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Gold/Mining/Energy : Zentek Ltd.
ZEN.V 1.0000.0%Dec 23 3:59 PM EST
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To: George69 who wrote (54235)12/10/2025 3:29:21 PM
From: Candu3 Recommendations

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Here’s how Zentek Ltd. and Yingfu Li are related — and what each brings to their collaboration.

?? Who is Yingfu Li
  • Yingfu Li is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. NCSU Chemistry+2McMaster Chemistry+2

  • He leads the “Li Lab,” a research group specializing in “functional nucleic acids” (DNA/RNA aptamers and DNAzymes) — molecules that can bind or catalyze reactions, useful for diagnostics and therapeutics. Yingfu Li Lab+2McMaster Chemistry+2

?? What is Zentek
  • Zentek is a Canadian technology-development and commercialization company. Among other technologies, it works on “aptamer-based” detection & therapeutic platforms by partnering with academic labs. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2

  • The company holds, via license, global-exclusive commercialization rights for certain aptamer/DNAzyme technologies developed at McMaster. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2

?? What their relationship is
  • In 2021 (June 11), McMaster granted Zentek a 20-year worldwide exclusive license to use and commercialize certain aptamer-based detection technologies developed by the Li Lab. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2

  • The technology from Dr. Li’s lab was originally aimed at rapid detection of pathogens (like SARS-CoV-2), using aptamers in saliva-based tests. Zentek Ltd.+2Newswire+2

  • Over time the collaboration expanded: the licensed scope was broadened to include all aptamer and DNAzyme uses — not just diagnostics, but also therapeutics, neutralization agents, and other applications, beyond SARS-CoV-2. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2

  • In 2023 Zentek announced that Dr. Li’s team had developed a new “aptamer technology platform” which dramatically increases aptamer binding affinity (reportedly 30–250 × higher) — this platform is now part of Zentek’s development pipeline. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2

  • As part of this collaboration, Dr. Li is formally on the advisory board of a subsidiary of Zentek that owns global licensing rights to the aptamer/DNAzyme platform. Newswire+2Zentek Ltd.+2

?? What this means functionally
  • Basically, Zentek acts as the commercialization partner for technologies developed in the Li Lab. Zentek invests (or supports) the development, handles licensing, and works toward bringing aptamer-based diagnostics or therapeutics to market.

  • Yingfu Li and his lab provide the scientific and technological innovation — they research and engineer the aptamers/DNAzymes, refine their performance (binding affinity, specificity), and test them (in vitro and in vivo).

  • The relationship is more of a research-to-commercialization partnership / license agreement, rather than Li being an employee of Zentek.

If you want — I can pull up a timeline of major announcements showing how this relationship evolved (date of license, key technologies developed, clinical/preclinical milestones). Do you want me to build that timeline for you now?



You said:

pull up a timeline of major announcements showing how this relationship evolved

ChatGPT said:

Here’s a timeline of major public announcements that show how the relationship between Zentek Ltd. and Yingfu Li (via his lab at McMaster University) has evolved — from initial licensing for COVID-19 detection to a broader aptamer/DNAzyme platform with therapeutic ambitions and new applications.

?? Timeline of Key Milestones

DateWhat happened / Announcement
June 11, 2021McMaster granted Zentek a 20-year worldwide exclusive license to use and commercialize certain aptamer-based rapid detection technologies (initially aimed at SARS-CoV-2) developed by Li Lab. StreetInsider.com+2Zentek Ltd.+2
June 17, 2021Public announcement that Zentek signed exclusivity agreement with McMaster to commercialize a newly developed aptamer-based rapid detection test for COVID-19 (saliva-based). StreetInsider.com+1
May 19, 2022Announcement that McMaster (with support from Zentek) received two major grants from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) — a $1,000,000 Alliance Missions Grant + $350,000 Idea-to-Innovation (I2I) Grant — to advance commercialization of the aptamer rapid-detection platform. Zentek Ltd.+2InvestorNews+2
June 1, 2022Zentek retained an external consultancy (for example, market- and commercialization-focused) to assist in bringing the aptamer-based rapid detection tech toward market readiness. Boardroom Alpha+1
July 20, 2023Announcement that the aptamer “platform” from Li Lab successfully demonstrated prophylactic/therapeutic potential in preclinical animal models against SARS-CoV-2 — i.e., aptamers neutralized virus with performance comparable to a commercial monoclonal antibody. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
July 27, 2023Zentek & McMaster announced a new aptamer technology platform: the improved aptamers show up to 250× increased binding affinity (vs baseline) — potentially enabling better diagnostics and therapeutic/prophylactic uses. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
June 23, 2023 (effective date of amendment)The original license agreement was amended to expand the scope: now covers all aptamer and DNAzyme uses, not just diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2, but diagnostics, therapeutics, neutralization agents — across potential future pathogens or targets. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
October 5, 2023Zentek announced the creation of a wholly-owned subsidiary (Triera Biosciences Ltd.) that now holds the global exclusive licensing rights for all aptamer-based technology developed in collaboration with McMaster. This is meant to accelerate development, partnerships, and commercial adoption. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
November 15, 2023Zentek reported a further upgrade to the aptamer platform: a “high-binding affinity” version, in which the universal COVID-19 aptamer’s binding affinity increased from ~300× to over 500× compared to base aptamers, and manufacturing yield improved (~95%). Zentek Ltd.+2MarketScreener Canada+2
October 31, 2024The company (through Triera / Zentek) signed a contract with the Government of Canada under its ISC Testing Stream to develop a prophylactic/therapeutic lead candidate for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1), using the multivalent aptamer strategy developed by Li Lab — showing expansion beyond SARS-CoV-2. Zentek Ltd.+1
April 23, 2025Zentek announced completion of the first phase of the ISC contract: delivery of a lead candidate countermeasure for H5N1, now advanced to testing phase, with key work done in collaboration with Li Lab at McMaster. Zentek Ltd.
September 18, 2025Zentek (Triera) provided preliminary in vivo results (mouse model) for an influenza (H1N1) aptamer-based countermeasure — again leveraging the multivalent aptamer technology originating from Li Lab — with significantly improved survival and reduced disease severity vs control. Zentek Ltd.+1


?? Interpretation / What This Evolution Means
  • The relationship began (June 2021) as a licensing agreement: McMaster (Li Lab) developing a detection test for SARS-CoV-2; Zentek secured global exclusive commercialization rights.

  • Over time, research in the Li Lab extended beyond diagnostics — leading to a new aptamer technology platform that markedly improves binding affinity and appears capable of therapeutic / prophylactic applications.

  • Zentek responded by broadening the license scope (June 2023) to include all aptamer and DNAzyme uses — not just detection.

  • To better manage development, partnerships, and funding for aptamer-based therapeutics/diagnostics, Zentek spun off a dedicated subsidiary (Triera Biosciences) in late 2023.

  • Since then, aided by the platform from Li Lab, Zentek/Triera has expanded into other pathogens beyond SARS-CoV-2 — e.g. avian influenza (H5N1) and seasonal influenza (H1N1).

  • The upgrades to binding affinity and manufacturing yield (2023) suggest the collaboration is maturing — moving from lab-scale proof-of-concept toward preclinical drug-development pipelines.

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