Clarkson University and Ichor Life Sciences Partner to Establish Biotechnology Cluster in North Country

“Ichor aims to build upon obvious synergies between its core competencies in structure-based drug discovery and translational medicine, and Clarkson’s deep expertise in chemistry, engineering, and health sciences,” Dr. Moody said.

In collaboration with the Lewis School for Health Sciences, Ichor is expanding their protein science division and will occupy offices and wet laboratory space in Peyton Hall. As part of the expansion, Ichor will provide over $2 million in state-of-the-art equipment and 8 full-time staff, offering regional universities and start-up companies access to industrial scale drug development capabilities, including world-class protein engineering.

With Clarkson, Ichor will also train high school, undergraduate, and graduate students and university faculty in advanced techniques in biophysics, structural biology, biochemistry, and translational medicine.

“Ichor’s presence in Clarkson’s incubator space marks a major step forward in the biotechnology field for the North Country,” said Clarkson University President Anthony G. Collins. “Collaborating with the Lewis School of Health Sciences and the School of Arts and Sciences not only helps Ichor expand, but also offers cutting edge educational opportunities to Clarkson students and faculty. Access to new equipment and expertise as a result of Ichor’s expansion to the North Country will also benefit academic labs, start-ups, and other companies in the field.”

Dr. Moody is a process-oriented drug developer and executive who has specialized in the study of aging and aging mechanisms for more than a decade. Since 2013, he has raised over $27 million in venture funding and built Ichor from a living room start-up into a premier, vertically integrated research organization. Dr. Moody received a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, an MBA from Concordia University Wisconsin and a BSc from SUNY Plattsburgh.

Chief Science Officer Dr. Aaron Wolfe is an entrepreneur and biophysicist. He co-founded Finger Lakes Bio, a boutique protein engineering company, which was acquired by Ichor. He previously served as a biotechnology consultant to RLH, a private investment company. Dr. Wolfe holds a PhD in structural biology, biochemistry, and biophysics from Syracuse University and a certificate in entrepreneurship from the Warton School.