Winston-Salem, N.C., November 23, 2010 – KeraNetics LLC, a Wake Forest University School of Medicine spinout with proprietary technology for the manufacture and therapeutic application of keratin biomaterials, announced today that it has been awarded a SBIR Phase I contract from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. “KeraNetics™ is focused on conducting research in the use of keratin biomaterials for nerve and bone regeneration, hemostasis, resuscitation fluids, wound and burn healing and cell culture applications” said Luke Burnett PhD, the Director of Product Development and Research at KeraNetics™ and the Principal Investigator for the project. “This project will utilize the advantages of keratin biomaterials to provide spatiotemporal control over the release of growth factors for bone and muscle regeneration that could provide solutions for the complex injuries experienced by our nation’s warfighters.”

“Keratins are unique because they have broad biocompatibility and can be formulated into a wide variety of materials that can potentially be used as therapeutic delivery systems to aid in the repair or replacement of bone or muscle tissue”. Dr. Burnett added that “our talented team of scientists and clinical collaborators at Wake Forest University School of Medicine such as Dr. Justin Saul who is leading this effort at Wake Forest, are grateful to the Department of Defense for the opportunity to work on translating this technology with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of Wounded Warriors.”