from private innovation to the public markets.
Decoy is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company that is leveraging machine learning and AI tools alongside high-speed synthesis techniques to rapidly design, engineer, and manufacture peptide conjugates. The company is entering a new phase of work funded by the Gates Foundation and their initial pipeline is focused on respiratory viruses and GI cancers.
This achievement underscores the strength of the broader value chain—where discovery, capital formation, scale, and market visibility converge—and highlights the importance of ensuring Texas remains a place where high-growth companies can advance, attract investment, and compete on a global stage.
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Peer Career Connect Launches with Strong Momentum
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BioNTX kicked off the year by launching its first Peer Career Connect Program (PCCP) and the response from the community affirmed the need for a more intentional, relationship-driven approach to workforce connection.
The inaugural PCCP convened more than 50 participants, including life sciences and healthcare companies alongside professionals navigating career transitions. The session created space for real conversation—moving beyond résumés and job postings to meaningful dialogue around talent needs, career pathways, and alignment within the ecosystem.
Designed as a curated forum, Peer Career Connect enabled employers to share insight into their organizations and workforce priorities, while participants engaged directly with decision-makers and peers. The result was an energized, supportive environment that reflected BioNTX’s broader commitment to building a talent-ready, resilient life sciences ecosystem in North Texas.
This first gathering reinforced an important truth: when employers and professionals connect with intention, the ecosystem grows stronger. As BioNTX continues to expand its workforce-focused programming, Peer Career Connect will return. We encourage employers, talent, and partners to stay tuned for details on the next session and to be part of this growing platform for connection, insight, and opportunity.
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Launch Your Life Science Career in North Texas
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Guidance for Life Sciences Companies:
Attend CFO Forum for 2026 Strategies
January 22, 2026
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Strengthen Your Tax and Accounting Strategy
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Join us to learn key tax and accounting strategies to help you prepare for growth and maximize opportunities around qualified small business stock (QSBS), R&D credits, state nexus, and more.
Connect with Baker Tilly experts who can help you navigate the financial complexities of building and scaling your life science company.
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Professionals can earn CPE Credits
Thank you for your support
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BIO BREAK Fort Worth Returns: Connect, Collaborate, Celebrate
February 10, 2026
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BioNTX, RSM, and UMB Bank invite you to BIO BREAK Fort Worth, a fun and engaging evening for the North Texas life science community. Connect with fellow professionals, industry leaders, and partners across biotech, healthcare, and research in a relaxed atmosphere.
Whether you are meeting new faces or reconnecting with colleagues, this is the perfect chance to share ideas, grow your network, and celebrate innovation in our region.
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The BioNTX Career Symposium & HR Forum
February 11, 2026
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Presents
2026 Career Symposium & HR Forum
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The Career Symposium connects job seekers with industry professionals and recruiters shaping the future of life sciences and healthcare innovation. Explore networking opportunities, receive expert career guidance, and access resources to enhance your resume, and navigate your career path.
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The HR Forum is designed for biotech and healthcare innovation employers seeking to navigate the complexities of workforce management. This forum also provides opportunities to explore emerging trends in human resources, share best practices, and connect with peers facing similar workforce challenges.
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Thank you for your support
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Women Driving Innovation:
Celebrating Leadership in Life Sciences
March 6, 2026
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Presents
2026 Women Driving Innovation
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Save the date as we celebrate International Women’s Day with Women Driving Innovation, recognizing women shaping the life sciences through leadership, collaboration, and innovation in North Texas and beyond.
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PCCP: Building Connections in Life Sciences
March 11, 2026
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Presents
Peer Career Connect Program
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The Peer Career Connect Program (PCCP) is a platform for professionals navigating career transitions and for employers seeking talent in life sciences and related industries. PCCP facilitates meaningful connections, peer learning, and knowledge sharing to help jobseekers explore opportunities and employers connect with qualified candidates.
Open to professionals at all career stages and employers across sectors including biopharma, digital health, aerospace, research, engineering, logistics, and manufacturing, PCCP provides a space to exchange insights, explore career paths, and build valuable professional relationships in a collaborative and results focused environment.
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Building Spaces That Advance Life Sciences
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DLR Group is an integrated design firm providing architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse. The firm’s mission is to elevate the human experience through design, delivering sustainable solutions for clients, communities, and the planet.
In the life sciences sector, DLR Group creates adaptable, research-focused environments that enable scientific discovery and accelerate solutions to humanity’s most pressing health and biotechnological challenges.
