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Piezo Therapeutics Announces Formation of Scientific Advisory Board with Industry Veterans and Academic Luminaries

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World-renowned experts across infectious diseases, vaccines, and dermatology to advise Piezo on advancing its energy-based delivery platform and internal programs to the clinic

ATLANTA, April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Piezo Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering energy-driven genetic medicines, announced today the formation of its Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”) with leaders in infectious diseases, vaccines, and skin biology. The inaugural SAB will work closely with Piezo’s leadership team to provide technical insights and strategic guidance as Piezo advances its energy-based delivery platform (Piezopen) for its wholly owned programs and with pharma/biotech partners. Members of Piezo’s SAB bring decades of experience across RNA vaccines and therapeutics, DNA medicines, drug delivery, and dermatology.

“Our distinguished SAB will allow the company to continue its commitment to the highest-quality science focused on addressing unmet medical needs through energy-driven genetic medicines.” – Mark Prausnitz, PhD, Piezo co-founder and Regents’ Professor at Georgia Tech

“We are honored to welcome an illustrious group of industry veterans and academic leaders to our SAB as we advance Piezopen to the clinic,” said Gaurav Byagathvalli, CEO of Piezo. “Our SAB members have dedicated their careers to advancing novel medicines and deciphering human biology to prevent and cure life-threatening diseases. We look forward to drawing upon their deep expertise across multiple therapeutic areas as we advance our internal programs and ongoing collaborations towards first-in-human studies.”

Mark Prausnitz, PhD, Piezo co-founder and Regents’ Professor at Georgia Tech, added that “Piezo was founded on rigorous science and technology development at Georgia Tech. Our distinguished SAB will allow the company to continue its commitment to the highest-quality science focused on addressing unmet medical needs through energy-driven genetic medicines.”

The SAB includes (in alphabetical order):

Dr. Kate Broderick, PhD: Dr. Broderick has more than 20 years of experience in the life science industry. A recognized vaccine expert, Dr. Broderick has a broad background in device and product development in the DNA therapeutic and drug delivery field. Prior to joining Maravai in 2022 as the Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Broderick held roles of increasing responsibility at Inovio Pharmaceuticals, most recently as Senior Vice President, R&D. Dr. Broderick has served as a principal investigator for a variety of grants and awards from government agencies and non-profits, including the National Institutes of Health. She received her PhD from the University of Glasgow in Scotland and completed her post-doctoral research at the University of California, San Diego.Dr. Elaine Fuchs, PhD: Dr. Fuchs is renowned for her research in skin biology, its stem cells and associated disorders, including cancers and inflammation. She is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and has published >380 manuscripts. She received her PhD from Princeton in Biochemistry, her postdoctorate in Cell Biology at MIT, and has been on the faculty, first at University of Chicago and now Rockefeller University. Her awards include the National Medal of Science, L’Oreal-UNESCO Award, International Society for Stem Cell Research’s Innovation Award, the Gairdner International Award and the Franklin Medal. Dr. Fuchs holds membership in the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, American Philosophical Society, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and the Royal Society. She is an inaugural member of the Academy of the American Association for Cancer Research, and now serves as its President.Dr. Norbert Pardi, PhD: Dr. Pardi holds a PhD in biochemistry and genetics from the University of Szeged, Hungary. He has been working at the University of Pennsylvania since 2011 and currently holds an Associate Professor position at the Department of Microbiology of the Perelman School of Medicine. He received training from Drs. Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman at the University of Pennsylvania before he started his laboratory. His research interest is the development of mRNA-based therapeutics with particular focus on new-generation infectious disease vaccines. He explored the development of a novel vaccine platform using nucleoside-modified mRNA in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and used it to generate highly effective vaccines targeting various pathogens (influenza virus, coronaviruses, malaria and others). Dr. Pardi is a pioneer of the nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine technology and published milestone papers in the field.Dr. Jeffrey Ulmer, PhD: Dr. Ulmer spent more than 30 years in vaccines R&D at Merck Research Laboratories, Chiron Corporation, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline. His most recent leadership positions included Global Head, External R&D; Head, Preclinical R&D; and Program Head, Technical R&D. His scientific focus has been vaccine technology platforms, including DNA and mRNA vaccines, viral vectors and adjuvants. He received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from McGill University and a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Dr. George Palade in the Department of Cell Biology at Yale University School of Medicine. He has published over 220 scientific articles, is an inventor on 11 patents, and is a Fellow of the International Society for Vaccines, where he serves as Vice-Chair of the Executive Board. He is currently President and CEO of TechImmune LLC, a biotechnology company based in Newport Beach, CA.

