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Airway-On-A-Chip Could Speed Up Future Drug and Therapy Development

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2 years ago

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New paper demonstrates the most advanced example of organ-on-chip technology, designed to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures, including drugs and therapies.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Developing a new drug is incredibly complex, but a new breakthrough could help scientists accelerate the process. Researchers at Draper have created a more accurate model of the human airway in a microfluidic device, providing a better platform to study how airway tissue cells respond to pathogens and drug therapies.

“This is the first report of comprehensive and accurate screening of therapeutic candidates for COVID-19 in an organ-on-chip,” said Christine Fisher, Group Leader of Microbiology and Immunology at Draper.

Most pharmaceutical screening methods depend on petri dishes in a lab or in animal models, but these environments aren’t always the best analog of how things work in live humans. As such, many drugs and treatments that seem promising in animals often fail when they reach human trials.

In recent years, scientists have developed a way to model organs and other body tissues on microfluidic chips, which provide a much closer comparison. These miniature human tissues

have so far included the liver, kidney, vasculature, tumor, colon and lung, and now Draper researchers have added new findings for the human airway with powerful implications for future application to high priority pathogen research.

The researchers cultured human primary bronchial epithelial cells under air-liquid interface (ALI) conditions inside a microphysiological system, or MPS, which is designed to mimic human physiology by precisely controlling an environment for cells. Originally, the team was investigating what happens to those cells when they were infected with SARS-CoV-2, but when the researchers fed a flow of therapies in, they discovered something unexpected.

The treated airway tissues showed that two seemingly promising therapies had failed to rein in the viral infection. Those therapies had worked well enough in preclinical studies to send them to human clinical trials, but they eventually failed when tested in humans. In other words, Draper’s airway tissue model accurately predicted the lack of efficacy of two therapies that other pre-clinical methods had failed to reveal.

On further examination, the team detected the airway infection did respond to three antiviral drugs that had succeeded in clinical trials and were now FDA-approved. In all five total cases, the antivirals performed as expected in comparison to clinical outcomes. Importantly, these outcomes were more accurate than those obtained from in vitro tissue models using MPS platforms other than Draper’s PREDICT96-ALI.

“This is the first report of comprehensive and accurate screening of therapeutic candidates for COVID-19 in an organ-on-chip,” said Christine Fisher, Group Leader of Microbiology and Immunology at Draper. “PREDICT96-ALI can increase clinical success, and that represents a new and major milestone in the effort to use human primary cell-based preclinical models to expedite countermeasure development for emerging infectious disease threats and, more broadly, in the drug development pipeline.”

MPS are promising for evaluating drugs before they go to clinical trials, according to Ashley Gard, Group Leader of Cellular and Tissue Engineering and Principal Biomedical Engineer at Draper. But a major limiting factor is the lack of preclinical models capable of providing data predictive of human clinical responses, she added. Writing in Advanced Biology, the researchers say, “There still exists a tremendous unmet need for predictive MPS airway models to fill a critical gap in preclinical therapeutic screening for COVID-19 and other emerging respiratory infections.”

Special care was taken to keep the airway tissue models thriving in the microenvironment of PREDICT96-ALI. The tissues “lived” in a culture media, bathed in a dynamic fluid flow and given nutrients and oxygen. They were tested in a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) high-containment laboratory, which allowed researchers to evaluate the full viral life cycle of SARS-CoV-2, a critical step in assessing compounds. The paper builds on research published in the journal Cells in 2023.

The research paper concludes: “PREDICT96-ALI is a model of the human broncho-tracheal lung tissue capable of assessing the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics with sufficient throughput to test multiple compounds at multiple concentrations in a single plate.” As such, it can be a vital tool for drug discovery.

PREDICT96-ALI is part of an integrated portfolio of technologies and resources at Draper intended to support the drug discovery and national security mission. Some of these capabilities include biothreat detection technologies developed for IARPA’s Finding Engineering-Linked Indicators (FELIX), DARPA’s Detect It with Gene Editing Technologies (DIGET) and BARDA’s Project NextGen: Next Generation Medical Countermeasures.

Authors include Landys Lopez Quezada, Felix Mba Medie, Rebeccah J. Luu, Robert B. Gaibler, Elizabeth P. Gabriel, Logan D. Rubio, Thomas J. Mulhern, Elizabeth E. Marr, Jeffrey T. Borenstein, Christine R. Fisher and Ashley L. Gard.