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TAMEST and Lyda Hill Philanthropies Recognizes
Texas Innovators Advancing Breakthrough Research
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TAMEST and Lyda Hill Philanthropies announced the recipients of the 2026 Hill Prizes, which support high-risk, high-reward research with strong potential for real-world impact. Funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, the prizes accelerate bold, paradigm-shifting ideas. The Hill Prizes are awarded in seven categories, including artificial intelligence, and recognize leading Texas innovators while reinforcing Texas as a hub for world-class research and innovation.
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Alloy Therapeutics & Swiss Rockets Advance
Next-Generation Cancer Treatments
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Swiss Rockets AG and Alloy Therapeutics, Inc. have signed a Master Research Agreement to collaborate on discovering and developing next-generation radioligand therapeutics (RLTs) for oncology, executed through Swiss Rockets’ subsidiary Torpedo Pharmaceuticals AG.
The collaboration combines Alloy’s antibody discovery and engineering platforms with Swiss Rockets and Torpedo’s expertise in radiochemistry, isotope integration, and translational development, including the use of Terbium-161, to advance prioritized oncology targets toward clinical development.
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Alpha Cognition Reports 2025 Achievements and
2026 Expansion Plans for ZUNVEYL
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Alpha Cognition, Inc., a commercial-stage neuroscience company, provided a 2026 corporate update outlining its priorities and 2025 milestones. The company plans to expand ZUNVEYL’s prescriber base to 2,000 healthcare providers, increase nursing home penetration, broaden payor coverage, advance clinical studies in Alzheimer’s patients, and pursue multiple country approvals in Asia to generate ex-US royalties.
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Raising Awareness: “BALANCE” Explores
the Realities of Perimenopause
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“BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey” is a four-part documentary breaking the silence and stigma around perimenopause, a stage of life that impacts over 85 million women in the U.S. through intimate personal stories, expert insights, and honest conversations, the series sheds light on a transition that has long been misunderstood and overlooked. The series will stream on Apple TV and Amazon Prime starting January 30th.
Congratulations to Eido Bio for their incredible work in bringing this project to life and helping to shine a light on such an important story.
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Island Pharmaceuticals Granted US Patent
for Galidesivir to Treat Filoviridae Viruses
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Island Pharmaceuticals Ltd has received US Patent 12,508,266 for the use of Galidesivir to treat filoviridae viruses, including Marburg and Ebola, providing protection through October 2031. The patent strengthens Island’s Galidesivir IP portfolio and supports the company’s clinical development strategy, following recent FDA confirmation of Galidesivir’s approval pathway for Marburg under the Animal Rule.
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Lantern Pharma Launches AI Center of Excellence
in India to Scale Drug Discovery
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Lantern Pharma Inc., a leader in AI-driven precision oncology, has established an AI Center of Excellence and Advanced Agentic Labs in Bengaluru, India, to industrialize its AI-enabled drug discovery capabilities at a global scale. The center will expand the computational depth and throughput of Lantern’s RADR® AI platform, advancing specialized large language and quantitative models for molecular assessment, optimization, and de novo generation.
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Nanoscope Therapeutics Granted U.S. Patent
for MCO Optogenetic Platform
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Nanoscope Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing disease-agnostic therapies for retinal degeneration, has been granted U.S. Patent No. 12,459,977 for its Multi-Characteristic Opsin (MCO) platform, providing protection through 2039.
The patent covers methods for restoring vision in patients with photoreceptor loss from diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt disease, and geographic atrophy, and recognizes the platform’s broad spectral sensitivity, fast kinetics, and ambient light activation. Nanoscope has also secured patents in Australia and Japan, with filings pending in China and the EU, reinforcing its global intellectual property position and supporting long-term commercial exclusivity for its vision-restoring therapies.
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OncoNano Medicine Partners with Gilead to
Evaluate ON-BOARD™ Technology
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OncoNano Medicine, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has entered a research collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to evaluate OncoNano’s ON-BOARD™ encapsulation technology with Gilead’s drug candidate. The collaboration will assess the stability, selectivity, and efficacy of the encapsulated drug, with potential expansion to additional targets. OncoNano’s platform is designed to localize drug delivery to tumors with high spatial and temporal specificity, supporting the development of more effective oncology therapeutics.
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Deloitte 2026 Outlook: What is Next for Health Care & Life Sciences
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Deloitte has released its 2026 outlook reports for the health care and life sciences sectors.