About Piezopen Platform

Our proprietary Piezopen platform enables localized yet highly efficient delivery of RNA and DNA without the need for lipid nanoparticles or viral vectors, with applications in infectious disease, cancer, chronic disease, and dermatology. In preclinical models, we have demonstrated robust induction of humoral and cellular responses to infectious disease and cancer vaccines with increased tolerability, dosing flexibility, and payload versatility. In human subjects, Piezopen was well accepted and shown to elicit superior tolerability compared to a hypodermic needle. Piezopen combines two innovations to surpass the limitations of formulations: piezoelectric pulses and microelectrodes for energy-based nucleic acid delivery. Piezopen improves the tolerability and efficacy of RNA/DNA medicines while slashing costs, simplifying manufacturing, and transforming scalability.

About Piezo Therapeutics

Piezo Therapeutics is a spinout from Georgia Tech focused on enabling next-gen nucleic acid vaccines and therapeutics via energy-based delivery. Integrating innovations in drug delivery and genetic medicine, Piezo is advancing its delivery platform and investigational therapeutics in collaboration with global pharma and biotech companies to prevent and treat debilitating diseases. The company raised its initial financing in 2023 backed by Good Ventures. For more information, please visit www.piezotx.com.

Media Contact

Gaurav Byagathvalli, Piezo Therapeutics, 1 4049973263, partnerships@piezotx.com, www.piezotx.com

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Thirty Weihai Companies Added to Shandong’s Green Factory List

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WEIHAI, China, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from CRI Online:

Thirty companies in Weihai have been named to Shandong province’s 2026 list of green manufacturing entities, according to the Weihai Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology. The list was published by the Shandong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology and further expands the city’s green manufacturing system.

In recent years, Weihai has developed a tiered system for cultivating green factories, encouraging companies to seek recognition at the provincial and national levels. The city is also extending green manufacturing practices beyond individual companies and across industrial and supply chains.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/thirty-weihai-companies-added-to-shandongs-green-factory-list-302924492.html

SOURCE CRI Online

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Hanwha Investment & Securities and Chainlink Form Strategic Partnership to Tokenize, Connect, and Collateralize Real-World Assets Worldwide

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Hanwha Investment & Securities adopts the Chainlink data standard and CCIP as the official oracle infrastructure powering its global RWA tokenization platformJoint working group formed to explore institutional use cases for secure onchain execution, standards for using RWAs as collateral, and Korea’s tokenized securities marketChainlink to advance the platform with dedicated technical support and connections to its global network of financial institutions

NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hanwha Investment & Securities, a financial affiliate of Hanwha, a Fortune Global 500 company, today announced a strategic partnership with Chainlink, the standard for onchain finance, as it builds a global real-world asset (RWA) tokenization platform.

Hanwha Investment & Securities is adopting the Chainlink data standard and Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) as the official data and interoperability infrastructure of its platform, and, building on them, the two firms are working together to shape the criteria and use cases for tokenizing quality real-world assets, distributing them globally and putting them to work as collateral.

Within the global tokenization platform Hanwha Investment & Securities is building, Chainlink is providing trusted pricing and net asset value (NAV) data for the assets it issues, while CCIP enables those assets and liquidity to move securely across public and private blockchains. Assets can be issued on the chain best suited to their characteristics and, through a single integration, reach more investors and liquidity across global markets without building a custom integration for every new network.

The partnership spans the full path from tokenizing real-world assets to the markets where they are distributed and put to work, including as collateral. Hanwha Investment & Securities brings quality assets from global asset managers, structuring expertise and institutional-grade market infrastructure, while Chainlink brings the data and interoperability standards that connect them across networks.

Hanwha Investment & Securities is in discussions with global asset managers and issuers on tokenizing and distributing a range of RWA products, and plans to bring these assets to institutional investors and onchain markets via Chainlink.

To that end, the two firms are forming a joint working group to explore together: institutional use cases for executing securely into onchain finance while meeting compliance and custody requirements; the valuation and reserve verification methods, use cases and standards needed to use a wide range of RWAs as collateral; and technology and compliance aligned with the institutionalization of tokenized securities in Korea. Chainlink and Hanwha Investment & Securities are building what they learn into standards that institutions can adopt and, through Chainlink’s global network of financial institutions and protocols, plan to widen the circle of institutions taking part. Chainlink is providing dedicated technical support for the Hanwha Investment & Securities platform and priority access to new solutions.

Tokenization is increasingly becoming foundational to global finance, and South Korea, one of Asia’s leading digital asset hubs, is set to introduce its tokenized securities framework in February 2027. As part of Fortune Global 500 company Hanwha, Hanwha Investment & Securities is preparing for both Korea’s tokenized securities market and the global digital asset market, building the platform to lead that shift in Korea, across Asia and in global markets.

“Our goal is to tokenize quality assets that clients have wanted but found difficult to access, and to open a new financial market where they are issued, distributed, and used as collateral across global markets,” said Insung An, Chief Digital Officer at Hanwha Investment & Securities. “Chainlink is our key global strategic partner in realizing this vision, and with Chainlink’s standards at the core of our platform, we can build it on a stable and trusted technology foundation.” He added, “Going beyond technology adoption, the two firms will work together to set the valuation and usage criteria tokenized assets need to be put to work, including as collateral, and build a real-world asset market that connects Korea and global markets.”

