By GREGORY ZELLER //
A Long Island mecca of scientific discovery that largely flies under the radar is about to gain some well-earned recognition, for its unparalleled cancer-related research and commercialization expertise.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is home to some of the greatest scientific achievements of the last century. Its historic contributions to the groundbreaking determination of DNA’s double-helix structure merely scratch the surface; witness the eight Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine collected by NSHL scientists.
However, on an Island replete with cornerstone research institutions – Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook University and more – CSHL doesn’t penetrate the zeitgeist as often as it might.
That should change after this busy week.
First up: Range Cancer Therapeutics ETF, a Cold Spring Harbor-based exchange-traded fund that’s announced a CSHL partnership designed to highlight the laboratory’s pioneering role in advancing cancer research.
Tim Rotolo: Knows a good bet when he sees one.
Through the collaboration, 23 percent of revenues generated by trades of Range ETFs’ shares (Nasdaq: CNCR) will be donated to CSHL quarterly – a unique combination of “the powers of philanthropy and investing,” according to the laboratory.
As one of only seven basic biological research cancer centers designated nationwide by the Washington-based National Cancer Institute, CSHL is a rare diamond in the rough world of cancer R&D – and gratefully welcomes the support of Range ETFs, according to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory President and CEO Bruce Stillman.
“Cancer research is fundamental to our discovery efforts,” Stillman noted. “The institution is investing heavily in the growth of our cancer program, specifically in multidisciplinary, collaborative ventures as part of our new brain-body physiology initiative.”
For Range ETFs – a lifecycle investment platform for exchange-listed funds purpose-built to focus on cancer research and treatment – supporting the laboratory is part and parcel, according to fund founder Tim Rotolo.
“The contribution from Range will directly benefit the research efforts at CSHL, underscoring our commitment to advancing scientific innovation in oncology therapeutics,” noted Rotolo, a high-level wheeler-dealer who also founded private-equity investment firm Lloyd Harbor Capital Management and investor-led index developer North Shore Indices, among other investment vehicles.
The union with Range ETFs is not the only outreach effort announced this week by CSHL. The laboratory – which has made history on everything from the genetic structure of viruses to RNA splicing, and collected more than 320 U.S. patents along the way – joined with Hofstra University’s Frank G. Zarb School of Business Nov. 1 to kick off the inaugural Bioscience Business Innovation Program.
Janet Lenaghan: That’s the spirit.
Featuring contributions from 10 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory PhDs and postdoctoral scholars, the first-of-its-kind program was created to arm students with essential business skills for translating scientific discoveries into market-ready solutions.
During an intensive two-week course, participants dive into market validation, FDA processes and other critical topics designed to help them navigate the challenging – and hypercompetitive – biotech sector.
Zarb School of Business Dean Janet Lenaghan called the joint effort “a testament to the innovative spirit at Zarb.”
“The Bioscience Business Innovation Program is … the first of its kind, and it reflects our commitment to providing interdisciplinary education that allows scientists to unlock the commercial potential of their research,” Lenaghan said in a statement.
The BBIP is already underway, while the CSHL/Range ETFs alliance is scheduled to be officially introduced Nov. 14, when leaders from both entities are slated to gather on the Nasdaq podium in New York City – and a “powerful visual display” is expected to be presented on the stock exchange’s enormous Nasdaq Tower, looming over Times Square.
That prime visibility is symbolic of the entire collaboration, which is designed to not only funnel funds directly to next-generation scientific research but to expose benefactors to groundbreaking laboratory efforts – a terrific way to spread the news of CSHL’s revolutionary cancer work among influential audiences, according to Rotolo, who also sits on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit CSHL Association.
“This new collaboration with CSHL provides an opportunity for investors to also see their money go toward the earliest stages of cancer breakthroughs,” the investor added.