Draper

As a nonprofit engineering innovation company, Draper serves the nation’s interests and security needs; advances technologies at the intersection of government, academia and industry; cultivates the next generation of innovators; and solves the most complex challenges. Multidisciplinary teams drawn from a broad and deep talent pool of 1,600 engineers and scientists collaborate to develop first-of-a-kind solutions. Draper’s unbiased approach enables the company to focus on their customers’ needs and to deliver new capabilities to them. Learn more at draper.com.

Media Contact

Scott Deitz, Draper, 1 336-908-7759, scott@sevenletter.com, https://www.draper.com/

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SOURCE Draper

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Intouch Insight to Host Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call on November 19, 2026 at 10:00am ET

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11 minutes ago

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November 10, 2026

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OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 10, 2026 /CNW/ — Intouch Insight Ltd. (TSXV: INX) (OTCQX: INXSF) (“Intouch” or the “Company”), a provider of customer experience management solutions, today announced it will host a conference call and live webcast on November 19, 2026, at 10:00am Eastern Time to discuss the results of the third quarter 2026.

Conference Call Information

To participate in this event, register and log-in approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call.

Date: November 19, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. eastern time
Register for the live webcast and access on-demand recording: https://events.zoom.us/ev/Aq_AtYFwvnSkc7aeqsTFIC_LdYPICTnz8ZjPj_YseBMND0NNP7jE~AvG8jHOHsLPt1c2RaU-obNjJjkuGHfdJQz1kBIedcTx8Z58PrcUhkoG0iw

About Intouch Insight
Intouch Insight offers a complete portfolio of customer experience management (CEM) products and services that help global brands delight their customers, strengthen brand reputation and improve financial performance. Intouch helps clients collect and centralize data from multiple customer touch points, gives them actionable, real-time insights, and provides them with the tools to continuously improve customer experience. Founded in 1992, Intouch is trusted by over 300 of North America’s most-loved brands for their customer experience management, customer survey, mystery shopping, mobile forms, operational and compliance audits, geolocation data capture and event marketing automation solutions. For more information, visit intouchinsight.com.

Certain statements included in this news release including those related to the Company’s quarterly results, future products, opportunities and cost initiatives, strategies, and other statements that are predictive in nature that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates”, or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking statements that are made of the date hereof, which by their nature are necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events, and are based on information currently available to the Company and on hypotheses which it considers to be reasonable; however, management warns the reader that hypotheses relative to future events which are beyond the control of management could prove to be false, given that they are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Please refer to the risks set forth in the Company’s most recent annual MD&A and the Company’s continuous disclosure documents that can be found on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. The Company does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Intouch Insight Ltd.

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Media Advisory – Minister Hodgson to give keynote speech and participate in fireside chat with Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce

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12 minutes ago

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November 10, 2026

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MEDICINE HAT, AB, Nov. 10, 2026 /CNW/ — The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, will deliver a keynote speech and participate in a fireside chat hosted by the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce to discuss Budget 2026: Masters of our Destiny.  

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026

Time: 10:30 a.m. ABT

All accredited media are asked to pre-register by emailing events@southeastalbertachamber.ca . Details on how to participate will be provided upon registration.

Follow Natural Resources Canada on LinkedIn

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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AI Opportunity Fund Expands AI Skills Training Across Asia Pacific with 28 Phase Three Local Implementing Partners

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12 minutes ago

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November 10, 2026

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AVPN is also launching the AI Opportunity Learning Platform, giving learners access to localised AI training and recommended learning pathways in 16 languages

SINGAPORE, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AVPN, Asia’s largest platform for social impact, today announced the 28 organisations selected as local implementing partners joining phase three of the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, supported by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The new cohort expands the Fund’s AI skills training into classrooms and workplaces across 19 markets, including through organisations participating in AI Ready ASEAN led by ASEAN Foundation.