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The 2026 US Health Care Outlook, based on insights from 120 US health plan and health system executives, examines how leaders are navigating uncertainty and positioning their organizations for long-term resilience and growth.
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The 2026 Life Sciences Outlook, drawing on responses from 280 biopharma and medtech executives across the US, Europe, and Asia, explores how leaders are preparing for a year of innovation amid increasing market complexity.
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RSM Implements AI-Driven Health Reporting Platform for Hawai‘i
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RSM US LLP has deployed an AI-powered platform built on Microsoft technologies to improve adverse event detection for a Hawai‘i Department of Health program. Initially implemented within the Hawai‘i Developmental Disabilities Division, the solution analyzes healthcare data in near real time to identify unreported incidents and high-risk individuals, enabling earlier intervention and improved outcomes. The platform demonstrated 98.9% accuracy in detecting risk patterns and is designed to scale statewide.
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SciSure and DataChaperone Launch Integrated
ELN and AI Analysis Workflow
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SciSure and DataChaperone announced a new integration available through the SciSure Marketplace that connects SciSure’s electronic lab notebook with DataChaperone’s Analysis and AI Platform. The add-on enables one-click data transfer, automated analysis workflows, and standardized, review-ready results, helping labs eliminate manual data handling, improve reproducibility, and support GxP compliance. By embedding AI-driven analysis directly within the ELN, the integration accelerates turnaround times and creates a more connected, auditable scientific workflow.
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TDIndustries Celebrates Award-Winning Year
Across Texas Construction Industry
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TDIndustries, a leading mechanical construction and facilities services company, marked a standout year in 2025 with multiple industry honors recognizing its commitment to quality, innovation, and safety. The company received four prestigious construction awards, including Excellence in Construction honors from Associated Builders and Contractors chapters in Greater Houston and South Texas, a Distinguished Building Award from TEXO in North Texas, and an Outstanding Construction Award from AGC-Texas Building Branch, highlighting TDIndustries’ exceptional mechanical construction projects across Texas.
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Turner Celebrates a Century of Advancing Healthcare Spaces
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Turner is celebrating 100 years of shaping healthcare environments that save lives, promote healing, and bring comfort to patients and their families.
As a leading healthcare builder in North America, Turner delivers complex, purpose driven facilities ranging from community hospitals to advanced research and medical centers designed to meet the evolving demands of modern medicine and support care for generations to come.
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UNTHSC Highlights Eye Health as a Window to Brain Health
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UNT Health Science Center emphasizes that eye health strongly reflects brain health, citing a recent South Korean study showing that patients with diabetic retinopathy face a higher risk of developing dementia. Ankita Jaykumar, assistant professor at UNT Health Fort Worth and affiliate faculty at NTERI, explains that retinal changes mirror insulin resistance and microvascular damage in the brain, making diabetic retinopathy a key biomarker for cognitive decline.
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UTA Recognized for Excellence in Community Engagement
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The University of Texas at Arlington has received the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, recognizing its integration of community-focused teaching, research, and service across the university.
UTA partners with local organizations on initiatives in health, housing, education, and economic development, including service-learning projects, nonprofit collaborations, and innovation-driven programs like the RAPID autonomous shuttle. The designation reflects UTA’s ongoing commitment to translating knowledge into meaningful community impact throughout North Texas and beyond.
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UT Dallas Researchers Develop First Wearable
Sweat Sensor for Circadian Hormones
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Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have demonstrated a pioneering wearable sensor that measures cortisol and melatonin through perspiration. The device continuously tracks these key hormones that regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle, offering a non-invasive alternative to traditional saliva testing.
This technology provides new insights into circadian health, sleep quality, and stress management, advancing wearable monitoring for personalized health and wellness.
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UT Southwestern Receives ARPA-H Award
to Develop 3D-Bioprinted Livers
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UT Southwestern Medical Center has received an award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to develop functional livers using patients’ own cells and 3D printing. The VITAL project aims to reduce the gap between donor supply and demand, eliminate the need for lifelong immunosuppression, and provide artificial livers for research and drug testing.
Researchers will convert patient cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, then 3D print liver tissue with integrated blood vessels and bile ducts. The bioprinted livers will first be tested in animal models, with potential human applications in five years.
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FUNDING & MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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New CPRIT Grants Available to Advance Cancer Research in Texas
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CPRIT has released new academic research grant opportunities to advance cancer research and support talent in Texas.