“Tokenizing assets is the first step, but connecting them across public and private blockchains is what unlocks access to users, markets, and liquidity worldwide,” said Johann Eid, Chief Business Officer at Chainlink Labs. “Hanwha Investment & Securities, one of our key global strategic partners, brings quality real-world assets and institutional market expertise. By adopting the Chainlink data standard and CCIP as its official oracle infrastructure, Hanwha Investment & Securities is putting institutional-grade security at the center of its global tokenization strategy.” He added, “Together, we will build the standards for markets where tokenized assets are actually put to work, including as collateral, and Chainlink is supporting this with dedicated resources and connections across our global network. This is the model for bringing global finance onchain, connect once and scale globally.”

About Hanwha Investment & Securities

Hanwha Investment & Securities is a Korean securities affiliate of Hanwha, a Fortune Global 500 company. Through its global digital asset business based in Seoul and Abu Dhabi, Hanwha Investment & Securities is building at the frontier of Asia’s real-world asset (RWA) markets, connecting tokenized assets from global asset managers with onchain markets and putting them to work, including as collateral.

About Chainlink

Chainlink is the standard for onchain finance, enabling high-quality data, secure cross-chain interoperability, and compliant connectivity across global markets. Chainlink powers leading tokenized assets, financial institutions, market infrastructures, and decentralized applications by providing secure access to real-world data, cross-chain messaging, and blockchain connectivity across any network. The Chainlink standard has enabled tens of trillions of dollars in transaction value and is helping unify global markets onchain.

Many of the world’s largest financial services institutions have also adopted Chainlink’s standards and infrastructure, including Swift, Euroclear, Mastercard, Fidelity International, UBS, S&P Dow Jones Indices, FTSE Russell, WisdomTree, ANZ, and top protocols such as Aave, Polymarket, Lido, Lighter, and many others. Chainlink leverages a novel fee model where offchain and onchain revenue from enterprise adoption is converted to LINK tokens and stored in a strategic Chainlink Reserve. Learn more at chain.link.

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SOURCE Chainlink

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JustMarkets Examines Whether October Is Really the Most Volatile Month for Financial Markets

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Cross-asset analysis highlights differences in seasonal volatility across currencies, gold, oil, and equity indices

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — October has long carried a reputation as one of the most volatile months in financial markets, shaped by historic events such as the 1929 market crash, Black Monday in 1987, and the 2008 financial crisis. However, historical patterns alone do not necessarily provide reliable trading signals. According to JustMarkets‘ cross-asset analysis, October’s volatility varies across asset classes, underscoring the importance of understanding market-specific risks rather than relying on calendar-based assumptions.

What the Cross-Asset View Shows

JustMarkets analyzed the October reputation in four major CFD asset classes – currencies, gold, oil, and stock indices. It was found out that October is a volatile month, however, it is a question of asset class.

Equity indices are still a vulnerable asset class in October due to their historical association with stock crashes, earnings season, portfolio rebalancing, and heightened policy expectations. Currency volatility largely depends on central bank repricing, inflation figures, and performance of the US dollar rather than the month itself. In the case of gold, volatility is mostly related to real yields, US dollar, and safe haven status. Oil prices can be influenced by geopolitical events, communication from OPEC+, inventories, and demand expectations.

All in all, it creates a more balanced month-wise map of risk factors. In the cross-asset volatility ranking made by JustMarkets, October is still on top, while the next place belongs to September that is often connected with lower equity seasonality and summer position-taking. High volatility is also typical for March due to macroeconomic repricing, monetary policy moves, and quarterly flows. August usually becomes a volatile month because of lower liquidity and increased sensitivity to the news headlines. November often stays active because of October positions unwinding and year-end policy and portfolio considerations.

Why October Still In Focus

October does not only represent a myth or pattern. This month becomes important for the reason that traders expect it to be. The expectations become an element that alters behavior, such as increased hedging, risk control, swift profit taking, and reaction to negative news.

The major point is that volatility doesn’t necessarily come out of the calendar. Catalysts and positioning drive it: inflation surprises, monetary policy announcements, energy disruptions, geopolitical developments, earnings estimates, and liquidity conditions can make a regular month volatile.

What Traders Should Take from This

Rather than being afraid of October out of sheer superstition, what traders must do is make October a risk-awareness month. Traders must pay attention to wide swings, the potential for fake breakouts, intraday reversals, and strong reactions before macro events.

With JustMarkets, traders are able to trade a range of contracts for difference (CFDs) in currencies, commodities, indices, equities, and even cryptocurrencies, which makes it easy to see how volatility plays out on various asset classes. The bottom line is that while October must be considered, one of the best edges in trading lies in preparation.

Risk Warning: Trading Forex and CFDs involves significant risk and can result in the loss of your invested capital. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

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SOURCE JustMarkets

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