ChromaGenixTM and North Carolina State University Launch Research Partnership to Develop Next-Gen Affinity Ligands
Five-year collaboration will focus on novel peptide-based ligands to power future chromatography solutions for gene therapy, vaccines, and advanced biologics
- The R&D program will develop up to ten new peptide-based affinity ligands for use in resins and membranes
- Joint research will be led by Associate Professor Stefano Menegatti, NC State
- The collaboration builds on a long-standing relationship between NC State and the scientific team behind ChromaGenix
- Ligands will support downstream purification of AAVs, mRNA, exosomes, and LNPs
- The partnership is a cornerstone of ChromaGenix’s $35 million investment plan to expand its scientific platform, product portfolio and operations
RALEIGH, N.C., April 24, 2025 — ChromaGenix, a biotechnology company focused on next-generation affinity chromatography solutions, today announced a multi-million-dollar research partnership with North Carolina State University to expand its ligand discovery platform. Over five years, the collaboration will focus on the development of up to ten novel peptide-based affinity ligands to support the purification of complex modalities such as gene therapies, mRNA, plasmid DNA, exosomes, and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).
The partnership builds on a long-standing relationship between NC State and the team behind ChromaGenix. The company’s ligand platform originated at NC State and was initially commercialized by LigaTrap Technologies, LLC — whose assets, IP, and scientific staff were recently transferred to BioProcess360 Partners to form ChromaGenix.
The program will be led by Dr. Stefano Menegatti, Associate Professor at NC State and Chief Technology Officer at ChromaGenix, from research laboratories distributed across the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.
“This is a rare opportunity to help shape an entire generation of purpose-built downstream purification tools that start in academia and end in commercial manufacturing environments.” said Dr. Menegatti. “We’re proud to continue building on a strong academic foundation and translate lab breakthroughs into technologies to scale new generations of advanced therapies that will make a real difference in biomanufacturing.”
Ligands discovered through this collaboration will be conjugated to a range of resin and membrane formats, forming part of ChromaGenix’s growing platform of bioprocessing technologies for the purification of vital medicines.
“Today is a great day for NC State University and for biotechnology innovation in North Carolina,” said Krista Walton, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at NC State. “ChromaGenix represents a strategic nexus between fundamental innovation in our College of Engineering and the wider gene therapy ecosystem.”
“This program continues a productive collaboration and provides a clear path to expand our portfolio of ligands, resins, and membranes with strong academic input and world-class scientific rigor,” said Pat Gilbert, Chief Operating Officer at BioProcess360 Partners. “It’s a strategic investment in both commercial innovation and academic excellence here in North Carolina — aimed at accelerating the translation of best-in-class technologies from NC State into solutions that ultimately improve patient outcomes.”
This R&D collaboration forms a central pillar of ChromaGenix’s broader $35 million investment strategy, which also includes new manufacturing infrastructure, operations, and talent to support global growth.