Opportunities include:
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Accelerating or expanding existing projects
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Early-onset and pediatric cancer research
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Hypothesis-driven clinical trials
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Cancer prevention and early detection studies
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Innovative computational and high-impact research
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Recruitment and support for researchers at all career stages
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Call for North Texas Investigators Working in Autism Research
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The Foundations for Divergent Minds is developing a research project to identify whether allostatic load in Autistic adults contributes to poor long-term health outcomes. They have a partnership with Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center to collect data. We are exploring partnership opportunities with North Texas researchers to add and are interested in the structural changes that correlate to allostatic load. The data we collect may also be useful for broader research on neurodegeneration as autistic adults have a 4x higher rate of Parkinson's disease as well as a rate of early-onset dementia.
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Bring Your Innovation to the Spotlight at BioMedSA Biofest
Application closes February 15, 2026
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The BioMedSA Biofest Invest Pitch Competition is now open, providing innovative companies with a unique opportunity to present their solutions to national investors, gain significant exposure, receive expert guidance and preparation for pitch day, and connect with industry leaders and peers through targeted networking designed to accelerate growth and open doors to new opportunities.
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Fueling the Next Generation of Health Innovators
Application closes March 6, 2026
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The One Health Incubator is a dynamic partnership between the Innovation Hub and the Health Sciences Center, created to support researchers and technology startups in the life sciences sector. This collaborative platform combines institutional expertise to offer an ecosystem of incubation, mentorship, and strategic connections—tailored specifically for life science innovators.
Startups and researchers benefit from access to state-of-the-art facilities, specialized resources, and guidance from industry experts. The incubator helps accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative healthcare solutions while fostering valuable relationships with potential partners, investors, and mentors.
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Call for Abstracts: 2026 JPS Research & Quality Symposium
Application closes March 13, 2026
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Submit your abstract for the 2026 JPS Research & Quality Symposium, featuring live poster presentations, a rapid-fire research competition, and an online gallery of posters from May 19–June 19. Submissions are welcome on all topics.
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The Prototype Fund: Bring Your Innovation to Life
Application closes May 1, 2026
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The Prototype Fund helps established startups transform customer insights into a working prototype or minimum viable product. This program supports innovators ready to take their technology from concept to reality within a year, helping validate ideas, advance intellectual property, and bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization.
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NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA)
for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions
Program ends January 8, 2027
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The purpose of this Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions is to support small scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the NIH, with an emphasis on providing biomedical research experiences primarily for undergraduate students, and enhancing the research environment at applicant institutions.
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Upcoming Events & Opportunities
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Presents
CFO Forum
Join us to learn key tax and accounting strategies to help you prepare for growth and maximize opportunities around R&D credits, state nexus, and more.
January 22nd | Dallas, TX
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Biotechnology Career Fair 2026
Join the National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing (NCTM) and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) student chapter at Texas A&M for the first annual Biotechnology Career Fair in Spring 2026.
January 23rd | College Station, TX
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2026 Bio Innovation Night
Join OKBioStart to celebrate its impact on life-science innovation by empowering startups, highlighting grant successes, and connecting entrepreneurs with the resources they need to grow.
January 29th | Oklahoma, OK
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Metroplex Manufacturing Resource Expo
Join TMAC for the North Texas Manufacturing Leadership Summit and Resource Expo. Manufacturing is the keystone sector to increase the sustainable development and economic competitiveness of the Metroplex.
January 30th | Fort Worth, TX
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National Dialogue on Schizophrenia
Join THBI to connect with policymakers, patient advocacy, groups, and community stakeholder and discuss the complexity of the disease and the patient, caregiver, and community impacts.
February 4th | Austin, TX
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2026 Advanced Therapies Week
Join Phacilitate for its 21st Advanced Therapies Week, the premier biotech partnering event in the United States. Bringing together leaders in research, therapeutic development, and advanced manufacturing.
February 9th - 12th | San Diego, CA
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2026 iC³ Summit: North Texas’s Premier Life Science Gathering
September 24 - 25, 2026
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The BioNTX iC³ Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit is North Texas’s premier convening for the region’s bioscience and healthcare community. Each year, we bring together industry leaders, pioneering researchers, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators to share insights, explore emerging trends, and collaborate on the next breakthroughs in life sciences and healthcare.
At iC³ 2026, you will have the opportunity to engage with thought leaders, connect with peers, and participate in conversations that are shaping the future of healthcare innovation in North Texas and beyond. Whether you are looking to gain knowledge, showcase your work, or build meaningful partnerships, iC³ provides the platform to make an impact.
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Thank you for your Support!
"We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
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