Most of the new local implementing partners will work directly with K-12 teachers, university students and faculty, extending the Fund beyond today’s workforce to the educators shaping the next generation of workers. By building AI fluency among teachers and faculty, phase three is designed to carry that capability through successive cohorts of students. Other local implementing partners will reach healthcare workers, agricultural and service-sector workers, as well as employees of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

More information on the phase three organisations are here. Among the organisations receiving funding are:

Pratham Education Foundation (India) – works across schools and communities to improve education and prepare children and young people for a changing world. Pratham will train teachers to use AI critically in the classroom, adapting and localising content including Experience AI and Google for Education for its learners, alongside practical skills such as understanding when not to rely on AI tools.JA Korea (South Korea) – has trained 11,000 teachers over six years, and will pair Google’s AI training with formal certification for public school educators, with dedicated outreach to rural teachers. Classroom results will also feed into policy convenings with ministry officials, aiming to institutionalise national K-12 AI education policy, with dedicated outreach to give rural teachers equal access. AI Edu Corp (Vietnam) – a pioneer in digital skills training in Vietnam, AI Edu Corp has trained nearly 150,000 educators, students and workers since 2019. It has existing partnerships with Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training and will support efforts to embed AI literacy into teacher standards nationwide.

“AI tools are already entering classrooms and workplaces across Asia-Pacific. The challenge now is making sure people have the skills to use them well, and the judgement to know when not to be overly reliant on them. Phase Three takes that work further into the places where people learn and work, from schools and universities to healthcare, agriculture and small businesses,” said Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO at AVPN.

“Local organisations are central to making that happen. They understand the languages, communities and institutions they serve, and can adapt training in ways that a regional programme alone cannot. By also equipping educators, we have an opportunity for that knowledge to carry forward through successive generations of students,” she added.

A Single Point of Access to AI Learning

Today, AVPN is also launching the AI Opportunity Learning Platform, AVPN’s gateway to AI training programmes across Asia-Pacific. The platform connects learners with AI learning opportunities and resources designed and delivered by trusted local partners. Each programme is tailored to its target learners, kept up to date, and delivered in local languages, helping educators, students, workers, and MSMEs apply AI confidently and responsibly in their own fields.

Available in 16 languages, the platform will recommend a learning pathway based on a short assessment. Certification available upon completion of training. A Gemini-powered assistant will help users navigate the platform, answer questions about it and provide guided learning.

For Phase 3, AVPN has brought on a new strategic partner, the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Foundation will work with local implementing partners to localise Experience AI content for their markets and languages, while providing training and guidance on using the content. Another new strategic partner is the Ayala Foundation, who will provide access to Google AI learning resources for educators and students in the Philippines. Additionally, Ayala Foundation will support the AI Opportunity Fund’s local implementing partners in the Philippines to access more opportunities for organisational growth.

“Access to AI skills depends on whether people can find training that is relevant to them, in a language and setting that works for them. The 28 organisations joining Phase Three bring that local knowledge, whether they are working with teachers, students, healthcare workers or small businesses,” said Marija Ralic, Head of Google.org APAC.

“The AI Opportunity Learning Platform extends that approach. By bringing training and local partners together in one place and making it available in 16 languages, we can make it easier for learners across Asia-Pacific to find relevant training and connect with organisations in their market.”

Launched in 2024 with a USD 15 million commitment, the Fund received a further USD 10 million in Phase Two in May 2025 and another USD 10 million in Phase Three in May 2026, bringing Google.org’s total commitment to USD 35 million.

To date, the Fund has trained more than 850,000 workers and 63,000 small businesses across Asia-Pacific, working through almost 60 local implementing partner organisations and delivering programmes in more than 30 local languages.

About AVPN

AVPN is Asia’s largest platform for social impact, where close to 1,000 resource providers, innovators and intermediaries from across 48 markets collaborate to mobilise capital.  Grounded in deep regional expertise and partnerships, AVPN is building a thriving ecosystem that accelerates measurable progress toward inclusive growth, empowering Asia to lead the way in global impact. AVPN’s mission is to translate intent into impact by bringing together people, ideas, and resources for Asia. We do this by strengthening partnerships, fostering open collaboration, and enabling the coordinated flow of resources across markets and borders. Together with our community, AVPN is building a thriving impact ecosystem that drives a prosperous and inclusive Asia.

For more information about AVPN and our work, please visit our website and read our latest Annual Review.

About Google.org

Google.org, Google’s philanthropy, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. We engage nonprofits, social enterprises and civic entities who make a significant impact on the communities they serve, and whose work has the potential to produce scalable, meaningful change.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ai-opportunity-fund-expands-ai-skills-training-across-asia-pacific-with-28-phase-three-local-implementing-partners-302934513.html

SOURCE AVPN

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