Aconabolics, LLC
Specializing in the synthesis of stable, isotopically labeled organic acids, ketoacids, and amino acids for diagnostics pharmaceutical research, and metabolic analysis. Our proprietary reaction pathways enable the generation of both known and non-fermentable metabolites. Major products include isotopic and structural isomers of biochemical intermediates and analogs.
Recent News from Aconabolics
Aconabolics work published in Nature Chemistry
The findings led to novel ways to synthesize 13C–labeled biological intermediates for use in metabolomics and as diagnostic agents for 13C-MFA (metabolic flux analysis).
Furman lands first SCRA grant ever awarded to a private institution
Furman lands first SCRA grant ever awarded to a private institution
Aconabolics earns Trent Stubbs ’20 first place at second Innovation Hour
The second Innovation Hour competition wasn’t rigged, exactly, but to have a chance to beat Trent Stubbs ’20 you also had to …
Professor, student patent research breakthrough, start company on campus
Professor, student patent research breakthrough, start company on campus
The Research
Early detection of cancer and bacterial infections saves lives; an emerging technology that enables rapid diagnoses of these conditions is called metabolic flux analysis. We have developed synthetic techniques that enable this technology by producing the necessary chemical reagents. These required molecules (13C-labelled metabolites) are highly specialized and challenging to produce, with some currently costing hundreds of dollars for an amount less than a grain of sand. Based on a decade of research experience and nearly a million dollars in research funding from agencies including NSF and NASA, we have developed the technology to directly replicate a fundamental biological pathway to these intermediates that avoids costly enzymes or fermentation. These techniques decrease the synthetic costs of the labelled metabolites by over an order of magnitude.
MARKET
Due to the increasing view that many cancers can be classified as metabolic disorders, as well as the greatly enhanced recognition of the importance of the GI microbiome to health, the need for compounds that allow metabolic analysis is increasing. Coupled with advances in the resolution power of mass spectral analysis and magnetic resonance imaging, we foresee this being an opportune time to provide 13C-metabolites at lower cost with a vastly expanded library of products. The current market for stable isotopes is valued at 320 million US$ (2018, MarketWatch.com) and is expected to reach 400 million by 2025. We are seeking to partner with academic, industrial, and healthcare institutions on the front line of cancer research to expand the technology to the diagnosis of rare cancers and metabolic disorders.
Meet our executive Team:
Dr. Greg Springsteen, Ph.D., is a Henry Keith and Ellen Hard Townes Professor of Chemistry at Furman University. His work has been published in top international science journals and brought in over $750,000 in funding from NSF and NASA. He was named one of eight national Dreyfus Scholars in 2018.
Trent Stubbs is a graduate of at Furman University with a degree in biochemistry . He is president of Furman’s chapter of the American Chemical Society, a Furman Fellow, the founder of the Berea house service organization, and a Furman University Bell Tower Scholar.